<b>Sandy Hook</b>

<b>Jersey Devil Charters</b> from Highlands competed in Mako Mania on Saturday and Sunday, and the fishing was great, Capt. Brian said. Three makos to 159 pounds and some blue sharks were landed on the trips 50 miles from shore, and plenty of bluefish and life filled the73-degree waters. The boat came in nineteenth place out of maybe 200 or 300 boats, however many competed. Bluefin tuna were caught in the area 50 miles from shore. Jersey Devil did no fishing for them, but bluefin angling began, and Jersey Devil will focus on them like usual this summer. The charters are being booked now, and open-boat trips for bluefins will also run with a minimum of four people. Call if interested in the open trips, because the more who express interest, the easier to schedule. Heads up shark anglers: Brian is the director for the new Contender/Windansea Shark Tournament to be held at the Windansea Marina in Highlands on Saturday and Sunday, July 10 and 11. The captain’s meeting will be held 7 p.m. Friday. Anglers can e-mail Brian for info.

<b>Shark River Inlet</b>

On the <b>Nan Sea J</b> from Belmar, a 150-pound mako shark was bagged and a smaller one released on a shark trip Tuesday, Capt. Tom said. One blue shark was caught and released on another shark trip Wednesday. That trip fished 40 miles from shore in 72- to 73-degree, clear waters filled with life, including lots of bluefish and plenty of whales, including minkes and finbacks. Charters are fishing for sharks, and so are open-boat trips every Wednesday. Take advantage of the rare opportunity to go sharking on an open trip.

A 300-pound mako, probably the first 300-pounder of the season in the northern half of the state, was bagged last week with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> from Neptune, Capt. Ralph said. Trips with Last Lady on Saturday and Sunday competed in the shark tournaments. Saturday’s trip boated a 172-pound mako, releasing four more and two blue sharks. The 172-pounder was on the board until it got knocked off. Sunday’s trip belted a 180-pound mako that was kept, releasing a 160-pounder and two blue sharks. The 180-pounder was never on the board. Mako shark fishing was the best in years, Ralph said. The season’s first individual-reservation, canyon tuna trip will sail July 20 to 21.

<b>Manasquan Inlet</b>

A crew on the 48-foot Viking from <b>Canyon Runner</b>, Point Pleasant, ran a trip that sailed at 3 a.m. last Friday, first hitting the bluefin tuna grounds at the Chicken Canyon, the report on Canyon Runner’s Web site said. A limit of two bluefins, one in the smaller slot size and the other in the larger, was boated quickly in 30 minutes, and the trip sailed for Hudson Canyon. In the meantime a charter on Canyon Runner’s 60-foot Ritchie Howell left the dock at 9 a.m. that day, ran to the same bluefin grounds, and trolled a 58-incher. Afterward that crew called the 48-footer and was informed that nothing bit at the Hudson. So the 60-footer was headed for Toms Canyon, and the trip on the 48-footer would soon do the same. On the 60-footer a 65-pound yellowfin tuna was trolled at first at the Toms among other yellowfins that exploded on the spread but never came tight. The boat was turned around to head back into the bite, and another yellowfin was bagged. The anglers on the 48-footer at the Hudson pulled in the lines and began motoring to the Toms. But they stopped short at Hendrickson Canyon, trolling two yellowfins, before catching some more at the Toms. The 48-footer ended up with four yellowfins and the two bluefins before nightfall, and the 60-footer totaled five yellowfins and the one bluefin before dark. Fishing at night was uneventful on the two boats, except a 300-pound swordfish swam to the back of the 60-footer without swiping any baits. Fishing in the morning was mostly slow on the vessels, but one more yellowfin was decked on the 48-footer, before both trips ran home. A couple of spots are available on open-boat trips on the 48-footer on July 13 to 14 and 21 to 22.

<b>Barnegat Inlet</b>

Customers were just starting to run for tuna at the canyons, and anglers will hear how they fared after the weekend, when the results roll in, said Basil from <b>Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle</b>. Some planned to fish closer to shore for bonito and other pelagics, but waters were probably cool. Shark season was wearing on, but makos still swam areas like the Star.

<b>Little Egg Inlet</b>

Two brown sharks, a hammerhead and a mako, a legal-sized shark but not that big, so it was released, were landed on a shark trip Saturday with <b>Legal Limit Charters</b> from Tuckerton, Capt. T.J. said. A good day, he said, and T.J. heard about a couple of bluefin tuna caught in the area during the trip.

The season’s first offshore trip sailed Saturday on the <b>June Bug</b> from Beach Haven, Capt. Lindsay said. Leaving at 12 midnight, the boat arrived at Lindenkohl Canyon at 4 a.m. Nothing bit on the troll before daylight, except a couple of fish, probably short yellowfin tuna, that knocked down lines, without getting hooked. Two 35-pound yellowfins, a couple of small mahi mahi and tons of skipjacks were landed starting at 6 a.m. A bunch of knockdowns, probably short yellowfins, also hit again, without getting hooked. Lots of action. Then a lull set in for 1 ½ hours. The captain told the charter he was pulling out the secret weapon, going to take a nap, with a mate at the helm, because fish always bite then. No sooner did he do so than a big fish attacked, and was on! A 450-pound blue marlin was fought an hour and 45 minutes and landed. The anglers, from Michigan, listened to the crew and fought the fish well. The trip fished another hour and went home. That was a good trip, not a bad start to the season, Lindsay said. Anglers often wait until August and September to fish the canyons, but he’s always caught yellowfins and blue marlin in June, something to consider. One nearby boat on the radio told Lindsay the trip caught a 150-pound bigeye tuna Friday afternoon and a 175-pound mako that night. Lindsay heard about a 250-pound bigeye boated at Toms Canyon at the time.

<b>Great Egg Harbor Inlet</b>

Many of the sharks seemed to move north, but smaller ones were around, said Curt from <b>Offshore Enterprises Bait & Tackle</b> in Atlantic City. Bluefin tuna were clubbed at places like Lemke’s Canyon and the 750 Square. Curt heard about none fought at the Cigar. Everyone trolled for the bluefins, and nobody chunked. A buddy ran a trip that beat six yellowfin tuna 50 pounds apiece on Thursday. Curt was yet to know where they were caught, but the buddy usually likes Lindenkohl Canyon. The northern canyons such as the Lindy and the Carteret to the Hudson seemed to be places for yellowfin tuna and bigeye tuna that were caught. Mahi mahi were occasionally picked up, and nobody bailed them, but some made off with one to four. Blue marlin were dusted here and there. The southern canyons also produced the tuna and big game. Canyon fishing seemed to start happening, and many anglers seemed yet to make the trip. The shop’s offshore charter boat, the <b>Carly A</b>, is fishing from Oregon Inlet and will return to New Jersey to sail for big game later this season.

<b>Townsend’s Inlet</b>

Bluefin tuna swam at the Cigar, the 19-Fathom Lump and the Lobster Claw, and the better action was farther from shore, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service<b> and <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b> in Sea Isle City. Farther from shore, waters at the canyons were starting to be uniform from north to south. So fishing at them for yellowfin tuna and mahi mahi was no longer a matter of the warmer, southern canyons producing better than the northern ones. Joe is probably going to try to fish at the canyons this weekend. On the inshore ocean he took a solo trip this week to scope out fishing for brown and dusky sharks where the fish show up 5 to 10 miles from shore in summer. He went 9 for 13 on duskies to 50 pounds caught and released. They were in! His anglers have a blast fighting them on light spinning tackle and fly rods.

<b>Hereford Inlet</b>

Mako sharks were still caught, and bluefin tuna were sometimes boated from 30 fathoms to farther out, said Cathy from <b>Sterling Harbor Bait & Tackle</b> in Wildwood in an e-mail. At the canyons, yellowfin tuna, mahi mahi and several white marlin were trolled. Yellowfin fishing had been excellent at Baltimore Canyon. Whether it was now was unknown.

<b>Cape May</b>

Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> from Cape May heard nothing about bluefin tuna this week, because windy weather probably kept most from trying for them, he said. The boat is running a special on bluefin trips, and call for info.

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