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New Jersey Offshore Fishing Report 6-26-15


<b>Shark River Inlet</b>

The <b>Katie H</b> from Belmar is supposed to compete in Mako Mania this weekend, Capt. Mike said, but weather might postpone the tournament. Tuna trips will make up much of the schedule later this summer.

<b>XTC Sportfishing</b> from Belmar is supposed to compete in the Mako Mania and Mako Fever tournaments this weekend, Capt. Scott said. But that looks like it’ll be weathered out. Lots of sharks like threshers seemed to swim between Axel Carlson Reef and Barnegat Ridge, and Scott’s eager to fish for them. Eventually this summer, tuna trips will fill the schedule. Nothing was heard about tuna in past days.

<b>Manasquan Inlet</b>

<b>Mushin Sportfishing</b> from Point Pleasant Beach sailed for the canyons for tuna on a daytime trolling trip Wednesday, Capt. Alan wrote in an email. The trips usually depart at 12 midnight, but storms prevented that. So the trip left at 7 a.m., finding beautiful, blue, 73- to 75-degree water on the fishing grounds. A couple of knockdowns were scored quickly, in 100 fathoms, along the Continental Edge. They didn’t come tight, and the crew wanted to find a white marlin for one of the anglers, so the trip pushed out to the warmest water, along 500 fathoms. But little was found there, and the trip worked back to 100 fathoms. The anglers went 2 for 4 on yellowfin tuna. With enough tuna for the anglers and friends, the trip called it a day, heading home. Lots of promising signs for the offshore season! Alan said. A trip Friday to Saturday aboard first fished for sharks midshore at night. The trip fished for tuna at an offshore canyon the next day, and for sharks again on the way home.  During the first sharking, at night, a 200-pound mako was fought until lost at boat side. During the tuna fishing, yellowfin tuna bit almost non-stop, “in the deep,” on trolled ballyhoos and spreader bars, in the morning. Three-dozen were landed, and nine were keepers and were bagged. The fish ranged from rats to 45 pounds, and a good spread of the yellowfins swam in the 73- to 75-degree water. The tuna fishing was finished by 10 a.m., and the charter wanted to fish for sharks again midshore, on the way back to port. The anglers hooked but lost three more makos. Sharking looks good for future trips, too.

Tuna fishing turned on a Hudson Canyon, Eric from <b>The Reel Seat</b> in Brielle said on Monday morning. Many small yellowfin tuna and a handful of bigeye tuna were trolled. The bigeyes weighed up to just under 200 pounds, and white marlin and a couple of blue marlin were in the mix on the trips. Closer to shore, scattered reports said bluefin tuna began to be caught along the 30-fathom curve, nothing great, but a few 50- and 60-pounders. For shark fishing, the Triple Wrecks seemed best, shifting north from the Fingers that fished better previously. Lots of mako, blue and dusky sharks were fought, and a handful of thresher sharks were. 

<b>Great Egg Harbor Inlet</b>

Mako sharks still swam in good numbers off the coast, apparently, said Collin from <b>24-7 Bait & Tackle</b> in Egg Harbor Township. A trip this week landed five makos and a 12-foot great white shark. A few small great whites were reported hooked recently. Nothing was reported about tuna catches, for unknown reasons, maybe because of weather. Tuna trips were known to sail, but nobody gave results.

Quite a few mako sharks were fought this weekend, said Capt. Mike from the <b>Stray Cat</b> from Longport. A bonito was hooked but lost near the transom on a trip that fought and released brown sharks 15 miles from shore this week aboard. That was the first bonito of the season aboard, and the year’s first reported on this site. The ocean was 74 degrees, clear and blue, and Mike planned to try for bonito again yesterday.

<b>Townsend’s Inlet</b>

Nine or 10 yellowfin tuna, many small, but some to 41 pounds, were trolled at Wilmington Canyon aboard Saturday, mostly on ballyhoos, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> from Sea Isle City. The fish covered up the spread two or three times, all before 7 a.m. The 71- to 73-degree water, in flat seas, was good-looking, clear and blue, and lots of pilot whales swam around. One of Jersey Cape’s inshore shark trips fought and released dusky sharks and a 5-foot hammerhead shark 4 miles from shore last Friday on mackerel fillets. The water looked beautiful and was 68 to 70 degrees, and the sharks are in. The trips, usually within 10 miles from shore, are a chance to fight big fish without the long trek offshore. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Hereford Inlet</b>

Shark fishing was great Saturday with <b>Fins & Grins Sport Fishing</b> from Wildwood, Capt. Jim said. The trip, fishing 30 miles from shore, landed five mako sharks, two dusky sharks and the biggest blue shark he ever saw. The ocean is alive with sharks, plenty of them. Sharking is also phenomenal on Delaware Bay for sand tigers and duskies. Both are required to be released, but anglers fish for them, an opportunity to fight big catches without the long trip offshore. The bay trips are half the price of ocean sharking farther from shore, another reason customers like the outings. Fins & Grins is tagging the bay sharks for NOAA, and a 400-pound sand tiger was tagged and released on the bay aboard Monday.  Sand tigers and duskies were also battled and released Wednesday with Fins on the bay. A total of six were nailed on the trip, and, again, these were big fish, including 300 pounds for the sand tigers. Fins also fishes for other species inshore, any available, but the bay sharks are kind of a sure thing at the moment. Fins & Grins fishes every day, and reservations aren’t required but suggested. Telephone for availability.

<b>Cape May Inlet</b>

No boats seemed to run for sharks and tuna in past days, because of wind, said Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> from Cape May.

News about sharks and tuna failed to roll in during past days, maybe because of weather, said Joe from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b> I Cape May. Tuna were last heard about a week ago from Wilmington Canyon.

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