<b>Shark River Inlet</b>

<b>XTC Sportfishing</b> from Belmar sailed mid-range Sunday, trolling one small yellowfin tuna inshore of the Bacardi wreck, Capt. Scott said. That was on a Green Machine, and only a couple of other tuna were caught on other boats in the area during the trip. Bait was read, but no birds working water, whales or mahi mahi showed up. The water color and clarity looked okay when the trip arrived on the grounds and great when the trip left, improving throughout the day. Tuna trips to the offshore canyons were supposed to begin this weekend.

The season’s first canyon tuna trip will probably be weathered out this weekend on the <b>Katie H</b> from Belmar, Capt. Mike said. In the last news he heard about the fishing, a nighttime chunk bite began to turn on a little. Day-trolls will fish the canyons aboard. But Mike prefers overnighting, if trips are going to sail that far. Charters and open-boat trips will fish the canyons.

Tuna trips will begin on September 20 on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b> from Belmar, and see the tuna schedule and reservation form on the vessel’s website.

<b>Manasquan Inlet</b>

Trolling the canyons in the dark went 2 for 3 on bigeye tuna, landing two that weighed 190 and 160 pounds, on an overnight trip Friday to Saturday with <b>Mushin Sportfishing</b> from Point Pleasant Beach, Capt. Alan wrote in an email. The trip, with four anglers, trolled 10 hours from evening to morning. Trolling a variety of tackle gave the best chances to hook different species of tuna. Ballyhoos on Ilander and Joe Schute skirts, lures and spreader bars were dragged. A day-troll, not an overnighter, fished the canyons Sunday aboard with a crew from Gallin Contracting. They trolled more than two dozen yellowfin tuna and bluefin tuna “that were right around the legal size, but only retained an 80-pound yellowfin,” Alan wrote. The anglers put in time, looking for fish, and also fished for mahi mahi with bait, boxing several dozen good-sized. Mushin’s been frequenting the canyons, and the season’s looked great for the fishing. The 80- to 81-degree, blue water held bait and mammals. Charters and open-boat trips are fishing the canyons.

Fishing for tuna will begin on September 21 on the party boat <b>Gambler</b> from Point Pleasant Beach, Capt. Bob said. Weekends are filling, and more spaces remain on weekdays. See the tuna schedule and a brochure,
including a reservation form, on the boat’s website. Watch a video about tuna fishing aboard.

Bigeye tuna, a handful of yellowfin tuna and some longfin tuna were waffled at Hudson Canyon, Eric from <b>The Reel Seat</b> from Brielle said Sunday. The bigeyes were trolled early and late in the day, and also at night in the dark. Tuna were also chunked and jigged at night at the canyon. A fair number of white marlin came from the Hudson, and nothing was heard about blue marlin. Fishing for whites was better from Spencer Canyon to farther south. Closer to shore, bluefin tuna fishing was picky, and the Bacardi wreck seemed to hold the most. A handful came from Atlantic Princess wreck. At the Bacardi, sometimes the bluefins could be popper-plugged and jigged, not just trolled, when balled-up bait attracted the fish. Quite a few mahi mahi held in the mid-shore ocean and could be trolled at lobster pot buoys.

<b>Beach Haven Inlet</b>

The <b>June Bug</b> from Beach Haven was sailed to the Lobster Claw, the mid-shore ocean, Monday to fish for tuna, Capt. Lindsay said. But no tuna showed up, and a few porpoises were seen, but no bait and whales were. The water was 76 degrees at first, peaking at 80 at 2 p.m., before the temperature dropped again. The charter, with Fiber Business Solutions, including clients of the business, had a good time, though, Lindsay said. Boats that fished farther offshore, at the canyons, ran into a few tuna, especially bigeyes. A few yellowfin tuna seemed found there. Friends had good bigeye fishing.

<b>Little Egg Inlet</b>

Seas were rough, keeping customers from tuna fishing, in past days, said Brian from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Mystic Island. When the fishing was last reported, longfin tuna were fought from Hudson Canyon. Few customers target bigeye tuna specifically on trips, except maybe in evenings, if they make the trip to the canyons. If they caught bigeyes, that was usually one, maybe more, on the overnight chunk, fishing for any tuna to bite. Yellowfin tuna caught were mostly heard about two weeks ago or so, when fishing for them erupted farther south a moment.

<b>Great Egg Harbor Inlet</b>

Open-boat tuna trips will fish overnight September 5 and 13 on the <b>Stray Cat</b> from Longport, targeting yellowfin tuna, wahoos, marlin and whatever will bite, Capt. Mike said. The trips, limited to six passengers, are available for an unbelievably low price, he said. An exceptional value, he added. Charters are also fishing offshore. A trip tried inshore-trolling several days ago for fish like blues, mahi mahi and false albacore, and not much was doing. The ocean then was hot and stagnant, but changed since or turned over, and became cooler, in cooler weather. Those catches were made previously aboard, and the water that turned over, and this storm this weekend, might kick the fishing back in, Mike hopes.

Customers headed for tuna, but none reported specific results recently, said John from <b>24-7 Bait & Tackle</b> in Egg Harbor Township. Tuna fishing didn’t seem strong then. News about the angling rolled in when the fishing seemed stronger earlier this year. That changes, goes up and down, throughout the fishing season. All offshore baits are stocked.   <b>The company also own 24-7 Bait & Tackle in Marmora</b>.

A couple of bigeye tuna were weighed-in: Greg Jones Jr.’s 135-pounder and Greg Jones Sr.’s 123-pounder, said Nick from <b>Fin-Atics</b> in Ocean City. They were boated a week apart, and Nick didn’t know the location of the catches, but bigeyes seemed mostly landed at night. The 123-pounder was trolled at night on a ballyhoo, he knew. Reports said mahi mahi were around, but at the canyons, not closer to shore. A 20-pound mahi was checked-in from the canyons. Fishing for mahi closer to shore, like at the reefs, seemed on and off, because of fluctuating water temperature. The water had been warmer, and recently cooled.

<b>Townsend’s Inlet</b>

Bigeye tuna gave up the most consistent tuna angling, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b> in Sea Isle City.  More bigeyes seemed caught on the nighttime chunk than on the daytime troll in the past week. Sometimes a few yellowfin tuna popped up.

<b>Cape May Inlet</b>

Offshore boaters all trolled for bigeye tuna from sundown to sunup at the canyons, said Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> from Cape May. They decked bigeyes and occasionally yellowfin tuna.

Bigeye tuna were caught at the offshore canyons, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b> in Cape May. Yellowfin tuna had especially bitten some weeks ago at places like 19-Fathom Lump, closer to shore.

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