<b>Sandy Hook</b>

Capt. Derek Bielitz from <b>Fisher Price Charters</b> from the Highlands scoped out the bluefin tuna fishing grounds on a friend’s boat Tuesday, he said. He’s been keeping in tune with the fishing on trips in the past weeks, and this outing’s fishing was slow. Waters were greenish, though birds and life were seen, and the trip covered grounds from the Texas Tower to the Atlantic Princess wreck. Two yellowfin tuna and one or two bluefins were heard about that were caught among the fleet that day. Anglers can call Derek if interested in the fishing aboard.

The charter boat Hyper Striper, sailing from <b>Twin Lights Marina</b> in the Highlands, was supposed to fish for tuna today, Wayne from the marina said. The captain reportedly said a trip aboard sailed Sunday for tuna, but waters were green all the way until just short of Hudson Canyon. So places closer to shore like the Chicken Canyon, where tuna fishing had been hopping before, became slow for the angling. Another angler from the docks planned to head for tuna today, and said the same: blue waters were east of the Chicken, and inshore waters were churned up. The last time Wayne sailed for tuna, catching bluefins, the Chicken was full of life like turtles and whales, and tuna. But with different winds blowing now, maybe areas like the Chicken will clear up. The marina stocks all the offshore baits.

<b>Shark River Inlet</b>

An individual-reservation trip for cod bailed the fish Monday offshore with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> from Neptune, Capt. Ralph said. A 25-pounder and a 22-pounder were biggest, and the fish averaged 10 to 15 pounds. Fishing was very good, and no pollock were caught. “Didn’t mess with them,” Ralph said. One or two spaces are open for another one of the outings, an individual-reservation trip for cod and pollock, on Monday, August 29. More of the trips will run on the Mondays of September 12 and 25.

<b>Manasquan Inlet</b>

Fishing was slow on the most recent midshore, mixed-bag trips for bluefin tuna and other big game with <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b> from Point Pleasant Beach, Capt. Fred said. But that could change, and on the last one of the trips, on Monday, mahi mahi were bagged, and bluefin bites were missed. That happens sometimes, and the crew tried to coach the anglers and warn them about the keys to hooking up, but the anglers missed the opportunities. That happened on two of the trips so far this year. But the anglers did box mahi, so they had fish to take home. Andrea’s Toy is mostly sailing on open-boat mixed-bag trips midshore and offshore. The trips target fish like bluefin tuna, yellowfin tuna, mahi, sharks, swordfish, cod, pollock and tilefish, all in one outing. Anglers can call for info on the unique, annual fishing. Andrea’s Toy specializes in mixed-bag fishing for greater fun, better chances of hooking up and more variety for dinner.

Bluefin tuna fishing was fairly consistent through the end of last week at a bunch of places like the Atlantic Princess wreck, the Texas Tower and the Bacardi wreck, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b> in Brielle. The blueflins were trolled, and more and more anglers jigged for them, and yellowfin tuna were mixed in. Not much was heard about canyon fishing for tuna and big game, because most anglers sailed to the grounds closer to shore for the fish.

<b>Great Harbor Inlet</b>

Tuna fishing on the boat was halfway decent last week for yellowfins to 40 pounds landed in 30 fathoms, said Capt. Eric from <b>O-Beth Sportfishing</b> from Margate. Mahi mahi to 20 pounds were also gaffed there on deck. Inshore trolling was very good aboard for mahi to 26 pounds, Spanish mackerel, bonito and some blues.

Offshore fishing turned spotty for tuna and white marlin, churning out catches mostly at the southern canyons, said Nick from <b>Fin-Atics</b> in Ocean City. Mahi mahi fishing was steady, not too bad, offshore.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

An offshore trip to the tip of Wilmington Canyon aboard Tuesday with George Hand had three white marlin bites and bailed more than a dozen mahi mahi, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, and <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>, from Sea Isle City. The mahi included two nearly 30 pounds apiece, and big, gaffer mahi bit all day, including six on at a time. Waters were 79 degrees and blue, holding scattered weeds. Offshore fishing was typical for the time of year in recent years. Water temps were mostly the same everywhere, making finding concentrations of tuna more challenging. Tuna fishing was sporadically excellent. Fishing for white marlin and mahi mahi, both currently abundant, was good. On an offshore trip Saturday, Dave McCullough landed his first-ever white marlin. So that was neat. The trip fished the deep in 500 to 700 fathoms at Baltimore Canyon. Tuna were sometimes taken in the area that day on other vessels. On one of the inshore sharking trips aboard Monday, six or seven dusky and brown sharks, including three big duskies 80, 90 and 100 pounds, were wrestled and released, with Tom Moller and crew. The fish were big. “It was fun,” Joe said. The trips, catch and release angling within 10 miles from the coast, are an opportunity to land big fish, often the biggest of a lifetime, on either fly rods or conventional rods, without the long ride offshore. On Tuesday aboard Bob Rhoda’s group found inshore sharking slow, but a 50-pound blacktip and a brown were released, and a big dusky, probably larger than 80 pounds, broke off. Keep up on Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Cape May Inlet</b>

Four yellowfin tuna were trolled at the canyons aboard last week on Tuesday, said Capt. Dave from <b>Relentless Sport Fishing</b> from Cape May. So that was a good trip, but an inshore trip Friday wasn’t so good. Big, gaffer mahi mahi were trolled, but tuna failed to show up.
On the Lutz charter, with Capt. Greg at the helm, yellowfin tuna and big mahi mahi were decked, Capt. Bob from the <b>Down Deep</b> from Cape May said. Three more tuna trips were booked aboard for this week. Inshore trolling trips aboard cleaned up on plenty of blues and lots of bonito and sometimes socked Spanish mackerel and mahi mahi.

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