<b>Sandy Hook</b>

A Hudson Canyon open-boat trip with <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b> on Monday nailed 40 tilefish to 18 pounds, and bluefin tuna invaded a chum slick set out for the speedsters, and the anglers had a blast catching and releasing the tuna to 42 inches, Capt. Fred said. The tuna, shorter than the legal size limit, at first grabbed the tile rigs with squid when those baits were being lowered, and later the anglers rigged up with 60-pound fluorocarbon with sardine baits to hook the tuna. A big mako shark also came into the slick but refused to bite. Andrea’s Toy is running the trips every week, and currently tilefish, bluefins and sharks are the trips’ targets, and those fish are all prevalent. Tilefishing is currently the best bite, but bluefins and sharks will show up in chum slicks during the tilefishing. The open trips will start trolling for yellowfin tuna as soon as those fish come in. Consistent yellowfin action was 50 miles farther offshore in warmer water. The water during the trip was 62 degrees, clear and blue, and seas were 2 to 3 feet, and finbacks whales were all around.

A customer weighed in a 125-pound bluefin tuna that he trolled at Hudson Canyon, said Vinnie from <b>Michael’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Great Kills, Staten Island. He also hooked a couple of small tuna, and no other customers reported fishing offshore. Michael’s recently stocked up on a full variety of offshore baits.

<b>Shark River Inlet</b>

Shark charters on the <b>Nan Sea J</b> will start June 14, Capt. Tom said, and sharking is Tom’s favorite. Open-boat shark trips will start this month and will sail every Wednesday through July.

Two shark trips will take place with <b>No Respect Charters</b> in two weekends, Capt. Layne said, and he thinks the season’s probably early for sharks, and he’s heard little about shark catches so far, but the charters wanted to shark fish anyway.

Lots of promising tuna fishing has taken place at the canyons, and <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> will sail on tuna charters if anyone wants, Capt. Ralph said. Shark fishing was heating up inshore and offshore, and Ralph looked forward to a good season on sharks.

<b>Manasquan Inlet</b>

The <b>Cindy Sea</b> will sail offshore for tuna when the action picks up, Capt. Dave said. He talked to a couple of people who found fish offshore, and one from Atlantic City hooked into a bluefin tuna, but the season is a little early for tuna, he said.

Two customers sailed offshore last week, and one hooked only skipjacks at Hudson Canyon, and another went to Wilmington Canyon and nailed 26 yellowfin tuna that were small but keeper-sized, said Dave from <b>Reel Seat Bait & Tackle</b> in Brielle. No customers shark fished last week, and people were expected to start sharking this week to get ready for all the upcoming shark tournaments.

The <b>Katie H</b> will compete soon in one or more of the shark tournaments that take place this month, Capt. Mike said.

Capt. Neil from <b>Nauti-Dog Charters</b> heard good reports about offshore fishing lately, he said. Bluefin tuna were supposedly boated at the canyons to the south off Cape May and also at inshore spots to the south like the Hambone. Yellowfin tuna reportedly were also tangled with farther offshore at the continental shelf.

Customers were talking about shark fishing, though John from <b>Brielle Bait & Tackle</b> heard of nobody actually catching the fish, he said. But a few people were thinking about going, because it’s time, and John heard no first-hand reports about tuna fishing.

<b>Barnegat Inlet</b>

A friend’s been sharking and finding only blue sharks and no makos, said Brian from <b>L&H Woods & Water</b> in Waretown. No first-hand reports were heard about makos, but this week’s northeast blow might turn that around. Two friends did very well on tuna at Spencer Canyon a week ago, hooking 17 yellowfin tuna from 20 to 30 pounds, some bluefin tuna to 50 pounds and a 23-pound mahi mahi.

Tuna fishing had been good at the canyons, but the weather was a problem the past couple of days, said Nick from <b>Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle</b>. The Pez Machine last week headed offshore and trolled an unlimited amount of 40- to 50-pound yellowfin tuna and a 250-pound bluefin tuna or larger. A 10- or 11-foot mako shark also chased one of the trolled rigs but wasn’t hooked.

<b>Little Egg Inlet</b>

Blue sharks were reeled in on a trip to the 28-Mile Wreck last week with <b>Legal Limit Charters</b>, Capt. T.J. said. No makos were hooked, and lots of 10- to 12-pound bluefish were there.

<b>Great Egg Harbor Inlet</b>

<b>Stray Cat Charters</b> is ready and available for tuna charters, and yellowfin tuna can be found off the mouths of the canyons, Capt. Mike said. Everyone’s Mike spoken with who’s fished for the tuna has done well. The fish are there, and anglers just need to decide to go. “Get off the couch,” Mike joked. In addition to charters, open-boat tuna trips will take place in the summer. Stray Cat is also starting to shark fish, and the first shark trip of the season is slated for two weekends from now, and it will be a mako trip to 30 or 40 fathoms. The trip might sail to the 750 Square, if makos seem to be there. A few makos were at 28-Mile Wreck, but those waters mostly held blue sharks and not very big ones, only 30 to 65 pounders.

Customers reported reeling in flounder, bluefish, striped bass, mako sharks and tuna, and the action picked up this past week, said a fax from T.C. from <b>Brennan Marine</b>. Bob Heins took home six keeper flounder including some to 2.46 pounds, and Brandon Hurd also landed six flounder to 4.96 pounds on minnows and squid on the Game On. Bill Gentile battled a 5-foot mako and lost a larger shark at 28-Mile Wreck while fishing with bluefish. Bill Hass trolled up bluefin tuna and yellowfin tuna at Wilmington Canyon.

<b>Townsend’s Inlet</b>

Some sharks tore up baits at 28-Mile Wreck, and most were blue sharks or not makos, said Paul from <b>Fin-Atics</b> in Ocean City. Offshore boaters hooked tuna from the Toms Canyon south.

<b>Hereford Inlet</b>
Tuna fishing’s been good for <b>Olivia Grace Sportfishing</b> for an equal mix of yellowfins and bluefins at Wilmington and Baltimore canyons, Capt. John said. Sharking’s also been good on the boat at the same locations, and four makos and two blue sharks were caught on the vessel last week. The bluefin tuna weighed up to 70 pound, and the yellowfins weighed up to 30 pounds, and the tuna were found all the way in the deep at 1,000 fathoms. The water was 66 and 67 degrees with slight temperature breaks, and last week the temperatures were very nice and 69 degrees. The water inshore of the tips of the canyons recently was 63 and 64 degrees. Some blue sharks were inshore at 20 fathoms, and John heard of no makos there, so he’s been running offshore for sharking. Lots of bluefish were also at 20 fathoms. Olivia Grace with compete in the South Jersey Marina Shark Tournament this weekend and will fish in Jim’s Bait & Tackle’s Shark Tournament the next weekend.

Butch Moss, son Jason and Dominic Garfolo weighed in a 167-pound thresher shark they conquered near the Triple Wrecks last week, said an e-mail from Cathy from <b>Sterling Harbor Bait & Tackle</b> in Wildwood.

<b>Cape May Inlet</b>

The <b>Top Shelf</b> was being prepared to compete in the South Jersey Marina Shark Tournament that takes place this weekend, Capt. Bill said. He ran one shark trip already this season, and a mako was hooked but got off in the inshore ocean. At first during the trip, lots of bluefish from 7 to 9 pounds were everywhere, so Bill moved.

A few mako sharks were hooked far offshore at the canyons, and some yellowfin tuna were toward the mouths of the canyons, and bluefin tuna were hooked closer to shore in the canyons, said Capt. Stan from the <b>Canyon Clipper</b>. Some bluefins were also landed even closer inshore at spots like the Elephant Trunk, and Stan heard of none caught at Sea Isle Ridge yet. Dates are available for charters, including a few dates for shark charters in June.

A friend hooked up with sharks but far offshore at the 1,000-fathom line, said Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>. George kept hearing reports about tuna but heard none lately during the cloudy and rainy weather earlier this week.

The <b>Down Deep</b> is available for a charter to compete in Jim’s Bait & Tackle’s shark tournament in two weekends, Capt. Bob said. 

<b>Jaftica Sportfishing</b> will compete in the South Jersey Marina Shark Tournament this weekend, Capt. Ray said. He saw a couple of mako sharks that were caught so far this year. Jaftica will now concentrate on shark fishing and later will tuna fish in addition to inshore trips like flounder fishing.

Sharks started to come in, and two 150-pound makos were weighed in this past weekend, said a fax from Matt from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Larry Morgan battled one at Massey’s Canyon, and Wade Carson fought the other one at the 19-Fathom Lump. Lots of small bluefin tuna showed up at the canyons, and some small yellowfin tuna and bigeye tuna were mixed in. Some larger bluefins were trolled on blue-and-white Islanders with large ballyhoos

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