<b>Shark River Inlet</b>

Bluefin tuna were caught closer to shore than before or 35 to 40 miles from the coast, instead of usual areas farther out, said Capt. Pete from <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b> from Belmar. Though waters were in the 70s, mako sharks could be found. A friend was landing them in deeper waters. Thresher sharks still chased lots of bunker that schooled close to shore. Parker Pete’s is available for bluefin and shark fishing.

<b>Manasquan Inlet</b>

Fishing for bluefin tuna had been very good on the mid-shore ocean, but was slow for most anglers toward the weekend, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b> in Brielle. However, one well-known, light-tackle captain bailed a mess of them then, but wasn’t saying where. Plenty of bluefish schooled the bluefin grounds around the time. Farther from shore, one customer decked four or five yellowfin tuna at Hudson Canyon. Fishing for yellowfins had been good to the south, like at Wilmington Canyon, but wasn’t good at all around the weekend. Yellowfins had started to be caught at night, but even that slowed during the weekend.

One of the open-boat, mixed-bag trips sailed offshore with <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b> from Point Pleasant Beach, a report on Andrea’s Toy’s Web site said last Friday. First, the trip looked for bluefin tuna at the Bacardi wreck at a scallop boat with no luck. Then the trip pushed farther offshore to the tip of Hudson Canyon, fishing for yellowfin tuna from there to the Bombs to the Elbow. Tuna were marked deep, “but they would not come up,” the report said. Lots of life filled waters. The anglers then deep-dropped for tilefish, landing a half-dozen. The trip headed inshore to the Chicken Canyon, and mahi mahi were caught along the lobster pot buoys. No bluefin tuna showed up. The trip looked for bluefins next at the Glory Hole and the Lillian wreck. “Both areas had green water, no bites,” the report said. “Fun day with a great crew,” it said. “Wonder if the full moon affected (the fishing)?” the report asked. Another mixed-bag trip was set to fish the mid-shore ocean today.  Mixed-bag fishing is slated to sail all the way offshore Saturday and Sunday on the boat. Anglers can call for info about the unique, annual, mixed-bag trips aboard, both open-boat and charters. Andrea’s Toy specializes in mixed-bag fishing for greater fun, better chances of hooking up and more variety for dinner.

What a first week of July, an e-mail from <b>Canyon Runner Sport Fishing</b>, from Point Pleasant Beach, said early this week. Six bigeye tuna to 240 pounds, including four that topped 200, were bombed on last week’s trips. Plus, yellowfin tuna began to be chunked at night aboard that week. One trip chunked 13, and another 8, and another 9. Tuna catches remained the best ever by that point in the season for Canyon Runner. A report on Canyon Runner’s Web site said three of the bigeyes were taken last week on Monday, two on that Tuesday and one on that Thursday. On the trip Thursday, on the company’s 48-foot Viking, a bigeye was trolled at 9:30 p.m. Then nine yellowfins were chunked at night. On another trip that Thursday to Friday on Canyon Runner’s 60-foot Ritchie Howell, the captain “scratched and clawed his way to a pick of yellowfin,” the report said. That was both on the troll during daytime and chunk at night. The trip fished throughout Wilmington Canyon, finding the yellowfins in 300- to 400-foot shallows. Only a few dates remain in July for charters. Open-boat trips are available. <b>***Update, Friday, 7/13***</b> Offshore fishing was idle aboard most of the week, because of northeast winds, an e-mail from <b>Canyon Runner</b> said. The winds weren’t terrible “but enough to make any trip just not fun,” it said. The fishing aboard was back at it today. But the time off was handy to get tackle back in shape “after some major abuse the past month,” the e-mail said. Twelve bigeye tuna, including five that topped 200 pounds, and more than 400 yellowfin tuna were bagged aboard this season. Thirty overnight trips for tuna ran, and yellowfins were already caught consistently at night on the chunk. “Wow!” the e-mail said about all of that. One spot opened up on the 60-foot Ritchie Howell for an overnighter Wednesday to Thursday. One-hundred dollars will be knocked off the price if the spot is grabbed today. Not a lot of open-boat spots and charters remain with Canyon Runner through August.

<b>Barnegat Inlet</b>

From an edited e-mail from Capt. Dave DeGennaro from the <b>Hi Flier</b> from Barnegat: “This past Saturday we ran just a little over 30 miles east of the inlet for some good tuna action, going 5 for 7 on 10-  to 40-pound bluefin. These fish were crushing our rainbow squid bars on light, 20-class tackle. There are bonita and small mahi in the mix now, as well.” An open-boat trip today was supposed to fish for bluefins, bonito, false albacore and mahi mahi. Charters and open-boat trips are sailing.

<b>Great Egg Harbor Inlet</b>

Seas were rough offshore in past days, said Dan from <b>Fin-Atics</b> in Ocean City. But tuna lately were snatched from places like the Elephant Trunk and Hot Dog inshore and Wilmington and Baltimore canyons offshore. At spots like the Trunk and Dog, boaters targeted bluefin tuna, but caught a mix of bluefins and yellowfins. The fish were chunked and jigged during daytime. At the Wilmington and Baltimore, yellowfins were trolled during day and chunked at night. Bigeye tuna were sometimes trolled at the canyons.

<b>Townsend’s Inlet</b>

A trip with Richard Cicadian aboard last Friday trolled three yellowfin tuna to 60 pounds and missed a couple of white marlin at Wilmington Canyon, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, from Sea Isle City, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Yellowfins were trolled at Wilmington and Baltimore canyons during daytime most recently. Sometimes yellowfins were chunked at night at the canyons. Yellowfins and bluefin tuna were chunked and jigged at some of the inshore lumps during daytime. But tuna were sometimes trolled on the inshore grounds. Yellowfins were trolled at the Elephant Trunk.

<b>Cape May Inlet</b>

A tuna trip was headed out Thursday with <b>Relentless Sport Fishing</b> from Cape May, Capt. Dave said. The boat was expected to steam south to the ocean off Maryland, not quite as far from shore as the canyons. Yellowfin and bluefin tuna bit well there, and were mostly chunked. But the trip was expected to try jigging, too.

Two 50-pound yellowfin tuna and an 80-pound bluefin tuna were pasted inshore of 30 fathoms Sunday on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> from Cape May, Capt. George said. The anglers, Dan Fanelli from Star Iron and Metal’s charter, chunked the fish during daytime. Three or four tuna were also lost, and light leaders were necessary. Another trip for tuna is booked to fish 30 fathoms Saturday.

Mike DeLuca’s party aboard Sunday trolled four yellowfin tuna at the Hot Dog and the Hambone, Capt. Greg from the <b>Down Deep</b> from Cape May.

Nick Dutton from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b> in Cape May fished on a trip Sunday that trolled a 40-pound bluefin tuna on the way to Baltimore Canyon, he said. Once the trip reached the canyon, a couple of marlin were raised. A wahoo and a couple of large sharks were seen. Anglers from another boat at the Baltimore that day trolled three yellowfin tuna and a white marlin. Offshore baits including flats of butterfish and sardines are stocked.

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