<b>Shark River Inlet</b>

Nothing was heard about tuna boated at Hudson Canyon or other local canyons, but tuna trips are slated for later this month aboard, Capt. Mike from the <b>Katie H</b> said Sunday. The angling’s got to break open soon, he said.

The party boat <a href="https://www.goldeneaglefishing.com/tunafish" target="_blank"><b>Golden Eagle</b> from Belmar’s tuna trips</a> are set for September 11 to October 23, a report said on the vessel’s website. Six of the trips are 24 hours, and two, called “tuna and mahi trips,” are 31 hours. Time to book, and on August 1, when the report was posted, only four spots remained on the 31-hour trip September 21.

<b>Manasquan Inlet</b>

Hudson Canyon seemed to begin giving up bigeye tuna three days ago, said Eric from <b>The Reel Seat</b> in Brielle. The fish to 225 pounds were trolled in evening and in the dark, mostly on Bomber Certified Depth 30 Lures and Joe Shutes. Yellowfin tuna, not a large number, were trolled at the canyon during daytime on Joe Shutes and green machine and rainbow machine spreaders. White marlin, many, upward of 25 a trip, were trolled from canyons, the farther south, the more, but also at the Hudson and Toms Canyon locally. They were hooked on ballyhoos, Ilanders and a variety of small lures, including Same Ole Roll Lures. Lots of mahi mahi 12 to 20 pounds were boated at the canyons. Mahi were also boated at lobster pot buoys along the east side of the Chicken Canyon and at the Bacardi wreck.

The party boat <a href=" http://www.gamblerfishing.net/offshoretrips.php" target="_blank"><b>Gambler</b> from Point Pleasant Beach’s tuna trips</a> are slated for September 19 to November 15, and some already filled. Don’t wait long to reserve, because the trips will fill, an email from the boat said.

<b>Barnegat Inlet</b>

<b>Tuna-Tic Sportfishing</b> from Forked River was supposed to begin tuna fishing two weeks ago, Capt. Mike said. But the trips were pushed off to later dates, because the angling was slow locally. A few shots of the fish showed up locally this season. A boat would catch seven or eight or something, then the fish would depart. Some anglers pumped-up excitement about tuna fishing early in the season in recent years. But the fishing traditionally begins later, including good catches in September and October.

<b>Beach Haven Inlet</b>

A trip trolled 20 fathoms last Friday on the <b>June Bug</b> from Beach Haven, Capt. Lindsay said. No “major” fish bit, he said, but bonito to 6 and 7 pounds were nailed. They jumped on ballyhoos and wouldn’t touch spreader bars and spoons. “They wanted the good stuff,” he said. The trip fished from east of Barnegat Ridge almost to the Resor wreck. The water was 78 degrees the whole trip, and the water was a good-looking color and held loads of baitfish. The baitfish were short and couldn’t be seen close up to be identified. They’d sound when the boat neared. Probably 20 or 30 sea turtles were seen, as many as Lindsay ever saw at one area. They apparently foraged on the bait. June Bug was supposed to fish offshore yesterday to today, he said before the trip. A friend competing in this week’s White Marlin Open said two days ago, Wednesday, that the eddy holding white marlin should reach Poorman’s Canyon by Thursday or so and that another was headed to Spencer and Lindenkohl canyons. The water movement seemed on schedule through yesterday morning, Lindsay said before the trip. Wind 10 to 15 knots was forecast for yesterday for the fishing grounds. Seas were supposed to be a little bumpier today, and wind was supposed to increase to 15 to 20 late today. But the trip should be on the way home or home when that wind happens.

<b>Little Egg Inlet</b>

One customer reported marking more than 12 white marlin at Spencer Canyon on a trip, raising some but hooking none, said Chris from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Mystic Island. Not much was heard about tuna, but weather was often rough for boaters to reach offshore in past days. If trips head offshore, they might as well mix in mahi mahi fishing, like chumming minnows at lobster-pot buoys. That angling sounded good.

<b>Great Egg Harbor Inlet</b>

Wind kept boaters from fishing offshore for tuna in past days, said Austin from <b>24-7 Bait & Tackle</b>, with two stores in Egg Harbor Township and Marmora.

A few mahi mahi were getting boated during sea bass fishing inshore on the <b>Stray Cat</b> from Longport, Capt. Mike said.  The mahi were good-sized to 15 and 20 pounds, and seemed to feed on the sea bass. They had sea bass in stomachs, and on Wednesday’s trip, mahi followed hooked sea bass up to the boat. One mahi aboard recently had a sea bass and an 18-inch sailfish in the stomach. A few charter dates are available for mahi fishing within 20 miles of shore this month. Offshore fishing was good for white marlin. Mahi fishing could be good offshore, too. Open-boat trips will fish offshore for tuna and other big game beginning in September until October 22, when the sea bass bag limit is increased to 15, from the current limit of two. If anybody wants tuna, they can sign up. Beginning October 22, trips will fish for sea bass offshore in the deep, not inshore.

No substantial news rolled in about tuna fishing, said Justin from <b>Fin-Atics</b> in Ocean City.

<b>Townsends Inlet</b>

Three anglers headed to the inshore ocean last Friday aboard, spin-rodding two mahi mahi 13 and 15 pounds, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> in Sea Isle City, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. On Tuesday, Ryan Roth and friends on the boat trolled for mahi inshore, going three for five. White marlin fishing took off this past week at the offshore canyons. A bunch caught were heard about. A good number of mahi, including big, also swam the canyons. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s Blog</a>.

Nothing exciting happened with tuna fishing, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b> in Sea Isle City. Quite a few mahi mahi swam the inshore ocean. So did a healthy number of cobia.

<b>Cape May Inlet</b>

A bigeye tuna 70-some inches, probably close to 300 pounds, was nailed last Friday at Wilmington Canyon with <b>Caveman Sportfishing</b> from Cape May, Capt. John said. The trip returned that night, too late to weigh the fish anywhere. The fish was fought 3 ½ hours to land it, and excellent white marlin fishing happened a few miles away during the trip. The boat trolled for bigeyes in deeper water along 100 fathoms. Many boats would probably fish for the whites this week, because the White Marlin Open was underway during the week from Ocean City, Md. Caveman fished for yellowfin tuna in the general Massey’s Canyon area Monday, but the angling was no good aboard. However, the angling lit up on one of the days afterward: Tuesday or Wednesday. John said which day, but this writer forgot. But there was a bite, he said, and a trip yesterday for the fish was canceled aboard, because of wind. Monday’s trip had “no boat traffic to contend with,” Caveman’s Facebook page said. But few of the tuna showed up in the area, except “a few isolated catches,” the page said. No more than “a few boats (seemed to have) more than a couple of bites.” The tuna were hooked on livelined spots. Friends scored well on the tuna Sunday, and the water was 78 degrees. On Monday, the water jumped to 83 degrees, and John thought that killed the angling. Wind had been easterly when the water warmed. Wind now was southerly. 

Anglers from three different trips reported tuna caught last Friday at Massey’s Canyon and the Hambone, said Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> from Cape May. Good fishing for the tuna was had Sunday in rough seas. Tuna remained there lately, and trips needed to get them behind the boat on the chunk and keep them there.  Good white marlin fishing was reported.

Inshore tuna fishing seemed to turn back on, a little west of Massey’s Canyon on the chunk, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b> in Cape May White marlin gave up good fishing at the canyons offshore.

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