<b>Shark River Inlet</b>

Nobody else boated tuna at the canyons, but grandpa did! said Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> from Neptune. Anglers had to know where to go, and “I’m not telling!” he said. His first open-boat, overnight canyon trip sailed Tuesday to Wednesday and landed four yellowfin tuna and two big mahi mahi, and lost a blue marlin, a swordfish and a mako shark. The sword and shark were chunked at night, and the rest of the fish were trolled. The yellowfins, smaller fish, didn’t turn on till later, but the anglers left them biting. More open-boat trips to the canyons are on the books, and dates are available on Last Lady’s web site. In even more exciting news, another trip lambasted bluefin tuna on the inshore grounds yesterday, red-hot fishing, like 10 years ago, but probably would only last a week. The regs were tight, but the fish were there, and Ralph was going back after them today.

<b>Manasquan Inlet</b>

<b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b> from Point Pleasant arrived at South Toms Canyon on Monday evening in flat-calm seas, and the anglers set up on a drift for swordfish and sharks, the report on the boat’s web site said. But winds started honking from the south, and began wreaking havoc with the fishing, and nothing was caught. In the morning the vessel trolled toward the tip of the Toms in heavy seas that nixed original plans to hit Carteret Canyon. No tuna appeared, but a decent-sized blue marlin took a couple of swings at a ballyhoo with a Canyon Runner jet, and got away. A small mahi mahi was landed. A run was made south to the Carteret in tough head seas, but nothing was doing, and a bite that had turned on was missed. On the way home the Resor wreck was fished for bluefin tuna. “Tried making something out of nothing,” the report said. “Mama said there would be days like this.” Nothing bit. Waters at the canyons were clear, blue and full of life. Andrea’s Toy is fishing the canyons on open-boat, mixed bag trips that currently troll for tuna in the evenings, drift for swords and sharks at night, troll for tuna again in the mornings, cast light tackle for mahi at the lobster pots next, and then deep-drop for tilefish. Details are included on the boat’s home page.

The party boat <b>Voyager</b> from Point Pleasant fished the canyons for tilefish, arriving just after sunrise Monday, a report from the boat said. But fishing was slow, for whatever reasons. Little wind blew for good drifting, but currents were strong enough for drifts. Different areas were fished on the hunt, and eventually the boat fished rough bottom, and a couple of wreckfish, some white hake and a pollock were boated. Noel Ottom caught the largest tile, a 32-pounder that was part of a doubleheader with a 15-pounder. Kevin Feaster won the pool with a 23-pound tile. Different areas will be fished on the next outing, and space is available on a trip that sails 11 p.m. Sunday, and the weather forecast looked calm. More of the trips are running on Sundays, and check the calendar on the boat’s web site for info. On a positive note, the canyons were filled with life, including big pods of sardines, small mackerel, schools of small skipjacks, whales and porpoises. Big splashes were seen but were never identified. The waters looked promising for tuna season on the vessel.

A few anglers came back with yellowfin tuna from Hudson Canyon, and bluefin tuna could be knuckled in from spots like the Triple Wrecks and along the 20-fathom line, but not many anglers tried, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b> in Brielle during the weekend. Boaters who were still shark fishing did connect, and any makos that Dave heard about were shorts. 

<b>Barnegat Inlet</b>

Customers found yellowfin tuna at South Toms, Carteret and Lindendkohl canyons, and one hammered 12 or 15 that weighed 60 pounds apiece, said Josh from <b>Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle</b>.  

<b>Absecon Inlet</b>

Three bluefin tuna, including a 90-pounder that was kept, were landed out of 12 bites at a local, inshore lump, not the southern lumps where most anglers fished, on the <b>Fishin’ Fever</b> from Brigantine on Saturday, Capt. Tom said. The two tuna that were released weighed 80 pounds and 150 pounds. The angler who whaled the 150-pounder patiently jigged all day before hooking up, and fought the fish 3 hours before the tuna was leadered. The two smaller bluefins inhaled sardines. Waters were 77 degrees and green but clear, good-looking. Canyon fishing farther offshore was decent for yellowfin tuna, billfish and lots of mahi mahi, and waters were “blended” or an even temperature, so the fishing was a matter of targeting structure instead of water temperatures. But respectable-sized yellowfins 40 to 100 pounds were trolled up and down the line. The overnight bite started to turn on, and friends boated four to six yellowfins on trips at night. Both charters and shared charters sail offshore on the Fishin’ Fever.

<b>Great Egg Harbor Inlet</b>

Customers were on the bluefin tuna bite at places like Massey’s Canyon, the Lobster Claw, the Cigar and 28-Mile Wreck, said Dan from <b>Fin-Atics</b> in Ocean City. Bluefins 150 pounds were average at the Lobster Claw. Yellowfin tuna were fought at Wilmington, Spencer and Lindenkohl canyons, and Dan believed a temperature break between the 30- and 50-fathom lines held most. Chunking for the fish kicked in, and a buddy chunked nine Saturday, and the tuna were big, 60 pounds and larger. Another angler drilled a 115-pounder. Blue marlin, white marlin and wahoos were landed there, too.

<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 planned to fish for big game this weekend, he said, and the prospects looked good. Friend Jay Vonczoernig caught three bluefin tuna, big ones more than 100 pounds apiece, on the troll at the inshore grounds Monday. Another friend, Dustin Laricks, chunked an 80-pound bluefin and trolled a 12-pound mahi mahi and a 28-pound wahoo at 19-Fathom Lump the same day. Good numbers of wahoos showed up last year, and Joe anticipated a repeat soon. Farther offshore, the canyons sometimes gave up bigger yellowfin tuna than before.  Frank Steedley, another friend, fished Lindenkohl and Carteret canyons Saturday, trolling sizeable yellowfins to 85 pounds on green machines and spreader bars. Rough weather forced Joe to cancel an offshore trip last week on Thursday, and he tried to go again the next day, but also had to cancel because of weather.

Yellowfin tuna finally turned on at the mid canyons straight off South Jersey at a temperature break, an e-mail from <b>Over Under Adventures</b> from Avalon said during the weekend. One boat shellacked 15 to 20 of the fish from 40 to 80 pounds on the edge of the break Friday. That’s the news that was waited for, and it was time to go to the canyons, and Over Under’s boats Low Profile and Justified were making the trip. Bluefin tuna fishing closer to shore was outstanding, best earlier last week, and slower during the boat traffic of the weekend, and those two boats and also Over Under’s crew from Ocean City were sailing for them.

<b>Hereford Inlet</b>

Chris Gatley and crew on the Stalker went 4 for 10 on bluefins to 150 pounds on butterfly jigs and sardines, said Cathy from <b>Sterling Harbor Bait & Tackle</b> in Wildwood in an e-mail. They also boated 15 mahi mahi to 10 pounds.  Bluefin anglers made catches at Massey’s Canyon, 19-Fthom Lump, the Hambone and such spots.

<b>Cape May Inlet</b>

Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> from Cape May trolled for bluefin tuna on a friend’s boat Tuesday on the inshore ocean, he said. Three bluefins were landed: one that was kept and two that were released. Two more hit but spit the lures, and another spooled a reel in 30 seconds. All the tuna were about 55 inches, the common size this year. George found that bluefins that size can range a large variety of weights. He weighed one on a past trip that was 80 pounds and another that was 147 pounds and looked fatter. Last year all the bluefins were about 45 inches, so maybe they were the same fish but grew. So a keeper in the large slot size limit could be caught this year, but one in the smaller slot limit was difficult to find, and the opposite was true last year. Charters on the Heavy Hitter fought bluefins Friday and Saturday. Mike Lindner Sr. and Jr. on Friday belted bluefins to 90 pounds. Saturday’s fishing was slower because of boat traffic, but a charter with John Stonick, Bobby Riley and Al still bagged a 100- or 110-pounder. The Heavy Hitter is sailing for bluefins, and dates remain for charters, if anyone’s interested.

Ben Paolopa’s charter made a trip for bluefins at 19-Fathom Lump on Saturday with <b>First Cast Sport Fishing</b> from Cape May, Capt. Rob said. Saturday boat traffic typically made the fishing difficult, and the charter did have to wait out the bite. So they ended up trolling to get away by themselves, and picked up some mahi mahi. When boat traffic started to leave, they jigged for tuna, got four bites and nailed one of the fish, a 100-pounder that was bagged. Perry Campana, Harry Wagner, Fran Muller, son Alex Muller and Paul Strenger were also aboard. Dates remain for charters, and get in on bluefin fishing while it’s happening.

Bluefin tuna to 160 pounds were checked in, and fishing for them held up along the 20-fathom line, and respectable mahi mahi were claimed from the same waters, said Matt from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b> from Cape May in a fax. The Cigar attracted less boat traffic over the weekend, so fishing there was better than at more popular places like Massey’s Canyon and 19-Fathom Lump. But those two spots gave up most catches earlier in the week, when boat traffic was lighter. Jim Harrington clubbed a 158-pounder at Massey’s, and Mary Carter took an 84-pounder at 19. Canyon fishing was best either far north or far south through the weekend, but the fish-holding waters to the north seemed to be heading to the local area. The crew on the Badger fished Toms Canyon, going 2 for 2 on white marlin, also weighing in a 90-pound yellowfin tuna.

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