New Jersey Fishing Reports

Blue waters close to shore held the best tuna trolling that Capt. Ralph from Last Lady Fishing Charters from Neptune had seen in 20 years, he said. Four of the fish to 50 pounds were hooked last week on Thursday, and 11 of them to 35 pounds were landed last Friday, and the tuna were left biting both days. Fishing during weekdays was recommended, but Last Lady will sail for them during weekends, and nobody could say how long the fish would stay, so if you want to go, go ASAP. The season’s first canyon trip was fairly good last week, and four yellowfin tuna were bagged, and two smaller ones were released. A white marlin was missed, and a mako or swordfish broke the line and jumped near the boat at night. Check the schedule of open-boat canyon trips on Last Lady’s web site, and one or two-day charters are available, and the fishing will only get better. Sharking was no longer worthwhile, producing only small makos and other sharks, and fall mako trips will sail in September and October, though the best sharking is in spring though early summer.

Manasquan Inlet

Bluefins were fought at places like the Resor wreck, the Star, Little Italy and the southwest part of the Glory Hole, said Dave from The Reel Seat in Brielle. Many offshore boaters through the weekend fished the Toms, Carteret and Lindenkohl canyons. Owners Lud and Jen Bohler and Capt. Mike Petrole on the Moon Dancer hit the Carteret, pinning down three 60- to 70-pound yellowfins, jumping off a white marlin and leadering a blue marlin.

Fishing at Lindenkohl Canyon was on fire, and a trip with Andrea’s Toy Charters from Point Pleasant was heading there yesterday for an overnighter, said Capt. Fred from Andrea’s Toy Charters from Point Pleasant. Andrea’s Toy is fishing the canyons on open-boat, mixed bag trips that often 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. The speed of the 31-foot Contender offers the opportunity for the mixed bags for more fun, better chances of hooking up and more variety for dinner. Details are included on the boat’s home page.

Barnegat Inlet

Capt. Mike from the Tuna-Tic from Waretown was reached on the phone Wednesday evening while he was on land a moment between canyon trips. He said he just walked in the door, after a three-day, two night trip from Monday to Wednesday that went well. The boat ran to Lindenkohl Canyon, and a white marlin was caught and released to kick off catches. Then the anglers proceeded to boat yellowfin tuna, longfin tuna, bluefin tuna, a wahoo and probably 50 mahi mahi. They also drifted for sharks the second night and landed browns. The next morning the boat pushed inshore to 40 fathoms, where a few giant bluefin tuna had been found recently. A big bluefin was hooked but was lost when the swivel broke, and Mike will never use the brand again, he said. But the anglers did bag a keeper bluefin and released a bunch of others. During the final evening about 25 yellowfin tuna were trolled non-stop, but they were small and released, especially because the box was already full of tuna. Waters at the canyon were 80 degrees, and the fish were found at temp breaks and color changes, like on the green side of a change from green to blue waters. They bit on both the troll and the overnight chunk and were on the move, not parked at one spot like later in the season. A well-known charter boat fished where Tuna Tic had just caught fish and left, and the other charter found no tuna, for example. The Tuna-Tic’s big-game season is in full gear, and the offshore trips include two-day charters, a few two-day, open-boat trips and a couple of remaining three-day, open-boat trips.

Seafood Fishing Charters from Forked River competed in the Beach Haven Marlin and Tuna Club White Marlin Invitational last Friday and Saturday, Capt. John said. On Friday three yellowfin tuna 60 to 78 pounds were boated in 3,000 to 4,000-foot waters south of Toms Canyon. Two smacked ballyhoos, and the other pummeled a Green Machine lure behind a bird, and the tournament only allows single-hooked baits or lures. Hookless spreader bars were trolled as teasers, and tuna were jumping out of the waters, and surely more would’ve been caught on hooked spreaders. On Saturday the boat returned to the same spot, but no tuna were to be had, and one storm after another rolled through. So the anglers packed it in early. A 90-pounder was the third-place tuna, so Seafood won no prizes, but the tuna boated were big, a good trip. Seafood is running for tuna on both charters and open-boat trips. Check the schedule of open trips on the boat’s web site.

A load of bonito covered Barnegat Ridge, said Tommy from American Sportsman Bait & Tackle in Manahawkin, and he and gang drilled 15.

Tons of bonito schooled Barnegat Ridge, said Josh from Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle.

Little Egg Inlet

A charter on the Legal Limit from Tuckerton fished Lindenkohl Canyon over the weekend and trolled six yellowfins around 60 pounds apiece, Capt. T.J. said. Waters were 80 to 81 degrees, and the 50-fathom line held a temp break, but all the fish bit on the warm-water side. Another charter sailed for bluefin tuna at the Lobster Claw over the weekend, but none was caught. T.J. heard about four bluefins, 50 to 60 inches, landed among the whole fleet, and three were chunked, and one was jigged, and few hit on the troll now.

Absecon Inlet

A shared charter kept a 110-pound bluefin tuna and released a 175-pounder last Friday on the Fishin’ Fever from Brigantine, Capt. Tom said. One swallowed a sardine, and the other chomped a dead squid, and all boaters in the area probably only got 15 to 20 bites. Tom only heard about two other bluefins decked, a slow day in probably the dirtiest waters Tom ever saw, not even green but instead brown. More shared charters will run through the weekend, and call for availability. Yellowfin tuna fishing was really turning on farther offshore at the canyons, both on the troll and on the chunk, and lots of the yellowfins were big. A bunch of billfish and large mahi mahi were also around.

Great Egg Harbor Inlet

The Lopresti family went 4 for 7 on yellowfin tuna at Toms Canyon last Friday with O-Beth Sportfishing Charters from Margate, Capt. Eric said. That was their first-ever tuna trip, and waters were 81 degrees, and the fish were up on the flats, at the latitude just inside the canyons. Eric was part of the crew on a trip on another boat to Lindenkohl Canyon over the weekend that pinned down six yellowfins. O-Beth will sail on another tuna trip Sunday.

Fishing for bluefin tuna was slower than before but still produced catches from 28-Mile Wreck to the Lobster Claw, 19-Fathom Lump and Massey’s Canyon, said Ed from Fin-Atics in Ocean City. Trolling, chunking and jigging all worked. Farther off, the southern grounds from Wilmington to Spencer Canyons at 500 fathoms held good waters that attracted yellowfins and billfish that were trolled.

Townsend’s Inlet

Offshore fishing was hot and cold, but a 245-pound bluefin tuna, a giant that measured 76 inches, was hammered last week on the Low Profile, one of the boats fishing from Avalon for Over Under Adventures, an e-mail from Over Under said. After two slower days of fishing, the crew decided to try a somewhat different area than the Hot Dog, where they targeted previously. After a missed bite and a 57-inch bluefin that was landed, nothing touched the lines a couple of hours. The vessel ventured farther offshore, and each of the 13 lines in the trolling spread got hit, and seven or eight bluefins, all more than 150 pounds apiece, were hooked. Bluefins 150 pounds were released, and the giant was on a way-back. After a 2-hour fight, the giant was leadered, an unbelievable day of fishing. Offshore fishing was slow for Over Under’s boats in Ocean City, Maryland. At first they fished 30 to 40 fathoms, wandering from lump to lump and hole to hole, looking for signs of life. Bait was scarce, and waters were 77 to 80 degrees, clean and mostly green, with a few areas of blue. Mahi mahi were hooked, including at a floating pallet on two consecutive days. Later the vessels fished Baltimore Canyon at the end of the week in the deep, 500 fathoms, all by themselves. Clean waters were scarce, and the temp was 79 degrees, but a few 45-pound yellowfin tuna were hooked farther inshore, and mahi were bailed at the lobster pots. Washington Canyon was also fished, and marlin fishing was a little slow, but a couple of sailfish were caught.

Bluefin tuna fishing slowed down on the inshore ocean, and offshore fishing was sort of feast or famine, said Capt. Joe Hughes from Jersey Cape Guide Service and Gibson’s Tackle in Sea Isle City. Big yellowfins were sometimes dusted at Carteret and Lindenkohl canyons, and white marlin were trolled in the deep at the Wilmington.

Hereford Inlet

Bluefins were battled at Massey’s Canyon and 19-Fathom Lump on sardines or butterfly jigs, and times with less boat traffic were best, said Cathy from Sterling Harbor Bait & Tackle in an e-mail. Reports also rolled in about bluefins at the East Lump. Yellowfin tuna, white marlin and several blues were trolled from Spencer to Wilmington canyons, and Poorman’s also doled out whites.

Cape May

Ross Restupcio’s charter went 1 for 3 on bluefin tuna on the troll with First Cast Sport Fishing from Cape May, nailing a 110-pounder that was kept, Capt. Rob said. Then he heard about yellowfin tuna on a tear between Spencer and Wilmington canyons along the 100-fathom line, so the trip sailed there, and no tuna were trolled, but an 85-pound white marlin was. Not a bad consolation!

A trip for bluefins with Ryan Moore’s charter went 1 for 4 on the fish, boating a 110-pounder that was jigged, said Capt. George from the Heavy Hitter from Cape May. One of the lost fish hit bait and spit the hook, and two others that got off slammed jigs. The fishing continued to drop off on Fridays and Saturdays during boat traffic but pick back up on Sundays and the other weekdays with lighter traffic. Overnight canyon trips will start in a couple of weeks, when catches become more consistent off Cape May.

Bluefin fishing slowed down somewhat at Massey’s Canyon and 19-Fathom Lump, and the fish were hooked, but the population seemed to taper, said Matt from Jim’s Bait & Tackle in Cape May. The crew on the Reel Therapy shellacked a 132-pounder at Massey’s on Friday, and Harry Minaker took down an 87-pounder at 19 on Saturday. Wilmington and Spencer canyons put out good-sized yellowfin tuna, and the canyons held more marlin than before, and a healthy population of mahi swam at the lobster pots.