New Jersey Fishing Reports

Bluefin tuna fishing was postponed this week with Jersey Devil Charters from the Highlands because of unsettled seas that were forecast, Capt. Brian said. But the bluefins were abundant, and trips will get out for them again soon. Two trips, both with anglers from the Hi-Mar Striper Club, ran for the tuna Friday and Sunday to waters southeast of the Glory Hole. All the boat’s bluefin trips lately were limiting out on two of the fish, including these outings. Bruce Mickelson, daughter Jena and Greg Vongas took Friday’s trip, and each of the group landed at least two or three of the bluefins apiece, totaling probably six or eight, keeping a limit and releasing the rest. Most were caught on butterfly jigs on Shimano Trevala rods with 65-pound PowerPro line and Gamma 65-pound fluorocarbon leaders. But two were taken on sardines on Owner 5/0 circle hooks. Owner hooks were also used on the jigs. Lots of life including bait and skipjacks filled the waters, and seas were calm, the weather beautiful. Hi Mar’s President Steve Machalaba, Joe Flynn and Bill Dowd sailed on Sunday’s trip, landing a limit of two bluefins, breaking off three, scoring probably another 13 or 14 hits, not a great ratio of landing the fish, but lots of action. The fish that broke off might’ve been bigger bluefins, and Brian knew about 100-pound-classers, including a friend’s 160-pounder, that were drilled. All the hooked fish on the trip were nailed on butterfly jigs on Trevala rods, and the anglers tried fishing with sardines, but only jigs got attacked. Lots of life filled the waters including porpoises, skipjacks, whales and bait, and seas and the weather were beautiful. Jersey Devil is focusing on bluefins, because the fishing is so good. Charters are sailing for the tuna, but so are open-boat trips, because enough anglers were calling to go on the open trips. But call if interested in the open trips, because the more anglers on the list, the easier putting the trips together is.

Manasquan Inlet

Canyon fishing was “okay” during the weekend, said Dave from The Reel Seat in Brielle, and anglers landed yellowfin tuna and mahi mahi. Plus all the boats seemed to get a shot at white or blue marlin, and one nailed a wahoo. Little was heard about bigeye tuna that had been abundant offshore, and now Dave heard about one caught here, another there. The waters moved out. Plenty of the bluefin tuna,were fought around the Glory Hole, the Chicken Canyon and the Atlantic Princess wreck. One trip waxed 60 bonito on the ocean, had started fishing at the Seaside Lump, then began sailing toward the Tolten Lump. The anglers ran into the bonito about halfway there.

With Andrea Toy Charters from Brielle, four anglers ran to the bluefin tuna grounds on the inshore ocean on Friday, the report on the boat’s Web site said. They began fishing at “the hot spot,” the report said, going 8 for 10 on the tuna, all on butterfly jigs, except one on a sardine. A limit of two was bagged, so the anglers switched to mahi mahi. Nine mahi to 15 pounds were mugged. Skipjacks and triggerfish were also boated on the trip, and all the anglers caught their first-ever tuna and mahi. Last week on Wednesday, a charter originally planned to fish for bluefins inshore, but wanted to upgrade to a canyon tri, despite reports of sporadic fishing at the canyons. They began trolling at the 100 Square, lost a good fish, and many fish boiled on the lures, but none got hooked. The crew took a chance and sailed to the deep of Jones Canyon. The trip’s only keeper yellowfin tuna was shellacked. Then the anglers deep-dropped for tilefish, getting on a quality pick to 15 pounds. Next they worked structure with light tackle, clocking mahi mahi. Because of the lack of tuna offshore, the charter decided to make a stop at the inshore grounds for bluefins. Life was spotted, and the crew demonstrated the butterfly-jigging system to the anglers, and a 48-inch bluefin was instantly hooked up. A storm then chased them home, and otherwise the trip would’ve kept fishing for bluefins. Most of the anglers hooked their first-ever tuna, mahi or tile on the charter. Blue-water trips for now will fish for bluefins on the inshore grounds, mixing in mahi fishing. If time remains, they’ll also drop lines down for monster pollock that hovered around some of the wrecks. When canyon fishing heats up, charters will sail there, and so will annual open-boat trips, and see the boat’s home page for info about the unique open trips.

Overnight charters to the canyons will launch Saturday on the Katie H from Brielle, and then the trips will mostly fill the schedule, Capt Mike said. He heard about plenty of bluefin tuna caught at the Atlantic Princess wreck on Sunday. He also heard about mahi mahi and a few bluefins taken at the Monster Ledge and the western wall of the Mudhole lately. But little was heard about canyon fishing. Don’t have enough anglers for a full canyon charter? Call Mike, and he can probably book an individual space on a make-up trip.

Barnegat Inlet

Three anglers, Jay Simmons, Joe Franke and Wayne Salvi, took the run to Barnegat Ridge on an open-boat trip Thursday for pelagics with Reel Fantasea Charters from Barnegat Light, Capt. Steve said in an e-mail. The fishing began slowly, but once the bite was found, the action was on, and false albacore, skipjacks, frigate mackerel and big blues were beaten on the troll. Screaming reels and bending rods, Steve said. The anglers ended the day with bluefishing at Barnegat Inlet.

Beach Haven Inlet

The mouth of Toms Canyon seemed to give up fish for boats in this week’s Mid Atlantic $500,000, said Capt. Lindsay from the June Bug from Beach Haven. Anglers from one of the vessels from Beach Haven who competed released seven white marlin at the mouth. The June Bug is fishing the canyons and is also sailing inshore for fish like bonito. The mate from the boat took a trip to search for bonito at Barnegat Ridge on Tuesday, but none of the fish showed up. Lindsay knows another angler who also found none on a trip.

Absecon Inlet

On the Fishin’ Fever from Brigantine anglers went 2 for 5 on white marlin, lost two yellowfin tuna and boated two of three mahi mahi that bit in 100 to 500 fathoms last week on Thursday, Capt. Tom said. Another trip in the same depths on Saturday went 1 for 2 on whites and decked a couple of mahi. The trips trolled everything from spreader bars to ballyhoos, and the ballys probably worked best. Yellowfin tuna were mostly up north, and anglers waited for them to drop down. Bluefin tuna tore up waters to the north around the Glory Hole, within reach of Brigantine. Inshore trolling for speedsters like bonito was hopping at the ridges and hills near Brigantine.

Great Egg Harbor Inlet

Tuna trips kept getting weathered out on the boat recently, said Capt. Eric from O-Beth Sportfishing from Margate. More marlin and mahi mahi were around than other fish. But maybe the offshore hurricane that was coming would stir up the waters, making more tuna move in.

One or two bluefin tuna were run across here or there at spots close to shore like 28-Mile Wreck, said Bill from Fin-Atics in Ocean City. A few yellowfin tuna might’ve been lucked into at places farther out like the Lobster Claw. But the waters including the canyons farther offshore were too warm for tuna fishing. Marlin and mahi mahi were a lot more common. Bill also heard about plenty of wahoos whacked.

The inshore troll was “where it’s at” in the past days, said Capt. Mike from the Stray Cat from Longport. Trolling was phenomenal 8 miles out in crystal-clear, warm waters that looked like the canyons. One catch from a trip included a 29-inch Spanish mackerel, one of the biggest Mike ever saw, a 5-1/2- or 6-pounder. A cobia and two king mackerel were also trolled, and peanut mahi mahi were so thick that an angler could hardly get away from them. Mike hoped the waters stayed the same to keep the fishing going, but the coming hurricane could change it all. A charter last week on Thursday smoked a couple of bluefin tuna and some mahi mahi 4 miles inshore of 28-Mile Wreck. Overnight canyon charters are available in September and October.

Bob Traa and gang on his Reel Affair headed to Toms Canyon early last week, loading up on yellowfin tuna to 60 pounds while chunking butterfish and sardines, said T.C. from Brennan Marine in Somers Point in a fax. Larry Stout and company on the Diamond Girl fished Carteret Canyon, grabbing a 51-pound yellowfin, and Baltimore Canyon, drilling a 26.6-pound mahi mahi. They also caught and released several white marlin. Frank Kelly on the Salty Tiger ran to Carteret and Lindenkohl canyons, putting the skids on a 48-pound yellowfin, several sizeable mahi and a 94-1/5-pound swordfish. Tom Little and anglers on the Miss Chevious steamed north to the the Glory Hole, trolling up a 170-pound bluefin tuna on a Green Machine.

Townsends Inlet

Bluefin tuna “moved on,” said the report on Over Under Adventures from Avalon’s Web site, and fishing for yellowfin tuna was spotty at best. Mahi mahi offered the most consistent fishing, but white marlin offered the second-best. If anglers were waiting for the right conditions to catch whites, now was a good time. Numerous marlin came up on every trip, and waters were gin clear and blue from Carteret Canyon to Wilmington Canyon, some of the best-looking in recent memory, though tuna were lacking. The best marlin fishing was in 78.5-degree waters. Over Under began a solid schedule of overnight tuna trips at the canyons, so the crew will see whether a chunk bite develops. So far, the fishing was slow, but waters at Spencer and Lindenkohl canyons, where the trips fished, were packed with squid that should begin to attract yellowfins. The trips picked at mahi mahi during the daytime, nothing hot. Both charters and open-boat trips are fishing offshore, and see Over Under’s Web site for the open schedule.

Capt. Joe Hughes from Jersey Cape Guide Service and Gibson’s Tackle in Sea Isle City competed in the Mid Atlantic $500,000 from Monday through Wednesday, he said. The trips trolled a bunch of mahi mahi, a white marlin and a wahoo. One white was seen, and the fish was landed and released, because bigger whites were already on the board. But Joe and crew entered a wahoo that was on the board the first day before getting knocked off by a bigger one. The fishing was a matter of looking for water color and life, because water temperatures were mostly even. But a large population of mahi mahi swam around, and fishing for them with light tackle or fly rods should be great, and Jersey Cape offers that fishing. After doing a number on catches offshore on a trip last week, covered in the last report, he was weathered out on another offshore trip that Thursday. He got out on another trip to the canyons that Friday, and fishing was slower, and the fish-holding waters had moved. A gaffer mahi mahi was trolled on a naked ballyhoo. On Saturday he sailed to the canyons on a friend’s boat in the Cape May Marlin and Tuna Club Tournament, and a gaffer mahi was landed. So the fishing was busier during his trips for the tournament. Open-boat tuna trips are sailing weekly, usually on Wednesdays, but sometimes on other days, depending on the weather and when anglers can go, and the trips are a learning experience. Offshore charters are available that troll for tuna during the mornings and cast bait, lures or flies to mahi at the lobster pots during the afternoons.

Cape May Inlet

Trolling the ocean 15 miles from shore on Thursday put a charter on lots of blues, a bunch of false albacore, two houndfish and Spanish mackerel on the Heavy Hitter from Cape May, non-stop action, Capt. George said. Inshore trolling was going well this season. An offshore charter this past week trolled five big mahi mahi and a couple of skipjacks. 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.

Inshore trolling on the Jaftica from Cape May hooked mostly blues but also a few other fish like bonito and Spanish mackerel, Capt. Ray said. Trolling on the boat Sunday put the brakes on good bonito fishing. Tuna trips are coming up on the vessel.

On the Down Deep from Cape May, inshore trolling, fishing just past the reefs, slammed blues, bonito, Spanish mackerel, false albacore, skipjacks, king mackerel and even a houndfish, Capt. Bob said. It was great, he said. Tuna fishing could use the coming storm to stir up waters. Waters were 77 degrees near the shore and 81 degrees at the East Lump. That’s relatively close to the coast, but showed the warmth. One trip fished overnight last week, and the anglers caught 10- to 20-pound mahi mahi, a big white marlin and, at night, two mako sharks. Lots of large mahi were around this year, and marlin were abundant.

The inshore troll was heating up for false albacore, Spanish mackerel, good-sized mahi mahi, a few small yellowfin tuna, usually shorts, and occasional wahoos, said Matt from Jim’s Bait & Tackle from Cape May in a fax. The East Lump to the Norheast Lump, Sea Isle Ridge and the Cigar were all places to go after the fish. Bob Savins weighed in a 42-pound wahoo from the East Lump. Five-Fathom Bank also held small blues that could be trolled. To catch keeper yellowfins, waters on the inshore edge of the Elephant Truck to the Arlene wreck were best. Quite a few marlin were trolled during the weekend at Spencer and Lindenkohl canyons.