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New Jersey Offshore Fishing Report 9-25-15


Welcome to autumn! And the season's weather. Fall began Wednesday, and like clockwork this week, strong, easterly wind began to blow, building seas.

No sportfishing boats could sail offshore beginning on Sunday, when the wind started.

But tuna fishing usually becomes best this season. The change of seasons usually includes rougher weather like this, but that seems to draw tuna to the fishing grounds off New Jersey.

Boats will steam for them when possible, like every year.

<b>Shark River Inlet</b>

A tuna trip, the year’s first, was weathered out Sunday on the <b>Golden Eagle</b> from Belmar, a report on the party boat’s website said. Several more are scheduled, and see the <a href=" http://goldeneaglefishing.com/tuna-reservation.html" target="_blank">tuna schedule and reservation form</a> on the vessel’s website.

<b>Manasquan Inlet</b>

With <b>Mushin Sportfishing</b> from Point Pleasant Beach, yellowfin tuna, longfin tuna and bigeye tuna were boated at the offshore canyons last week, when trips had the weather to sail, Capt. Alan wrote in an email. Mahi mahi and tilefish were also landed on the trips. A 180-pound bigeye “topped off” a trip Saturday aboard. Almost all tuna on the vessel’s trips were chunked. That was during both daytime and nighttime, and light leaders helped, but made landing big tuna difficult. This fall’s tuna fishing seemed to be shaping up like Alan remembers in the ‘80s and ‘90s, so it looks promising for October, he said. Charters are fishing, and spaces are still available on three open-trips in October for the angling.

Tuna trips were supposed to begin this week on the party boat <b>Gambler</b> from Point Pleasant Beach, but were surely weathered out. The trips are slated through October, and see <a href="http://www.gamblerfishing.net/offshoretrips.php" target="_blank">tuna schedule and reservation info</a> online.

Yellowfin tuna, longfin tuna and bigeye tuna were drilled at the 100 Square at Hudson Canyon, said Eric from <b>The Reel Seat</b> in Brielle. The fishing was great Saturday for yellowfins and longfins. The fish lately were still commonly trolled during daytime, and they were chunked and jigged at night. The yellowfins weighed 30 to 80 pounds, and the longfins weighed 30 to 50. The bigeyes weighed 150 pounds and more. Swordfish were sometimes chunked at night in the area. Northeast of the Bacardi wreck, mostly yellowfins 15 to 30 pounds were trolled, chunked and jigged. Most anglers took advantage of chunking or jigging them, and one customer fly-rodded the fish. Trollers hooked a handful of wahoos in the area, too. Closer to shore, false albacore swam the Mudhole and even along the beach. Lots of 2-pound bluefish schooled where the albies held, so there was action, whether on the troll or while boaters cast to breaking fish.

<b>Barnegat Inlet</b>

The next tuna trip was supposed to fish today on the <b>Super Chic</b> from Barnegat Light, Capt. Ted said Sunday in a phone call. The trip was surely weathered out, and tuna trips predominantly fill the schedule in October. A couple of friends whacked double-digits of longfin tuna, when trips last had the weather to sail. Ted heard about no big catches of yellowfin tuna, but a few yellowfins were mixed in. Bigeye tuna bit for boaters. Closer to shore, false albacore were around. Ted saw some near the beach.

A tuna trip was added for October 11 to 12, a Sunday to Monday, on the party boat <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b>, the vessel’s Facebook page said. Tuna trips will sail throughout October aboard, and spaces remain on some of the trips. See the <a href="http://www.missbarnegatlight.com/TunaFishing.html" target="_blank">tuna schedule and booking info</a> on the boat’s website.

<b>Beach Haven Inlet</b>

Two bigeye tuna 180 and 190 pounds and two longfin tuna were bagged, and a couple of other tuna got off, at Hudson Canyon on an overnight trip Friday to Saturday on the <b>June Bug</b> from Beach Haven, a good trip, Capt. Lindsay said. The fish were located near the 100 Square, not exactly at the 100 Square, 110 miles from Beach Haven. Tuna seemed to move around a little each day. All the fish were chunked, and the trip, after leaving Friday morning, began fishing at 2:45 p.m. that day. The first bigeye was hooked within 10 or 15 minutes, among a swarm of the fish. A longfin was caught at late dinnertime, and the other bigeye was nailed at dusk. The second longfin was bagged in early morning. Lots of bait was marked but not seen, except a fair number of squid were seen at night. The marked bait appeared to be pretty small, and swam in a 50-foot band that began 10 feet below the water surface. The water was 74.8 degrees almost the whole trip, good-looking, clear and blue. Weather was outstanding, and Lindsay heard about no tuna found at canyons farther south.

<b>Little Egg Inlet</b>

An angler posted a report on <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b> from Mystic Island’s website about a tuna trip to Lindkenkohl and Carteret canyons last week on Thursday. When the trip arrived at the Lindenkohl in early morning, 35 good-sized mahi mahi were landed at lobster pots, apparently while the anglers cast to them, but the report didn’t say explicitly. The trip then tried trolling, it said, but lots of weeds filled the water. The water was 82 degrees at some spots. The trip moved to the Carteret, looking for fewer weeds. Fewer weeds were found at the Carteret, but no tuna were caught. The trip returned to the Lindenkohl, and the anglers had intended to spend the night fishing. But they discovered that the ice was going to melt that the mahi were in, if the trip overnighted. So the trip headed back to port by 4 p.m. All the mahi you want, but no tuna, the report said. Seas were less than 2 feet in southeast wind less than 10 knots.

<b>Cape May Inlet</b>

Charters will sail for tuna on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> from Cape May this fall, if the angling takes off locally, Capt. George said. A friend’s trip chunked 14 yellowfin tuna and longfin tuna, a good catch, mostly yellowfins, at Hudson Canyon, farther north. That was before weather prevented trips this week.

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