WELCOME TO THE FIRST OFFSHORE REPORT OF 2008!

As always, the first starts with a few reports, as boaters begin to point the bow east. But those trips are now underway. Interestingly, the first Offshore Reports in recent years launched June 1. But waters are colder this year, and this year’s report is kicking off a full two weeks later. However, the early starts were unusual, and this year’s beginning is more common. Every year’s different, and fishing never stays the same, and that’s why we go! We look forward to seeing how the offshore season develops.

<b>Sandy Hook</b>

A customer said he caught bluefin tuna Monday at the Triple Wrecks, said Joe from <b>Michael’s Bait & Tackle</b> on Staten Island. Nobody reported shark fishing.

<b>Shark River Inlet</b>

Shark fishing launched on the <b>Nan Sea J</b> from Belmar on Wednesday, Capt. Tom said. Four blue sharks were wrenched in, and no makos showed up, but the blues were big, up to 200 pounds. The boat headed south on the trip and fished in relatively warm, 66- to 69-degree, somewhat greenish waters. A few bluefish swam around. The vessel’s annual, open-boat shark trips every Wednesday will run through July, an opportunity to pick a fight with the monsters without having to charter the whole boat. Nan Sea J is one of the few charters that offers open-boat sharking. Shark charters also sail.

<b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> from Neptune will break the inlet on its first shark trip of the season Saturday, Capt. Ralph said. “Are sharks there? Makos?” he was asked. “Yes,” he said, point blank. Sounded like he knew a secret. A few spots remain on the first canyon tuna trip of the year July 29 to 30.

<b>Manasquan Inlet</b>

No customers reported shark fishing over the weekend, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b> in Brielle. In past years some would try sharking by Memorial Day, but $5 per gallon fuel prices prevented them this year. Still, shark tournaments were beginning, and shark anglers would head out. Dave took a tilefish trip offshore on the party boat Voyager on Sunday, and check the boat’s report below for results, including Dave’s catch.

The second tilefish trip of the season steamed offshore Sunday on the <b>Voyager</b> from Point Pleasant, an e-mail from the boat said. A bunch of the fish were boated at both areas the vessel fished. At the first area 10- to 15-pounders and a few bigger ones were wrestled up, but dogfish became a problem. Patrons stuck it out with patience, though they must’ve felt reluctant after reeling up double headers of dogs from 600 feet. Tiles kept getting picked, but the crew decided to move. At the next area just a few tiles bit at first, during a slow drift. A short move was made in the same area, and soon the drift picked up, and tiles started to bite, and catches got better and better, and no dogfish stole baits. Tiles here were bigger, and a number of 20-pounders came up, and so did a few 30-pounders and some double headers. Mike Paras was high hook with nine tiles and a pollock. Dave Arbeitman, owner of The Reel Seat from Brielle, Tony Pusso, Peter Christoforiou and Kevin Feaster each scored seven. Leroy Armes won the pool with a 37-pound 4-ouncer, and he also claimed a 32-pounder and a total of six. The Voyager is fishing for tilefish every Sunday, and the next two dates are sold out, but spots are available June 29. Check the schedule on the boat’s web site for availability.

<b>Barnegat Inlet</b>

The crew on the <b>Tuna-Tic</b> from Waretown will now begin shark fishing through June 23, Capt. Mike said. They only offer sharking during the peak of the season, and most trips will be charters, but an open-boat shark trip will sail Wednesday, and call if interested. By last weekend, he heard about one mako caught already, and commercial fishermen told him they saw several blue sharks, and reports flew around about a few thresher sharks slicing through bunker schools along the beaches, but Mike saw no threshers yet. Waters were cold, so shark anglers should hang baits shallower than depths like 90 feet that are common, because those depths will be far too chilled. Fifty feet will be more like the max. Three-day, open-boat tuna trips will begin in July.

<b>Absecon Inlet</b>

Mako and thresher sharks cruised the 20-fathom line, said Capt. Tom from <b>Fishin’ Fever</b> from Brigantine. Big bluefish schooled areas like the AC Ridge, 28-Mile Wreck, the Cigar and the 750 Square, keeping the sharks fed. Bluefin tuna already arrived in the stretch from 20 fathoms to the 100 line. He also knew about one boat that took the trip all the way to 1,500 fathoms over the weekend for a catch of yellowfin tuna and a blue marlin. Tom’s ready to roll on big-game trips.

<b>Great Egg Harbor Inlet</b>

Twenty-one blue sharks and a mako, a couple of inches short, were battled and released Tuesday at 28-Mile Wreck with <b>O-Beth Sportfishing</b> from Margate, on the boat’s maiden shark trip of the year, Capt. Eric said. Yeah! O-Beth loves sharking and wasted no time getting on the fish. Waters were 65 degrees and clean, and bluefish swam around all day. Shark fishing was just beginning, and the bait was there, and the season should be good, Eric said. O-Beth will now concentrate on sharking while it lasts.

Well, not a big-game report, but only offshore anglers could appreciate this. Gazillions of squid, gobs of them from the surface to 50 feet down, were found on a special squid trip Saturday night on the <b>Stray Cat</b> from Longport, as soon as the boat stopped, Capt. Mike said. “Your squid specialist,” he joked. “It was fantastic.” The only problem was that the invertebrates were difficult to jig in the cold waters, for some reason. The anglers found that light tackle was key, and on the next trip, the crew would bring different types of nets to help prevent drop-offs. The 110-foot waters were 62 degrees. The next squid trip sails tonight, and space was available as of two days ago. More squid trips are likely sail, and call if interested. “We’re very excited,” Mike said. Slammer bluefish schooled the triangle from 28-Mile Wreck to Sea Isle Ridge to the AC Ridge. Mako sharks chased them, and shark charters are running. Bluefin tuna 10 to 60 pounds swam the historic spots on the 30-fathom line, so an open-boat tuna trip was slated in two Sundays and is already full. If interested in a spot on another, give Mike a ring, and he’ll try to put one together.

Sharks were on the prowl, including makos, threshers and blues, at 28-Mile Wreck and the Cigar, and blue sharks and threshers at Sea Isle Ridge, said Bill from <b>Fin-Atics</b> in Ocean City. No customers tuna fished, but a slug of warm waters moved into Spencer Canyon, a long ride.

<b>Townsend’s Inlet</b>

Shark anglers were gearing up to begin trips, and mackerel chum and other sharking supplies are ready, said Wes from <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b> in Sea Isle City. Small bluefin tuna might be pushing into spots like Sea Isle Ridge, the AC Ridge, 28-Mile Wreck, the 750 Square, 19-Fathom Lump and the East Lump.

The boats from <b>Over Under Adventures</b> from Avalon were making their way toward Jersey after fishing from summer locales from winter through spring, and some were already sailing from Ocean City, Maryland, and Oregon Inlet, North Carolina. One of the vessels, Low Profile, the main boat that will fish offshore from Avalon in summer, was still running trips from the Bahamas. Here’s how it was going in all the locations, according to an e-mail from Over Under. At Ocean City one of the vessels competed in Bahia Marina’s Mako Mania Tournament last Friday and Saturday. On the first day three blue sharks and a mako, an 80-pounder that wasn’t big enough to expect to win, were caught and released at lumpy bottom in 20 fathoms in 63-degree, good-quality waters. On the next day the boat fished the south end of the Tea Cup in cleaner, 61- to 64-degree waters. A blue shark was released, and then a bigger mako than on the previous day, but too small to win. Next eight blue sharks were fought and released, one after another, for four hours. Later in the day a 115-pound mako was landed, and the crew decided to keep the fish. It didn’t win, but there was plenty for dinner. In other news from Maryland, bluefin tuna started to show up, and one that was caught was 54 inches, a good sign for the impending tuna season. At Oregon Inlet, offshore trips on the Pretty Work, Over Under’s vessel that’s fishing the Tarheel State, produced good to great fishing all week, the kinds of trips anglers wait for all year. Blue marlin catches were fantastic, and anglers on the boat released a 500-pounder on Tuesday and a 400-pounder the previous Sunday. Catches of 6 to 12 yellowfin tuna per day were common. Fair numbers of bigeye tuna appeared, and a 185-pounder was decked on the vessel. Tuna fishing mostly took place between 50 and 100 fathoms, though some of the fish were found in less than 50. Excellent fishing for gaffer dolphin could be found farther south. Pretty Work also ran an inshore trip that got into plenty of Spanish mackerel and a couple of shots at cobia. Large numbers of cobia swam just off the beaches from the inlet to Hatteras. “Sounds like a great time to go fishing at Oregon Inlet,” the e-mail said. In the Bahamas, blue marlin and yellowfin tuna were the targeted species, and the fishing was reasonably consistent, not red hot.  But the fishing seemed on the upswing and was expected to be happening on the full moon later in the month. Dolphin fishing shut down.

<b>Cape May Inlet</b>

Shark anglers were picking at the fish, said Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> from Cape May. He knew one boater who fought three makos--two shorts and a 150-pound keeper--to the boat this week. A few makos haunted the Cigar, and thresher sharks were around. The Heavy Hitter will start to shark fish, and trips should begin to chase bluefin tuna on the southern, inshore lumps by early summer.

Shark fishing kicked off for customers! The crew on the Warden’s Pass caught and released a 125-pound mako, a blue shark and a dusky at the Jacob Jones wreck, said Matt from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b> from Cape May in a fax. Anglers from the Screamin’ Mimi weighed in a 138-pound mako that bit at the Hooper wreck, and the captain from the Cape Queen bagged a 160-pound mako. Big bluefish swam around most of the spots along the 20-fathom line.

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