<b>Shark River Inlet</b>

A mako shark was bagged, and 15 or 20 blue sharks were landed and released, on a trip Wednesday with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> from Neptune, Capt. Ralph said. Lots of life filled the waters, and maybe only four dates are left for shark charters. “If they want sharks, they better get on the boat!” Ralph said. He’s booked for all the shark tournaments, and kicked off his season’s sharking while competing in the weekend’s South Jersey Shark Tournament from Cape May. Last Lady won no prizes, and only a few sharks were entered in the event. But a couple of makos were wrestled in with Last Lady during the event, “and (we) had a great time,” Ralph said. “One of the best-run tournaments I’ve been in.”

With <b>Fin-Ominal Sportfishing</b> from Belmar, a shark trip last Friday landed a small mako and 10 blue sharks, Capt. Jared said. The anglers fished 46 miles to the southeast, in 67-degree waters, full of bait. No bluefish were seen, but blues were caught for bait at the Mudhole at the beginning of the trip. The outing fished 1 ½ hours before any sharks bit. Then the blue sharks showed up. Around 3 p.m., the mako attacked. Shark charters are available Saturday and Sunday, June 25 and 26, for the Mako Mania tournament and the Jersey Coast Shark Anglers Mako Fever tournament that take place at the same time. That’s a lot of dough to potentially win. That Friday is booked with a charter to fish Mako Fever. That tournament runs three days starting Friday, and Mako Mania runs two days that Saturday and Sunday. Fin-Ominal won the Brett T. Bailey shark tournament several years ago, and Jared will compete with friends in that contest this weekend.

<b>Manasquan Inlet</b>

A crew trip Monday scoped out thresher shark fishing that took off close to shore, in the bunker pods that striped bass also chased,  said Capt. Fred from <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b> from Point Pleasant Beach. They bagged a 208-pound thresher, losing another. The trip began drifting over lumps in 65 feet, and the first bunker bait was sent out on a float, got 30 feet from the boat, and took off! The fish was fought 25 minutes until breaking off. The drift was repeated, and 20 minutes later, a thresher entered the chunking slick. One of the baits was reeled close to the shark, and game on! The fish was fought quite a while until tail-roped. The trip tried Redi Rig Shark Floats for the first time, and the crew was impressed with the performance and simplicity. Anglers aboard striper trips can mix in thresher sharking while the sharks are in. The year’s first inshore pelagics trip for bluefin tuna, sharks, cod and pollock in the same outing will launch with a charter Monday. Open-boat trips for the exciting, unique fishing will also sail this year once again. Anglers can call for details, and Andrea’s Toy specializes in mixed-bag fishing for greater fun, better chances of hooking up, and more variety for dinner.

Tom Pagliaroli from Rack and Fin Radio joined a crew from the Garden State Outdoor Show to film fishing aboard the <b>Big Kid</b> from Brielle on Monday, Capt. Ken said. A 231-pound thresher shark was trolled and landed on a Tony Maja bunker spoon on a bunker spoon rod, until rough seas forced the trip to return to the dock. The Big Kid will compete in the Brett T. Bailey Memorial Shark Tournament Friday and Saturday and is booked for Mako Mania the following weekend. Shark charters are sailing, and so are tuna trips from day trolls close to shore to day trolls and overnighters at the canyons offshore.

After a charter limited out on striped bass Wednesday with <b>High Hook Sport Fishing</b> from Point Pleasant, the anglers decided to try for thresher sharks, Capt. Mark said. The big threshers fed on bunker close to shore like stripers did. A 240- to 260-pounder was bagged. Three threshers swam near the boat, and two were hooked, and the one was landed, and the other spit the hook. High Hook expects to fish for threshers the next week, if anglers want in.

Shark fishing was good, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b> in Brielle. A customer’s trip last week on Thursday or Friday landed four mako sharks in three hours. Bluefin tuna swarmed at all the usual grounds, including at the Klondike wreck, the Mudhole and the Chicken Canyon. A healthy catch of bluefins was trolled at Barnegat Ridge last week. Bluefins and yellowfin tuna were gaffed at Hudson Canyon at least last week.

Good fishing for sharks was tackled at the Glory Hole and Chicken Canyon, 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.. Lots of bluefin tuna were trolled, jigged, popper-plugged or swimmer-plugged at the Chicken. Dave Carmen, a shop customer, on the Eagle, sailing from Glimmer Glass, ran a trip that trolled six yellowfin tuna to 90 pounds at Lindenkohl Canyon Saturday. Canyon tuna fishing was up and down – good on some days, slow on others – pretty much from the Hudson to the Baltimore. Don’t miss the store’s <b><i>***Shark Special.***</i></b>: Get three 5-gallon buckets of bunker chum, one flat of frozen mackerel and six blocks of ice for only $109.99. The shop offers deliveries for shark tournaments, and orders more than $500 get free delivery the night before, from South Amboy to Long Beach Island. Tournament deliveries must be placed one week prior to the tournament. The shop is offering fresh whole mackerel and bluefish by the pound at market price for sharking.

<b>Little Egg Inlet</b>

Fishing for mako sharks wasn’t hot and heavy, but was fairly good, said Capt. T.J. from <b>Legal Limit Charters</b> from Tuckerton. At least one per trip, 140 or 150 pounds, was bagged onboard. Two were gaffed on a charter Monday, and one each per charter was knocked down on two trips Saturday and Sunday.

<b>Great Egg Harbor Inlet</b>

Shark charters averaged two makos per trip onboard so far this season, said Capt. Eric from <b>O-Beth Sportfishing Charters</b> from Margate. His next three shark trips are slated for this weekend, next week and the following week. Eric mated on another charter boat on a shark trip Monday that caught two makos. Tuna fishing sounded good, and O-Beth is up for tuna trips.

Bluefin tuna, not as many as before, remained at places like 28-Mile Wreck, the Elephant Trunk or along the 30-fathom line, said Ryan from <b>Fin-Atics</b> in Ocean City. They were trolled on ballyhoos on Ilanders and such. Yellowfin tuna fishing beat the pants off lots at Wilmington and Spencer canyons. Trolled, skirted ballyhoos were the way to go. Catches of white marlin seemed on the upswing, for sure. Shark fishing usually produced a mako per trip. Waters around 28-Mile Wreck, or humps toward that area, were best. Some monster, big thresher sharks swam around.

<b>Townsends Inlet</b>

Tuna fishing offshore slowed in some places and sped up in others, wasn’t as wide open as before, but was decent, said Capt. Joe Hughes from Sea Isle City’s <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>.  The angling reportedly slowed around Wilmington Canyon that was previously on. But the fish and white marlin still swam the canyons, and charters onboard are fishing for them.

Sharks were around, and one customer fished for them inshore, at Avalon Shoal, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. The trip broke off a thresher, released a few browns, and saw a hammerhead that avoided baits. Nothing was heard about offshore sharking since the weekend’s South Jersey Shark Tournament. Tuna were caught offshore, and Wilmington Canyon was the best spot heard about recently. The shop’s getting tuned up with offshore supplies like Ilanders, jetheads and spreader bars.

<b>Cape May Inlet</b>

Good tuna fishing was happening, if anglers wanted to go, said Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> from Cape May. A friend, a reliable source, talked about tuna getting bailed to the south. Boaters from Ocean City, Maryland, did a number on them, the friend said. None of the Cape May charters seemed to fish for tuna, and charters traditionally book tuna trips starting in July, and the first on the Heavy Hitter is set for July 3. But tuna fishing’s been best in the early season in recent years, and the fish might remain later, but anglers should think about going now, while the fish are there. Only a few sharks were entered in last week’s South Jersey Shark Tournament from Cape May. No threshers were reportedly entered, and that was unusual. Usually a big thresher like a 700-pounder is on the board. Jim’s Bait and Tackle’s shark tournament will take place from the town this weekend, and anglers will see how the entrants make out. The Heavy Hitter is also sharking.

The crew from the <b>Ho-D-Doe</b>, from <b>Budd’s Tackle Charter Service</b>, docked at Cape May, took a fun trip for sharks last week, said Mike from <b>Budd’s Bait & Tackle</b> in the Villas. The boat doesn’t normally shark fish, and only offers inshore charters, but the crew released a 70-pound mako and lost three other sharks. Mike heard about yellowfin tuna and mahi mahi boated at Wilmington Canyon, and bluefin tuna landed at places like south of the Lobster Claw.

Only a few sharks were entered in the weekend’s South Jersey Shark Tournament, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b> in Cape May. But sharks were lately fought along the 30-fathom line and at wrecks like the Misty Blue. Good numbers of tuna held at places including Wilmington and Baltimore canyons. Chum and flats of mackerel and such are stocked for sharks, and baits like ballyhoos are on hand for tuna.

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