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New Jersey Offshore Fishing Report 10-12-18

<b>Sandy Hook</b>

Capt. Joe from <b>Sour Kraut Sportfishing</b> from Leonardo heard unconfirmed rumors about tuna holding 30 miles beyond the canyons, in around 1,000 fathoms, he said. Previously, mahi mahi were the only good catches he heard about from offshore. They were migrating out, thinning out, from inshore. False albacore seemed to swarm all over the ocean inshore.

<b>Shark River Inlet</b>

A trip looked for tuna 40, 50 and 60 miles from shore Sunday on the <b>Katie H</b> from Belmar, Capt. Mike said. He tested each of those distances, and lots of mahi mahi were crushed aboard. But only one small bluefin tuna was caught, and it was released. Plenty of mahi filled the waters, and lots of false albacore did. But tuna were scarce, and he’s probably going to switch to bottom-fishing for sea bass, cod, ling or other catches. Tuna currently swam far offshore, 130 miles out, he heard. On the trip, the water was blue and clear, looking beautiful, and held Sargassum and a bunch of life, including the mahi and albies. Much bait was marked, and Mike thought squid were probably abundant. Draggers worked the area. The boat’s temperature gauge broke, but Mike thought the water was in the mid-70 degrees.

Tuna fishing was slow on a trip Monday to Tuesday on the <b>Golden Eagle</b> from Belmar, a report said on the party boat’s website. But plenty of mahi mahi, a pretty good catch, and a swordfish were pumped in. Weather and seas were a little rough on Monday afternoon until early in the night. Then wind dropped out, and conditions became calm. See the <a href=" https://www.goldeneaglefishing.com/tunafish" target="_blank">tuna schedule</a> online.

<b>Manasquan Inlet</b>

More mahi madness, a post said about an open-boat trip Sunday with <b>Mushin Sportfishing</b> from Point Pleasant Beach on Mushin’s Facebook page. The fishing absolutely crushed mahi again, it said, limiting out and releasing additional. After an overnight trip offshore was weathered out Saturday to Sunday, Mushin squeezed in the day trip Sunday, a long one. At first, lots of small yellowfin tuna, rats, and huge false albacore were trolled. Next, the trip moved to the mahi grounds, nailing them to 18 pounds. The trip returned to the tuna grounds and caught more of the rat yellowfins and countless albies. Charters and open-boat trips are fishing.

Few boaters did the fishing, but a nice little pick of yellowfin tuna seemed happening from the Triple Wrecks to the Texas Tower area, said Eric from <b>The Reel Seat</b> in Brielle. The fishing seemed pretty hit and miss, but the tuna were mostly hooked on chunks and jigs. Farther offshore at the canyons, mahi mahi fishing was good, and swordfish gave up a steady pick. A couple of longfin tuna and a handful of yellowfin tuna were heard about from the canyons, but only a handful. Closer to shore, good populations of false albacore and bonito could be found. If boaters wanted to troll them, the Mudhole was the place to be. If anglers wanted to cast to them, off Sandy Hook was hottest. The fish were also scattered farther south, but numbers held off Sandy Hook. Cast epoxy jigs and Deadly Dicks caught. S&S Slimfish in chrome worked well for Eric. John from the shop said bluefin tuna from footballs to 100-pounders were caught and seen from Sea Girt Reef to Shark River Reef. Tuna fishing at offshore canyons was very sporadic, he said. But one boat reportedly smashed a good catch of tuna, including bigeyes, far away, like 160 miles. John didn’t know whether the trip fished farther offshore than usual, he said when asked for this report. But he thought it might have.

The <b>Jamaica II</b> limited out on three 40- to 50-pound bluefin tuna Tuesday during a daily bottom-fishing trip for sea bass and other catches, the party boat’s Facebook page said. See a photo of one of the tuna from the page. A few were lost that weighed more than 100 pounds apiece. The boat on a previous day this week reported a 100-pound bluefin jumping around the vessel throughout the day’s trip.

<b>Barnegat Inlet</b>

Capt. Mike from the <b>Tuna-Tic</b> from Forked River postponed tuna trips because the fishing was slow, he said. But he hopes the catches pick back up. The angling was weathered out currently, too, including a trip slated for yesterday, because of remnants from the hurricane. Some bluefin tuna swam the Mudhole, but tuna fishing was no good at the canyons farther from shore. Weather or seas look too rough for the angling through the weekend. Monday or so looks iffy, too.

An overnight trip Sunday to Monday caught no tuna but limited out on mahi mahi, including good-sized, on the <b>Super Chic</b> from Barnegat Light, Capt. Ted said. At night, some blue sharks chomped. In the morning, fishing was great for blueline and golden tilefish.

An offshore trip Saturday to Sunday limited out on mahi mahi, bagged a longfin tuna, a 240-pound swordfish and a 90-pound sword and released two throwback swords on the <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b>, the party boat’s Facebook page said. A white marlin also “(fell) for a livelined squid” on the trip, it said. At first, the trip limited on the mahi on Saturday afternoon. Then the boat was set up on a first drift for the night in 75.2-degree water. The longfin was taken in the first hour of the drift. A throwback sword was released an hour later. On the second drift, the 240-pound sword came in. Soon after, the 90-pounder was bagged. Then another throwback sword was let go. Squid schooled around the boat throughout the night. The white marlin bit soon after daylight. One 30-hour tuna trip is sailing each weekend, and see the <a href=" http://missbarnegatlight.com/offshore-tuna-trips/
" target="_blank">tuna schedule</a> online.

<b>Absecon Inlet</b>

Customers trolled a 68-pound yellowfin tuna, a blackfin tuna and a bunch of mahi mahi 68 miles from port on an overnight trip Saturday, said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b> in Brigantine. The blackfin was unusual, of course.

<b>Great Egg Harbor Inlet</b>

A customer on Wednesday bailed mahi mahi, a lot, at 28-Mile Wreck on soft-plastic lures, said Justin from  <b>Fin-Atics</b> in Ocean City. The angler saw bait balls, and the mahi were on them. No tuna catches were heard about, and six days seemed to have weather calm enough for boaters to reach the tuna grounds in past weeks.

<b>Townsend’s Inlet</b>

Mahi mahi held 30 miles out, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b> in Sea Isle City. Farther off at the canyons, mahi fishing was awesome. Not much was heard about tuna from there, but quite a few white marlin seemed reported from those waters.

<b>Cape May Inlet</b>

A trip Wednesday limited out on mahi mahi to 15 pounds, nailed a 160-pound bigeye tuna and went 0 for 2 on daytime swordfishing with <b>Fishin’ Fever Sportfishing</b>, Capt. Tom said. One of the swords looked 150 pounds. It jumped and cut off the line with its bill. A trip Sunday aboard limited on mahi mahi and bagged 20 tilefish. Jacks, rosefish and white hake were also cranked up on that trip. The tiles were goldens to 34 pounds and bluelines to 15 pounds. A trip a couple of days previously on the obat limited on mahi, bagged some tiles and tried daytime swordfishing. A sword was caught quickly on the second drop. Swordfishing is becoming good, so more of the daytime angling for them will take place on the vessel now. The daytime fishing, in deep water along bottom for the light-sensitive fish, is popular to the south like in Florida, of course. Tom is pioneering the fishing here. The sword trips can mix in either mahi fishing or tilefishing.

Mahi mahi fishing was good along the edges of offshore canyons, said Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> from Cape May. A few wahoos swam there.

Mahi mahi fishing was good at offshore canyons, the last Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b> in Cape May heard, he said. A customer walloped a good-sized bluefin tuna, an over, “(but) not like 73 inches,” Nick said, within 30 miles from shore. Lots of mahi also swam in that range, too.

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