Welcome to the first Offshore Report of 2007!

<b>Sandy Hook</b>

A bunch of porpoises swam off Long Branch last week, and that’s a good sign, because Capt. Jake from <b>Jersey Shore Fishing Charters</b> has found that sharks arrive when porpoises do, he said.  Jersey Shore is raring to start its shark-fishing season, and also itching to start tuna fishing shortly afterward. Schoolie bluefin tuna were already being hooked at the Mudhole at this time last year, but no news was heard about any there so far this season.

<b>Manasquan Inlet</b>

One more Hudson Canyon tilefish trip is slated for 1 a.m. Monday on the <b>Jamaica</b>, and space is available, an e-mail from the boat said. The boat already ran a tile trip May 21, and the high hook caught eight, and a 17-1/2-pounder was the biggest of the day. Call the Jamaica to reserve.

<b>Barnegat Inlet</b>

No offshore reports were heard recently, said Josh from <b>Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle</b>, and even well-known boats like the Pez Machine seemed to stay in port lately. But he figured they’d probably start running more often next week. In a report the first week of May, he said the Pez Machine boated a bluefin tuna in the deep at 1,500 fathoms and thought it was probably the year’s first tuna caught off Jersey. That was the first tuna report of the year on this web site.

<b>Little Egg Inlet</b>

The<b>June Bug</b> was fishing this spring from North Carolina for big game like it always does at this time of year, but the boat is starting to fish from New Jersey any day. Capt. Lindsay two weeks ago said trips from Jersey will start after Memorial Day, running offshore for tuna and big game. Anglers sometimes think June is too early for tuna and big game off the Garden State, but charters on the June Bug often get into some of the best catches at this time of year at the canyons. Lots of yellowfin tuna are often caught, and fishing for blue and white marlin can be great. In the past couple of years the first trips of the season got into multiple blues and plenty of tuna. Those trips leave at midnight and fish by 4:30 a.m., because the bite is usually early or at dawn. In North Carolina offshore fishing this spring was often plagued by strong winds, jumping up seas and preventing many trips. Sometimes the fishing was good, and other times it was slow. On a trip just before he gave this report, one yellowfin tuna and two mahi mahi were caught, and boats 20 miles to the south sometimes nailed as many as 14 tuna.

The first reports of the season about tuna rolled in, and one offshore boater bagged 40-pound yellowfins 90 miles from shore, Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>, and he was unaware which direction the angler headed. Although it’s not offshore, Great Bay’s shark fishing usually starts the second week of June, when big ones usually start prowling.

<b>Great Egg Harbor Inlet</b>

Capt. Mike from the <b>Stray Cat</b> would like to fish for sharks any time, if anyone’s interested in a trip, he said. Makos are around, and if bluefish are around, which they are, then so are makos. He heard scattered reports about makos last weekend, and nobody first-hand reported catching any, but Mike heard that some were seen. He’s also looking forward to kicking off tuna fishing for bluefins, and he heard about no bluefins found yet.

Slammer bluefish took up residence at 28-Mile Wreck, so sharks should be haunting those waters soon, said Dan at <b>Fin-Atic’s</b> in Ocean City. Reports already came in about sharks swimming the 750 Square.

<b>Townsend’s Inlet</b>

Capt. Joe from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b> in Sea Isle City</b> this weekend might sail offshore for tuna for the first time this season, but it depends on the weather, he said. Although the forecast was okay, the weather needs to be completely calm at this time of year, because the fish are far offshore, maybe a 120-mile run, not a distance anyone wants to travel in less than good weather. A warm-water eddy was holding off the Toms and Spencer canyons last weekend, and a mess of gaffer dolphin were boated there.

<b>Cape May Inlet</b>

Shark trips will begin with <b>Jaftica Sportfishing</b> in two weekends, Capt. Ray said, and he heard about thresher sharks fought during last weekend, probably within 20 miles from shore.

Shark charters are coming up on the <b>Canyon Clipper</b>, and sharking should begin in another week, and makos are typically caught by mid June, Capt. Stan said.

Although the <b>Fishin’ Fever</b> is currently fishing for black drum from Cape May, the boat will relocate to Brigantine by June 15 and begin sailing for sharks and tuna, Capt. Tom said

The South Jersey Shark Tournament takes place in a couple of weekends, so shark season is starting, said Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>. He knows a captain from Beach Haven who already tuna fished and supposedly boated a good catch of yellowfin tuna and a 200-pound bigeye, reportedly between Wilmington and Baltimore canyons. The captain had been keeping an eye open for a warm-water eddy, and he saw one and found the bite there. On a sad note, the angler who fought the bigeye was said to have suffered a heart attack immediately afterward and died offshore. That’s not the first time George heard about something like that happening, so be careful out there.

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