<b>Shark River Inlet</b>

A trip ran for bluefin tuna 50 miles from shore last Friday with <b>Fin-Ominal Sportfishing</b> from Belmar, Capt. Jared said. The angling was slow, but one bluefin, a 90-pound 52-incher, was trolled, more than some trips caught that day. Fishing for bluefins was good for the fleet the previous day, producing lots. An offshore trip is booked for Sunday aboard.

<b>Manasquan Inlet</b>

An open-boat trip with three anglers ran into the mother lode of bluefin tuna with <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b> from Point Pleasant Beach, a report said Monday on Andrea’s Toy’s Web site. One was trolled, and the fish finder was lit up with the fish, so the trip stopped to jig the tuna. All three anglers jigged the bluefins, the first-ever tuna they caught on jigs. The anglers had originally planned to sail farther offshore to the canyons overnight. Once the dust settled with the bluefins, they decided to run to the canyons to try to mix in fishing for tilefish and mahi mahi. They tried tilefishing, but currents ran more than 2 knots, requiring 50 ounces of weight. “Was not fun,” the report said. The trip looked for mahi at the lobster pot buoys, but none showed up. Only a skipjack was trolled. A few sharks were seen, and the trip tried to bait them. “But no love,” the report said. Fishing at the canyons seemed dead, and forecasts called for possible weather in the morning. So the decision was made to head back to port, instead of overnighting. “Great day with good guys,” the report said. Andrea’s Toy is mostly fishing for bluefin tuna, mixing that up with other catches a little, Capt. Fred said in a phone call. The unique, annual, mixed-bag trips, both open-boat and charters, fish for bluefins, but also look for other catches, like mahi, sharks, cod, pollock and tilefish, all in one outing. Andrea’s Toy specializes in mixed-bag fishing for greater fun, better chances of hooking up and more variety for dinner. Sometimes the mixed-bag trips are currently day-trolling the canyons for yellowfin tuna and other deep-water catches. But overnight fishing for yellowfins wasn’t really happening yet. Call if interested in the trips.

The two boats from <b>Canyon Runner Sport Fishing</b>, from Point Pleasant Beach, ran a total of six overnight trips offshore through the week, targeting Hudson Canyon to Poorman’s Canyon, “and every single canyon in between,” an e-mail from Canyon Runner said Wednesday. “A few trips were dead – with bluefin (tuna) saving the day,” the e-mail said. A few trips scratched out five or six yellowfin tuna “and a white (marlin) here or there, so a decent catch, but not what we strive for,” the e-mail said.  But a trip Monday to Tuesday, on the 48-foot Viking, nailed solid fishing, “finally,” the e-mail said. That happened closer to port than recently, or within 85 miles from Manasquan Inlet, for the first time in 25 overnighters. Fifteen yellowfin tuna 40 to 60 pounds were bagged. The trip also went 1 for 2 on white marlin. It also landed two bluefin tuna before reaching the canyons. The trip at first stopped for bluefins closer to shore, landing the two among a few bites in an hour. Then it ran offshore, and waters looked horrible. The crew figured the trip was going to strike out again. Then some life was seen, and the trip “hung in for a while,” the e-mail said. Yellowfins began to be picked on the troll. Five were totaled, and the crew was ready to begin drifting for the night. Then yellowfins covered up the trolling spread, and the trip went 7 for 8. Up on the troll the next morning, three more yellowfins were caught. The tuna lately jumped all over Canyon Runner Rainbow Green Machine Spreader Bars and ballyhoos with Joe Schute skirts. Both, including the Joe Schutes the crew likes, are available from Canyon Runner, and so are the Canyon Runner Bigeye Runner, “the best bigeye lure of them all,” the e-mail said, and the Yellowfin Runner. Both lures are usually only sold at Canyon Runner’s seminars or over the phone, and aren’t included on Canyon Runner’s Web site, because too few can usually be obtained. So call Canyon Runner to get any of this tackle. Very few dates are left through August on both the Viking and the 60-foot Ritchie Howell, so book charters quickly. On both boats, only one open-boat spot is available next week and another the following week, both on the Viking.

On a trip Monday with two anglers with <b>Mushin Sportfishing</b> from Point Pleasant Beach, bluefin tuna were known to have mostly pushed beyond 30 fathoms, Capt. Ray said in an e-mail. That was beyond the Resor wreck, but a few were reported landed at the wreck. The anglers aboard were only interested in catching a bluefin or two, before going sharking, so the trip fished the Resor. No tuna bit on the troll. One of the anglers became terribly seasick, so they didn’t want to sail farther offshore to look for bluefins. The trip ventured southwest in 20 fathoms to the northern Fingers for sharks. Not much bait was marked, and waters were warm or 78 to 80 degrees. Still, the crew figured a brown shark or a hammerhead could be managed. After 2 hours and three buckets of chum without a touch, and no sign of sharks, the seasick angler was ready to return to land, “and we went back with our tail really low,” Ray said. In hindsight, Ray would’ve throttled offshore first thing. In a phone call after the e-mail, he said good catches of bluefins were made Sunday and Tuesday, but the fishing was bad Monday. “But we weren’t far enough east anyway,” he said. On an overnight trip aboard Friday to Saturday at Toms Canyon, four yellowfin tuna were trolled, and a white marlin was dropped, Alan, the boat’s owner, said in an e-mail. Definitely had to work at the fishing, and the fish were trolled in the morning. A few other boats started to pick on the troll in the morning, too. When the Mushin arrived at the canyon Friday, a temperature break was never found that a satellite chart showed. The trip trolled 4 hours in 75-degree waters. At night, the boat was set up to drift along the continental edge in 1,000 feet. Tons of bait filled the 76-degree, slightly green waters. “Could walk on the squid at times,” Alan said. A few tuna were marked but never bit. Up on the troll in the morning, four tuna bit and were caught, and the white was raised. Though the fishing took work, “great group of guys!” Alan said. Mushin is a relaxed state of readiness. The crew pride themselves on the professional concept, sharing the experience in outdoor adventures.

Bluefin tuna had pushed closer to shore last week, were boated including between the Resor wreck and the Fingers, Eric from <b>The Reel Seat</b> in Brielle said. Most anglers jigged them, but some of the fish were trolled. Farther from shore, fishing for yellowfin tuna was hit or miss at the canyons. Reports were heard about a catch like 13 yellowfins trolled at Toms Canyon in a trip, and other trips that caught none. Nothing was heard about yellowfins landed at night.

<b>Great Egg Harbor Inlet</b>

Yellowfin tuna fishing was hit or miss, hot or cold, said Bill from <b>Fin-Atics</b> in Ocean City. When a trip found the fish, plenty could be nailed. The tuna seemed to school tightly, and keep moving. Catches were heard about from a variety of the canyons. Awesome catches of tilefish were pumped from the waters. Closer to shore, fishing for mostly bluefin tuna, a few yellowfins, was similar at places like 19-Fathom Lump and Massey’s Canyon: When a trip found bluefins, lots could be angled. Some caught them well, and others didn’t. But tuna were definitely around, both offshore and inshore.

<b>Townsend’s Inlet</b>

Chunking for tuna drilled good catches of yellowfins and bluefins at the Hot Dog, but that depended on the day, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b> in Sea Isle City. Whether yellowfins or bluefins showed up also depended on the day. Jay and Luc Vonczoernig and Dusty Laricks sailed for the catches aboard last Friday. Three tuna were chunked but broke off, and two mahi mahi were landed, and a white marlin was jumped. Tuna fishing was slower that day, but turned on Saturday.

<b>Cape May Inlet</b>

With <b>Relentless Sport Fishing</b> from Cape May, a trip went 2 for 5 on yellowfin tuna, a 70-pounder and a 50-pounder, inshore of the canyons last Friday, Capt. Dave said. One of tuna landed was chunked, and the other was jigged. More tuna trips were slated for this week.

A charter limited out on good-sized yellowfin tuna in 30 fathoms on an overnight trip Saturday to Sunday on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> from Cape May, leaving the fish biting, Capt. George said.  A sizeable mahi mahi was also decked. At night, the charter, Brian Allen’s trip, hooked four tuna, landing one, on 40-pound leaders. Squid were caught all night for bait. At 7 a.m., tuna fishing exploded in the chunking slick. Two and three yellowfins at a time, 50- or 60-pounders, were hooked on bait. The trip, after limiting out, motored home, and the tuna kept swarming.

Chunking for tuna, mostly yellowfins, sometimes bluefins, sounded good at the Hot Dog and the Sausages, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b> in Cape May. Trolling sometimes grabbed yellowfins and white marlin at the canyons including the Wilmington. Good-looking butterfish for hook baits from the Gulf of Mexico are stocked for chunking. Flats of sardines, ballyhoos and more blue-water baits are on hand.

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