<b>Manasquan Inlet</b>

Capt. Fred from <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b> from Point Pleasant planned to take a look around for bluefin tuna soon on the inshore ocean, he said. Second-hand reports flew around about bluefins, “but until I see them …,” he said. No offshore trips left port on the boat this week, and nobody fished offshore because of windy weather. But annual, open-boat, mixed bag trips are fishing the canyons for tuna, mahi mahi and tilefish. One of the outings already headed out, scoring all three.

A couple of reports rolled in about catches of bluefin tuna over the weekend at places like the Resor wreck and the Triple Wrecks, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b> in Brielle. A bunch of customers fished the canyons through the weekend, and toward the end of the week they loaded up on yellowfin tuna, white marlin and blue marlin at Toms Canyon. Some connected at the Letters on the West Wall of Hudson Canyon and farther north at the Fish Tails. Some of the yellowfins had to be measured, and others weighed up to 40 or 50 pounds.

<b>Barnegat Inlet</b>

A customer from <b>Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle</b> described losing a fish at Barnegat Ridge that Josh and Basil from the shop told him sounded like a bonito, Josh said. Might be worth a look.

Bonito could be found at Barnegat Ridge, both at the north and south ridge, but south was better, said Tommy from <b>American Sportsman Bait & Tackle</b> in Manahawkin.

Charters and open-boat trips are now on tap to run to Barnegat Ridge for blue-water battling with bonito, false albacore, mahi mahi and bluefin tuna, said Capt. Dave DeGennaro from the <b>Hi Flier</b> from Waretown in an e-mail. He reported no catches yet, but could be any day.

Toms Canyon was fished with <b>Seafood Fishing Charters</b> from Forked River on Friday, Capt. John said. A temperature break probably 75 to 80 degrees was found, with good-looking waters at spots, and a tuna was hooked on the troll almost immediately but got off, and then the fishing was slow. The canyon season was a little early, and the fishing seemed hit or miss. Many of the tuna were small, but some weighed 60 pounds. So the fishing was only beginning and should improve soon. Four spaces are available on the season’s first open-boat, overnight canyon trip August 9 to 10.  Space also remains on a two-day, open trip that will compete in the Beach Haven Marlin and Tuna Club Tournament this coming week.

<b>Little Egg Inlet</b>

Anglers with <b>Legal Limit Charters</b> from Tuckerton fished Friday at Toms Canyon, mostly on the flats, not even at the 100-fathom line, trolling four yellowfin tuna to 60 pounds in 81-degree waters with no temperature breaks, Capt. T.J. said. Canyon charters will be back out next week.

<b>Great Egg Harbor Inlet</b>

Bluefin tuna were boated at 19-Fathom Lump, said John from <b>Fin-Atics</b> in Ocean City, and the only canyon catches that he heard about were yellowfin tuna, a fair number of white marlin and a few blue marlin that came from Toms Canyon.

<b>Townsend’s Inlet</b>

A 100-pound bluefin tuna was bagged near 19-Fathom Lump on Tuesday on a trolled horse ballyhoo with an Ilander with Tim Wilsey’s crew, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b> in Sea Isle City. The anglers went 1 for 2 on bluefins and raised five of the fish total. They also went 1 for 2 on gaffer mahi mahi that smacked the ballyhoos. One bally was bitten off by a wahoo that dumped lots of line on a 50 wide--must’ve been a substantial fish. The baits were dragged way, way behind the boat, 200 or 300 yards. The tuna “did not like the boat,” Joe said. “They wanted nothing to do with it.” Bluefin fishing seemed best along the 30-fathom line and produced 55-inchers, and big mahi gathered there, too. Joe expects wahoo fishing to begin in earnest on the grounds. Waters were 80 degrees nearly everywhere, except close to shore. Although bluefin tuna fishing was great in the warm waters, an even spread of 80-degree temps, with no fish-holding breaks, made local canyon fishing sporadic. Joe heard about catches at Toms Canyon farther north but not locally. If canyon fishing had been better, he would’ve fished there. On Saturday a trip with John Martin and Dick Lackman trolled a 100-pound bluefin at the Lobster Claw, again on a ballyhoo with an Ilander fished way, way behind the boat. Waters were 75 to 76 degrees, and the anglers originally planned to fish the canyons, but seas were too rough.

Bluefin tuna fishing was hot and heavy during the middle of last week on both the Jersey and Maryland boats from <b>Over Under Adventures</b>, an e-mail from the company said. Charters on the vessels, the Justified, fishing from Avalon, and the Pretty Work, fishing from Ocean City, Md., found that boat traffic killed the bite Saturday, but Sunday was somewhat better. On both vessels on Saturday charters “struggled to catch one tuna for the day,” the e-mail said, but a few mahi mahi bit. On Sunday fishing for bluefins was decent on the boats, and the vessels also pushed out to 30 to 40 fathoms at Baltimore Canyon to land a few yellowfin tuna. The bluefins last week swam the usual spots, including 19-Fathom Lump, Massey’s Canyon, the Hambone, the Hot Dog and the Tea Cup, and both trolling and jigging worked. Some of the bluefins were big, pushing 70 inches and the low 200 pounds. The captain on the Pretty Work said one fish was missed that was larger, probably a legitimate giant.  The bluefins caught on the charters Sunday were 55 to 66 inches. Yellowfin trolling at Toms Canyon slowed and became less consistent last week, and the main body of fish moved to waters northeast of Hudson Canyon, though 50- and 65-pound yellowfins were sometimes whacked at the Toms.

<b>Cape May Inlet</b>

Some bigger bluefins seemed to move in starting last week, and lots of 80- to 125-pounders were whaled, mostly on the chunk or jig, said Capt. Ray from <b>Jaftica Sportfishing</b> from Cape May. Canyon fishing for tuna farther offshore seemed best farther north, but because bluefin were turned on, there was no reason to head farther. Charters are going after them.

Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> from Cape May mated on another boat on a trip this past week that landed eight bluefins, he said. One keeper in the larger slot limit was bagged, and another around the same size was reeled in with a large bite taken out of it. But the dead fish had to be let go, because of the one-fish limit in the size. All the fish this season were larger ones 55 or 56 inches, and no smaller ones were around for the one smaller slot fish that could be kept. Last year was just the opposite. But bluefin tuna fishing was great this year once again.

Bluefin tuna charters trolled a mess of the fish at 19-Fathom Lump, and 10-pound mahi mahi were landed on every trip, said Capt. Bob from the <b>Down Deep</b> from Cape May. Bill McGallagher’s group tackled five bluefins. Fish that met the larger slot limit were everywhere, but the tuna in the small slot couldn’t be found.

Bluefin tuna fishing kept going off at any of the lumps and holes along the 20-fathom line, including 19-Fathom Lump, Massey’s Canyon, the Hambone and the Hot Dog, said Matt from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Cape May in a fax. Most reports were about chunking and jigging the fish instead of trolling. Bluefins to 200 pounds were belted, and bigger ones were lost. Jesse Chiarella claimed his biggest fish yet: a 177-pound bluefin at the Hambone. John Chadrow weighed in a dressed 99-pounder, and the crew on the Miss Edna Jane checked in an 87-pounder, and both were taken at 19-Fathom Lump. Boaters found blue marlin feeding on skipjacks between Baltimore and Poorman’s canyons on the 40-fathom line. But the best canyon tuna fishing happened father north, from the Toms to the Hudson, for yellowfins 50 to 80 pounds.

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