New Jersey Fishing Reports

A trip for tuna will fish Sunday on the Katie H from Belmar, Capt. Mike said. Weather looks favorable, and the trip will fish mid-range. Nothing good was heard about tuna all the way offshore. Not a lot was heard about mid-range either, but maybe the trip will run into some. The last trip did, covered in a previous report here. Mahi mahi should be able to be caught – they were around.

A trip Sunday to Monday found slow tuna fishing, a couple of bites, but excellent mahi mahi fishing on the Golden Eagle from Belmar, a report said on the party boat’s website. See the <a href=" https://www.goldeneaglefishing.com/tunafish" target="_blank">tuna schedule</a> online.

Manasquan Inlet

An open-boat trip Saturday bagged one yellowfin tuna and released half a dozen small with Mushin Sportfishing from Point Pleasant Beach, a report said on Mushin’s Facebook page. The trip crushed mahi mahi 6 to 25 pounds, limiting out, on poppers and jigs on light spinning tackle. Tilefishing was slow on the outing because of strong current. A trip last week on Tuesday tried for mako sharks. No mako was caught, but other sharks were, including a 400-pound hammerhead. The anglers had a great time fighting sharks, it said. On the way home, the trip stopped at two wrecks to try for cod and ling. A couple of bonito and some triggerfish, porgies and chub mackerel were hooked. Out-of-season sea bass and fluke bombarded the bait and were released. Sea bass season opens Monday.

One yellowfin tuna and plenty of mahi mahi were decked on a trip Friday to Saturday on the Gambler from Point Pleasant Beach, a report said on the party boat’s website. Some small bluefin tuna were released. See the <a href=" http://www.gamblerfishing.net/offshoretrips.php" target="_blank">tuna schedule</a> online. ***Update, Friday, 10/5:*** A few yellowfin tuna and a couple of longfin tuna were axed on a 36-hour trip that returned late yesterday aboard, a report said on Gambler’s website. Mahi mahi, big Pollock, large white hake, blue sharks, a big bull shark, small, undersized bluefin tuna that were released in big schools that smashed anglers’ baits, almaco jacks, little tunny and big squid were also landed. Seldom a dull moment, the report said. First on the trip, the captain spotted a huge weed line halfway out, and stopped the boat. Mahi and almacos were reeled in. Afterward, the trip made a drift at a wreck in 250 feet of water. Big pollock and large white hake were cranked in. Then the trip fished at pot gear, pasting a good mess of mahi. Before sundown, the boat was set up to fish near the eastern edge of Hudson Canyon at a good temperature break. At night, mahi, blue sharks and big squid were angled in the chum slick. Just before sunrise, the big schools of undersized bluefins raced through, pouncing on baits, keeping anglers busy. The bluefins were let go. Some fun mayhem. After the sun raised, the yellowfins, 50-pounders, and longfins, 30- to 40-pounders, were picked. Late that day, a report came in about yellowfins and little tunny inshore. The boat was run there, and the bull shark and a few little tunny were wrestled in. No yellowfins were seen at that spot. On the trip, Edwin Ortiz caught a 40-pound longfin, six mahi 8 to 10 pounds, two 20-pound pollock and two-dozen huge squid. The crew looks forward to the next trip.

Mahi mahi seemed to push a little deeper and farther from shore, said John from The Reel Seat in Brielle. Fishing for them became a little spotty there. Not many mahi remained inshore. Farther off, canyon fishing was spotty. Some mahi were boated there, but not the absurd number like earlier this year, and not like the absurd number of white marlin that swam the canyons this summer. False albacore were probably the biggest thing, Eric from the shop said. Lots swam in tight schools off Sandy Hook in 30 or 40 feet of water. But shots popped up from there to farther south, off Manasquan Inlet. Tuna fishing was slow at offshore canyons, Eric said. At mid-range, many small, undersized bluefin tuna swam the Triple Wrecks and the Texas Tower. Few fished for them, because the tuna had to be released.

Barnegat Inlet

Tuna fishing bagged two yellowfins and released a small bluefin on a trip Saturday to Sunday with Tuna-Tic Sportfishing from Forked River, Capt. Mike said. So tuna fishing wasn’t very good, and the trip fished from Hudson Canyon to South Toms Canyon. But mahi mahi fishing was great. The anglers loaded up on a bunch of them. A good number of the mahi were big, too. The mahi weighed 5 to 20 pounds. The tuna were chunked, and the mahi were chunked and trolled. Only two other boats seemed to be fishing: one of them a famous offshore charter boat, and another boat that could barely be heard talking with that vessel on the radio. Tuna fishing also wasn’t good inshore. The trip fished inshore at eight humpback whales feeding on sand eels. But no tuna bit. Another trip was slated to fish for tuna this past Wednesday that Mike postponed to wait for a better bite.

An overnight trip Saturday to Sunday limited out on mahi mahi “but the tuna eluded us” on the Miss Barnegat Light, the party boat’s Facebook page said. Squid swam, and the water looked beautiful. We just need tuna to find that water, it said. <a href=" http://missbarnegatlight.com/offshore-tuna-trips/
" target="_blank">Tuna trips</a>, sailing 30 hours, are running once every weekend.

Customers headed for catches like mahi mahi on Sunday, said Mike from Grizz’s Bait & Tackle in Forked River. Results were yet to be heard. All baits are stocked for inshore to offshore.

At Bobbie’s Boat Rentals in Barnegat Light, customers sailed for bonito Wednesday, Vince Sr. said the next day.

Great Egg Harbor Inlet

A couple of tuna charters were weathered out recently on the Stray Cat from Longport, Capt. Mike said. Mahi mahi still bit in the Cigar area. Triggerfish were around.

No customers seemed to fish offshore for tuna or other big game, said Ed from Fin-Atics in Ocean City.

Townsend’s Inlet

A few trips were known to fish offshore last weekend at the canyons and a little inshore of there, catching mahi mahi, sometimes 30 in an outing, said Mike from Sea Isle Bait & Tackle in Sea Isle City. Closer to shore, mahi, bluefish and bonito were boated. Mike saw two cobia that were caught during the weekend.

Cape May Inlet

Little was heard about tuna recently, said Capt. George from the Heavy Hitter from Cape May. Small ones were heard about. Lots of mahi mahi swam offshore waters. A few wahoos, not many, were still in.

Mahi mahi, lots, seemed to hold along pot buoys – they were loaded with them – from 20 miles from shore to farther out, said Nick from Hands Too Bait & Tackle in Cape May. Fishing pressure was down, so the mahi were plentiful, he guessed. White marlin fishing seemed to turn back on and be pretty good at Washington Canyon this week.