<b>Sandy Hook</b>

A friend trolled for bluefin tuna at the Glory Hole Wednesday and found none, so he switched to ling fishing and bailed a ton along the edge of the hole, said Capt. Fletcher Chayes of <b>Two Rivers Charters</b> from Sea Bright.

<b>Shark River Inlet</b>

A shark trip will leave the dock with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> from Neptune this weekend, and a shark trip last Saturday battled a 125-pound mako to the gaff, Capt. Ralph said. Last Lady’s canyon tuna fishing season is underway, and only four or five spaces remain for its open-boat trips.

<b>Manasquan Inlet</b>

<b>Reel-Ality Sportfishing Charters</b> from Brielle trolled the Glory Hole Wednesday and hooked skipjacks and a mahi mahi, Capt. Larry said. No bluefin tuna showed up, but a boater who fished 10 miles away was chunking and landed two small bluefins. Larry heard about nobody else catching or seeing bluefins during the day, and anglers only reported finding skipjacks. The water was 71.5 degrees and pretty clean and clear and started getting murky toward shore. Quite a few boaters returning from Hudson Canyon were heard on the radio saying tuna fishing there was slow. Another trip on the Reel-Ality will probably target bluefins around the Glory Hole or Monster Ledge this weekend.

On the <b>Katie H</b> from Brielle an overnight trip to Toms Canyon from Sunday to Monday produced 11 yellowfin tuna from 60 to 80 pounds on the chunk and two white marlin on the troll, Capt. Mike said. No tuna bit on the troll, and the fish on the chunk were pretty much picked through the night, but tuna came up and boiled behind the boat at first light. Anglers had to drop down to small, 40- and 60-pound fluorocarbon leaders, so some tuna were broken off. Another overnighter was sailing Wednesday to Thursday, but no word was heard about the trip so far, and another leaves the dock Saturday.

The <b>Benchmark</b> from Point Pleasant fished last Friday on a canyon overnighter, and trolling picked up two longfin tuna and a white marlin, and the anglers also went 4 for 9 on good-sized bigeye tuna on the troll, the report on the boat’s web site said. Chunking at night was also consistent until 3 a.m., and the catch ended up great. The boat turned around Saturday, headed back to the canyons and whacked all the yellowfin tuna the charter wanted by 3 a.m. on the chunk, and then the group sailed home.

Canyon tuna fishing was very good last week, mostly at Toms Canyon, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b> from Brielle. The Moondancer with owners Lud and Jen Bohler and Capt. Mike Petrole fished the Toms over weekend and trolled a 170-pound bigeye and five longfins on Reel Seat Green Machine spreader bars. At night they chunked 13 yellowfin tuna from 50 to 70 pounds and a 100-pound swordfish. The Jenny Lee also got into incredible fishing at the Toms on Saturday, trolling five bigeyes to 200 pounds and at night nailing 17 yellowfins, mostly on Shimano butterfly jigs. The previous Monday the boat also fished the Toms and drilled bigeyes from 140 to 180 pounds on a variety of trolled lures, including 8-inch rainbow squid spreaders, mini Green Machines and Islander/ballyhoo combos. At night 18 yellowfins and three swords were pinned down.

<b>Beach Haven Inlet</b>

On the <b>June Bug</b> from Beach Haven anglers took a day trolling trip to Toms Canyon last Friday, tagged and released two white marlin and scored a bunch of yellowfin tuna, longfin tuna and mahi mahi, Capt. Lindsay said. At the end of the day a 600-pound blue marlin almost spooled a 50 reel in 30 seconds, made quick maneuvers and cut off the line on a prop. That took place in all of 45 seconds, but it was pretty neat, and it was good day, a nice trip. The action started almost at dawn, and the boat returned to port by 6 p.m. Kevin Kennedy, Lindsay’s nephew who worked on the boat when he was younger but now lives in Alameda, Calif., was onboard, and so were Ross Felton and Jim and John Hancock. On Sunday and Monday charters ran to Barnegat Ridge South. On the first of those trips MJM Industries from Trenton trolled enough blues and albies to sink the boat, and the fish were tugging lines all day, a good time. On the second trip Mark Kaminski, daughter Taylor, 10, and son Kyle, 7, fished the ridge in rougher seas, but the kids were troopers, Lindsay said, and cranked in blues, false albacore and bonito all day. They released the blues and kept the bonito to eat, and some of the albies were kept for strip baits. The June Bug will keep running these types of trips, and offshore fishing at the canyons has been fine, whenever the weather has allowed boats to sail. Temp charts looked like the canyons held a number of 3- and 4-degree breaks, and many boaters headed to the canyons yesterday to beat the weather.

<b>Angler Sportfishing Charters</b> from Beach Haven got into bluefin tuna 35 miles offshore last week, landing two 55- to 60-pounders on the troll Tuesday, Capt. Chuck said. The boat was dragging Green Machines behind birds and also daisy chains, and the fish probably started hitting within five minutes of arriving. The bluefins should keep swimming those waters through fall, and charters are available for them. Chuck will troll for the fish at first, and if enough seem available to chunk, he’ll put the boat on a drift, throw chunks of bait in the water, and start fishing. Bonito should also be a possibility, and soon so should false albacore.

Tuna fishing was red hot at the canyons last week, said Capt. T.J. from <b>Legal Limit Charters</b> from Tuckerton. Lots of 40- to 60-pound yellowfins were boated on the nighttime chunk, and some boats got into as many as 12 to 20 of them. Trolling was also good, and lots of longfins were mixed in on the troll, and charters are available for canyon tuna.

<b>Absecon Inlet</b>

An overnighter at Spencer Canyon put the breaks on seven yellowfin tuna from 60 to 75 pounds, a 50-pound longfin tuna, a swordfish that pulled the hook and about 15 bites on the <b>Fishin’ Fever</b>  from Brigantine last Friday on the chunk, Capt. Tom said. In the morning trolling went 1 for 6 on yellowfin tuna and missed a white marlin. So it was a good trip, and the fish at night all hit live squid, and lots of squid were swarming past. The water was 75 to 76 degrees, and temps were pretty steady with no breaks, and the water was good-looking. Lots of boaters saw good action up and down the 100-fathom line. Openings are available for charters after Labor Day Weekend, and space is also available on open-boat trips after that weekend that sail on Saturdays for tuna. Fishin’ Fever is also trolling inshore for bluefin tuna, bonito, false albacore and dolphin at the AC Ridge, 28-Mile Wreck and the Cigar.

The <b>Carly A</b> from Atlantic City was fishing for yellowfin tuna and marlin when Jack from Offshore Enterprises Bait and Tackle, whose owner also owns the boat, gave this report yesterday. Offshore fishing was picking up again, Jack said, and chunking for tuna at night had been great. The boat was doing a turnaround and pushing back offshore on a trip today and going again Tuesday.

<b>Great Egg Harbor Inlet</b>

<b>O-Beth Sportfishing Charters</b> from Margate came back yesterday from an overnight trip to Lindenkohl Canyon, Capt. Eric said. Two 50-pound yellowfin tuna, a 40-pound longfin and a 100-pound mako shark were nailed on the chunk. The fish bit throughout the night in the 75-degree water with occasional squid sliding past. No temp breaks were seen on the outing, and nothing hit on the troll. O-Beth’s canyon overnight season is underway, and some dates remain open. Bluefin tuna could still be battled on the inshore grounds, though that fishing was slower than before. But bluefin fishing was great this year, a good run.

Dan from <b>Fin-Atics</b> from Ocean City took an overnight trip to Lindenkohl Canyon from Tuesday to Wednesday and caught three tuna to 100 pounds and three mahi mahi to 25 pounds, he said. The first tuna bit at 8:30 p.m., and the second was fought at 2 a.m., and the third was landed at 4:30 a.m. in the 75-degree water. He left at 6:30 a.m. and did no trolling, but he heard about others there who trolled a bigeye tuna and a 500-pound blue marlin that was released. Tuna fishing the past few days slowed down because of the full moon, but previously was very good at the northern canyons or the Toms, Lindenkohl and Carteret, and the fish somewhat bit at the Spencer.

Tuna fishing was very good for yellowfins and bigeyes this week toward Spencer and Lindenkohl canyons, said Capt. Mike from the <b>Stray Cat</b> from Longport. A smattering of longfin tuna seemed to hit a little inshore of there, and a tuna bite was also going on in the deep at 1,800 fathoms.  A trip Sunday fished the 750 Square and the Lobster Claw and trolled lots of dolphin and some yellowfin tuna, and two undersized bluefin tuna were released. The Lobster Claw held a tremendous amount of life and Gulf Stream water with Sargasso weeds, and water temps ranged 73 to 76 degrees, and a bunch of fish short-struck there, knocking down the lines but not hooking up, for some reason. Tuna charters are available, and all open-boat tuna trips are sold out. However, Mike’s willing to run an open-boat tuna trip on Columbus Day, October 8, if enough anglers express interest. It would be an overnight chunking trip that would probably leave the dock around 2 p.m. An overnighter is slated for this Saturday and Sunday that is sold out.

<b>Townsend’s Inlet</b>

Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b> in Sea Isle City ran offshore Monday on a day trip to Spencer Canyon with Frank Steedley and Matt Bever, Joe said. They trolled three longfin tuna, and they also trolled a double header of 30-pound wahoos toward the 40-fathom fingers, on mono, no less. Some dolphin were also landed in the 76-degree water that was beautiful and blue and sometimes held weeds. No real temperature breaks were around, and there was maybe a degree difference here and there. The anglers did no chunking. Closer to shore, Sea Isle Ridge held a few bluefin tuna and some bonito and false albacore. Joe competed in the Mid Atlantic $500,000 last week, fishing Monday, Thursday and Friday, and caught and released three white marlin in the neighborhood of Baltimore Canyon. The whites were 60 to 64 inches but had to be 66 inches to be entered. Tuna fishing was off and on all that week, but Joe was concentrating on marlin fishing. A bigeye tuna was broken off along the west wall on the trip Thursday. Seas were beautiful Thursday and Friday, despite forecasts for the contrary, and conditions were also good Monday, not the stiff weather that was forecast. The water was 78 degrees or fairly warm. Water temps continued to be “even” with no major temp breaks, but canyons farther north held breaks and somewhat cooler water. Tuna were caught at Spencer, Lindenkohl and Toms canyons. More and more tuna were biting on the chunk, and on the inshore grounds the 750 Square was giving up yellowfin tuna and some bluefin tuna mixed in. Bluefin tuna were sometimes still being caught on the inshore grounds, and the season was terrific this year, and the bluefins bit for a long time.

Overnight tuna fishing was on fire at the canyons by the end of last week, about as good as it gets, and <b>Over Under Adventures</b> from Avalon spent several nights on the grounds during that time, the report on Over Under’s web site said. Charters were landing 15 to 25 tuna per night, and many others were battled and lost, and the action was north of Spencer Canyon at the Lindenkohl, Carteret and Toms canyons, where lots of nice-sized yellowfins were holding that averaged 60 pounds, but 80-pounders were mixed in. Sometimes small, 80-pound bigeye tuna also bit. Trips were anchoring in only 500 feet, so chunking could sometimes hold the fish at the boat 1 or 2 hours. Trolling for Over Under was slow, so trips were going right on the chunk.

<b>Hereford Inlet</b>

Bluefin tuna were still trolled at the Cigar and at the Lori Dawn wreck, said Cathy from <b>Sterling Harbor Bait & Tackle</b> in Wildwood in an e-mail. Canyon fishing turned on for tuna, wahoo, dolphin and blue and white marlin.

<b>Cape May Inlet</b>

Capt. Gary from the <b>Sea Fox</b> from Cape May was at the inshore lumps Monday, and bluefin tuna fishing was slowing down a bit, but they were still biting on the troll, and so were wahoo, he said. The water was 73 degrees, and winds were northeast, so seas weren’t so gorgeous but were okay.

The season’s first canyon overnighter on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> from Cape May was set to break the inlet today, Capt. George said. Tuna seemed to be at the northern canyons, and a charter captain who fished Wilmington Canyon early this week only picked up five tuna. This time last year tuna fishing was good at Baltimore Canyon along the 40- and 50-fathom lines. Fishing for big bluefin tuna behind the scallops boats had been good, but now the scallop season is closed. An angler from the dock said he found bluefins stacked up behind a scallop boat over the weekend, and his father nailed a 300-pounder. George heard from a couple of private boaters who fished the Tea Cup and the Elephant Trunk and said those areas were now like a ghost town and held no bluefin tuna and bait. But bluefin tuna did come in to the docks this weekend, and boaters seemed to catch them either early in the morning for a moment or not at all, and wahoo were also fought at the same inshore spots.

Bluefin tuna could still be boated on the inshore grounds, and Bob Trimble’s party on the <b>Down Deep</b> from Cape May trolled two of the tuna in the 55-pound range Sunday, Capt. Bob said. Will Higgin’s crew trolled a 52-pound bluefin, a big, 77-pound wahoo and a 47-pound wahoo just outside the East Lump on Saturday. Bigger bluefins were sometimes caught on other boats.

Inshore bluefin tuna fishing seemed to be slowing down, but some could still be caught, usually on the troll, and lots of wahoo catches were coming in from the same area, said Capt. Ray from <b>Jaftica Sportfishing</b> from Cape May. Jaftica’s first overnight canyon charter of the season is slated for next week, and yellowfin tuna fishing at the canyons seemed to be improving.

The weather forced a couple of tuna trips to be cancelled with <b>Copacetic Sportfishing</b> from Cape May in the past week, but a charter was supposed to head out today, Capt. Mike said. The offshore canyons seemed better than the inshore spots. But big bluefin tuna were still fought inshore.

Inshore trolling at the lumps was producing a few more fish than before, and fishing for 20- to 40-pound bluefin tuna was spotty, but the speedsters were showing up from the East Lump to the Misty Blue wreck, said Matt from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b> from Cape May in a fax. More and more wahoos were appearing, and Jeff Minnichback fished on the Down Deep and nailed a 72-pound wahoo. Harry Stumple fished the East Lump and weighed in a 53-1/4-pound wahoo. Bigger bluefin tuna 100 pounds and larger started appearing around the scallop boats around the Elephant Trunk and could be caught by trolling behind the boats or with scallop guts fished behind the vessels with permission of the captain. White marlin fishing was good at Baltimore and Poorman’s canyons late last week, and a few blue marlin showed up among them.

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