Schoolie bluefin tuna started to be trolled inshore, said Capt. Ralph from Last Lady Fishing Charters from Neptune in an e-mail. Waters warmed, and fewer mako sharks swam close to shore, but brown sharks, duskies, threshers and hammerheads were around. Fall, inshore mako fishing should start toward the end of September. Two spots remain for an open-boat canyon trip July 29 to 30.

Anglers with Andrea’s Toy Charters from Point Pleasant headed out on the boat’s first mixed-bag, offshore trip of the season last Friday, the report on Andrea’s Toy’s web site said. Tuna, mahi mahi and tilefish were the goal. The group broke the inlet in the afternoon and started trolling Hudson Canyon in the evening. Two yellowfin tuna were hooked, and a 60-pounder was landed, among a bunch of breaking tuna. Tuna busted the waters again before dark, and one was landed. At night the anglers set up for sharking and swordfishing, and one runoff on the shark rod was missed. In the morning the boat trolled for tuna again, and only mahi mahi bit. Then the anglers worked the lobster pots for more mahi that swam the eastern side of the canyon. Next was time to tilefish, and a half-dozen tiles were reeled aboard, and all the goals were met! Andrea’s Toy will focus on mixed-bag, canyon trips the rest of summer, including on open-boat trips. Mixed-bag fishing offers fun, better chances of hooking up and more variety for dinner.

The party boat Voyager from Point Pleasant was weathered out from tilefish trips, normally open-boat outings, two weekends in a row, but a charter finally sailed to the canyons Sunday night, an e-mail from the boat said. Forecasts called for diminishing 10- to 15-knot winds but were wrong. Winds blew at least 20 knots, fast drifting conditions for tiles, but the charter fortunately first wanted to troll for tuna in the morning, do-able in the winds. A small yellowfin tuna was boated within 20 minutes, and a triple-header of yellowfins was belted 15 minutes later. Then a few more of the fish were picked during the next few hours, and there were a few knockdowns. Ray Hickey reeled in a 50-pounder that was biggest. By mid morning winds still honked, but hardcore anglers were aboard, so the crew decided to try drifting for tiles. The charter used 4 to 5 pounds of weight, and although fish bit, hooking them was difficult. Some of the baits came up in half. The crew went back on the troll, in hopes that winds would ease later, but no more tuna bit. Winds dropped by noon, and the anglers could fish with 3-pound weights, and the bite wasn’t great, but tiles started to get picked. Some big ones were hauled in, including a 42-pound 7-ounce pool winner that Fred Eder tackled and a 33-pound 5-ouncer that Mark Kaminski claimed. About 40 tilefish came over the rails in the poor conditions. Open-boat tilefish trips are sailing 11 p.m. every Sunday, and spots remain in August. Visit the boat’s web site for availability, reservations and info. The vessel’s open-boat tuna trips will begin later this season, and a few will be 40-hour tuna/tilefish combos, leaving at 10 p.m., first trolling for tuna in the morning, tilefishing during the day and chunking for tuna all night. Warm waters already spread through the canyons, and with the way the charter fleet was already on the tuna, the season should be good. Reservations are already filling, but a few spots are left, and see the schedule and info on the boat’s web site.

Seafood Fishing Charters sailed to waters a little south of Hudson Canyon on Saturday, leaving port at 1:30 a.m., Capt. John said. The boat trolled at a 74- to 77-degree temperature break, but fishing was slow. Some boaters got bites early. Seafood was back out at the canyons today, and an open-boat, day-trolling trip will fish offshore tomorrow. Space remains on a two-day, open trip that will compete in the Beach Haven Marlin and Tuna Club Tournament. Entrants are allowed to fish two days from July 30 to August 2. Last year’s purse was $365,000, and 20 percent of any winnings go to the crew on the trip, but the rest goes to the anglers.

Tuna were boated at places such as the Resor wreck, the Star and the Fingers, said Josh from Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle. Some customers planned to head to Barnegat Ridge to look for bluefin tuna.

On the Legal Limit from Tuckerton a charter trolled 11 yellowfin tuna to 65 pounds last Friday at Toms Canyon in 79- to 80 degree waters, Capt. T.J. said. Probably 30 more hits and knockdowns took place, and the bites came throughout the day.

The Carly A from Atlantic was sailing for bluefin tuna today, said Dominic from Offshore Enterprises Bait & Tackle, owned by the same owner of the boat. Bluefins kept going off at places like 19-Fathom Lump and the Hambone but also started pushing north. A friend went 5 for 7 on bluefins yesterday at a spot that Dominic kept under wraps, because nobody else was fishing there. Chunking worked for the bluefins, and so did trolling, but if anglers caught nothing on the troll, they needed to switch to 30-pound fluorocarbon leaders fished way back.

Toms Canyon had been giving up tuna and blue and white marlin in 77- to 80-degree waters, all on the troll, and none on the chunk, said Dan from Fin-Atics from Ocean City. Wilmington Canyon pretty much held only whites. Fifty to 100 fathoms on Saturday was full of all kinds of life including whites and fish like bonito. Bluefin tuna came from waters from 19-Fathom Lump to Massey’s Canyon and spots between, mostly on the chunk, but sometimes on the troll, and jigging really smacked them.

The boats from Over Under Adventures trolled bluefin tuna at 30-fathom spots like 19-Fathom Lump, the Hambone, the Hot Dog and Massey’s Canyon, both from Avalon and from Ocean City, Md., and plenty of the tuna were around, an e-mail from the company said. The fish kept migrating north and inshore, and should soon begin to show up at 20-fathom spots like the Cigar. Twelve-hour trips were the best bet from Jersey so far, but 10-hour trips began to get into fish.

Capt. Rob from First Cast Sport Fishing from Cape May competed in the Viking/Ocean Showdown on Norm Morrison’s Erica Sue during the weekend, he said. The boat took second place with an 87-pound bluefin. Rob was also a guest on the Heavy Hitter on Sunday, and plenty of bluefins were chunked. One boat also trolled among the chunkers in the area and hooked a bunch.

Ryan Moore, Rich Savaige and Dan Smith took the trip to the inshore grounds for bluefin tuna on the Heavy Hitter from Cape May on Sunday, Capt. George said. Probably 10 or 11 bit, and some were landed, some got off and some broke off, a bite about every half-hour. All the fish were about 55 inches or 80 pounds, so one was kept that made the 47-inch slot limit, and none of the fish was small enough for the smaller slot limit. All the bluefins attacked in a chunk slick, mostly on bait, but some on jigs, although the jigged fish broke off. Another boater trolled among the other vessels on the chunk and beat a bunch of the bluefins. The charter first fished at one spot where nothing bit. Then a friend called George over to a spot where the friend’s charter was catching a slough, and let George slip into the spot as the friend left. But then no bluefins turned up, and George moved to another lump, and the fishing turned on. George competed in the Viking/Ocean Showdown over the weekend on Norm Morrison’s Erica Sue, and the boat won second place with an 87-pound bluefin. George mated on a trip on another boat Tuesday that reeled in eight bluefin tuna and a 15-pound mahi mahi. One bluefin was kept, and all were about 55 inches or 80 to 90 pounds and were chunked. Three bit right after sunup, and then none showed up until 11 a.m., when the anglers got into a steady pick. So bluefin fishing was holding up and was now the best fishing from Cape May from the bays to the canyons.

Bluefin fishing at the lumps and structure including 19-Fathom Lump, the Hambone and Massey’s Canyon put out good catches, especially when boat traffic was lightest, said Matt from Jim’s Bait & Tackle in a fax. Trolling, chunking and jigging all produced, depending on where the fish were located in the water column. Decent-sized mahi mahi bit in the same waters. Farther offshore, no big, fish-holding temperature breaks formed closer than Hudson Canyon through last week. Everybody was by-passing closer waters that attracted marlin to get to tuna at the Hudson. But white marlin roamed the Tom’s Canyon at that time, and quite a few anglers found blue marlin feeding on skipjacks on the 40-fathom line at Poorman’s and Baltimore canyons. Some 50- and 60-pound yellowfins also bit at Baltimore Canyon over the weekend.

Shark fishing produced a mako on every trip, said Capt. Ralph from Last Lady Fishing Charters from Neptune in an e-mail. But the last trip was slow, and a small mako was released. Shark trips now either had to fish overnight or sail more than 40 miles offshore. Trolling for tuna was red hot, and three spaces are available on an open-boat tuna trip July 29 to 30.

Manasquan Inlet

Friends of friends bailed yellowfin tuna and a few bigeyes, some catching up to 18 tuna, on the troll at the 150/050 on the southwest corner of Hudson Canyon on spreader bars, plastics and ballyhoos, said Capt. Fred from Andrea’s Toy Charters from Point Pleasant. The warm waters would now spin down to Toms Canyon. No bluefin tuna swam local inshore waters, and only spots off Cape May gave up bluefins, typical of the early season. The annual open-boat, mixed-bag offshore trips were kicking off this week, because tuna-trolling, mahi mahi fishing and tilefishing were all turned on. Call for availability.

A few canyon boaters scored alright, said Dave from The Reel Seat in Brielle during the weekend. One fished the West Wall of Hudson Canyon in 73-degree waters, reeled in five yellowfin tuna and 25 mahi mahi and released a blue marlin. Another bailed 12 yellowfins at the same area. Greg Mulligan shark fished and released 30 browns and a hammerhead. A couple of other anglers fought small makos at the Mudhole.

Barnegat Inlet

Two large blue sharks and a dusky were battled to the boat at the deep end of the Glory Hole on Saturday with Seafood Fishing Charters from Forked River, Capt. John said. Another shark broke off, and although no makos showed up, the sharking went well. The waters were 68 to 69 degrees, clear and a little green. Bait and porpoises schooled, and mackerel and fresh bonito were the hooked baits. A tuna-trolling trip will point the bow east for the first time tomorrow. Space remains on a two-day, open-boat trip that will compete in the Beach Haven Marlin and Tuna Club Tournament July 30 to August 2.

Relentless south winds were finally forecast to let up, so the Hi Flier from Waretown was heading for Barnegat Ridge today through the weekend to search for bluefin tuna, bonito and false albacore, Capt. Dave DeGennaro said in an e-mail. Mild west, northwest and northeast winds were predicted. Both single reservations for open-boat trips and charters are available through Sunday. Call for the schedule beyond then.

No customers mentioned fishing offshore this week, probably because of rough weather and winds, but offshore anglers needed to sail far for catches, said Josh from Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle. Over the weekend a few yellowfin tuna were reported boated, and a few sharks were battled at the Fingers.

Little Egg Inlet

Customers looked for bluefin tuna but found none at 28-Mile Wreck, the 750-Square and the Cigar, said Scott from Scott’s Bait & Tackle in Mystic Island. Apparently that fishery was yet to happen, although bluefins turned on farther south.

Absecon Inlet

Bluefin tuna fishing was on fire at places like Massey’s Canyon, the Hambone and the Tea Cup on the troll, chunk and jig, said Dominic from Offshore Enterprises Bait & Tackle in Atlantic City. Fishing farther offshore seemed best at the northern canyons. The Carly A, the shop’s offshore charter boat, is in action, and a canyon trip was heading out today. The vessel will run one open-boat trip per week.

Great Egg Harbor Inlet

Bluefin tuna were chunked, jigged and trolled at inshore spots including 19-Fathom Lump, Massey’s Canyon and the Hambone, and all points between, said Dan from Fin-Atics Ocean City. No customers fished the offshore canyons in the last few days, but Toms Canyon was supposedly one of the places to go.

Townsend’s Inlet

The boats from Over Under Adventures whacked bluefin tuna from Avalon and also from Ocean City, Maryland, an e-mail from the company said. The bluefins ranged 50 to 130 pounds, and the largest swam south of Maryland, but the big ones should arrive off both Maryland and New Jersey within a week. Over Under trolled the fish, finding no reason to chunk, but boaters who did chunk smoked plenty. Low Profile, Over Under’s boat that had been fishing from the Bahamas since spring, arrived in Avalon to join Justified, the company’s vessel that was already fishing from the town. Both will chase tuna from Jersey through fall. In September That’s Right, the only boat from Over Under that’s licensed for more than six passengers, will move to Jersey to join the other vessels.

Capt. Joe Hughes from Jersey Cape Guide Service and Gibson’s Tackle in Sea Isle City planned to run offshore for bluefin tuna in the next days, and jigging for the fish at 19-Fathom Lump and Massey’s Canyon sounded turned on, he said. Farther offshore, canyon fishing seemed a matter of water temps that were mostly the same everywhere with no temperature breaks. Tuna were certainly still there, but the lack of breaks offered no specific areas to search, so finding them became more a matter of chance.

Hereford Inlet

Bluefin tuna put tackle to the test at 19-Fathom Lump and Massey’s Canyon, and chunking for the fish was red hot for customers, but some trolled a few, said Cathy from Sterling Harbor Bait & Tackle in Wildwood in an e-mail. Gaffer dolphin were mixed in. Robert Christopher from the Cara Mia checked in an 88-pound bluefin he chunked at 19-Fathom. Alan Ritter from the Big Bully stopped by with an 81-pound bluefin that he trolled. Mike Lobianco and Billy McFetridge on the Carlyssa fished Wilmington Canyon last week and boated nine yellowfin tuna, eight dolphin and eight tilefish.

Cape May Inlet

Loads of bluefin tuna got hammered at spots like Massey’s Canyon, said Capt. George from the Heavy Hitter from Cape May. He talked with some anglers who drilled 20 of the fish on the chunk. The Heavy Hitter is sailing for the tuna.

Bluefin tuna fishing produced at the inshore grounds, and the fish swam fairly deep, so trollers used downriggers, planers and weighted lures with medium to horse ballyhoos dropped back 200 to 300 yards, said Matt from Jim’s Bait & Tackle in a fax. Islanders in blue-and-white or pink-and-white were a couple of choices. Chunking for the tuna also worked. At Massey’s Canyon on the troll, Bob Gillard nailed a 146-1/2-pound bluefin and released another five, and the crew on the Gold Rush bagged a two-fish limit and released six more. On the chunk at 19-Fathom Lump, Pete Safaras belted an 85-pounder and broke off two.