<b>Manasquan Inlet</b>
Offshore fishing was mostly slow, an e-mail from <b>Canyon Runner Sport Fishing</b> from Point Pleasant Beach said Tuesday. Most trips aboard fished Hudson Canyon, and on Monday, “good water came back up on the bank … so things should come together again,” the e-mail said. But a 140- to 150-pound bigeye tuna, the thirteenth for Canyon Runner this season, was bombed aboard Monday at the Hudson. The fish smacked a Canyon Runner squid spreader bar in a new, secret color that will be introduced at the company’s fishing seminars in 2013. The fish was part of a double-header that bit, and the other bigeye pulled the hook on a ballyhoo with a Joe Schute skirt, “old reliable,” the e-mail said. Eight yellowfin tuna were waxed on another trip, but several trips were “slow, slow,” the e-mail said. Several subscribers to Canyon Runner’s offshore fishing reports won tournaments. They won first and second in the tuna category in the Beach Haven tournament, and second in the Babylon tuna tournament. “Maybe next year you’ll (sign up)!” the e-mail said. Sign up for the reports early. Canyon Runner’s 48-foot Viking will compete in next week’s White Marlin Open, fishing only for bigeyes. Only a few dates remain on both boats for charters until September with Canyon Runner. A space is available on an open-boat, overnight trip August 15 to 16 on the 60-foot Ritchie Howell. A couple of spots are available on open trips on the Viking August 27 to 28 and 28 to 29.
A daytime trolling trip fished Hudson Canyon with <b>Mushin Sportfishing</b> from Point Pleasant Beach, Alan, the boat’s owner, said in an e-mail Saturday night. The trip was apparently that day, also the date of a photo attached. A white marlin was dropped soon after the trip began fishing. Yellowfin tuna 50 to 65 pounds were picked during the morning. The photo showed seven of the fish docked, so at least seven were caught. All the trip’s tuna bit ballyhoos. A blue marlin was on briefly. Tons of life filled waters. “Looks like (the) Hudson is primed and ready!” Alan said. Mushin means a relaxed state of readiness. The crew pride themselves on sharing the concept on outdoor adventures.
One of the open-boat, mixed-bag trips offshore sailed to the canyons with <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b> from Point Pleasant Beach, a report on Andrea’s Toy’s Web site said Saturday. The trip arrived on the fishing grounds at night, and a yellowfin tuna was chunked in the first minutes. Many tuna were marked a moment, and another was hooked but lost, and the bite slowed. Later, “in between storms,” the report said, another yellowfin was landed, and a tuna broke off. At first light, the boat was trolled along the chunking slick, because fish were marked. A 60-inch wahoo skyrocketed through the spread, and was landed. The anglers decided to deep-drop for tilefish, and a handful were cranked in. The trip went back on the troll, and another yellowfin was bagged. The trip left the canyon, and looked for bluefin tuna, with no luck. So the boat was stopped on a wreck, because one of the anglers wanted fresh ling. A dozen were toggled in “to top out the box,” the report said. Andrea’s Toy focuses on open-boat, mixed-bag trips offshore this time of year. See <a href="http://www.andreastoycharters.com" target="_blank">Andrea’s Toy’s home page</a> for a write-up about the unique outings. Or call for info.
Bluefin tuna fishing wasn’t bad, and sometimes yellowfin tuna swam inshore with them, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b> in Brielle. Sometimes a yellowfin or two were trolled on a bluefin trip. One trip pumped in a 54-inch bluefin, lost a yellowfin at the boat and jumped a white marlin 45 miles from shore. Farther out, good catches of yellowfins were trolled at Hudson Canyon on Saturday. Nothing was heard about whether yellowfins were chunked there at night, but that didn’t mean they weren’t. Anglers sometimes trolled a mile and a half off the coast for catches like Spanish mackerel, bonito and small blues.
<b>Great Egg Harbor Inlet</b>
Lots of white marlin apparently turned on at Washington Canyon, said Bill from <b>Fin-Atics</b> in Ocean City. A few blue marlin were fought at the canyons. Yellowfin tuna fishing was hot and cold, some days good, some days not, at the Hot Dog on the chunk and jigs.
<b>Townsend’s Inlet</b>
The last couple of reports about offshore said tuna were taken at times from the Hot Dog and the Tea Cup, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b> in Sea Isle City. Lots of white and blue marlin could reportedly be located farther offshore at the canyons. But not much was heard about tuna at the canyons.
A trip ran offshore aboard Monday with Tom Scranton and friends, but returned with no catches, not a good day, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> from Sea Isle City, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Seas were lots rougher than forecast.
<b>Cape May Inlet</b>
Nothing was heard about fishing since the weekend, and weather was often rough, like thunderstorms popping in and out, said Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> from Cape May. Tuna fishing slowed during the weekend, though was good previously. Prior to the weekend, a couple of trips aboard ran into plenty of yellowfin tuna in 30 fathoms, covered in previous reports here. During the weekend, the angling was slow aboard, both inshore and offshore. John Nicola’s trip never got a bite while chunking 5 hours. So the hook was pulled, and the boat was trolled, and still no fish bit. Kevin Driscoll’s trip Sunday steamed to Baltimore Canyon, because catches were reported from there. Life including porpoises and whales was seen, but no tuna showed up. A 50- or 60-pound wahoo was trolled on the way in. Some anglers on the radio talked about catching two or three tuna during the weekend on other boats.
Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b> in Cape May motored offshore Sunday, and tuna, yellowfins, he believed, were caught at the “knots” at the Hot Dog, he said. One trip talked about hooking none until dropping down to light fluorocarbon leaders. Then the trip went 2 for 6, breaking off some because of the leaders. Be prepared with a variety of leaders down to 30-pound fluoro. Offshore baits carried include flats of butterfish and sardines. Ballyhoos and squid for trolling are in the mix.