<b>Sandy Hook</b>

One crew checked in two mako sharks 152 pounds and 120 pounds they subdued at the Triple Wrecks, said Patrick from <b>Michael’s Bait & Tackle</b> on Staten Island. A handful of small yellowfin tuna were reported taken from the canyons.

Capt. Mike from the <b>Katie H</b> from the Highlands said Capt. John, his partner on the boat, shark fished with anglers on another vessel in Mako Mania during the weekend, and they landed eight makos to 130 pounds. Mike also knew about other makos caught. The Katie H will shark fish a moment longer and will begin its usual, heavy schedule of tuna trips a little later this season.

<b>Shark River Inlet</b>

Trips with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> from Neptune competed in Mako Mania and the Jersey Coast Shark Anglers Tournament over the weekend, and the anglers caught makos each day, but none big enough to win, Capt. Ralph said in an e-mail. Last Tuesday a charter hammered two makos 285 pounds and 200 pounds and would’ve won it all. Makos are in, and book now, he said. A bunch of yellowfin tuna to 80 pounds were trolled. The season’s first open-boat canyon trip sails July 29 to 30.

<b>Manasquan Inlet</b>

<b>Fish Monger Charters</b> from Brielle competed in both Mako Mania and Mako Fever over the weekend, but “not so good for us,” Capt. Jerry said in an e-mail. A dusky was landed 40 minutes after the crew set up. Then there was no action a while. A small mako attacked baits, and a thresher shark was seen. A whale, porpoises and sea turtles showed up. But “didn’t get the one we were looking for,” he said. “That’s fishing.” Fish Monger will shark fish again this weekend.

A couple of boaters made the season’s first offshore trips and nailed yellowfin tuna during the weekend, said Dave Arbeitman from <b>The Reel Seat</b> in Brielle. He thought they fished at Hudson Canyon but wasn’t sure. Others tried to locate bluefin tuna closer to shore but only grabbed bluefish. Mako shark fishing seemed productive, and many boaters shark fished through the weekend, especially because of the shark tournaments. Blue sharks were abundant. One customer overnighted at a canyon and drilled a mako, and another hooked two makos including one keeper. Dave took a tilefish trip on the Voyager on Sunday, and see the results in the below report.

On the party boat <b>Voyager</b> from Point Pleasant, Dave Arbeitman, owner of The Reel Seat in Brielle, put together a charter that made up the boat’s weekly tilefish trip Sunday, normally an open-boat trip, an e-mail from the boat said. Many veteran tilefishers, but also first-timers, filled the boat. The catch was good, even if the crew had to work to find the bite at first. Mike Paras, who was high hook on a trip a couple of weeks ago, was again high hook, bagging eight tiles to 28 pounds. Mike Saulley won the pool with a 44-pounder. Allan Sherman, who scored two double-headers, and Tony Puzzo each took seven. Quite a few of the anglers landed four, five or six. When the trip arrived at the canyon, winds 5 to 10 knots blew with the current, making the drift a bit fast, a little faster than one knot. The crew tried a few spots that produced last year, with poor results, and only one 25-pounder came up. The boat started sailing 10 minutes away, and a few trolling lures were dropped in the waters, and John Tzannes nailed a 50-pound yellowfin tuna. The vessel stopped at a proven tilefish area, and the anglers started to pick the fish, while the boat drifted almost a knot.  Two dozen of the fish were boated, and the boat slid off the grounds, returned for another drift, and currents began to ease. Then two drifts produced very good fishing an hour each, and 60 tiles from 15 to 43 pounds were belted. Eventually conditions deteriorated, with winds blowing 90 degrees against the current, and the lines screamed to the stern, and the anglers fought through tangles. Open-boat tilefishing trips are running every Sunday night, and spots are available on most, and check the schedule on the boat’s web site for availability and info.

<b>Barnegat Inlet</b>

<b>Seafood Fishing Charters</b> from Forked River competed in the Mako Fever  and Mako Mania tournaments during the weekend, Capt. John said. On Friday the anglers fished in Mako Fever and battled to the boat a 125-pound mako, a thresher shark just over 300 pounds and a blue shark at the Glory Hole. On Saturday the anglers landed a thresher over 400 pounds at the same spot at the Glory Hole while fishing in both tournaments. The sharkers opted not to fish Sunday, because rough seas were forecast, and they had enough excitement. No winning fish was tackled on either day, but the catches were great nonetheless. The deeper area of the Glory Hole in 240 feet seemed to hold the most sharks. The waters were about 65 degrees, a little warmer by the second trip, reaching 69 degrees by the end of the day. The clarity was good, and the color wasn’t quite blue, but was attractive. No bluefish showed up. Bonito and mackerel were the baits, and mackerel chum was used. Seafood won’t do too many more sharking trips but is available for sharking in the near future, while the fishing’s on. Tuna charters will kick off soon, and John talked with the crew from a well-known canyon boat who said they hooked 48 yellowfin tuna at Wilmington Canyon during the weekend, if John remembered correctly. A slate of open-boat trips is running in addition to charters, and check the schedule on the boat’s web site. Space remains on a two-day, open-boat trip that will compete in the Beach Haven Marlin and Tuna Club Tournament.

Shark trips fished on the <b>Tuna-Tic</b> from Waretown through last week, Capt. Mike said, the only sharking on the boat this season, because the crew only hunts the fish during the peak. One 6-foot mako was bagged Saturday, the only shark hooked on the trip, and a trip two days before landed two short makos, two blue sharks and two browns. On the previous day two brown sharks, one short mako and one blue shark were leadered. Waters were a little warm or 70 degrees by last week on Thursday, although south winds dropped the temps by the weekend. Lots of life swam around. Although shark trips were finished, Mike might mix in fishing for threshers on bluefish trips that are running this week. Three-day, open-boat tuna trips will fish through summer starting July 7 and are pretty booked. Yellowfin and bigeye tuna were already out there, and a 180-pound bigeye was brought back to the marina.

<b>Little Egg Inlet</b>

A trip trolled yellowfins to 70 pounds, some good fish, at the tip of Wilmington Canyon with <b>Legal Limit Charters</b> from Tuckerton on Wednesday, Capt. T.J. said. Waters were 74 degrees, and T.J. heard about marlin caught in the area. The eddie looked like it would stick around a week. On Saturday a good catch of yellowfins to 60 pounds and some 15-pound mahi mahi were trolled at Spencer Canyon. The waters were 71 degrees, and there was a warmer eddie a little farther off that held no fish, and all the bites came in the cooler waters. Shark charters were still slated, including this weekend.

<b>Absecon Inlet</b>

Capt. Tom from the <b>Fishin’ Fever</b> from Brigantine took a crew trip and walloped more than 20 yellowfin tuna to 75 pounds at Wilmington Canyon at the 100-fathom line on Monday, he said. There were multiple bites, and probably three times as many short-strikes, and three bigeye tuna also came up. One of the bigeyes got hooked, but there was never even a chance to crank the reel before it dumped line and got off. The waters were some of the dirtiest that Tom ever saw give up fish, and visibility was only 5 feet down, and the area held a 2-1/2-degree temperature break, and the bites came from the colder side.  So tuna fishing was on, and charters are available. Plenty of bluefin tuna swam closer to shore in 20 to 30 fathoms, and charters are also available to chunk, troll or jig them.

The <b>Carly A</b> from Atlantic City will undergo maintenance about one more week before starting to fish offshore, and fish were already there, but the season was early, said Capt. Jon, who also owns Offshore Enterprises Bait & Tackle in the town. A few school bluefin tuna, but no big ones yet, showed up 12 to 20 miles from land. Yellowfin and bigeye tuna were trolled at the east notch of Wilmington Canyon through Sunday and Monday. But a mess of boats sailed there and to Spencer Canyon on Wednesday, and the warm eddie seemed to be moving east, and fishing wasn’t as good. The weather was supposed to blow this weekend, so that should put a halt to the fishing a moment. The boat Bigeye fished the area and went 1 for 2 on blue marlin and scored a couple of tuna. The Dough Boy from Brigantine got into four tuna and a mahi, and the Tail Dancer went 4 for 6 on tuna. A surprising number of boats fished the blue waters already, good to see, especially after all the talk about fuel prices and the economy. 

<b>Great Egg Harbor Inlet</b>

Wilmington and Baltimore canyons served up yellowfin tuna, said John from <b>Fin-Atics</b> in Ocean City. He heard about a decent catch of bluefin tuna, fair-sized ones 52 to 55 inches, from the 19-Fathom Lump.

<b>Townsend’s Inlet</b>

Two mahi mahi to 15 pounds and a 60-pound yellowfin tuna were put to a halt at Wilmington Canyon on a trip Monday, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b> in Sea Isle City. The fish grabbed an Islander-skirted ballyhoo and a rainbow squid spreader bar. A mystery bite was also lost that appeared to come from a blue marlin. The dolphin and marlin came from the warm side of a good edge of 72.5- to 74.2-degree waters, and the tuna attacked on the cold side. A blue marlin 400 pounds or larger was seen on a free jump in the area. On a trip last Friday two yellowfin tuna to 40 pounds were boated at Spencer Canyon, and a blue marlin less than 150 pounds was released at Wilmington Canyon. The 69- to 72-degree temp break at the Spencer was filled with life, including pods of porpoises that the tuna hung around. A tuna bite also took place at the Wilmington, so the trip moved there, but the action was finished by the time the boat arrived. So the vessel moved farther offshore to warmer, 75-degree waters at 500 fathoms, where the marlin was hooked after hitting three other lures in the spread. The Wilmington proper was 71 to 72 degrees. Joe heard about mahi mahi that were boated, and he knew about one bigeye that was lost.

One of the boats from <b>Over Under Adventures</b> is now fishing from Avalon, according to an e-mail from the company. The Justified ran two trips from the port during the middle of last week that caught a bunch of small blues, bonito and Spanish mackerel in 50 to 60 feet on the offshore side of Sea Isle Ridge. Trips from Avalon will eventually head offshore for big game. Other boats from the fleet are fishing from Ocean City, Md., and Oregon Inlet, N.C. From Ocean City a trip targeted 600 fathoms between Poormans and Washington canyons last Friday and bailed a bunch of mahi mahi, including a handful of large ones to 42 pounds, and quite a few smaller ones from 8- to 12 pounders, on trolled ballyhoos and a few pitched squids. The charter searched for tuna, including in cooler waters on the way home, but no luck. On the previous Tuesday a charter from Ocean City looked for bluefin tuna at the Hambone, but none showed up. Sand eels seemed to be moving in. In North Carolina blue marlin fishing was spectacular on trips that produced two to six per day. One local boat kept a 711-pounder and released a 300-pounder, and the same boat released three the next day. White marlin and sailfish also bit. Tuna fishing from Oregon Inlet was up and down, producing anywhere from a few of the fish to a dozen or 15 per trip. But anyone who fished there caught a fair share of mahi mahi.

<b>Hereford Inlet</b>

Frank Hennigan took the run to Wilmington Canyon and whaled 12 yellowfin tuna to 60 pounds, said Cathy from <b>Sterling Harbor Bait & Tackle</b> in Wildwood in an e-mail. Dennis Joiner from the Blue Hoagie checked in a 40 pound tilefish that came from the Wilmington. Bluefin tuna were reported trolled at 19-Fathom Lump and the Hambone.

<b>Cape May Inlet</b>

Although the <b>Down Deep</b> from Cape May was competing in the Ladies Invitational Bluefish Tournament on Saturday, only two blues were boated, and three bluefin tuna were hammered on the trolled lures, Capt. Bob said. That was the first time he was ever disappointed to catch tuna instead of bluefish! The trip ran 40 miles offshore to waters near the Dump Site, because boaters bailed blues there the day before, but the fish were gone this day. Two of the bluefins were keeper-sized, and one was short. Tuna charters usually begin the first or second week of July.

The <b>Heavy Hitter</b> from Cape May competed in the Ladies Invitational Bluefish Tournament on Saturday at the Table Top, but the anglers couldn’t buy a blue, and a 45-pound bluefin tuna and a false albacore were landed by mistake, Capt. George said. Not a bad consolation. Tuna anglers who fished the area the previous day got covered up with blues. On Sunday Steve Bush’s charter fished just offshore of the Misty Blue and probably reeled in 25 brown sharks from 3 to 6 feet, basically non-stop. The Heavy Hitter is shark fishing and will begin tuna fishing soon.

<b>First Cast Sport Fishing</b> from Cape May was shark fishing through last week, and three makos, including one keeper that weighed 150 to 175 pounds, were beaten, Capt. Rob said. A big thresher, bigger than a 300-pounder that was boated on the vessel last year, got off. Rich Royer’s group hooked the fish and also reeled in nine brown sharks. The Larry Bitiratus gang competed in Jim’s Bait & Tackle’s Mako Tournament on the boat over the weekend and leadered 10 brown sharks and fought a thresher 2 hours that finally caught the line in the wreck that was fished and broke off. Four anglers took turns on the rod. A big mako also entered the slick but never took a bait. A trip also competed in the South Jersey Shark Tournament the previous weekend, but no sharks even touched a bait, and only bluefish did. Rob also saw threshers during a bluefish charter this week at the lumps just offshore of Cape May Reef. The canyons gave up yellowfin tuna and mahi mahi, and a few bluefins swam inshore, and tuna charters will start soon.

A shark trip with <b>Copacetic Sportfishing</b> from Cape May on Saturday fished inshore or 20 miles off Cape May to try to tackle a thresher, and no thresher showed up, but probably eight brown sharks gave up good action, and maybe three were missed, Capt. Mike said. Waters were too warm for makos or 72 degrees, so no attempt was made for the shortfins. Inshore bluefin tuna trips are slated to sail soon, and that fishery should be about to bust loose.

<b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b> from Cape May’s 26th annual Mako Tournament was held during the weekend, a week later than usual, Matt said in a fax. Apparently the event was delayed a week, because waters were too cool for the best sharking in recent years. But this year waters were warm, and the fish were difficult to come by. That’s fishing! The crew of the Miss Edna Jane won first place with a 156-1/2-pound mako. No other makos were weighed in, so the crew of the Talisman won second with a 321-pound thresher. The staff at the shop thanks all the anglers for making the tournament a success. On a better note, shark fishers at Massey’s Canyon nailed 60- to 70-pound bluefin tuna when they marked fish deep and dropped down jigs. Tuna fishing farther offshore turned on last week, first at Spencer Canyon, and then at Wilmington Canyon. The crew on the Salty Susan bailed 30 yellowfin tuna, kept a limit of 18 and released a white marlin while trolling at the Wilmington in 100 fathoms. “Not a bad first offshore trip,” Matt said, tongue in cheek. Anglers on the Last Chance fished the Spencer earlier last week, boated four yellowfins and two 20-pound mahi and released three white marlin.

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