New Jersey & Delaware Bay - New Jersey & Delaware Bay Offshore Fishing Reports

The matter of the chatter at Creekside Outfitters is the deck thumping going on with Hudson Canyon yellowfin to 70 pounds and bigeye ranging from 120 to 150 pounds. Both Joe Shutes and Hoo Magic heads w/Ron Z tails the crush. Mid shore and in shore bluefin to 50 pounds are being caught on jigs and live lined squid. One Customer, Doug W. was trolling the inshore areas earlier in the week and scored on a king mackerel, the first reported this season.

Aidan at Fisherman’s Headquarters says that while trolling in the Hudson is producing plenty of yellowfin, several customers are having a blast there jigging and working poppers. “The Nomad Design BKK Streaker in 200 grams is really hot. Color doesn’t really matter,” he says. On the surface noisemaker side, it’s the Madd Mantis and UVT poppers that are putting fish in the boxes.

A fired up Jason from Fishermen’s Supply points to the southwestern corner of the Hudson to The Dip as the epicenter of an ongoing ahi eruption, with bigeye in the mix. The yellowfin are in the 60-pound class and are hammering the 19-inch green ChatterLures side tracker at a 5 knot clip. It’s the same speed for the 100- to 180-pound bigeye with goggle eye pattern Bomber CD 30. Increasing numbers of mahi in the 10-pound class being caught around the lobster gear on trolled small ballyhoo and also pitched spearing.

“As far as the eye can see. Yellowfin all over the top out there,” shared Dillon at Gabriel Tackle talking about a customer’s assessment of the ahi activity in the Hudson. While many are being caught on the troll, he mentioned that several customers are enjoying stellar surface action with the BP’s Popper and the Tsunami Surface Blaster.

Amanda from Jersey Hooker Outfitters reports that customers are doing well in the Hudson, picking off mixed size yellowfin and bigeye. “The 19-inch ChatterLures side tracker has been hot in the rainbow, blue/white and pink white,” she noted, adding that daisy chains are also nailing a few fish.

“The Hudson. Yellowfin and bigeye. I haven’t been out, but our customers who are going there are catching fish,” enthused Steve from Jingles Bait & Tackle who has been busy on his Miss Beach Haven nailing all sorts of fluke. “Real good fishing out there,” he added. The word is that spreader bars and ballyhoo are the box filling avenues to follow.

“Off the charts,” enthused Capt. Cool Ray Lopez aboard Miss Liane Sportfishing Charters discussing the past two trips, one with daughter Capt. Liane who was vising from Florida. Spreader bars and ballyhoo were the ordnance for kill shots on the numerous 60- to 80-pound yellowfin. Capt. Cool Ray notes that it was a matter of getting away from the other boats, “crossing the desert of the sea,” to find the schools of ahi that were keying on the vast amounts of bait, squid which were particularly numerous. He’s expecting the lights out action to continue through the remainder of the month at least.

Word from Capt. Alan Lee from Mushin Sportfishing is the that the canyons are yielding good numbers of yellowfin and bigeye. The former are bashing the zucchini and the black/purple Sterling wide trackers and Crazy 8 chains; the latter being gouged by Joe Shutes/Ron Z tails, and the Shimano Ledge Runner 200. Mid-range areas are showing lots of life with whales, birds and squid, but the bluefiun action has been sporadic, i.e. some here, more there, but nothing really consistent. Fish are being caught on the jig and the pop, and also live lining squid.

Nick at the Reel Seat was pumped about the yellowfin and bigeye twin bill happening in the Hudson. “The fishing has been phenomenal...for most,” he says, noting that the 19- and 36-inch Sterling wide trackers in purple and also zucchini were the tonic for yellowfin to 90 pounds. The pink and the chrome Nomad Design DTX Minnows were being pulverized by the bigeye.

“Yellowfin from 50 to 70 pounds inside the Wilmington,” directs Big John at Fin-Atics in Ocean City, adding that the football bluefin at the 750 Square and the 28 Mile Wreck are big enough to have some fun with. These are waxing small and medium ballyhoo, with the 36-inch black/purple, and zucchini Sterling wide tracker the most consistent whacks for the yellowfin.

Nick Dutton at Hands Too Bait & Tackle talked about the accelerating mahi activity occurring around the sea bass pots. Cedar plugs and the Sterling Tackle cedar plug chains are getting hammered by the 5- to 10-pound mahi, but Dutton said not to be surprised if a bull or two makes a play for the cedar. “They (the bulls) are more about the open ocean, but we’ve seen plenty caught around the pots as well,” he emphasized. The deeper reaches of the southern canyons are yielding bigeye to 150-plus pounds in addition to near Allison size yellowfin in the 90- to 100-pound class on Sterling wide trackers.

“Some white marlin to 70 pounds getting caught, all on small trolled ballyhoo,” shared a super busy Sunday Jason at South Jersey Marina. He pointed to the Poor Man’s for what’s been some heavy-duty encounters with yellowfin to 70 pounds and bigeye at or near the 150-pound mark. Again, it’s the trolled ballyhoo that are being assaulted. Jason mentioned that was a spurt of similar intensity in the Spencer earlier in the week, but that seems to have waned.