<b>Sandy Hook</b>

Bluefin tuna fishing on the inshore ocean was a matter of getting the weather that allowed trips to sail for them, said Capt. Brian from <b>Jersey Devil Charters</b> from Highlands. But the tuna should be able to be nailed, and charters and open-boat trips, when enough anglers are interested in open trips, are sailing for them. Call if interested in the open trips, because the more who are, the easier to schedule.

At <b>Twin Lights Marina</b> in Highlands none of the boaters sailed offshore, Wayne said, and that starts to be typical this time of year. The fishing can be good during this season, and Wayne indeed heard tuna catches were solid at the canyons this week, during a rare break in the weather for a few days. But autumn typically brings one storm after another, or one windy day after the next. Boaters from the marina who sail to the canyons often pack it in by this time of the season, weighing the benefits of keeping the boat in the waters for a brief window of weather to run offshore, when they might not even be able to fit that day in the schedule. But, again, tuna fishing was apparently productive when anglers squeezed in trips during the calm this week.  A full selection of offshore baits, including flats of herring, sardines and butterfish, are stocked. So are inshore baits.

<b>Shark River Inlet</b>

Yellowfin tuna, 45 of the fish, mostly 50 to 70 pounds, were waffled at the canyons on an overnight trip Monday to Tuesday on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b> from Belmar, Capt. Greg said. Another 22 of the tuna were lost, so the bites came at a good pace, and a healthy population of the fish was around. The next tuna trip is slated for this coming Monday to Tuesday, and space is available. A couple of trips are scheduled to fish closer to shore for bonito and bluefin tuna. See the <a href="http://www.goldeneaglefishing.com/html/tuna_reservations.html" target="_blank">Golden Eagle’s tuna reservations page</a>.

Anglers on the <b>Nan Sea J</b> from Belmar fished at Hudson Canyon on two overnight trips this past week, Capt. Tom said. The angling was slower on the first outing, from Saturday to Sunday, and one yellowfin tuna and a mahi mahi were trolled. The fish bit at night, and blue sharks plagued the chum slick at night. But the second trip, from Monday to Tuesday, was much better. On the way to the canyon, the charter went 4 for 6 on bluefin tuna 50 miles from shore, keeping a limit of two, an over and an under, and the over weighed 90 pounds. At night five yellowfin tuna 70 to 80 pounds were mugged, and at least a couple were lost. At daybreak five mahi mahi 4 and 5 pounds were decked. Eight tilefish to 15 pounds were pumped in afterward. Party boats sounded like they put customers on lots of tuna.

<b>Manasquan Inlet</b>

The boat was motored to Hudson Canyon on an overnight trip Monday to Tuesday with <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b> from Point Pleasant Beach, a report on Andrea’s Toy’s Web site said. Four yellowfin tuna 60 to 75 pounds, a 100-pound bluefin tuna and a bunch of mahi mahi were waffled. The anglers went home with plenty of meat. The trip first trolled on the east side of the canyon. No tuna showed up, but the mahi that were bagged did. Once the anglers saw the mahi were around on the troll, they broke out light spinning rods to catch them for fun. The trip set up for nighttime fishing at the 100 Square. Waters were filled with squid that porpoises chased, and tuna were read, but none bit. The boat was moved to the East Elbow, and big blue sharks were wrestled, and a couple of mystery fish were lost. Tuna fishing hit the wall at 6 a.m. A tuna screamed off with every bait tossed in the waters, and the four yellowfins were landed, and more than a dozen bit. On the way home the trip ran across acres of bluefin tuna crashing the surface. The anglers tossed out large Storm Shads to match the hatch. Four bluefins were hooked on four casts, and the 100-pounder was landed. Mid-shore and canyon trips, both charters and open-boat, are running for a mixed bag of bluefin tuna, yellowfin tuna, mahi mahi, swordfish and tilefish. Andrea’s Toy specializes in mixed-bag fishing for greater fun, more variety for dinner and better chances of hooking up.

Five yellowfin tuna and a dozen mahi mahi were creamed at Toms Canyon on an overnight trip Tuesday to Wednesday on the <b>Big Kid</b> from Brielle, Capt. Ken said. Three tuna were lost, and the angling was now hopping. All the fish were chunked at night, and seas were fine, except were somewhat snotty on the way home.

Tuna fishing seemed spotty for the fleet at Wilmington Canyon overnight Saturday to Sunday, said Capt. Rich from <b>Jersey Hooker Outfitters Bait & Tackle</b>, located in Bricktown, and <b>Jersey Hooker Charters</b>, sailing from Point Pleasant Beach’s Canyon River Club Marina. Some boats scored well, others not so great. On a charter with Jersey Hooker then at the canyon, a 100-pound mako shark and a couple of mahi mahi were bagged at night, and a short swordfish was released in the dark. In the morning a 75-pound yellowfin tuna was trolled, and so were six or seven mahi at a lobster pot buoy where the dolphin gathered. Not the greatest catch on vessel, Rich said, but some fish.

A trip with Carl Lamanna, owner of <b>Canyon River Club Marina</b> in Point Pleasant Beach, fished overnight at Hudson Canyon from Saturday to Sunday on Carl’s C-Annamal, he said. He and the anglers – John VanHorn from Bayville and Lou DeRosa and Chad Bennett from Toms River – went 3 for 6 on yellowfin tuna to 70 pounds at night on the drift on sardines. They released three blue sharks on the drift, and  porpoises swarmed all around the boat all night, an awesome sight. The trip also trolled on the first day upon arrival at 6 p.m. for 1 ½ hours and the next morning from 6 to 11:30, but trolling was dead – nothing bit. Seas were 3 to 5 feet, not bad, at night in northwest winds, and a sea anchor was used on the drift. Seas during the daytime were 2 to 4 feet and 3 to 5 feet in northwest winds. Carl will move the C-Annamal to South Beach, Florida, probably during the third week of October, and he plans to keep giving reports about all the fishing he’ll do. Trips will fish from there to the Bahamas for wahoos and billfish and will also deep-drop for yelloweyes, groupers and amberjacks. The deep-dropping takes place in 600 to 1,300 feet, and the anglers fish with Diawa 3000 electric reels. A few slips might be available at the marina for next season, and renewal contracts were sent out. Located along Manasquan River, the marina is open the whole year, including winter. It features all the amenities, including a locker with electric to fit a freezer, rods and tackle. The docks are only a half-mile from Manasquan Inlet with no bridges.

<b>Barnegat Inlet</b>

Mike Kainec and Steve Dressig from Redi-Rig Tackle sailed for the Mudhole on Monday on  the <b>Hi Flier</b> from Barnegat, Capt. Dave DeGennaro said in an e-mail. They were looking for bluefin tuna, and no life or readings were found at the Monster Ledge and Little Italy. So the trip began to steam for Oley’s Lump, and false albacore surfaced 2 miles from there. The machine lit up with fish and bait from top to bottom. The anchor was dropped, a chunk line of sardines was set up, and the anglers banged away at albies and big blues on livelined peanut bunker, under Redi-Rig Floats. <a href=" http://www.redirig.com/ " target="_blank">Redi-Rig</a> makes unique floats that allow baits to be fished at any depths, sliding down on the hook-up. The Hi Flier sails for pelagics including albies and bluefins on the inshore grounds on charters and open-boat trips.

<b>Absecon Inlet</b>

If boaters got the weather to reach offshore, yellowfin tuna remained at the canyons, and the angling was by no means finished, said Curt from <b>Offshore Enterprises Bait & Tackle</b> in Atlantic City. That wasn’t to say the fishing was easy, because the bite moved from one location to the next. “Should’ve been there yesterday kind of thing,” he said. No particular canyon seemed best for long, and the good, fish-holding waters skirted the whole 100-fathom line. The <b>Carly A</b>, the shop’s offshore charter boat, was set up at Wilmington Canyon on Saturday night, and the fishing sounded spotty for everyone, but two yellowfin tuna and eight mahi mahi were chunked on the boat at night. Eight or a dozen tilefish were pumped in during the day. Eight tuna, mostly longfins, gaffed on one boat was the best catch Curt heard about from the Wilmington during that time. Tuna catches sounded good at Baltimore Canyon around that time. The weather and seas were beautiful offshore Saturday night. Anglers should especially be careful about fishing offshore during this season with typically volatile weather, carrying all the safety gear, and back-ups to the gear. If the boat breaks down, and anglers are stuck on the waters, the calm window of weather can turn rough.

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