<b>Shark River</b>

Weather kept some anglers from fishing this week, including for tuna, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> in Belmar wrote in an email.  

A couple of canyon trips sailed aboard two weeks ago, said Capt. Scott from <b>XTC Sportfishing</b> from Belmar. Not many tuna showed up, but a couple of bluefin tuna were angled closer to shore on the way back. During the canyon fishing, a few mako sharks, none large, and some tiger and hammerhead sharks were reeled in. One of the tigers weighed 850 pounds, Capt. Jody from XTC said. Tilefish were also cranked up.

<b>Manasquan Inlet</b>

The <b>Tin Knocker</b> from Point Pleasant set out for bluefin tuna Saturday, but the fishing was slow, Capt. John said. That was on the troll from the Chicken Canyon to the Texas Towers in greenish, 79-degree water and flat seas. Trips will probably begin to fish canyons for tuna all the way offshore next week.

Alex from <b>The Reel Seat</b> in Brielle broke the news to this website about the 926-pound mako shark landed on the Jenny Lee from Brielle on Saturday. The crew are customers, and the fish, subdued at Hudson Canyon after a 1 ½ hour fight, seemed a potential record for largest shark caught on hook and line in New Jersey. But later in the week, <a href=" http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/local/fishing_boating/pound-shark-won-t-be-recognized-as-new-jersey-s/article_f322986d-9411-5d1f-9583-41431d523c75.html" target="_blank">news</a> said the shark couldn’t become the record, because more than one angler – six of them -- reeled in the fish. An 880-pound tiger shark is currently the largest shark in the records in the state. Not much was heard about tuna fishing. Bluefin tuna fishing at mid-range became slower that was productive previously. Those who could find no bluefins sometimes shot to Hudson Canyon farther from shore and boated mahi mahi that were biting. Yellowfin tuna 30 to 40 pounds were angled at the Cole wreck farther south. Baitfish, porpoises and whales swam there.

<b>Mushin Sportfishing</b> from Point Pleasant Beach continued sailing for tuna from Cape May, Capt. Alan wrote in an email. The boat’s been docked there the past month, and the trips fished both inshore and offshore lately. Yellowfin tuna were caught on every trip, and the fishing took looking on some days. The angling, during chunking, also required light leaders. On a trip Saturday, 30-pound fluorocarbon leaders had to be fished with small, 3/0 hooks, and were actually fished on fluke rods! But yellowfins to 55 pounds were eased in. The fight usually took more than an hour. Tremendous tilefishing was also whacked at offshore canyons on the trips. Mushin will keep after tuna from Cape May, on charters and a limited number of open-boat trips, through early August. Then the boat will be returned to Point Pleasant Beach to continue tuna fishing, at offshore canyons.

<b>Barnegat Inlet</b>

<b>Tuna-Tic Sportfishing</b> from Forked River will begin canyon fishing for tuna next week on overnight trips, Capt. Mike said. He would’ve begun already, because tuna catches have begun at the canyons the best they have in the last 10 years. But August is when the trips usually start, and that’s when they’re scheduled. Good catches have already been made throughout the canyons, including, from north to south, the Hudson, Toms, Lindenkohl, Spencer and Wilmington, all on the troll.

The <b>Super Chic</b> from Barnegat Light’s first tuna charters of the year are slated for August, Capt. Ted said. Open-boat trips will probably fish for tuna in September and October, and Ted expects to set the dates soon.

<b>Great Egg Harbor Inlet</b>

Tuna fishing was hit and miss at inshore spots like Massey’s Canyon and the Hot Dog, said Pat from <b>Fin-Atics</b> in Ocean City. Trips seemed either to “have a day” or strike out. Most anglers chunked for them, but the tuna were also trolled well. “Nothing’s set out there,” he said.

A second trip of the day was trolling bluefish, bonito and Spanish mackerel on the <b>Stray Cat</b> from Longport when Capt. Mike gave this report at 7 p.m. in a phone call aboard Wednesday, he said. Stingrays also bit, and the morning trip plowed 90 fish. The fishing’s been gangbusters. Birds worked the water on the trips, and Mike was looking at a bird play larger than he’d seen in a while when he gave the report. The evening trip was going to shark fish afterward. The water was 77 degrees. Because summer flounder season this year closes early beginning Sept. 6, a discount will be offered for tuna trips in September, until the sea bass bag limit is increased and trips get after them. Anglers should telephone, because of the substantial savings for tuna.

<b>Townsend’s Inlet</b>

Yellowfin tuna seemed mostly trolled at canyons like the Spencer and Wilmington, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b> in Sea Isle City. At inshore spots like Massey’s Canyon and the Hot Dog, tuna, mostly yellowfins, were mostly chunked.

Mahi mahi began to swim the ocean close to shore, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> from Sea Isle City, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Fishing for them was stellar last year aboard. A buddy boated them Saturday at one of Joe’s spots. But weather prevented Joe from reaching them in past days. 

<b>Cape May Inlet</b>

Tuna fishing was supposed to sail today with <b>Fishin’ Fever Sportfishing</b> from Cape May, Capt. Tom said before the trip. At the time, forecasts looked like the trip might get the weather. Yellowfin tuna fishing was great in 20 fathoms. It really was, he said. Forty- to 70-pounders, good-sized, were light-tackled on chunks and jigs. A few stray wahoos swam mid-range. Marlin and mahi mahi held offshore. Once the inshore tuna fishing slows, sometime in August, trips will fish offshore for tuna and marlin. Charters and open-boat trips are currently sailing for tuna.

Bluefish, bonito and Spanish mackerel were trolled at 5-Fathom Bank on two trips Friday and Saturday on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> from Cape May, Capt. George said. The fishing began to produce, and that was the first of the angling this year aboard. A 4-hour trip was supposed to fish for them again yesterday, he said before the angling. Charters were supposed to tuna fish this weekend on the boat, but George canceled because of forecasts. Both days of the weekend look like a blowout. That was too bad, because the fishing’s been good inshore. A couple of boats were headed for the fishing yesterday, so George would find out how they fared.

Places like 19-Fathom Lump to Massey’s Canyon and the Hot Dog served up yellowfin tuna on jigs in early mornings along bottom, because of sand eels, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b> in Cape May. They were chunked the rest of the day. Sometimes 30-pound, fluorocarbon leaders were fished.

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