<b>Sandy Hook</b>

A trip beat two mako sharks, a dusky shark and a blue shark with <b>Jersey Devil Charters</b> from the Highlands, Capt. Brian said. Thirty- to 90-pound bluefin tuna were getting trolled and jigged in the area, and mahi mahi also swam the waters. So combo trips that fished the inshore ocean for bluefins, sharks and mahi were the main menu on the boat. Lots of bait and life filled the waters. Canyon tuna fishing locally sometimes put anglers on catches, and other times was slow, and the inshore trips were the better option for now. Although Jersey Devil runs no set schedule of open-boat trips, if you only have a group of two people or so to go fishing, don’t hesitate to call Brian, because he can probably pair you up with others on a shared trip.

<b>Shark River Inlet</b>

A 68-inch mako shark was bagged  at the Glory Hole on Thursday on the <b>Nan Sea J</b> from Belmar, Capt. Tom said. A 4-footer was released, and the boat also trolled for an hour at the end of the trip, because bluefin tuna could be in the area, and skipjacks were landed. Tom heard about bluefin catches on the radio during the trip. The weather started out calmly, but then the  storm began rolling in, and seas built, probably to all of 10 feet, by the time the trip rode home, and rains poured. It was rough! The trip probably should’ve headed home after the 68-incher was nailed at 9 a.m. Waters were 73 degrees, getting warm. A shark trip last Friday caught and released four makos 50 to 60 pounds in 70- to 72-degree waters. Shark charters are sailing, and one more weekly, open-boat shark trip is slated for Wednesday, and a few spaces opened up because of a cancellation, and call to claim. However, anglers were asking about adding more open trips to the schedule, and another might be slated for the first week of August. The trips, running annually in June and July, are a rare opportunity to fight sharks on an open-boat basis.

<b>Manasquan Inlet</b>

Bluefin tuna anglers whacked catches at the Glory Hole, the Chicken Canyon, between the two areas and toward the Atlantic Princess wreck, mostly on the troll, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b> in Brielle. But sometimes they stopped and jigged the fish. Some yellowfin tuna were mixed in, the first time yellowfins appeared that close to shore in a long time. Big mahi mahi also swam the waters, and Dave heard about ones docked to 28 pounds. Anglers who ventured farther offshore for yellowfins mostly headed south, because the fishing there seemed better than at the Hudson and the Toms canyons. The yellowfins were small, and many tuna anglers hit the bluefin grounds instead to tackle larger tuna.

<b>Little Egg Inlet</b>

Anglers on other boats wrestled in bluefin tuna 100 or 110 pounds at Lemke’s Canyon on Sunday, said Capt. T.J. from <b>Legal Limit Charters</b> from Tuckerton. He’s been catching bluefins on charters, covered in previous reports, and a trip on Monday will go for yellowfins at the canyons.

<b>Great Egg Harbor Inlet</b>

A bluefin tuna trip on Sunday trolled a 45-incher and two big mahi mahi to 22 pounds at the 20-fathom lumps, said Capt. Eric from <b>O-Beth Sportfishing</b> from Margate. Bluefin fishing was getting better and should only improve, and mahi fishing was phenomenal so far this season, and the dolphin were large.

J.R. and Ron Gentile trolled a 42-pound bluefin tuna and a mess of skipjacks at the Cigar on ballyhoos on Ilanders, said T.C. from <b>Brennan Marine</b> from Somers Point in a fax. John Rihl and crew on the Bacinia pinned down a 37-pound bluefin at the Cigar on a bally on an Ilander. Dave Fiocca on his Poppy’s Cruiser on Sunday trolled and released a 7-foot mako shark at the 750 Square. The fish swiped a bally on an Ilander on a downrigger. Bill Troehler and gang tied into small yellowfin tuna and large mahi mahi, including 18-pounders, at Wilmington Canyon last week on Wednesday.

Mahi mahi and a few small bluefin tuna were sometimes toggled in from the Cigar, said John from <b>Fin-Atics</b> in Ocean City. Fishing for bigger bluefins seemed to slow down at places to the south like the Hambone and the Hot Dog. John took a trip for them Sunday and got none. The few he heard were caught came from 19-Fathom Lump, and nobody bailed them. Yellowfin tuna were taken at 100 fathoms at Spencer Canyon, he heard.

<b>Townsends Inlet</b>

A  trip trolled a bunch of yellowfin tuna, lots of action, and some mahi mahi to 15 pounds Sunday between Spencer and Wilmington canyons on ballyhoos on Ilanders, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b> in Sea Isle City. The yellowfins were small, and the mahi were large, and trips this season were fishing structure, because no big temperature breaks were around to attract concentrations of fish. John Martin, Bear Smith, Jay VonCzoernig and Dustin Laricks were aboard. Joe hopes to fish offshore this weekend, but forecasts were looking dubious. He’s fishing for bluefin tuna on the inshore grounds, and yellowfin tuna at the offshore canyons, and mahi mahi are mixed in throughout the area, from 30 fathoms on out. The bluefin fishing doesn’t guarantee a catch, typical for the fishery, but a lot of the fish are around. If anglers did catch, the fish was big, usually over 100 pounds, potentially a fish of a lifetime for a charter, and that’s the thing, why people do it. Mahi mahi, large ones this season, were usually caught among the bluefins, and Joe’s fishing was being done on the troll. Some anglers were chunking or jigging for the tuna, but that action was less consistent, and trolling gave better chances, covered more ground, and also targeted the mahi better. Trips won’t catch a bunch of fish, but if a bluefin and some mahi are landed, the day was good. Canyon fishing at the moment put out lots of yellowfins, lots of action, but getting a keeper was the challenge. Many were 25 or 26 inches, and two and three at a time were often fought. Plus mahi, again, large ones this year, were in the mix out there. Open-boat tuna trips are fishing each week, usually on a Wednesday, but sometimes on other days, depending on the weather and when anglers could fish. Call to get aboard. The trips fish wherever the best angling is located, whether inshore for bluefins or offshore for yellowfins, and Joe just wants to catch fish, he said. If that means heading farther offshore to the canyons, he’ll do it. The fishing is a learning experience. Joe is also running offshore charters that troll for tuna during the mornings and cast bait, lures or flies to mahi mahi at the lobster pots during the afternoons.

<b>Hereford Inlet</b>

Bluefin tuna were chunked, trolled and butterfly-jigged at 19-Fathom Lump and Massey’s Canyon, said Cathy from <b>Sterling Harbor Bait & Tackle</b> from Wildwood in an e-mail. Mike Gillen, 14, from Wildwood Crest weighed in an 85-pound bluefin, one of two that were boated on a trip on his Uncle Joe’s Y Knot. One of the tuna was chunked on a butterfish, and the other was butterfly-jigged, and a mahi mahi was also nailed on one of the jigs. Yellowfin tuna with mahi mixed in were trolled along the 40-fathom line.

<b>Cape May Inlet</b>

On the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> from Cape May a charter pulled the hook on a big bluefin tuna that almost spooled the reel on Wednesday, and landed three mahi mahi, a 20-pounder and two 15-pounders, Capt. George said. The bluefin fishing was slow for everyone that day, and everyone George knew about either hooked none or lost the fish, bigger tuna. But catches were red hot the previous day.  The bluefin that spit the hook on the Heavy Hitter charged toward the angler when the angler wasn’t reeling, and the tuna got off. The trip trolled, like most other boats did, and a few who chunked for the fish seemed to catch. A few yellowfin tuna were picked up a little farther offshore lately, and trips can potentially motor out to those waters to take a stab at them on bluefin trips. John Stonick, Al Monger and Mike Reilly were the anglers on the charter. Only have three or four anglers for a trip instead of six to create a full charter? Call George, because he can probably put you together with other anglers on a make-up trip during mid week.

Yellowfin tuna will be targeted at the canyons on a charter Monday, and a bunch of tuna trips, both inshore for bluefins and offshore for yellowfins, are on the books to fish soon, said Capt. Ray from <b>Jaftica Sportfishing</b> from Cape May. The blue-waters season was getting under way on the vessel. Fishing for bluefins was somewhat hit or miss but decent, and the fish were big. Sailing for yellowfins was finding bigger fish than before and also white marlin. Mahi mahi fishing throughout the tuna waters wasn’t bad, and tuna fishing should really amp up in the next weeks.

Charters on the <b>Down Deep</b> from Cape May had good luck on bluefin tuna, though others sometimes struggled, Capt. Bob said. Ron Duby’s charter this past week bagged a bluefin, a yellowfin tuna and a mahi mahi on the inshore grounds. The boat is concentrating on the inshore tuna grounds, until canyon trips begin later this season.

The 20-fathom line held scattered bluefin tuna, said Matt from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Cape May in a fax. They could be trolled at the Lobster Claw on ballyhoos on Ilanders fished way back 200 to 300 yards at 4 to 5 knots. They could be jigged or chunked at 19-Fathom Lump and Massey’s Canyon, usual spots. Some bigger bluefins to 185 pounds haunted the southeast tip of the Hambone. Peter Nardone weighed in a 186-pounder that he jigged in the area, fighting the fish 2 hours to get to the boat.

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