<b>Shark River Inlet</b>

Three dusky sharks, two hammerheads and a blue shark were muscled up Tuesday on the <b>Nan Sea J</b> from Belmar, Capt. Tom said. Waters were 78 degrees or warm, but sharks bit, and so did a couple of bluefish. Waters were clear, but a spot that was less-clear gave up all the catches. Another shark charter was supposed to sail today, and annual, open-boat shark trips are running every Wednesday, including this coming Wednesday. This week’s open trip stayed dock because of a Coast Guard inspection, and the vessel passed inspection. Tuna charters, overnight trips, will begin in September.

Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> from Neptune took a canyon trip with friends Capt. Steve King, on Steve’s Fat Cat, and Capt. Jerry Beaver to check out the good reports about canyon tuna, he said in an e-mail. They drilled yellowfin tuna to 40 pounds, not the small ones like in the last three years, and a 227-pound bigeye tuna. One- and two-day canyon charters are available, and the season’s first individual-reservation trip to the canyons is set for July 21 to 22. Shark trips will sail Saturday and Sunday, and Last Lady had a great year on sharks so far, covered in previous reports. Anglers still had a shot at makos.

<b>Manasquan Inlet</b>

“Well, it was about to happen any time,” said the report on the <b>Canyon Runner</b> from Point Pleasant’s Web site. A trip to Hudson Canyon plowed  27 yellowfin tuna from 50 to 60 pounds on Sunday, and another trip on Monday lambasted 33. The canyon season was early, but the 20 trips to the waters with Canyon Runner since June 11 had already averaged 6 to 12 fish per outing. Yellowfins were decked, and so were bigeye tuna, mako sharks, marlin and mahi mahi. Bluefin tuna were also beaten inshore. Only one canyon trip was slow. “Don’t fish the calendar; fish the water,” the report said. Fish-holding water’s been in the canyons for a month now. “(We) would have begged for (these) results last August to October,” it said. All the tuna this season were trolled so far, and with numbers like 27 caught, the fish hit everything. The trolling pattern on Sunday’s trip included four Canyon Runner spreader bars, and ballyhoos were on the rest of the rods. The ‘hoos worked best. Prior to the trips Sunday and Monday mentioned above, a trip motored out Saturday, fishing through Sunday morning, the Fourth of July. That was an annual, free trip for military veterans. With reports about great trolling for tuna coming from Lindenkohl Canyon, the trip ran there. A couple of yellowfin tuna were hooked before nightfall, and the nighttime fishing was some of the best in a while. Four mako sharks were reeled in, three topping 200 pounds, and one was kept. The crew usually doesn’t see three in a year that weigh more than 200. In the morning a white marlin and a sizeable, 20-pound mahi mahi were trolled. On a trip Friday to Saturday six yellowfins and a mako were banged out at the Hudson. On a trip Thursday to Friday a 90-pound bluefin tuna was taken in the morning at the Chicken Canyon, and five yellowfins were trolled at the Hudson. Fishing was slow that night and the next morning on the trip. On a trip Wednesday to Thursday a satellite chart was unavailable because of cloud cover, so the boat was headed to Carteret Canyon to be in the middle of the canyons to search for the water temps that held the fish. No life was found at the Carteret, and the trip headed south, going 1 for 3 on white marlin, also landing a couple of mahi mahi, before night. The trip ended up near Lindenkohl Canyon, catching two mako sharks, both 165 pounds, keeping one, at night, trolling eight yellowfins in the morning. <b>(Continued Below)</b>

<b>(Continued from Above)</b> An overnighter on the Canyon Runner arrived at Hudson Canyon on Monday afternoon, after the two trips Sunday and Monday mentioned above that trolled the incredible numbers of tuna. Canyon Runner fishes offshore on two boats that often run back-to-back trips, arriving from one overnighter, getting prepared for the next, and heading right back out for another that day. This trip that left Monday afternoon basically trolled yellowfin tuna from the time the charter arrived to the time the trip left. Not the best bite the crew ever saw, but not bad. The fish attacked immediately when the anglers began trolling that afternoon on the west wall. Doubles, triples, quadruples and more destroyed the Canyon Runner Rainbow Squid and Green Machine spreader bars and every ballyhoo dropped in the waters. The anglers were already in release mode, having kept 15, all they wanted to eat, by the time they stopped trolling that day. Nighttime catches were nonexistent, “and that was fine with them as they needed the rest,” the report said. But as soon as they began trolling in the morning, game was on. They spent 4:30 to 9 a.m. releasing 50- to 70-pound yellowfins, a bigger class that seemed to be around that morning. The trip actually started trying to avoid the yellowfins to find marlin or bigeye tuna, but the yellowfins couldn’t be shaken off. The anglers ended up with 15 yellowfins bagged and 16 released, tagging most of the released tuna.

A canyon trip was sailing Thursday with <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b> from Point Pleasant, Capt. Fred said, and results were yet to be reported. But a split charter steamed to Hudson Canyon last week from Thursday to Friday, the report on the boat’s Web site said. Forecasts turned out wrong, and seas were rough, but the anglers slugged it out and fished. They had to begin fishing 20 miles short of where the crew originally planned to begin in the deep. Nonetheless, the life was seen, and the trip pounded the area, and the anglers trolled two healthy-sized yellowfin tuna, a sizeable bull mahi mahi and a bonus: a 150-pound 70-inch mako shark, the angler’s personal best. At night the boat was put on the drift for swordfish and sharks, and three blue sharks to 8 feet were wrestled in. In the morning the boat was put back on the troll in tough, 3- to 6-foot, head seas, and skipjacks covered the spread. Then the anglers targeted mahi mahi at structure, reeling in a half-dozen chickens on light tackle. Seas were too rough to drift for tilefish. To end the trip on a great note, the crew had Master Chef Marcus Wilson from Dockside Grill “make the magic happen,” the report said. They gave him mahi mahi and mako shark, and told him to let his imagination take over. The results: mahi mahi cooked two ways, in a spicy lobster crème sauce, and in an Asian teriyaki fusion; and mako cooked three ways, in a Mediterranean style, blackened with fresh garlic clusters, and saltine-crusted in a spicy tomato sauce! A pinot blanc from Fish Hook Vineyards topped off the experience. See the write-up toward the bottom of <a href="http://www.andreastoycharters.com" target="_blank">Andrea’s Toy’s home page</a> to check out annual, open-boat, mixed-bag trips that are running offshore. Andrea’s Toy specializes in mixed-bag fishing for greater fun, better chances of hooking up and more variety for dinner.

Hudson Canyon anglers began whaling yellowfin tuna toward the end of last week, said John from <b>The Reel Seat</b> in Brielle. Nineteen of the fish and a 400-pound blue marlin were landed on the Pepper. Bluefin tuna fishing closer to shore at the Chicken Canyon turned out decent catches. Fighting through bluefish might’ve been the biggest problem.

A couple of customers returned from tuna fishing at Hudson Canyon on Thursday, said Capt. Rich from the tackle shop <b>Jersey Hooker Outfitters</b>, located in Brick, and <b>Jersey Hooker Charters</b>, sailing from Point Pleasant’s Canyon River Club. Anglers on the Eagle, sailing from Glimmer Glass, went 3 for 3 on yellowfin tuna to 60 pounds at the canyon. A couple of mahi mahi were also trolled, and a blue marlin came up into the spread. The crew on the Hard Ways with Capt. Brian Sweeney from Brielle Yacht Club went 6 for 12 on yellowfins to 80 pounds, also trolling a couple of mahi and getting a shot at a white marlin, at the 100 Square. Shark anglers caught sharks at places like the Glory Hole and the Chicken Canyon, fighting through bluefish to nail them. Bluefin tuna were occasionally boated in the area, were yet to give up a solid fishery, and maybe 1 in 10 who tried found a population of the fish they could hook.

<b>Beach Haven Inlet</b>

On the <b>June Bug</b> from Beach Haven a trip Saturday arrived at Lindenkohl Canyon at 4:15 a.m. in winds gusting to 20 and seas from 3 to 5, not the calm conditions forecasts predicted, Capt. Lindsay said. But the waters were blue and full of life including bait and porpoises. A hundred boats were already fishing the canyon, mostly along 100 fathoms at the edge of the Continental Shelf. The boat was first trolled there along both the high grounds and the edge where lobster pots were set up. But nothing bit, and the crew didn’t like the look of things, motoring to the deep, away from the fleet. There the waters were warmest, up to 77.3 degrees, holding a 1.8-degree temperature break with a long line stretching along it. That’s where the fish were. A pod of bigeye tuna, at least six or seven, attacked the trolling spread at 5:45 a.m.! Three were hooked, and one, a 160-pounder, was landed after a 30-minute fight. The other two spit the hooks quickly. A pod of small yellowfin tuna next swarmed all over the whole spread a short time later, and a 35-pounder was boated. A small group of larger yellowfins attacked soon afterward, and some 80-pounders, good-sized tuna, were landed. The action tailed off by 10 a.m., and the fish storage was full, so the anglers quit early and went home. “Another great day on the ocean,” Lindsay said. A trip the previous Saturday, the vessel’s first trip offshore from New Jersey after fishing from North Carolina since winter, also creamed the big game: some yellowfin tuna, mahi mahi and a 450-pound blue marlin, also at the Lindy, covered in a previous report. These were the first two canyon trips of the year off Jersey on the boat, and the season was off to a good start. Call Lindsay to “book your great day,” he said! Interestingly, one of the mates on this second trip, Garrett Frey, was from Indiana and came to Jersey specifically to participate in the <a href=" http://www.fishbeachhaven.com/juniormates.htm" target="_blank">Junior Mate Training Program</a> that the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association holds annually. He was off to a fine start after this trip, Lindsay said, and even gaffed the bigeye deftly on his first-ever shot at a big fish, while the first mate, Capt. Nate Figley, wired the tuna. Nate’s father, Bill Figley, is well-known for founding New Jersey’s artificial reefs.

<b>Great Egg Harbor Inlet</b>

Bluefin tuna fishing really went well, and they were scattered at usual places, but were really parked on the Lobster Claw, said Curt from <b>Offshore Enterprises Bait & Tackle</b> in Atlantic City. The Lobster Claw is a big area, and the trick was to get away from other boats. The fish were scattered at other places such as the 750 Square, the Cigar and Lempke’s Canyon. Yellowfin tuna fishing started going off farther offshore at the canyons. Four to eight per boat were trolled on average, but some trips plundered them in the teens. The fish were better-sized this year, compared with the small yellowfins in recent years. This year they were 40 pounds. Many said they were 65 pounds, but Curt saw them, and they were usually 40. The <b>Carly A</b>, the shop’s offshore charter boat, will return to begin fishing in New Jersey next week, after fishing from Oregon Inlet, North Carolina.

<b>Townsend’s Inlet</b>

A trip ran to Lindenkohl Canyon on Wednesday with Dustin Laricks and Jay VonCzoernig, and Dustin released a white marlin, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b> in Sea Isle City. A blue marlin was raised but wouldn’t bite, and another blue was seen. Yellowfin tuna to 50 pounds and mahi mahi were trolled on Saturday on a trip to the Lindy with VonCzoernig and John Martin. To catch the tuna, anglers had to “ride over them,” Joe said, and the fish bit all at once. Other boaters trolled whites and blues in the area. Joe’s trip fished in waters 73.4 to 75 degrees. He did no fishing for bluefin tuna closer to shore, but heard about bluefins cracked at the 750 Square, the Lobster Claw and other usual spots.

This is going to be short and sweet, Capt. Trey from <b>Over Under Adventures</b> from Avalon said in an e-mail. The best canyon tuna fishing in a long time was going down, and three boats from Over Under were sailing to the waters from Avalon and Ocean City, Maryland, on charters and shared charters. If you want tuna, now is the time. Don’t wait! he said. Several openings are available on trips coming up soon. A trip Tuesday, when Trey sent the e-mail, trolled 19 yellowfin tuna, 45- to 75-pounders, in only a few hours, incredible fishing, doesn’t get any better, he said.<b>(Continued Below)</b>

<b>(Continued from Above)</b> A long, two-day trip headed to the canyons last week on Friday, an earlier e-mail from Over Under said. The crew originally planned to fish at Lindenkohl Canyon, because of recent reports about good fishing. But they received calls from two boats on the way out, saying the anglers were scoring well at Spencer Canyon. So Over Under ran to the Spencer, arriving at the fleet at 2 p.m. Only a small yellowfin was missed, and the crew decided to move away from the other boats. Then the trolling spread got jumped, “and I mean jumped,” the report said. All 10 lines were attacked, and nine came tight. The crew organized the chaos, working to keep the lines clear and avoid crossing them, and in the end, seven yellowfins, 40- to 50-pounders, were boated, and the two others pulled the hooks. Two more singles were boated later that day. On the drift at night in the same area, not much action happened, but a small mako was released on a swordfish rod, and a blue shark was let go, and some mahi mahi were landed. The boat was back up on the troll at 4:30 a.m. The fishing was slow at first, and too many boats jammed the waters. One boat trolled directly passed, hooking a 250-pound bigeye tuna. Other vessels ran into yellowfin tuna here and there, but the angling was hit or miss at best. A white marlin was jumped with Over Under. At noon the crew decided to leave the fleet and find waters to themselves. The boat was trolled toward Lindenkohl Canyon, and two whites were raised but never committed. On arrival at the Lindy, a few boats fished the area, and loads of bait was marked. Six more yellowfins were trolled, as the vessel circled around the same area, for a total of 15 for the trip. A couple of more whites were also raised. The trip headed for the barn at 9 p.m.  Over Under is also fishing for bluefin tuna on the inshore ocean, and the last couple of bluefin trips were productive for 40- to 55-inchers. The fish seemed on the move, not holding anyplace long. The last trip stumbled into them at four different places around the Hambone, never repeating a bite. So the bluefin fishing wasn’t red hot lately, but turned up decent catches.

<b>Cape May</b>

Canyon fishing for yellowfin tuna turned dynamite, and Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> from Cape May saw lots at the docks, and the tuna were larger than last year’s that were all small, he said. He cleaned nine yellowfins that weighed 50 to 60 pounds that a friend caught during the weekend. Anglers better fish for the tuna now if they want to catch. The yellowfins could remain all summer in the waters, but they could also depart quickly. The yellowfins on trips seemed to be caught in quick shots when a mess attacked the trolling spread at once. Anglers had to capitalize on the brief opportunities. Trolling, not bait-fishing, nailed the tuna. Bluefin tuna gave up decent catches closer to shore on the inshore ocean, if anglers want tuna on a shorter trip that therefore is also more economical. Plus the Heavy Hitter is running a special on bluefin trips this season, and call for info. The bluefins were also only trolled.

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