<b>Sandy Hook</b>

An open-boat Hudson Canyon trip took place Sunday with <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b>, Capt. Fred said. Thirty-five tilefish to 20 pounds were boated, and mahi mahi to 15 pounds were grabbed at lobster pots on light tackle. On the way home the anglers stopped at a wreck and landed pollock. Shark baits and a sharking chum slick were put out during the tilefishing, but no sharks bit. The water was 75 degrees, clear and blue, and the open trips are now sailing once a week and targeting tuna, tilefish, sharks and mahi mahi, all in one outing. On last Friday the Butel charter sailed to the Toms Canyon and had a 5-hour window of opportunity to fish, because the head of the charter had to make it back to his wedding rehearsal that evening! The charter arrived at the canyon at 6:30 a.m. and trolled for a couple of hours at the 50-fathom line along both walls of the Toms. No tuna bit, although tuna had bitten there the day before, and a couple of white marlin were also raised there the day before. But lots of mahi mahi hit, so the charter was given the choice of whether to start targeting mahi. The decision was made to catch the mahi, so the trolling lines were put away, and the light spinning rods were taken out, and the anglers bailed 20 dolphin from 2 to 10 pounds at lobster pots. Afterward a drift was set up for tilefish and sharks, but winds against the tide prevented a good drift, and the charter was back at the dock at 2 p.m. Andrea’s Toy is also offering mid-shore open-boat trips out to 30 fathoms for  tuna, mahi, sharks and bottom fish.

A shark trip took place last Friday on the <b>Lucky Carm</b>, and three blue sharks to probably 150 pounds were battled offshore of 17 Fathoms, Capt. Carmine said.

<b>Shark River Inlet</b>

On a shark charter with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> on Sunday a 60-inch mako was kept, and another mako was released, and sharking is surprisingly still good, and shark trips will sail another month, Capt. Ralph said. The season’s first open-boat canyon trip is full next week, and the next openings are available August 30 to 31.

<b>Manasquan Inlet</b>

Chuck Cosenza’s charter hopped aboard the <b>Benchmark</b> on Saturday for a combo shark/tuna trip 50 miles offshore, Capt. Nick said. One keeper bluefin tuna over 47 inches was nailed, and a few more bluefins bit, and a few mahi mahi were boated, and there was no drift for good sharking. The tuna and mahi were hooked on the troll, and the water was mostly 74 degrees but was as warm as 76 degrees. “(Bluefins) are out there,” Nick said. Overnight canyon-tuna charters begin the first week of August.

A friend headed to Wilmington Canyon on an overnighter Monday to Tuesday and trolled a ton of mahi mahi the first day and went 6 for 9 on yellowfin tuna just before sundown on the troll, said Brian from <b>L&H Woods & Water</b> in Waretown. During the night chunk a swordfish was landed, two swords were lost, and a hammerhead shark was nailed. On the troll the next day mahi were hooked, and a bait was pitched to a blue marlin that was seen, but a 25-pound mahi grabbed the bait. Brian thought two more yellowfins were also trolled the second day before the trip was wrapped up. A customer Thursday morning reported fighting three small mako sharks including one keeper at Barnegat Ridge.

A charter on the <b>Canyon Runner</b> on Friday sailed to the Lindenkohl Canyon and got into a shot of several yellowfin tuna along the west wall at 7 a.m., the report on the boat’s web site said. Next they hit the tip and picked up a couple of yellowfins and a bunch of dolphin, and then moved inshore and boated six yellowfins at the 50-fathom line. The anglers picked two more yellowfins and a few dolphins inshore, and all the fish on the trip were trolled, and the early morning seemed the best bite. On Saturday the boat fished at Spencer Canyon and found more boats than preferred but manageable fishing. A slow bite materialized, made up of a 75-pound tuna, a 40 pounder and three smaller ones that were landed while trolling. A charter Sunday sailed to the Spencer and tried to keep away from the crowd, working just inshore of the continental edge most of the morning, ending up with four yellowfins that were trolled. Only half were solid 50 pounders, and it was no hot bite, and nothing hit after 9 a.m. On Monday at the Spencer the lines were put in the water at 5 a.m., and a 20-pound yellowfin bit, and then the boat worked to the south. A 60-pound white marlin was fought and released, and then the boat started heading to Wilmington Canyon, where a small bite was going on, but a floating board was found on the way, and three big mahi and 10 smaller ones were grabbed, and the big ones were 34 pounds, 25 pounds and 20 pounds. Along the east tip of the Wilmington another white marlin, an 80 pounder, was hooked and released to top off the catch.

Two 80- and 50-pound bluefin tuna were hooked Wednesday at the 25-Fathom Hole on the <b>June Bug</b>, Capt. Lindsay said. One got off when a new brand of hook broke that was being used, and needless to say those hooks won’t be fished anymore. The boat sailed to the Toms and Carteret canyons on Saturday and trolled a 40-pound yellowfin tuna, a 30-pound yellowfin, lost another and also picked up 20 dolphin. Some of the dolphin were trolled, but most were hooked on spinning tackle at lobster pots, and the pots were loaded with all the same sized dolphin, so the boat would stop at the ones with the bigger mahi. The water was 74 degrees and kind of gray/green, and seas were calm, and a fair number of porpoises and skipjacks were seen, but not a lot of bait was read on the fish finder, and all the bait was small.

The troll bite seems good for tuna at Hudson Canyon, where chunking for the fish doesn’t seem to be happening yet, said Capt. John from the <b>Defiant</b>. The boat is available for canyon charters, and spots are available for open-boat canyon trips, where the Defiant will pair up people for the trips if anyone doesn’t have enough anglers for a six-person charter. The open trips will take place through August and September, and call the boat for info.

<b>Nauti-Dog Charters</b>’s first inshore bluefin tuna trip is slated for July 29, and the action is usually good by August, and no reports were heard yet about bluefins landed inshore, Capt. Neil said.

<b>Great Egg Harbor Inlet</b>

A charter on the <b>Stray Cat</b> on Saturday looked for tuna 40 miles offshore, and one big tuna rolled and threw the hook, and dolphin were boated, and so were big bluefish, and a white marlin was raised, and the water was 78 degrees, Capt. Mike said. A charter shark fished last Friday 4 miles offshore of 28-Mile Wreck and tangled with some big brown sharks, and a 125-pound mako was lost 15 feet from the boat. Stray Cat Charters was going to compete in the Mid Atlantic Tuna Tournament at South Jersey Marina in Cape May this weekend, but the tournament was cancelled because of forecasts for bad weather, surrounding Tropical Storm Beryl that was headed this way.  Shark charters are now done for the season.

Jerry Slipakoff and Mike Mallon on the Still Dreaming sailed offshore and boated five yellowfin tuna in the 30- to 40-pound range and lost a big blue marlin just outside the 40-Fathom Fingers, said a fax from T.C. from <b>Brennan Marine</b> in Somers Point. Rose Lee scored an 83-pound yellowfin and a 40-pound yellowfin, some dolphin and hooked but lost a white marlin at Carteret Canyon. Ken Wallace on the Full Course caught large dolphin at Wilmington Canyon on Saturday. Mike Fox put together a catch of three yellowfins from 30 to 40 pounds and a white marlin inside the tip of Wilmington Canyon. Ron Kovler on the Next Case conquered a 150-pound mako shark and four yellowfin tuna in the 40-pound range at Spencer Canyon.

<b>Townsend’s Inlet</b>

Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b> in Sea Isle City headed offshore Monday between the Wilmington and Spencer canyons, he said. Four mahi mahi to 15 pounds were trolled, and so was a white marlin that was fought for 20 minutes before it spit the hook. The white was a big one probably 70 pounds, and all the fish hit on ballyhoos, both with skirts and without. They bit along the 50-fathom line, where the water was beautiful with lots of life including sharks and bait. Some knockdowns were scored earlier at 30 fathoms at first light, but then that bite stopped. The water was 82 degrees with no temperature breaks from 30 to 50 fathoms, so the fish were scattered with nothing to concentrate them. The offshore tuna bite was slow, though some yellowfin tuna to 40 pounds were picked at the Wilmington, and none seemed to be grouped anyplace there. Decent numbers of white marlin and big dolphin were the main thing offshore, and the billfish were also scattered because of no temp breaks. The best tuna action seemed to be a little closer to shore from the Hot Dog to the Sausages. Good action with bluefin tuna took place on the chunk at the Hot Dog, where some mostly small yellowfins were also trolled. Lots of dolphin have been from 20 to 30 fathoms, and trolled ballyhoos were the best baits. On a trip with Allan Fellheimer on Saturday three nice-sized dolphin were trolled at Wilmington Canyon. The water was beautiful, blue and 77 to 78 degrees, and turtles and sharks were seen on the surface, and the best water was inshore of the canyon. That day’s tuna bite took place at 30 to 50 fathoms between Wilmington and Spencer canyons. Confirmed reports were heard about blue marlin and white marlin hooked in the same waters around that time.

<b>Cape May Inlet</b>

An offshore trip was good on the <b>Canyon Clipper</b> with the John Gregg group on Saturday, Capt. Stan said. Mahi mahi including a 25-pound bull were trolled at Baltimore Canyon in 80-degree water, and a 50-pound yellowfin tuna was caught at the Elephant Trunk. Tuna seemed to be inshore instead of at the offshore canyons and apparently bit well from the Elephant Trunk to Massey’s Canyon. The Canyon Clipper is now chartering for tuna, and if anyone wants to target mahi mahi, that bite seems to be happening.

Capt. Gary from the <b>Sea Fox</b> ran a boat that competed in the Ocean/Viking Showdown on Friday and Saturday, and the boat fished at Baltimore Canyon and loaded up on dolphin, including several gaffers, and a white marlin broke off, he said. No tuna bit, and Gary thought that only four tuna were entered in the entire event, though that was unconfirmed. He also thought that six white marlin and three blue marlin were caught and released during the competition, but again, that was unconfirmed. The water at the Baltimore was 76 degrees, not that pretty of a color, and held whales, porpoises, turtles and lots of bait on the surface. Water temperatures were unusual, because the mid-shore grounds from 30 to 50 miles out were 83 degrees, a warm temp that would be expected at the canyons, and the ocean 6 or 7 miles from shore was 61 degrees, a big difference. Gary saw a boat at the dock with a bluefin tuna that looked about 125 pounds and another big bluefin, and such big bluefins seemed to be hitting on the chunk at lumps like the Hambone.

On the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> he Mark Horner charter headed offshore Sunday and chunked a 50-pound bluefin tuna, lost a bigger one and hooked some bluefish, Capt. George said. This coming weekend looked like it was going to be a blowout from the storm that was coming. George was going to hop aboard another boat for the Mid Atlantic Tuna Tournament over the weekend, but the event was cancelled because of the weather forecast. Tuna fishing now seems to be coming on, especially at the inshore lumps. One of the boat’s former mates fished one of the lumps Wednesday and nailed two bluefin tuna that were 90 pounds and 50 pounds that bit early in the morning on the chunk. He also saw large tuna that were easily 100 pounds busting the water, and the action stopped by 9:30 a.m. A friend also landed two bluefins at the inshore lumps on Monday and then trolled a yellowfin tuna a little farther offshore at the 30-fathom line and saw other yellowfins breaking the water surface there. Lots of dolphin have been offshore.

The <b>Party Time</b> competed in the Ocean/Viking Showdown on Friday and Saturday, Capt. John said. On Friday the boat fished at Baltimore Canyon, where some 50-pound yellowfin tuna and some dolphin were trolled in 75- to 76-degree, clean water, and lots of life including turtles and porpoises was there, though tuna didn’t seem to be abundant for any boats. John hoped the life and good water meant the tuna fishing would pick up soon. On Friday the boat trolled inshore at the 30-fathom line around the 19-Fathom Lump, and plenty of life was in the 80- or 81-degree water, but not many tuna seemed to be inshore, and the best tuna fishing seemed offshore.

Matt Lancaster’s charter trolled offshore on Saturday with <b>Jaftica Sportfishing</b> and landed nice yellowfin tuna and a couple of gaffer dolphin, Capt. Ray said. On Friday John Hendricks’ party trolled 70- and 80-pound yellowfins and a couple of gaffer dolphin to 15 pounds at one of the canyons, where the water was 78- to 81 degrees, beautiful and a good color.

The <b>Top Shelf</b> sailed on no trips the past several days, but the last trip scored four yellowfin tuna to 50 pounds inshore of Baltimore Canyon along the 40-fathom line, Capt. Bill said. Bill was going to compete this weekend in the Mid Atlantic Tuna Tournament, but the competition was cancelled because of the storm that was coming up from the Carolinas.

The Hot Dog gave up yellowfins on the chunk at night and big bluefins early in the mornings, said a fax from Matt from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Cape May. Tuna were also at Massey’s Canyon and the Hambone. Canyon fishing was also heating up, and yellowfins, bigeye tuna and dolphin were scored at Wilmington Canyon, where the Hucklebuck grabbed a 31-1/2-pound bull dolphin, another dolphin nearly as big and some yellowfin tuna. White marlin started to hit at Poorman’s Canyon, and so did a few blue marlin and big numbers of dolphin. The Blue Dream fished the Poorman’s and released two whites and a 300-pound blue. John and Ed Chadrow fished the deep water offshore of the Hot Dog and nailed seven yellowfin tuna and a 120-pound bluefin. A charter from the Miss Andrea weighed in a 150-pound bluefin that was hauled in from Massey’s Canyon. A 14-foot-long tiger shark that was estimated to weigh 1,000 to 1,200 pounds was caught and released on the Warden’s Pass at Wilmington Canyon.

Bluefin tuna over 100 pounds and yellowfin tuna bit at Massey’s Canyon, the Hambone and the Hot Dog on the chunk, and tuna were trolled at Wilmington Canyon, and so were some white marlin, blue marlin and nice-sized dolphin, said a fax from Capt. Fred from <b>Harbor View Marina</b> in Cape May.

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