New Jersey Fishing Reports

An overnight trip with Seafood Fishing Charters from Forked River overnighted at South Toms Canyon on Saturday to Sunday, and on the first evening trolled two small yellowfin tuna and had a knockdown, Capt. John said. At night the charter released a small mako shark and a hammerhead, and no tuna bit at night, but a zillion squid swarmed. A couple of knockdowns hit on the troll the next morning, before the anglers sailed home. Waters were blue and good-looking, with scattered green areas, and held a beautiful, 72- to 78-degree temperature break. Seafood is fishing offshore on both charters and open-boat trips, and check the boat’s web site for open-trip availability.

The Tuna-Tic from Waretown was supposed to return offshore for tuna fishing Wednesday night but got weathered out because of strong winds, Capt. Mike said. He hoped trips scheduled for the next days would sail, and those who did fish this week found that tuna at the canyons moved, were lost and had to be located again. Previously the vessel was running three-day, open-boat Offshore Adventure trips that got better every time, and now was starting 24-hour, overnight, offshore trips. Tuna were getting bigger and were mostly trolled, but they just started biting on the nighttime chunk. Every trip leadered a white marlin, and catches included yellowfin tuna, bluefin tuna, mahi mahi and one wahoo. The boat was pulled from the waters last week to adjust the props and clean the bottom, and was now cruising 23 to 24 knots fully loaded, taking less than 3 hours to reach the canyons during fair weather. Offshore trips are booked almost every day beginning this week, but some dates are open, and 14 spots remain for two-day canyon charters in September and October. A few spots on make-up trips are available August 20 to 21 and September 9 to 10, and Mike can call anglers to keep them informed when more open up.

On Waretown’s Hi Flier trips were hitting Barnegat Ridge north and south for bonito, banging away at 3- to 6-pounders on feathers and cedar plugs on the high-speed troll, Capt. Dave DeGennaro said in an e-mail. The fast, strong-fighting, great-tasting fish were also starting to respond to bait in a chum slick, allowing lighter tackle to be used. Both charters and open-boat trips will keep going after bonito, and call for the open schedule.

Bonito and small bluefin tuna were trolled in waters just northeast of Barnegat Ridge North, not on the ridge, said Basil from Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle. Anglers had to be there early in the morning, before sunrise, and many arrived too late.

The north end of Barnegat Ridge South gave up bonito on trolled Clark spoons, said Jana from Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle.

Little Egg Inlet

An overnight canyon charter was scrubbed during the weekend with Legal Limit Charters from Tuckerton because of rough weather, Capt. T.J. said. But a day trip hit the Carteret on Sunday, trolling a number of 30-pound yellowfin tuna, a couple of white marlin and some skipjacks in 100 fathoms.

Absecon Inlet

On the Fishin’ Fever from Brigantine anglers made the run for bluefin tuna on the inshore ocean near the island a couple of days this week, and catches were good, and most of the fish weighed about 100 pounds, but bigger ones were about, Capt. Tom said. One that must’ve weighed 250 pounds or larger pulled the hook 20 feet from the boat after a 3-hour battle Wednesday. Pods of the bigger ones popped up and broke the surface at times, and Tom knew about other boaters who pinned down 200-pounders. Trolling, chunking and jigging for the fish all worked, and waters were 75 degrees, blue/green and “quality,” he said. Yellowfin tuna fishing farther from shore dropped off, maybe because of the coming full moon. Anglers on the same trip tried chunking for yellowfins in the dark the previous night, but got none, but they did troll yellowfins during the day. Both charters and shared charters are targeting tuna, and if interested, call. Be quick to jump on the bluefins, because the fishing could wind down soon. In other news, bonito and false albacore finally started to be trolled on the inshore grounds, and the Fishin’ Fever also chases them.

Great Egg Harbor Inlet

Spencer Canyon put out a catch of two yellowfin tuna and a white marlin on a 16-hour day trip Sunday with O-Beth Sportfishing Charters from Margate, Capt. Eric said. The fish were trolled on ballyhoos along a weed line in 78- to 79-degree waters with no real temperature breaks. The tuna were nailed early in the morning, and the white attacked at 11 a.m., and then the charter had to point the bow home early because of thunderstorms.

A bunch of big bluefins 120 to 150 pounds swam the Lobster Claw, said Cody from Fin-Atics in Ocean City. Farther from shore small yellowfin tuna and good-sized mahi mahi were the catch, and the owner of the shop smacked a 48-pound mahi. Plenty of whites were caught during the weekend’s Ocean City Marlin and Tuna Club’s tournament, and the high hook leadered five. A few blue marlin bit.

Townsend’s Inlet

A 208-pound, 72-inch bluefin tuna was trolled with Over Under Adventures from Avalon, an e-mail from the company said. The fish was the second 200-plus pounder that Over Under smoked in the past weeks, and was battled on the Justified, one of the company’s boats. The vessel was headed to 45 to 50 fathoms at Wilmington Canyon for yellowfin tuna that were hanging there, when big bluefins were seen crashing the surface at 40 fathoms. The crew stopped, started setting out lines, and the first line came tight, and the fight was on. The anglers landed the fish after 1 ½ hours and everybody taking two turns on the rod. Only two lines had been set out when the bluefin attacked, and the crew wished all the lines had been in the waters, because bluefins probably would’ve covered them up. Bluefin fishing definitely slowed, and a few 80-pounders were chunked at Massey’s Canyon, but not an every day thing. But bigger bluefins swam the 40-fathom line, and anglers who got lucky ran across them. Some of Over Under’s boats were fishing from Ocean City, Md., and one, Pretty Work, competed in the White Marlin Open last week. On that Monday a 104-pound yellowfin tuna put the boat on the leader board in second place in the tuna division. Several white marlin, but no contenders, were trolled on the boat in the next days, and more yellowfins were taken. Fishing was tough during the contest, and the fish usually attacked in the mornings and late in the day. That’s Right, another of the company’s boats in Ocean City, came back with good catches of yellowfins through the week, mostly from Wilmington Canyon, but a few yellowfins and a bunch of mahi were trolled at Baltimore Canyon one day.

John Martin and Mike Cunningham were aboard Wednesday at Baltimore Canyon to boat five mahi mahi to 21 pounds, all big gaffers, said Capt. Joe Hughes from Jersey Cape Guide Service and Gibson’s Tackle in Sea Isle City. Three more were lost that were also big, including one larger than 30 pounds. Yellowfin tuna fishing at the canyons was sporadic, and a couple were seen on the trip, and some were taken among the fleet, but the fishing wasn’t great. The anglers watched a boater on the vessel next to them fight a 400-pound blue marlin for 3 hours before landing it, neat to see. The anglers with Joe also had a mystery bite that might’ve been a billfish, and they reeled in skipjack tuna. Waters were 77 or 78 degrees and uniform, with no temperature breaks to attract fish, but held lots of bait. Check out this cool <a href=" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhR3ocdpcZQ
" target="_blank"> video on fly fishing for bluefin tuna</a> with Joe.

Hereford Inlet

Bluefin tuna kept biting in the inshore ocean, though catches somewhat dropped off compared with a few weeks ago, said Cathy from Sterling Harbor Bait & Tackle from Wildwood in an e-mail.

Cape May

A charter with Copacetic Sportfishing from Cape May tackled a 114-pound bluefin tuna and two mahi mahi to 15 pounds while trolling the inshore lumps, Capt. Mike said. Ballyhoos with Ilanders were dragged in the 80-degree waters. Canyon fishing was starting to heat up for yellowfin tuna, marlin and a few wahoos, and overnight chunking for tuna should take off soon in the area.

Bluefin tuna could be knocked down at 30 fathoms, and the Weatherbee charter claimed a big one, said Capt. Bob from the Down Deep from Cape May. Canyon tuna charters were kicking off this week.

A bluefin tuna charter is slated for Saturday on the First Cast, and a friend waxed a great catch Wednesday, Capt. Rob said. He couldn’t give away the friend’s location, but the fish now moved farther offshore and a little farther north than 19-Fathom Lump, where they gathered before. Chris Foster’s group last Friday hunted bluefin tuna at 19-Fathom Lump, but waters were green and dirty from west winds, and there was one bite off, probably from a wahoo. Then they tried fishing on the 40 line before deciding to head home.

On the inshore ocean bluefin tuna could still be fought but moved farther north than 19-Fathom Lump, where they bit previously, said Capt. George from the Heavy Hitter from Cape May. Yellowfin tuna seemed to be found more and more, and a daytime trip for them, the boat’s first canyon trip of the season, is on the books for Tuesday.

The bluefin tuna population thinned out at Massey’s Canyon and the lumps offshore of 19-Fathom Lump, but the fish were still boated, and right at daybreak on jigs was best, said Matt from Jim’s Bait & Tackle in Cape May in a fax. The crew of the Good as Gold hooked three at Massey’s last week, and a 114-pounder was weighed in that Paul Groves trolled at the lumps off 19-Fathom Lump. Joe O’Donnel weighed in a 54-pound cobia that he found at the Hambone. Tuna fishing was spotty farther from shore, but yellowfins were taken at Wilmington Canyon along the 40- and 50-fathom lines. Marlin held along the temp breaks at Baltimore and Poorman’s canyons. Janice Starn on the Infiltrator deep-dropped on the way home from the canyons, hauling in a 20-pound tilefish and a 10.51-pound wreckfish.

Tuna seemed far offshore, beyond 19 fathoms, instead of closer to shore, like bluefins were before, said Nick from Hands Too Bait & Tackle in Cape May. Offshore baits from trolling squids and ballyhoos to flats of butterfish and sardines are stocked. So are diamond jigs and hammered jig.