<b>Sandy Hook</b>

A mixed-bag, open-boat Hudson Canyon trip sailed Sunday with <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b>, and tuna fishing was slow, and the trip went zero for one on tuna on the troll, Capt. Fred said. Seas got very rough, and so the anglers went on the drift for sharks and went 1 for 2 on makos. They also reeled in 10 tilefish and boated mahi mahi to 10 pounds at the lobster pots on spinning tackle. The water was 80 degrees and semi-clear, more green than blue, and lots of bait, squid and skipjacks were around. The open canyon trips are taking place once a week, targeting a mixed bag. Catching tilefish and mahi is almost a guarantee, and tuna and sharks are also on the menu. Mid-shore, mixed-bag, open trips out to 30 fathoms also sail, but the mid-shore bite is unreliable now, so those trips are on hold until the bite picks up. No tuna are inshore yet, and mahi fishing is sporadic inshore.

<b>Outback Fishing Charters</b> had planned to sail to the inshore ocean for mako sharks Sunday, but the plans were changed because of 4- and 5-foot seas, Capt. Bill said. He’s been hearing that makos are around but not as many as before. Previously a lot of small makos could be found that are great for fly fishing, and inshore, big-game fly fishing is one of Outback’s specialities. Bill had hired a charter himself over the weekend to fly rod for tuna off South Jersey, but the captain cancelled the trip, because the water had turned warm after the heat wave, and the fish were too deep. A couple of Outback’s charters that were scheduled to fish for pelagics inshore were postponed, because Bills’ hearing limited reports about inshore fish like mahi mahi, skipjacks, false albacore and bonito. Bonito are around, but they’re small, like 3 pounds, and although they’re fun to fight, Bill’s waiting for better action. More mahi are usually inshore at this time of year, and maybe their scarcity is because of cold water for much of the season, although the heat wave took place last week. Bill’s inshore tuna trips like at the BA buoy and the western side of the Mudhole are usually best beginning in late August.

Canyon fishing for big game seemed to be going very well from the Toms Canyon to the Dip, and yellowfin tuna were getting weighed in nearly every day, and a blue marlin was checked in the other day, said Joe from <b>Michael’s Bait & Tackle</b> on Staten Island.

<b>Manasquan Inlet</b>

The <b>Defiant</b> sailed on a day trolling trip at Hudson Canyon on Sunday and scored nine yellowfin tuna from 30 to 90 pounds, Capt. Adam said. The fish bit on the east side of the canyon, mainly on spreader bars, and lots of birds worked the surface, and skipjacks, porpoises and whales swam the area. The water was 80 degrees, blue-green and a fairly nice color and was greener farther inshore toward the tip of the canyon. On a shark trip last Friday a charter released a 250-pound hammerhead around the Mudhole in 83-degree water with not much life and a brown-green color. There was also a runoff from another fish that spit the hook.

On the <b>Jenny Lee</b> Peter Court and friends boated 10 yellowfin tuna to 35 pounds at the Dip on Sunday, Capt. Dave said.

A charter on the <b>Reel-Ality</b> on Saturday was heading to the Glory Hole to shark fish, and Capt. Larry heard sharks were there, but seas were rough, so the boat anchored at Little Italy instead, Larry said. A chum slick was started, but the charter was becoming sea sick, so the trip was cut short. Something did hit a 2-pound, dead bluefish bait at but got off, and the water there was a terrible color and 82 degrees. Larry heard that no bluefin tuna were in the inshore ocean yet, but charters will be available for them when the fish show up. 

Lots of reports about canyon tuna fishing came in over the weekend, and the bite was on at the Hudson and Toms canyons, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b> in Brielle. Longfin tuna and yellowfin tuna were boated on the night chunk and on the day troll, and at the Hudson, some of the fish were fought in the deep, but the West Wall and the 100 Square gave up quite a few. Dave heard of no bigeye tuna reeled in, but some marlin were landed. No news was heard about bluefin tuna caught inshore, but dolphin were hooked there.

Canyon trips will start to sail on the <b>Katie H</b> in two weekends, Capt. Mike said. He heard that tuna were chunked at the Hudson Canyon on Saturday night and that a tuna trolling bite took place at Block Canyon recently.

<b>Great Egg Harbor Inlet</b>

Tuna fishing was spotty offshore, but it’s going to bust wide open any day, said Capt. Mike from <b>Stray Cat Charters</b>. Tuna special charters are being booked that sail 3 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Ritchie Adleman sailed offshore and grabbed a 98-pound bluefin tuna, a 40-pound yellowfin tuna and five dolphin at the Hambone while chunking and trolling last week, said a fax from T.C. from <b>Brennan Marine</b> in Somers Point. Larry Stout on the Diamond Girl trolled two blue marlin and chunked a longfin tuna and a mako shark at Spencer Canyon. Jim Ward on the Terminator trolled a 26-1/2-pound dolphin at the lumps, and Mike Fox on the High Trend fished just short of the tip of Spencer Canyon and found a 48-1/4-pound yellowfin, a 51-1/2-pound yellowfin and several dolphin.

Dennis Dobrowski Jr. on the Royal Crown conquered a 133-pound bluefin tuna, and Paul Harkins took home a 13.37-pound bull dolphin, said a fax from Rob and Joan Barrett from <b>Dolfin Dock</b> in Somers Point.

<b>Townsend’s Inlet</b>

Chunking for tuna at Massey’s Canyon slowed down a little but was okay, and good-sized tuna were still caught, said Jim from <b>Fin-Atics</b> in Ocean City. Canyon fishing for tuna produced a few fish on the troll, and one angler said he fished Lindenkohl Canyon earlier in the week and pulled in four yellowfin tuna, a mess of mahi mahi and a blue marlin.

<b>Cape May Inlet</b>

On the <b>Top Shelf</b> anglers hooked and released a couple of undersized bluefin tuna along the 20-fathom line Wednesday, Capt. Bill said. The boat sailed to the 50-fathom line at Wilmington Canyon last week on Thursday, and a 50-pound wahoo and a couple of dolphin were landed, and an undersized bluefin tuna was released. Bill said the Cape May boat the Dreamcatcher sank in the ocean this week and apparently hit something that punched through the hull.

Tuna trips are penciled in to sail two weekends from now on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. Tuna fishing slowed recently, but George knew a couple of boaters who were heading out for the fish yesterday, so he was going to see how they did. Tuna fishing was hot at the southern lumps before, and the offshore bite should turn on again. George saw a satellite chart that showed 80-degree water offshore with no temperature breaks, so there was no place to concentrate the fish.

The <b>Sea Fox</b> tuna fished at the Hambone on an overnighter from Saturday to Sunday, and one tuna broke off on Sunday morning, Capt. Gary said. The bite seemed to slow down compared with before, and it seemed lots of short fish were around, but enough keepers were also there. The fish that was hooked on the boat ate a squid fished on the bottom, and the anglers on board also fished with ling that they caught and also dropped down live spot, butterfish and sardines. At first light on Sunday tuna were busting the water surface and chasing bait everywhere, and the action definitely seemed to be in the morning. No signs of life were seen the previous afternoon and evening. A friend fished nearby and landed three tuna to 54 inches while chunking and also hooked a white marlin on a chunk that spit the hook at the side of the boat, and the marlin jumped and tail danced all over. The Sea Fox was heading back offshore early yesterday morning.

<b>Jaftica Sportfishing</b> chunked six bluefin tuna that were on the smaller side at the southern lumps last Friday, Capt. Ray said.

Sea Isle Ridge was starting to show life including a few bluefin tuna and even yellowfin tuna, because the water was warm, and some king mackerel, said Capt. Stan from the <b>Canyon Clipper</b>. Bluefins were sometimes at 4-Fathom Bank, and mahi mahi were at Reef Site 11, and wahoo were sometimes battled at 28-Mile Wreck. A charter last week on Tuesday fished at the Hambone and lost a bluefin tuna at the boat early in the morning and later trolled a 60-pound tuna.

Bluefin tuna to 125 pounds continued to be hoisted in at Massey’s Canyon and the Hot Dog, said a fax from Capt. Fred from <b>Harbor View Marina</b>. More and more yellowfin tuna were showing up each day, and Wilmington Canyon gave up good numbers of yellowfins and also dolphin. Butterfish, sardines and spots were the baits of choice for the tuna. Harbor View’s charter fleet did well at the fishing.  

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