Welcome to the first Offshore Report of 2011!

Note: Not much was reported about offshore fishing, and all the reports below are second-hand and brief. But enough second-hand news said fish arrived, so this report was launched for the season. The report will grow as more anglers begin to fish the deep.

<b>Manasquan Inlet</b>

<b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b> from Point Pleasant Beach will soon begin to fish for sharks and bluefin tuna, Capt. Fred said.

A warm eddie was heard about at Lindenkohl  Canyon, said Carl LaManna, owner of <b>Canyon River Club Marina</b> in Point Pleasant Beach. If fish-holding waters like that stay in range, he’ll steam his C-Annamal to the canyons in the coming week.

<b>Barnegat Inlet</b>

Thresher sharks began to appear in bunker schools that striped bass anglers fished close to shore, said Grizz from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. He heard about two threshers landed and two lost. A 275-pounder was foul hooked on a trolled bunker spoon. The angler fought the fish to the boat, couldn’t get the catch in the vessel, tied the fish alongside, and brought it in.

<b>Beach Haven Inlet</b>

The <b>June Bug</b> from Beach Haven will be sailed back to Beach Haven this weekend, Capt. Lindsay said. The boat like every year will be returned from its winter home at Oregon Inlet, North Carolina. Fishing on the vessel from New Jersey will kick off next week, and trips will sail both offshore and inshore. In offshore waters, trips will sail for tuna and marlin, and this is a great time of year for the fishing. From Oregon Inlet, fishing was phenomenal offshore. Anglers on one vessel last weekend fought four white marlin and two blue marlin. Small yellowfin tuna and some bigeye tuna were on the bite. Mahi mahi, big ones, including 40- and 45-pounders, were bailed. Closer to shore, an “epidemic,” Lindsay said, of cobia swam around, and a 75-pounder was seen at the docks. Oregon Inlet was finally made navigable, after being shoaled up. Big bluefin tuna departed waters off the inlet a couple of weeks ago, and were now spread offshore up to Baltimore Canyon, “but in the deep,” Lindsay said.

<b>Great Egg Harbor Inlet</b>

The reefs were loaded with sea bass, cod and ling, but also thresher, brown and dusky sharks, said Ryan from <b>Fin-Atics</b> in Ocean City. He fished the reefs, seeing all kinds of life like dolphins, bait that was maybe tinker mackerel and sharks, also reeling up the sea bass and other bottom fish. Bluefish swam the ocean ridges and lumps 14 to 20 miles from shore. Ryan heard about one confirmed mako shark caught, and hearsay about a few others boated. The shop is loaded with shark fishing tackle and all the baits, and anglers seemed eager to begin sharking. Tuna and white marlin started to be caught at the canyons.

<b>Townsends Inlet</b>

Though Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b> in Sea Isle City fished on the back bay so far this season, offshore angling “is where it’s at,” he said. Yellowfin tuna were crushed between Wilmington and Spencer canyons, though the location will surely change. Joe knew about as many as twelve of the tuna trolled on a trip. A good number of white marlin swam offshore, and Joe even heard about a sailfish caught. Not everyone fishes for tuna this early in the year, but May and June offered the best fishing in recent years. Some anglers wait for the traditional time later in the year, but anglers should react now. People say they want to wait until the fishing’s good. “Well, it’s good,” Joe said. Offshore fishing might produce later in the season, but anglers need to go when the fish are there, and they’re there. Joe offers the trips. Closer to shore, he knew about a few mako sharks caught, and heard about makos seen while anglers wreck fished, and  thresher sharks sighted.

<b>Hereford Inlet</b>

Ryan from <b>Canal Side Boat Rentals</b> in Wildwood was supposed to fish for sharks Thursday, but winds would probably cancel the outing, he said in a phone call before the outing was supposed to depart that day. Not a lot was heard about sharks yet this season, but a friend was hammering the fish, including a 157-pound mako. They were out there, Ryan said. Canal Side rents boats for fishing the bay.

<b>Cape May Inlet</b>

Shark anglers began to pick makos, said Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> from Cape May. Good tuna reports were heard about bluefins at Poorman’s Canyon and yellowfins at Spencer and Wilmington canyons. The Heavy Hitter is currently available for shark charters.

A couple of mako sharks were heard about that were caught, but with the shark tournaments coming up, anglers who sailed for them probably kept quiet, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b> in Cape May. He knew about a 17-foot thresher shark that was landed on Delaware Bay in depths like 15 feet close to shore. A brown shark was reported landed, and released by law, in the surf.

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