<b>Sandy Hook</b>

Warm, fish-holding water was becoming scarce last week at Hudson Canyon and northern waters. But at that time, Capt. Freddy Gamboa from <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b> said it’s possible the east winds from last week’s storm might push in warm Gulf Stream water, and apparently that’s what they did, because the fish returned, and boats started fishing at the Hudson again. An open-boat trip sailed with Andrea’s Toy to Hudson Canyon from Monday to Tuesday and began with trolling, and nothing bit. Then commercial draggers were seen at the East Elbow, so Freddy began daytime chunking, the first day chunking of the year for his trips. Tuna were hooked 100 feet down on live peanut bunker and dead sardines, and then the boat was set up for nighttime chunking. But the crew then noticed that the water temp had dropped 5 degrees, so they picked up and moved to the Letters on the west side of the canyon, and tuna bit right away but stopped at dark. So then the anglers drifted for swordfish at the 500-Fathom Tip, but only lots of blue sharks swam around the boat. Nobody tried tossing a bait to the sharks, and instead they sailed back to the Letters. At first light there was a nice flurry of longfin tuna action. By 7 a.m. seas cranked up, and the anglers broke out the light spinning tackle and nailed three mahi mahi to 15 pounds, some of the biggest mahi of the year for Andrea’s Toy. Then the boat sailed home because of the seas. All in all the fishing wasn’t the best, but Andrea’s Toy tried a variety of options. The water was 68 degrees wherever fish were caught, and the temps dropped as low as 63 degrees where nothing bit. Open-boat canyon trips are taking place once a week, whenever the weather allows, and spots are available. The outings usually target a mixed bag of fish, from tuna to mahi, billfish, sharks and tilefish.

Members of the Staten Island Tuna Club chartered a tuna trip this week, sailed to Hudson Canyon and bagged about 50 yellowfins to a 65 pounder that Charlie DeHart caught, said Vinny from <b>Michael’s Bait & Tackle</b> on Staten Island. A trip on the Cookie II fished at Hudson Canyon and produced about 20 yellowfins this week.

<b>Shark River Inlet</b>

An open-boat tuna trip was very good on the <b>Bandit</b> from Sunday to Monday at one of the southern canyons, Capt. Scotty said. The boat fished a spot off by itself, and the anchor was thrown at 8:15 p.m., and the first yellowfin tuna was bagged within 20 minutes. Then the fishing was a steady pick of yellowfins all night, and a couple of longfin tuna were also caught, and so were a few decent-sized mahi mahi. Then a big, 308-pound swordfish was gaffed after a 3-hour fight. There was a temperature break from 64.6 degrees to 68.2 degrees that held plenty of life, and the good water stuck around the boat the whole trip. Another open-boat canyon trip takes place Tuesday, and openings are available for canyon trips, and they sail with a maximum of 16 passengers.

Canyon fishing is super, and the last chance to hop aboard an open-boat canyon trip with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> is on an overnighter from October 31 to November 1, and only three openings remain, Capt. Ralph said.

<b>Manasquan Inlet</b>

Tuna fishing turned on again at Hudson Canyon after the action had previously pushed farther south for a moment, probably because of warm, Gulf Stream water that moved into the area again, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b> in Brielle. As of the weekend, boaters had no problem limiting out on yellowfin tuna at the Hudson. Longfin tuna were also hooked, and most boaters chunked for the tuna at night, but those who trolled during the day also got into fish. Nothing was heard about swordfish catches lately.

A trip to Hudson Canyon sailed on the <b>Katie H</b> from Sunday to Monday, but boats crowded the water, and the fishing was slow, and no tuna or any fish were caught on the vessel, Capt. Mike said. The numerous boats probably headed offshore because of forecasts for light and variable winds, uncommon weather at this time of year, but the forecasts were wrong, and seas were sloppy. The boats filled the water like a few cities, and the fishing was chaos. Commercial squid boats tried to drag the area, and some cut off recreational boats’ anchor lines, and there were arguments. A few boats hooked tuna on the troll before nightfall, but many caught nothing after sunset. It happens, Mike said, and the fishing was good Thursday to Friday, and his next offshore charter will sail Saturday to Sunday. A boater from the dock did well at the Hudson last Friday, and it sounded like the party boats also scored good catches there during the end of last week.

Tom Stangle’s charter fished on the <b>Defiant</b> at Hudson Canyon from Monday to Tuesday in 67- to 69-degree water, and they only chunked and did no trolling, Capt. John said. They boated eight yellowfin tuna and a couple of mahi mahi, and then a commercial squid boat passed 10 feet off the bow and forced the Defiant off its spot and a good bite. John said he didn’t know why the squid boat did that, and the Defiant wasn’t on the commercial boat’s gear or anything. But the fishing was good. The Ed Hibberd charter from Hibberd Boat Works were aboard at the Hudson in the same general area from Sunday to Monday, and seas were horrendous. Six- or 7-foot seas were battled during the trip, and one longfin tuna was trolled before sundown. Afterward five yellowfin tuna were chunked at night, and about four were missed, and the anglers went 3 for 3 on undersized swordfish that were released. A small mako shark was also released shortly before sunup. An offshore charter was weathered out this week from Wednesday to Thursday, and another is supposed to sail today.

On the <b>Jamaica</b> canyon tuna fishing was slow early last week, but the action was wild last Friday night, an e-mail from the boat said. The boat headed to warm water that had just moved into Hudson Canyon, and the fishing was the best all season bay far. The action broke wide open an hour after the boat anchored, and yellowfin tuna sometimes schooled 100 feet thick under the boat and hit bait and jigs, and longfin tuna started to mix with the yellowfins by morning. Most passengers limited out on yellowfins and landed some longfins. By 7 a.m. everyone had enough, and the boat sailed home. The tuna were spread throughout a large body of water, and the outlook for upcoming trips was good. The Jamaica is sailing for canyon tuna every day in October and on many dates in November.

Tuna fishing was very good on the Jamaica last week and was okay the last couple of trips, but tuna were still being caught, said Kathryn from <b>Brielle Bait & Tackle</b>.

<b>Townsend’s Inlet</b>

The <b>Over Under</b> ran its final trips of the year from Jersey, sailing offshore five times in the past week, an e-mail from the boat said. The boat fished at the southern canyons, including the Lindenkohl, Poorman’s, Wilmington and Baltimore canyons, often following a temperature break that was pushing south 8 miles per day, and most of the trips did well on yellowfin tuna and sometimes longfins, mostly while chunking, but sometimes while trolling. Plenty of dolphin were caught, and a wahoo bit. The boat will now travel to the Florida Keys to fish until February and then will head to the Bahamas, its winter home, to fish until returning to Jersey for canyon fishing next June.

<b>Cape May Inlet</b>

<b>Editor’s note:</b> Most Cape May boats are finished with offshore fishing for the season, but the fishing is still good, and a few boats are sailing.

The <b>Heavy Hitter</b> sailed to Baltimore Canyon on an overnight tuna trip Saturday to Sunday with charters Darrel and Curt Lynsey and Ross Hartley and his brother, Capt. George said.  They trolled longfin tuna and chunked yellowfin tuna to 40 or 50 pounds and big, 3-foot mahi mahi. The water was cold and 66 degrees, and other boaters read temps as high as 68 degrees. Seas were okay on the ride out but were sloppy and 4 to 5 feet at the canyon all night. Last-minute tuna trips are available through the next week, and the tuna are still biting, and the Heavy Hitter will be finished with tuna fishing for the year afterward. When George was returning from his trip this weekend, tons of boaters were headed to Poorman’s Canyon, because they heard that warm water was there. But afterward George heard back from a few who fished the Poorman’s and said the tuna fishing there was slow.

The <b>Canyon Clipper</b> will try to tuna fish this weekend, and the fishing has been good, Capt. Stan said. The best action recently was between the Spencer and Wilmington canyons, and with the cooler weather, it’s time to target the southern canyons. Fall sharking trips are also on the boat’s menu, and the water was 63 to 68 degrees, prime temps for mako fishing.

Big game fishing was hot at Wilmington Canyon for yellowfin tuna and dolphin early last week, and the action seemed to move south as the week progressed, said a fax from Matt from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Cape May. The Salty Susan loaded up on 25 gaffer dolphin and 13 yellowfins at Wilmington Canyon on an overnight trip. White marlin were landed at the 100-fathom line off South Poorman’s Canyon.

Loads of yellowfin tuna bit from the Wilmington Canyon to the Poorman’s Canyon, and swordfish were mixed in, said a fax from Capt. Fred from <b>Harbor View Marina</b> in Cape May.

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