<b>Sandy Hook</b>

One customer fished offshore this week between the rough weather and trolled eight yellowfin tuna at Lindenkohl Canyon on Tuesday on rainbow spreader bars, said Joe from <b>Michael’s Bait & Tackle</b> on Staten Island. The trip also produced two swordfish to 200 pounds.

<b>Outback Fishing Charters</b> made it out to the west end of the Glory Hole on Monday on a charter, Capt. Bill Hoblitzell said. Skipjacks, bonito and some false albacore showed up, and Bill thought he might’ve seen some small bluefin tuna, and there were plenty of opportunities to hook fish, but the charter never came tight, and angler skill was a factor. An experienced angler would’ve hooked up in the tough conditions with strong winds and the need to place casts accurately when the speedsters popped up. But later when the action began to slow Bill went on the troll, and some bonito were landed. There was a chop to the seas, and there was a big heave along the surf, but at 100 feet and beyond there was a ground swell but decent conditions. The water wasn’t real dirty but wasn’t real clean. When the anglers were casting they threw lures like Ava 007 jigs and Deadly Dicks, and fly rods were onboard, but the anglers opted not to fly rod much. But the fish were there, and Bill will now concentrate for such pelagics. Bill also did some chumming at 17 fathoms, but bluefish kept biting off the lines. He also looked for mahi mahi at the BA buoy but found 68-degree water, and he usually has no luck with mahi in water cooler than 70 degrees, so inshore mahi fishing seemed done for the season.

Charters on the <b>Fish N Trish</b> were poised to start fishing again this week after the effects of Tropical Storm Ernesto, Capt. Joe said. On Saturday a trip will target the Mudhole, and so far the Mudhole seemed dead for tuna, and the boat’s mate was out to the Hole and picked up mahi mahi before the storm, but no bluefin tuna were there. But the nor’easter might’ve pushed in clean water and bluefins from offshore.  

<b>Shark River Inlet</b>

<b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> returned Wednesday from an overnight canyon trip, and the fishing was good for yellowfin tuna to 200 pounds that hit on both the nighttime chunk and the daytime troll, Capt. Ralph said. No other boats did well, and the fishing was tough because of lots of weeds, but Ralph said he knows how to catch the fish in the weeds. He said he wasn’t telling where he fished! Last Lady was headed back out to the canyons Thursday morning, and the boat is now running lots of canyon trips back to back. No openings are available for Last Lady’s open-boat canyon trips until October.

The Belmar party boats sailed to the canyons this week after the stormy weather, and the fishing seemed alright, and one came back with 14 tuna, said Roger from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> in Belmar.
 
<b>Manasquan Inlet</b>

<b>Jersey Jim’s Fishing Charters</b> sailed to the Mudhole on Monday to look for mahi mahi at the lobster pots but found none of the fish, Capt. Jim said in an e-mail. Then the boat headed to Manasquan Ridge, and loads of false albacore were found, and the anglers onboard trolled them up on light tackle and had a blast. Clark spoons with an in-line weight worked best, but some of the fish also hit red and white feathers, and two 20-inch Spanish mackerel also grabbed the feathers.

The <b>Defiant</b> is running offshore today, Capt. John said, and he heard that the few boats that fished offshore at Hudson Canyon from Sunday to Monday did so-so. Nine back-to-back offshore charters take place starting September 21, and then there’s a day off, and then three more sail. Charters are especially being accepted for the first and last weeks of October. The Defiant will call it a season in Jersey the second week of November, when the boat returns to its winter home in Key Largo, fishing from the Ocean Reef Club. Reservations are a must for the Florida fishing.

Nothing was available to report early this week because of the remnants of Tropical Storm Ernesto, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b> in Brielle, because the ocean then was still pounding.

<b>Barnegat Inlet</b>

The Hitchners on the Pez Machine returned from Hudson Canyon on Tuesday with a catch of tuna, but those were the only known details, said Nick from <b>Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle</b>. 

<b>Little Egg Inlet</b>

The <b>June Bug</b> took a charter on a day trip to Lindenkohl Canyon on Monday, and three yellowfin tuna to 60 pounds and 15 mahi mahi were trolled, and there were two bite-offs from wahoo, Capt. Lindsay said. There was a little swell, but otherwise seas were great, and the water was fairly green, and sargassum weed filled the water but was spread out with no weed lines. There were no temperature breaks, and the water at first was 71.5 degrees and warmed to 74 degrees in the afternoon. The water temps farther inshore were as low as 67 degrees, and Tropical Storm Ernesto considerably cooled the ocean. John knew about another boat that overnighted at the Lindenkohl and went 1 for 4 or 5 on yellowfin tuna on the chunk. A few fish were caught at Spencer Canyon, and apparently quite a few were hooked at Wilmington Canyon.

<b>Legal Limit Charters</b> was weathered out for nine straight days through the weekend, Capt. T.J. said. Offshore trips will take place throughout this weekend.

<b>Great Egg Harbor Inlet</b>

Paul from <b>Fin-Atics</b> in Ocean City heard about no boaters heading offshore this week, he said.

Reports persisted last week that tuna could be boated at the Lobster Claw and the 40-Fathom Fingers, said a fax from <b>T.C. from <b>Brennan Marina</b> in Somers Point.

<b>Townsend’s Inlet</b>

The <b>Over Under</b> and its partner boat, the Pretty Work, fished on a day trip Sunday from 30 fathoms to 75 fathoms, an e-mail from Capt. Trey said. On the Over Under a pair of short bluefin tuna were released, and a 30-pound wahoo was bagged, and then six yellowfin tuna and eight mahi mahi were landed in deeper water. The Pretty Work picked up two 70-pound wahoo and a nice yellowfin tuna. All the fish bit on the troll, and spreader bars worked best. Cold water moved inshore, and the inshore ocean was 65 degrees at one spot in 36 fathoms, but warm water seemed to be pushing into offshore areas, because offshore temps rose 3 degrees in 1 ½ hours that afternoon, and the current was from the southwest and strong. Last week before the storm a trip on the Pretty Work trolled five yellowfin tuna and two big bluefins that were 160 pounds and 140 pounds, and a smaller bluefin was released. The Over Under is sailing on mostly overnight trips offshore, and the Pretty Work is running mostly day trips offshore, and a few open spots remain for open-boat trips that run every Wednesday to Thursday, and check Over Under’s web site for availability.

A buddy fished the east side of Wilmington Canyon on Monday and nailed eight yellowfin tuna to 50 pounds, keeping four, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b> in Sea Isle City. The fish were trolled, mostly on small Green Machines. Joe was hoping for good weather to fish offshore this weekend.

<b>Cape May</b>

A charter on the <b>Top Shelf</b> fished at 40 fathoms at the Wilmington Canyon on Tuesday and caught a yellowfin tuna and four dolphin, and conditions were terrible, Capt. Bill said. Heavy grass filled the water, and lines constantly got fouled, and seas were supposed to be decent but instead built to 6 feet. Water temps chilled a lot from the recent storm, and offshore temps were 74 degrees, and closer to shore was 67 degrees at the Elephant Trunk. Another offshore charter is sailing today. 

The <b>Heavy Hitter</b> fished offshore with Kevin and Pete O’Hara on Monday at the canyons, and the action was so-so, Capt. George said. They caught yellowfin tuna to 55 pounds, some mahi mahi and a nice-sized, 72-inch white marlin that was released. All the fish were trolled, and there was a little bit of a swell, and the water was only 74 degrees and was colder inshore, where some spots were as low as 68 to 70 degrees. A charter is fishing offshore today, and George thought he might head to the deep of Wilmington Canyon, where the bite seemed good. A friend did well on a trip to Baltimore Canyon from Monday to Tuesday, boating a dozen tuna and losing maybe 15 of the fish, for some reason. The Heavy Hitter will keep sailing offshore into October.

<b>Jaftica Sportfishing</b> fished 65 miles offshore Monday at one of the canyons in the deep and did well, trolling yellowfin tuna to 60 pounds and a mess of nice-sized mahi mahi from 12 to 18 pounds, Capt. Ray said. The canyon was in the high 70s, a good temp, and waters closer to shore were cooler, and water temps dropped since the recent storm. Tons of weed patches were offshore, and a few weed lines were inshore. Anglers seemed to score better at the northern canyons than the southern canyons like the Baltimore and Poorman’s.

One charters on the <b>Down Deep</b> was able to fish offshore last week between the rough weather, Capt. Bob said. Last week on Wednesday Lee Hartley’s group released bluefin tuna and landed dolphin, and then the storm rolled in. Tuna fishing’s looking good, and some openings are available for charters.

Few reports were heard through early this week, said a fax from Matt from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Cape May. At that time, only one offshore report had come in, and it was about an overnight trip at Wilmington Canyon at the flats at the west wall last week on Tuesday on the Magic Lady that produced seven yellowfin tuna, four nice-sized dolphin and a 50-pound wahoo.

Not much could be reported because of the weather, said a fax from Capt. Fred of <b>Harbor View Marina</b> in Cape May.

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