I no longer post any fishing reports until the end of the season from any tuna charter or commercial tuna fishing trip on my website. If you have chartered, have a charter booked or are sending in a deposit with us for an upcoming charter and would like to receive a tuna fishing report please send me and email at tuna.comcharters@yahoo.com or call at 412-759-3584 and I will let you know how we are doing.
Please include your name and when you fished with us or when your upcoming charter is scheduled.
We had Mike and crew for their second incredible day in a row with mostly a nonstop lock n load of all large and market cod. Many double header 15 pounders came over the rail today. Jigs or bait, it did not matter. Some large pollack and haddock in the mix too.
We headed home early once again with totes and totes of fillets.
We have some days open in the next couple weeks if anyone want to get in on some of the best and most consistent ground fishing in years. Not a slow day yet.
May 26th Cod/Pollack
We had Mikey and crew from Atlantic Highlands NJ back up again for their two day anual trip. A slow pick to start the morning not finding too much to set up on and then a short ride to some deeper water and the machine was lit up! Down to the bottom and it was lock and load with all big cod, pollack and many doubles to add.
Just fantastic fishing on the TUNA.COM once again, today we just added big fish to the mix. Back out with the same crew again in the morning!
We still have days open and keep in mind as many think, this is not just a spring fishery, but we catch cod all summer long.
Giant tuna are officially here!!!
May 20th and 21th
5-20 Great fishing today with a steady to sometimes a slow pick of a mix of nice cod, pollack and a couple haddock. Too bad we never saw the sun again, but it was a great day of fishing with repeat customers.
5-21 We are on our way in right now because the guys just quit fishing. Action all morning on just 2 long drfits with all nice cod and pollack coming in the boat nonstop. Very few throwbacks today for our repeat crew. A busy day of gaffing and filleting while fishing and on the ride home.
Look for our Tuna/Cod combo trips soon on the open boat forum. We should have a couple giants in the cockpit within the the next two weeks. Last year we had about 3-4 tuna after the first week of June. Don't miss out on world class bluefin fishing just miles from the harbor.
May 13th Cod
No long report today other than it does not get any better than it has been with today just being another day. A stop here and there looking for some fish after the big blow only took a while until we got on them. Lock n load with all nice cod and pollack and just as many throw-backs. There was a lull here and there, but the guys were happy to have a short break to let their arms rest before it turned on again.
May 7th Cod
Pretty much the same report as yesterday with the same guys for a second day of lock and load fishing. Not much to say other than it does not get any better. All the cod and pollack you want in beautiful warm sunny weather. An early day it was with some good eats to take home to feed the entire neighborhood.
May 6th Cod
It's 7:50 and still on the first and probably last drift that will last about another 1/2 hour. The boat is loaded with big cod a slammer pollack once again. Non stop doubles and triples....and one sculpin!
May 5th Cod
Swing them all big or small...no gaff required again today. Too many fish to gaff as they were coming over the rail so fast, both market cod and slammer pollack. If you lost one you would still have another because you almost always had a double and it you lost both just go down and get another double. We left them biting once again. It's been like this all week and it is showing no signs of stopping.
May 1st-4th Cod
The report from the last few trips has been the same as all the other reports, just fantastic fishing with all the fish you want and more. In addition to the masses of cod there are big pollack and haddock in the mix to fill even more boxes. One day was slower than the others and it was still the best day of fishing that the group has ever had and by no means was it slow.
Don't miss out on this great fishery in beautiful warm weather. We still have spots open for the May 12th open boat for those of you who do not have a full group. We will be ground fishing and through August and start tuna fishing in just a few weeks. Here is what it looked like last year.
April 30th was the slowest day of the year so far. There was 40-60 boats that I could see throughout the area and heard of very few fish caught. We left and went on our own and managed to put together what is still a good catch of about 60 fish with a mix of cod and nice big haddock. A few stops really saved the day. A lot of guys I spoke with only had 10-15 fish for the day.
April 29th Cod
Another great day on the TUNA.com. Beautiful day on Friday, light winds and calm seas. Started out very slow and picked up as the day went on. It was not the bail job as reported earlier in the week, but after a full day fishing, we nearly limited out on cod and had at least 30 very nice haddock in the box! The deeper water seemed to produce best with large haddock and cod to 20ish lbs.
Many thanks to Dave and Paul for making a great day on the water for us. Lots of fish to take home and lots of fun!
April 26th Cod
It's 7:50 am with 700 lbs cod, 100 lbs pollack and 20 lbs of haddock. They don't even want to fish anymore. No boats here. Home in time for a late breakfast.
800-900 lbs. All done with the cod and big slammer pollack coming in two at a time. Going home at 8:24!
We do have this Wednesday open if anyone wants in.
April 25th Cod
It's 7:50 with 700 lbs cod, 100 lbs pollack and 20 lbs of haddock. They don't even want to fish anymore. No boats here. Home in time for a late breakfast.
We do have this Wednesday open if anyone wants in.
April 22nd and 23rd Cod
We worked the guys too hard today with stop and drop fishing and very short breaks on the move before the jigs were on their way back down. Even the boat dog was beat. The same as yesterday with all nice cod and tired anglers.
Round two tomorrow for the same group.
April 20th and 21st Cod
April 20th we went East looking for fish and did find many, however the size of the cod were very small but the haddock were good size. Not too many keeper fish for the day and the guys fished super hard. Fishing was not half as good but they did add to their good catch from the good day before.
April 21th was and easy day of fishing with mostly NJ Fishing guys on the boat once again. All it took was about 5 drifts to load up and limit out on market and large cod just before the 40 knots winds came along, but not a problem steaming home in the 38' Duffy which just plowed through some huge waves. A big thanks to Jim from Big Mac who put us on the fish. Just a bounce or two and you were pulling tight on a single or a double. You very seldom came up empty. You could not ask for better fishing and a great group of people.
Back out in the morning...still have some days in May.
April 19th Cod
Great to good fishing today after a move or two and finding the fish. There were many periods where everyone was hooking up right away and then the next time down you had to work a little harder. We had blitzes, a steady pick and a few periods where it was quite, but action all day for the most part. Even I went down and caught a few.
The guys put together a great catch of bull haddock up to 14 pounds, along with cod up to 15 pounds. The 14 pound haddock is one of the biggest haddock we have ever caught. The guys fished hard and have bags of fillets to take home.
Day two tomorrow for the same group with hopefully the same results.
April 16th Cod
Below is a the fishing report from one of my customers that I copied from a message board along with some pictures.
Had a blast from the time we arrived. Got to the boat at 5Am and Junior and Sandro were juiced and ready to go.
Made a 15-20 mile run to where they wanted to fish and once we arrived it seemed like a lot of fish had broken up due to..pending storm or lunar cycle? Whatever... Once we arrived Junior looked around the whole area and when he saw the right spot, he would give us the "get ready" and put us on the fish. If you didn't have a fish within the first few pulls, we would reel up and wait for the next drift. The wind and tide were from the East and the drift was very fast.
Leif had his limit by 11AM and Chad and I finished with (5 OR 6). Greg and Joe had a blast also. By 12:00 the wind was blowing 35+ and we started to head back. The ride home was nice with everything on the stern and by 1:30 we were back at the dock.
On top of the 30+ fish we caught we also caught a load of smaller fish that were released. We didn't have the same ratio of the throw backs that we caught in Montauk over the winter. These fish overall were much larger than the cod that were S of BI.
We're looking forward to our next trip on May 1st.
April 14th Haddock
Forget about the cod when there are so many haddock around. It was a slow morning, but a move or two put us on non-stop haddock with drop and reel fishing with all nice size fish in addition to plenty of market and some large cod that we will see again opening day on April 16th. As soon as you where on the bottom you were on...with a double if you waited another second and not another boat in sight.
Plenty of fillets were taken home. Not sure why we can book almost every day of the spring for cod charters, but we only get a few bookings for haddock in the early season. Something to think about next year for some early season fishing and some great eats. Haddock are plentiful in the early season.
March 26th Haddock
Apparently the boat does better without me on it and Captain Junior and Conga are better putting the guys on the fish or was it we just had good NJ fishermen onboard today? I'm going to say it was good NJ bottom fishermen possibly coached by Leif and Howie for my sake.
Today the guys went out with strong winds and rough seas and managed to work hard, fish all day and put together a good catch of fish on the same place as the day before! Still not huge numbers but much better than the other two days with over two boxes of fish. It sounds like they had a hard time keeping the cod off the hooks in order to catch the haddock. The ride home was a bumpy one, but there were plenty of fillets along for the ride.
Thanks to all that fished with us today and we will see some of you again in April!
Haddock fishing should continue improving as the water warms. We have plenty of openings for haddock prior to April 16th when cod season begins if anyone wants a haddock date.
Give us a call or email for some early season fishing.
March 25th Haddock
Today was by no means a great day of fishing, but much better than it was two days ago.
As soon as we came tight on the anchor and all lines down we had a good bite of small cod and nice haddock for about an hour and then it slowed to a very slow pick for the rest of the day. There was not many haddock around, just when you you thought you had a good bite about to start with a couple fish coming over the rails, it would slow down to a pick or just completely die just as quick as it started.
Back out in the morning with hopefully some better results. Two other boats that were fishing within a few miles of us did put together an okay catch so there are a few there.
March 23rd Haddock
Sometimes you have to take the good with the bad, today was our first trip of the season and it was bad to say the least even after running around to a few different places. Working with a few other boats both recreational and commercial there were very few haddock to be found, but there were a few cod in the mix that got to swim until another day.
Fishing has been pretty good from the boats that were fishing the last couple weeks, but today the haddock were no where to be found in large numbers. I'm not going to speculate why, ask 10 fishermen the same question and you will get 10 different answers. It does not matter to me, I just know they were not there and that is a fact.
We did our best and that's all I can say. Friday may and hopefully will be a different day.
The TUNA.COM had many return customers coming back for some of the best tuna fishing we have experienced in many years. It was a very busy season with the boat sailing almost every day with perfect weather and fishing. We caught tuna on almost every charter and if we did not. we either lost one or two or saw them and could not get a bite. There were very few days where nothing happened, but even on those days you could go down to the bottom and bring home some cod.
During the 2010 tuna season the TUNA.COM caught 41 Giant Tuna and lost another 15 or so, with the best day hooking 6 and caught and estimated 50 School Tuna and lost too many of them to even want to mention. The largest Giant Tuna was approximately 900 pounds, with the majority around 500 pounds and the school tuna averaged 200 pounds. It was and will be a season to remember and we will be looking forward to next season with the arrival of even bigger school tuna.
Thanks to all of our repeat customers and hope to see some new faces for the 2011 season.
Today we had Mike and company back for his second trip of the season and I had doubts about having the same results as the earlier charter. The last couple of days the cod fishing dried up and we deceided to go and look for some haddock.
Upon arriving at the grounds we had a steady picks of nice haddock, nice cod with one about 18 pounds and to my surprise 2 halibut that were released! The day ended with a total of 50 plus haddock, 15 cod and 2 halibut.
I'm not too sure What happened on the cod grounds and hope it picked up, but the guys were happy as could be. Lots of laughs and lots of fillets...could not have been a better day!
May 23rd Cod
Today we had Capt Don (Sea Fox), Emil and friends come out for what I was hoping to be one of the better days of ground fishing and it was unfortunately the worst day of the season so far.
The day started out with a pretty good first couple of drifts with cod, both small and medium coming into the boat steady and then that was it. It shut off and never turned back on again for the entire day. We burned fuel with the hopes of finding some piles of fish, but there was none to be found. We did pick a few here and there and it was no better than that.
With that said it was great have Captain Don up again fishing with me and they still caught a few fish. The days total was 15 cod, 15 pollack and 5 haddock and just as many throw-backs.
Hopefully we will do a better job tomorrow...
May 21th Cod
We had an okay pick of cod and pollack for a couple of drifts and then it completely died off with the tide, but once we got moving again we had bent rods and tired anglers for the rest of the day. Also for the first time in a while we caught a bunch on nice size bull haddock. The guys went home with plenty of fillets and were nice enough to leave us a big bag of fish...even though I don't eat seafood.
May 22th Cod Upon our arrival at the same place from the day before, we had steady bent rods for a good time with a mix of cod and pollack. Most of the catch was medium to large pollack and just a few cod. Shortly thereafter we lost the drift and we lost the fish. That was it and it was all over and the rest of the day was a struggle with a fish here and there with many drifts producing nothing, but still lots of fillets for the table.
Hoping for better results tomorrow?!!!
May 16th Cod/Haddock
The cod are back on the bank in large numbers. Today all it took was some long drifts and not too much looking to get it done. Fish were coming over the rail almost all day long with no time to even sit down to eat a snack. The gaff was going most of the day. There were many shorts, but there were also many nice big brown ones along with large pollack. The guys were exhausted from cranking all day.
We did stop this morning and afternoon at one of my favorite honey holes like the last two days prior and the fish were still there. We caught about 6 large cod in the morning and 4 in the afternoon, along with many pulling themselves off the hooks.
Hope the fishing continues to be excellent for the next few days.
May 15th Cod/Haddock/Pollack
Today was not the best of days making long drifts and catching lots of small fish and many throw-backs. We did make several moves only to find the same every where we went. Still not a bad day with lots of action and fish in the coolers, but really no big fish with some pollack and haddock, but not like the day before.
We made one last stop on the way home for bigger fish and they were there pulling drag. We made a few drifts loading up the boxes and on our way home we went for a late day. We left the fish biting.
Going there first stop in the morning...
May 14th Cod/Pollack
Today was much a repeat of yesterdays trip with about 50 pounds more fish, for a total of 900 pounds of a mix of cod and pollack.
We had excellent non-stop fishing for about 3 hours and then a good pick for the rest of the day, with most drifts always producing fish.
The largest cod was about 15 pounds and about the same for the pollack.
May 13th Cod/Pollack
Great weather and great fishing was what it was all about today. The morning blitz started out with slammer pollack coming in the boat steady followed by a pick of small market cod with a lot of throw-backs.
The day ended with about 850 pounds of cod and pollack for the table! Tomorrow should be another good day.
We still have just a couple openings for the month and the big bluefins should be here any day.
May 11th Cod/Pollack/Haddock
Today we had our 4th successful open boat trip with a mix of cod, pollack and haddock.
The morning started out with a good bite on large market and large cod with fish all over the bottom. The only problem was there was not much room to work because of the gill nets that were all over. We did get a few real nice drifts in before a gill netter set right on top of us and that was the end.
We moved further south and things looked real bad with no fish coming over the rail for some time. Soon thereafter, we found a bunch of fish and worked them the rest of the day with rods bending non-stop and fish coming over the rail until it was time to go home. There were many throw-backs but there was also lots of keeper cod, large pollack and a few haddock.
If was a great day with lots of fillets taken home.
May 8th Cod/Pollack
Today was one of those days where there was not great bite at anytime, but just a pick throughout the entire day. Some drifts we had a good flurry or two and it looked like it was going to shape up and it never did. Most of the fish were market size with some large markets and a few throw-backs. The large cod from the day before never did show up.
With that said, we had guys fishing in the driving rain hard all day and taking no breaks and making it happen. We did almost reach our limit, but we were short by only 5 fish. Still, all in all the guys did manage to put together a great catch....it just took a lot of work.
A rainy nasty day it was, but not such a bad day of fishing.
May 7th Cod/Pollack
This morning we did not have the weather and this afternoon we did. The morning started out okay with a good pick of market fish for about an hour and then it was all over. The wind was blowing and the fish stopped biting.
Lots of running around after and looking for some fish, and there were none to be found. Later in the day, the wind let go, we went to where we had bigger fish a few days ago and when we arrived they were stacked up 20 feet thick and all large cod. Stop and drop fishing was the only way to catch...get on them, let the jigs fly and you where either on or you where not and it was time to move once again.
It was a great afternoon sticking it out late and finishing up with tired fishermen who did a great job for their second day in a row. We left the fish biting....hope they are there tomorrow!
May 6th Cod/Pollack
The fish keep coming! Today was one of the bumpier and slower days, but the guys fished hard and caught lots of fish. Just about 600 pounds of cod and pollack came into the boat and because it was just a little rough most of the day, we lost probably more than we caught. Had the seas been calmer we would have had a banner day, but the guys are coming for round two tomorrow and it's going to be a nicer day.
A great bite is the way the day started and than a slow pick for a few hours. Later in the day, Kevin on the Kayman found some good fishing not too far away and we made a short run and caught about 3 more boxes before calling it a day.
I have one spot still available for May 11th...$200.
May 2nd Cod/Pollack
Today we had the Atlantic Highlands crew up again for another round of good fishing.
As soon as we arrived we had good fishing for about an hour or so, with fish coming in the boat steady. Nothing too big, mostly market size fish with a bunch of throw-backs and some big pollack bending the rods . After the good bite, it would slow to a steady pick with some drifts much better than others, but fish always on even though we lost just as many as we caught. We finished loading up with cod after a few good drifts and then off to find some haddock. As soon as we arrived we caught 3 haddock and it looked like it was going to be a good pick, and that was the end of it...we caught no more.
It was then time to head home and plenty of fillets filled the coolers once again.
We still have a few days open this month so don't miss out before we switch over to tuna/cod trips later in June.
We also still have one opening for the May 11th open boat...$200 pp.
April 28th Cod
Despite 25-30 knot winds, rough seas, sleet, snow and heavy rain we still loaded the boat up with market and large cod and lost just as many as we caught. We did lose a lot because of the rough seas. The new boat plowed right through the seas and sat like a tank on the drift, giving the guys a great platform to fish hard and put cod in the boat.
It was a hard day to stay on top of the fish, but there were plenty there and no one fishing. It was not the nicest day to be out there, but a great day of fishing!
Darren won the pool! You can see the big fish in the first picture.
If anyone wants to get in on an open boat trip the next one is May 11th ($200pp).
April 26th Cod
My report is really no different than all the others, different day different guys from NJ again that worked hard. The only difference today was a good majority of the fish were big cows and there were no other boats there. Also a big wolf fish too was added to the mix!
Still the same story....a great bite when we arrived with all rods lapping over every time you hit the bottom followed by it's time to move and get on them with stop and drop fishing! If you just drifted you caught nothing.
Tons of fillets were taken home again.
We still have some days available if you want to get in on some of the best cod fishing around!!!
April 25th Cod
We did it again! Departed the dock at 5am and were loaded once again with large market cod, large cod, slammer pollack and done by 9:30am. All boxes were so full, fish were falling out all over the deck.
We started out in the fleet early catching a bunch and then it slowed to a pick of smaller fish, so we took a ride on our own and found a big pile of fish with no one around. And it was non-stop...as soon as you hit the bottom you were on with a bounce or two. Slammer cod were hitting the deck as quick as we could take them off. The fish were on the move so you had to stay on top of them all the time.
Off to the haddock grounds afterwards to pick about 12 or so haddock. While fishing for haddock we must have released another 20 plus cod. We could not even get away from them.
It just doesn't get any better and it's been good since opening day.
There are still openings, but not many.
April 24th Cod
Today we had it all, after having to work hard yesterday to put together a good catch, today it came easy. The fish were still there thick as could be and biting like mad dog as soon as we arrived. All boxes full and fish all over the deck.
Cod and pollack were coming over the rail for about two hours before it slowed to a pick. Then off to the haddock grounds for steady pick with a strong current that made it difficult, but we did catch haddock. After a few hours we went back inside to find the cod were on the feed once again and we made a few more drifts and finished up with a bunch more of market and large cod and then back to the barn. Overstuffed bags of fillets were taken home.
April 23rd Cod and Pollack
We did catch a lot of cod and pollack today, but it was not as easy as it has been. There were many fish all over the bottom and the feed was not on, except for about one hour early this morning were we had good action and many doubles. After that it was a steady pick for the rest of the day and the guys had to work hard.
They did manage to put together a good catch of about 600 pounds between them. Most of the fish were market size and we had a few larges and a bunch of nice pollack again.
Still looking for two more persons for the April 28th trip is anyone is interested.
April 22nd Cod
My hands are too tired to type from filleting so many fish, so I will make it short and you can look at the pictures.
It was another great day with lots market and some large cod, but not as big as the day before. Today the fish were on the move and we had to also and the guys had to work just a little harder than the other days, but we caught our limit with no problem and some. In Addition a bunch of large pollack were added to the mix.
We will be fishing every day for the rest of the month.
Still looking for 2 more persons for the open boat on April 28th if anyone wants in. Cost is $200. Send me an email.
April 18th Cod
What a day it was once again! The cod bite is on big time, as it usually is up here.
Just about a carbon copy of the last trip...a great morning followed by a short quite period and off away we went from the fleet to find our own fish...and that we did. Once we got on them, it was once again non-stop drop and reel fishing with all large market cod, a bunch of 15 plus pounders and a bonus of nice pollack. There were plenty of doubles to be had and it was a slow ride home to fillet our limit of cod and a bunch of pollack. The guys worked hard and got it done, sore arms will prevail tomorrow.
Don't miss out, we still have dates left, but not too many. More warm weather is coming and the fish will be here for a long time to come.
April 16th Cod
A great opening day it was! The day started with a short 40 minute ride to find good amounts of fish running across the bottom on the prowl when we arrived.
The first part of the morning was okay fishing with fish coming over the rail steady, but not a slaughter and would soon turn off to just a pick for a short while. Soon thereafter, it was non-stop drop and reel fishing with all large cod and very few markets and almost no throw-backs.
The worst part of the day was throwing back 10-15 pound cod when we were done with our limit of 80 fish.
We only have a couple of days left in April and still a few in May.
Heading back out tomorrow...
March 21th Cod
A very slow morning it was, with only a few very small fish that did not even measure up. I thought it was going to be one of those days. We headed in to the fleet where absolutely nothing was going on, not a bent rod and I was not going to join the crowd.
We took a pretty long ride just looking around wishing to get lucky on one good pile of fish instead of sitting an waiting for something to happen. And lucky we got! The bottom of the screen was soon paved with cod tight to the bottom and not a boat in sight. All jigs on there way down and all rods bent in an instant. All nice market fish and 3 good drifts we caught more than we needed. Fish were all over the deck as the boxes were full in no time.
We called the rest of the guys in and they loaded up too.
We still have about 2 days open in April and a good amount in May. It's going to be a great spring!
No tuna were to be caugth today, but it was December after all. We did mark a few, but did not get the bite. There was not as many fish as there was a few days ago, but they are still here. It was a tough day of fishing as the wind was blowing 35+ knots, but in the big new boat it was a nice ride.
We did cod fish for a while because we marked so many on the bottom and despite a very fast drift, meaning poor fishing conditions, fishing was amazing with double headers every time! All market size fish with no larges and no throw-backs. It could not get any better.
December 5th Tuna
On the way home from completeing our giant fishing season in Cape Cod, crossing the bank in the dark just before dawn, Gary and I smelled the strong aroma of a feed. There was still tuna on the bank we asked each other??? We quickly fired two baits out and 15 minutes later the rod laps over and line starts going out. We could not believe it that we were hooked up in December.
A short while later we had our first of two small tuna that morning that went about 200 plus pounds. The second one was hooked and released shortly after the first. Fish were all over the machine and slicks were in every direction. We would have stayed longer had the wind not picked up to 35+ knots, but with the big new boat it got us home in comfort. Heading back out when the wind lets go...
September and October Giant Tuna
Bigger fish moved in and it was time to pull out the big gear. For the two months we did okay on catching giants between 400 and 900 pounds. Double headers, hand feeding, back to back hookups, we had it all. Unfortunately we lost way more than we caught with many pulled hooks and a few that chewed us off. One day we lost 3 in a row on day and that's the way it goes, nothing was being done wrong, sometimes you just pull hooks.
The best trip was with the new boat which we closed on the afternnon of October 29th and were fishing the next day. We arrived at the grounds just at the crack of dawn, after I had put out the third and final rod, on my way into the cabin heading to the helm chair the rod laps over and we were on. We where fishing a total of 5 minutes. Not too bad of a way to break in the new boat even though we pulled the hook. We did hook up and catch another a few hours later.
We did however have a successful season and here are just a few pictures.
September 27th Blues
Today we had first timers with us for bass and bluefish on an overcast wet day, but we caught fish and they had fun! It was not a slaughter of blues but it was a good pick and there was pleny of fillets for the barbeque. The guys did a great job reeling in fish for the first time and it was a great day.
September 26th Tuna and Cod
What a great day it was, upon our arrival we immediately marked fish. Within 5 minutes we had line peeling of the reel and the drag was screaming. Off the anchor we went and the chase was on! After a 45 minute battle the fish had his way and lived to see another day. We were all pretty upset, but it was time to get back to work.
As soon as we got back to the anchor, with the first line in the water, the rod lapped over and we were on again. This time the fish was not so lucky and steaks were in order. It was one of the longest battles we have ever had for a 200 pound+ tuna and I am not even going to say how long it was. The guys were beat and we were tired just from watching. Each fish is a little different and this one was very different.
As tired as they were we still went and caught a few cod for the table.
A great day it was and the guys will be back next year!
September 21th Tuna and Cod
Today was one of those days with plenty of fish on the machine and feeding all over the surface not just for us, but for everyone. If I thought we were going to catch a fish or two, today was the day. It never did happen for us or anyone! We could not believe it.
Well it was time to almost head home and we decided to see if the cod were anywhere to be found, and that they were. We made a few really good drifts with nice cod for the taking. It may not have been the best tuna day, but the guys sure did catch lots of cod!
September 18th Tuna
A slow day it was throughout the fleet, but we managed to get two amazing kite bites loosing the first one and then catching the second after a long tough battle. The fish weighed in at about 180 pounds and the guys did a great job.
Sept 1-7 Tuna, Cod and Blues
All tuna/cod charters had excellent results except one trip where the tuna where a no show and we did not catch one that day, but the cod fishing was super as it was all the other days too.
Most of the tuna were again in the 180 to 200 pound range with up to 6 fish hooked a day. Each day we stopped on the way home to jig cod and there was all you wanted if you were not too tired from doing battle with the tuna from earlier in the day. Mostly market size cod with a few larges in the mix up to 12 pounds.
All the inshore bass and blue charters produced bluefish only, but lots of them and good size. It was almost nonstop action on the troll with many triple headers and some up to 12 pounds or so.
August 26th Tuna
Today we had another stellar tuna trip with return customers from last year. Not too long after we set up we had our first bite! After about 45 minutes of chasing the 200 pound fish around the hook pulled and it was time to get back to work. About and hour later we had another 200 pound fish pile on the kite bait and a short while later the hook once again pulled.
It was some time now with no other bites and no fish swimming under the boat. It was time to go home, but I decided to stay late not wanting to come home empty handed. We agreed 2pm was going to be the departure time. At 1:57, with 3 minutes to go, 2 maybe 3 tuna piled on the kite bait and we were on with the drag screaming. In about 5 minutes we had the harpoon in the fish and it was time to go home. A little extra time paid off and there was plenty of steaks for the grill.
Another great day!!!!
August 25th Tuna
Today we had out Captain Don Hager former owner of the party boat Sea Fox from New Jersey who wanted to get in on some good tuna and cod action. It did not take too long after our arrival, within one hour we had fish under the boat. Soon thereafter two rods lap over and we had a double. While fighting the two fish my deckhand Sandro dropped another rod in the water and and now we had a triple. The bite was on!
The rest of the day went the same way with non-stop action. By noon everyone was exhausted from turning the handle. For the day we caught 5 and lost 2 for a total of 7 hookups. One fish was for eats and the others were released.
One quick stop was made at the cod grounds for 3 quick drifts with cod covering the bottom. As good as it was no one could reel any longer and went home with about 20 or so market size cod.
Not too bad of a day!!!!!
August 20th Tuna and Cod
Today we saw a lot of tuna but they just did not cooperate like they have recently. It was a slow day for everyone, except a few boats that did manage to catch a few. We did get one bite and were not able to put him in the boat. Not much more than that happened until we made the move to the inshore grounds for some cod.
Inside there was plenty of cod for our group, with drop and reel fishing again. We only made three short drifts and caught just under a box of cod before we headed home.
There are still plenty of tuna and cod in the area and it should remain strong until late October.
August 19th Tuna
Today was another banner day on the TUNA.COM with Gary and crew in from Conneticut going 6 for 8 on 180 to 230 pound tuna. It was minutes after our arrival we had our first two rods lap over and we had our first of two doubles of the day! In between the two doubles we fought two other fish that were also released.
There was no time for sitting down today as we were fighting fish almost all day. The first sandwiches that were eaten was on the ride home and everyone was beat. No one wanted to even try for another.
What a great crew and they did an awesome job for their second charter for the year.
Get in on the action while it is red hot! We only have one or two days for the rest of the month, but there is plenty of dates available in September.
August 18th Morning Tuna and Afternoon Cod
The morning tuna charter from New Hampshire and New York started with the first bait on the kite in the water for about one minute when a 300 plus pound giant piled on the bait. In about two minutes time he had stripped all the line off the TLD 30 reel and it was time to move on. About one hour later we had our second tuna on and pulled the hook after a short time. Around 10:45 AM we had our third tuna on that took us for a long ride and about an hour later the hook once agained pulled not to far from the boat. And that's the way the day went, lot's of action but we never did close the deal. Still no one in the area and we will be out the next two days for another two more tuna charters.
The afternoon cod charter all the way from Albany NY had great success with drop and reel fishing on some of my favorite inside spots . The first stop was non-stop action with bent rods as soon as they hit the botton as were all the other drifts. Every drift produced many cod with lots of doubles. All scrod and market size fish were in the box ready to go home for good eats. A very good afternoon it was!
August 17th Striped Bass
A very slow day again today with 0 bass coming to the boat for the extened half day charter. Bottom line is there is not a lot of bass around for now and it does not look like there will be in the very near future. Again we and other boats tried real hard working together and went from place to place only to find no bass or blues. Every day and every tide is different, but the over all recent trend is it's slow. If you are looking to book a bass charter I would be glad to take you, but I would look into a tuna charter first for the best results.
We are doing tuna charters the next 4 days and will post in the next couple of days.
August 12th Tuna
A great day it was yesterday and an even better one today as our charter from New Jersey and New Hampshire went 2 for 7 on 160-180 pound tuna. Steady action throughout the day with lots of marks and in one one hour period where we had 4 bites as quick as you could get your line in the water and bent rods.
Still the same as yesterday with a lot if fish in the area and sand eels from top to bottom with no one in the area fishing.
August 11th Tuna
Epic fishing was the word to be used today. From the first rod in to the last rod out, 5 fish on for the day. We had an awesome group today from Rhode Island all the way to New Hampshire.
We were hooked up after 5 minutes on the first fish and right when we where getting ready to leave. Too bad for that one because instead of getting home early that fish took us 1:45 minutes to get him to the boat and we got home late.
All fish where estimated to be around 160 to 180 pounds with tuna steaks for everyone including all the neighbors.
The bite is on and there was more fish there today than I have seen in a while and plenty of bait to hold them.
We still have plenty of openings, so get in while it lasts!!!
August 10th Striped Bass
Today was a very slow day with only one bass to report for the half day trip that turned out to be almost an all day trip. We ran from place to place and there was not much to see except one nice fish. No marks and lots of dogs made for bad fishing. We tried our hardest, put in extra time and that is all we can do. Hopefully bass fishing will improve and the next trip goes a little better.
August 8th Striped Bass
Even though there is still not a big body of bass around we had a great afternoon. A little patience and a little effort by all and we put together a good catch of 3 nice bass of which one was caught by 9 year old Abigale which weighed about 40 pounds. Not too bad for her first striped bass and she did it all alone! A good time was had by all and plenty of fillets for the grill. The same as the other few days and all the fish came in a short time.
August 6th Striped Bass
A slow morning it was, but we stuck it out spending a couple extra hours fishing time and went 2 for 5 on jumbo striped bass. Again all the action came in a short time with several fish showing up within an hour or so period. The charter group worked hard and managed to put two 30 plus pound bass on the deck for the taking. All bites were either on chunks or live mackeral.
August 5th Striped Bass
A much bigger improvement again today with 6 big bass coming to the boat with the largest around 35 pounds and again the bluefish continue to show up with two hooked and lost. Not much happened for quite a while and then it just turned on with all the bites coming in a short time. The group worked hard once again and put together a nice catch for the half day. A great day it was and hopefully more fish will continue to show.
August 4th Striped Bass
Today was a big improvement from Sunday with the charter working real hard and putting 4 nice bass into the boat. The average weight was about 30 pounds. Stll not a big body of fish here, but a few are running around and you just have to work a little harder.
August 2nd Striped Bass
The report for today is there is no report. For the two half day bass charters we unfortunately caught no fish. All the grounds we fished we found nothing to be there and all in all a tough and frustrating day. Conditions and weather were good but the fish just were not there and we did our best. Both trips everyone fished really hard but there was no fish for the taking. There will be other days and hopefully more fish will be on their way. Every day and every tide has something different to offer, just not what we wanted today.
August 1st Tuna
Unfortunately a very slow day today to be reported by all boats fishing Stellwagen Bank. No wind and no tide and no fish to report. Sad to say it was not a good day and we can only hope it will get better. It's not the first time we came home with no tuna and I'm sure it won't be the last. We can only do our best and that is what we did.
July 30th Striped Bass
Captain Sandro took the boat again for an all day bass and reported slow fishing for most of the day with 4 nice bass in the 45 inch range being caught and losing 2 others. All bass were about 30 pounds. Not the best day, but not too bad either.
July 29th Striped bass
Captain Sandro took the boat today and had a great trip with 10 big bass! Two where 34 and 39 inches and the rest where all over 44 inches with the biggest 49 inches. A 49 inch bass is usually about 45 pounds, but they said it did not have big shoulders and maybe weighed about 38-40 pounds. Still a nice bass however. They also lost two others and had a couple of the first bluefish bites of the year. A great day of fishing!
July 28th Striped Bass
Slow fishing was the word again today, but we again managed to put 2 nice bass in the boat and release 2 others, along with losing 1 for the afternoon half day trip. Conditions were not the best, had they been better we could have caught a few more.
July 27th Striped Bass
Captain Sandro took the boat today for an afternoon half day trip and reported slow bass fishing all over, but mananged to put 3 nice bass in the 20 pound range in the boat. All fish were caught on herring chunks.
July 14th, 20th, 21th, 22nd and 23rd Striped Bass
July 14th was a great day with 13 bass being caught with the biggest around 35 pounds, with the rest in the 20 to 30 pound range. Also several other were released and lost. Pretty good action for a half day of fishing!
July 20th was one of the best days this year. We did two half day charters catching our limit of 8 huge bass on each trip! The smallest fish was 45 inches which is about a 30 plus pound bass and the others were even bigger in the 45 to 48 inch range up to 40 pounds.
July 21th was not as good with only 3 bass in the 25 to 30 pound range for the half day.
July 22nd was very slow with only 2 nice bass caught for the half day.
July 23rd was an amazing day with fish under the boat before we even set the anchor. While we were waiting for the anchor to come tight we hurried to get the first two rods on their way out and after just seconds the bass piled on and we had our first double of many double headers to come. Fishing was so good we lost count after 20 fish and figured we caught around 25 or so. All the bass were anywhere from 24 to 39 inches with all being released except 3 for the table.
July 10th, 11th and 12th Tuna and Cod
All the charters had okay fishing each day with the 10th and the 12th being the two best days. On those two days we caught one tuna each day on the troll that weighed in at around 130 -150 pounds. Nice weather each day with the fish not being as cooperative as we would like, but we did manage to hook up and get the job done.
On they way home we stopped at some of my favorite cod grounds and they were still there. None stop drop and reel fishing with mostly 5 - 10 pound cod. On the last day your jig would not even make it to the bottom as the cod would pile on it on the way down. If you would wait another second after you hooked the first one you would get a double.
Coolers of tuna steaks and cod fillets where taken home.
June 29th Striped Bass
Our first stop on our afternoon trip was little slow until we deceided to make a move. On the next spot after about a few minutes we had out first striper that weighed in at 52 pounds! After the first fish they showed up in large numbers ( look at the fish machine below ) with triple headers to be had. Most of the 20 plus fish were in the 30 to 34 inch range and we released all but four that they wanted for the grill. A great day it was and we will be back out in the next couple of days.
June 4th - 6th Striped Bass
Good fishing on every charter with about a 5 fish average for a half day. Most fish were around 25 to 30 pounds with only a few that did not make the 28 inch limit. Live mackeral was the best bait, although chunks did work well too. Plenty of bait in and around the harbor where we have been fishing and it should continue to get better each day.
We will be doing our first tuna trips this week and the reports are looking good!
May 30th Striped Bass
Today we did our first two bass charters of the year not knowing what to expect. Not too bad of a first day with some nice bass in the boat and only a few throw-backs with the biggest around 25 to 30 pounds. Had the tide not been so fast we could have most likely caught a few more. All the fish taken were caught on live mackeral or chunks, it did not seem to matter.
May 25th Cod and Haddock
Not such a great day today. It got off to a great start for a few drifts early with short stops and fish coming in the boat steady. After a few drifts and it was over. The rest of the day was a slow pick with one or two more good drifts. The 3 man charter still went home with a 5 gallon bucket full of fillets.
May 24th Cod and Haddock
"Stupid fishing" today with short drifts again because you had to be right on top of them and if you were not you would catch nothing. Every time you would get on them, all 5 rods were lap over with singles and lots of doubles if you patient enough to wait another second before cranking.
All market size fish with a bunch of larges, with some up to 18 pounds or so...I never weigh them. It was nonstop action every time you would drop and as soon as you were off them it was time to move. No time to sit down as the move sometimes was only a boat length before it was time to send the jigs down again.
Heading back out in the morning...
May 23rd Cod and Haddock
Another great charter today with short drifts on big piles of fish and all the cod you wanted, along with another early day as the charter had enough fish. Nonstop action on jigs all day with mostly nice size market cod up to 18 pounds with many double headers.
Tomorrow should be another great day...
May 22nd Cod and Haddock
Today we had out Jay and crew and we were back on the meat! Great weather and great fishing, but with short drifts on piles of cod. All rods down and all 5 would lap over almost each time we stopped and then it would be time to move again. Some drifts were longer than others with a few more to be picked if we continued the drift, but moving and getting right back on them was almost a sure thing that you would get 5 on again.
By noon time we went looking for haddock we were all done with the cod. The haddock bite never did shape up today with only a few in the cooler.
All in all they went home with bags stuffed full of nice size cod fillets.
Heading back out in the morning for hopefully another repeat day...
May 20th Cod and Haddock
Today we had Joe and crew out from Highlands NJ and despite great fishing conditions we had slow fishing throughout most of the day. It was a slow pick of cod on jigs in the early morning at best with a few nice size fish, but not many. Also we had quite a few throw-backs that were in the low 20 inches.
We went looking around for better fishing and everywhere we went there was not much to see. We then set the anchor and had an okay pick of haddock with a few nice fish here and there.
Not much more than that to report and they went home with a few nice bags of fillets.
Hopefully better luck tomorrow...
May 17th Cod and Haddock
Today we got a later start than usual, leaving the dock around 7 AM. We had 4 persons with 2 coming from France for their first visit to the states. It was a great day with plenty of cod jigging in the morning and then the winds came on strong and it was all over. The cod once again were not as big as last week but keepers anyway.
We then took a short ride to look for haddock, threw the anchor and in about 15 minutes time it was nonstop haddock. Drop and reel fishing once again with lots bull haddock. If you had one on and waited another second you would have a double. The coolers filled up in no time and it was another early ride home with tired customers and coolers full of fillets.
May 15th and 16th Cod and Haddock
Two great charters!
May 15th we had our limit of cod in about 3 hours time with drop and reel fishing. Much bigger fish than the last few trips and after we caught our limit we had a steady pick of haddock for the rest of the day. The charter had enough fish and asked to go home early.
May 16th was almost as good of a day despite tough fishing conditions, but they worked hard and put together a really great catch of cod and some haddock. Again the cod were bigger than recent trips.
Heading back out in the morning...
May 8th Cod and Haddock
Capt Bruce took the boat today and called on the way in and said the 5 person charter had caught 5.5 boxes or 550 pounds of fish. Pretty good action most of the day, with cod on jigs in the morning and haddock on bait for the rest of the day. Most of the fish caught were haddock and the rest were cod. All good size haddock and still the same size cod, nothing that big but keepers anyway. Great weather and another great day of fishng!
April 30th Cod and Haddock
Today we had out Big Al and crew again and the weather was perfect with clam winds and seas, however the fish did not cooperate like the day before.
We caught fish almost constantly throughout the day, but there were many throw-backs and few haddock to be had. All in all they still managed to put together a good catch of cod filling about two coolers, but nothing like the day before. All cod were 5 - 15 pounds average and the haddock were all big.
Everyday has been different fishing different places, but good to spectacular to fixing each day. Still no bad days to report, even with the slowest day so far they still came home with bags of fillets. Some days you just had to work a little harder.
April 29th Cod and Haddock Marathon
Today we had out Big Al form the Sea Horse and other crew from Atlanitc Highlands New Jersey. Fishing was so good today and it was not as good as it has been, that they decided to come again tomorrow.
It was a bit windy this morning when we left and I knew we were not going to be able to drift until later in the day when the winds were going to back off. So we anchored and had a pretty good pick of cod and haddock for a few hours, filling about 3 coolers of fish.
As soon as the winds let off we pulled the anchor and found the cod with no other boats around. All I will say it was drop and reel fishing and as quick as you hit the bottom you where on! If everyone went down at one time there where 5 bent rods. You never came up with an empty jig unless of course you were Al. Fish were all over the deck with all coolers full and they just kept coming.
We left the fish biting and will be back in the morning to hopefully do the same.
Fishing has been awesome this year and there is plenty of bait around and it sould continue.
April 26th Cod and Haddock
Another great day on the water with calm seas and a warm temperature. As soon as we got there the bottom was covered with cod. The first drop with jigs was all bent rods with a few keepers and lots of throw-backs. And that was all it was, one good drift and the fish just disappeared. We looked around and made a couple of more stops and caught a few shorts and it was time to move on.
We then went to the haddock grounds and had a slow pick all day, a couple of fish here and there is all is was . After the tide change late in the day we went looking for cod again and found a bunch not too far away. With no body around it was nonstop action on jigs for about 2 hours and we managed to catch 3 more boxes. This time most of the fish were keepers, with some as big as 20 pounds and the average was 5-8 pounds.
What a great end to a pretty slow day with 2 five gallons buckets of fillets to take home.
April 25th Cod an Haddock
Today was nothing like it was yesterday, wind against the tide and rough fishing conditions did not allow us to jig for cod. We dropped the anchor to fish for haddock almost right away and it was a slow pick at best throughout the day with about 8 fish or so an hour.
The weather is going to be better tomorrow and it should be a good day?
April 24th Cod and Haddock
We left the dock at 6am and headed to where we have been fishing and along the way, about 7 miles short of the cod grounds, fish where piled up high.
Fishing was the best it's been all year!. We made one long drift and we had our limit of cod in about 2 hours time. A new body of fish is here, still with some throwbacks and most you did not even have to measure, they were mostly gaffers. Still nothing that big, but bigger than they have been.
We had to get away from the cod and look for haddock and did not have to go too far. We moved to the deeper water, set the anchor and put the bait out. All I can say it was nonstop big haddock with not one throwback and plenty of cod again that got to swim another day.
Around noon or so everyone was tired and it was time to take a slow ride home and fillet fish.
Heading back out in the morning for hopefully a repeat trip.
April 17th and 18th Cod and Haddock
Our last two cod and haddock charters on 4-17 and 4-18 were a great success. Two great days with sore arms and full coolers. There is plenty of bait and good fishing should continue.
Fridays charter 4-17, which only consisted of only 3 fishermen caught 70 plus cod and haddock. It was a slow cod pick in the morning with the largest fish around 12 pounds and the rest where in the 5 - 8 pound range. There where also quite a few throwbacks, one out of every four or so was a keeper. In the late morning we went looking for haddock in the deeper water and marked quite a few, shortly thereafter we set the anchor and it was almost non-stop action with all keeper haddock and some where around 10 plus pounds.
Saturdays charter 4-18, was and even better day! We caught around 120 cod and haddock and it was much the same as the day before, cod in the morning and then to the haddock grounds afterwards. Once we set the anchor, as soon as everyone was on the bottom all rods were bent and it lasted for quite a while and when it did slow down after the tide change we still always had fish on. 100 pounds of fish fillets in the cooler and we where on our way home.
4-18-09
April 16th Cod and Haddock
Today we got a late start because of the weather and fishing was pretty poor for the afternoon. Bad conditions, dirty water and really not too much to report other than about 20 small cod. We did mark some fish, but not too much action on jigs or bait was the tone of the afternoon.
We were just getting ready to pull the plug for the season and decided to take one more ride. Glad we did! We got out three days in a row and went 5 for 11 on tuna. The biggest was gill gutted at 960 lbs and the other 4 were almost as big. One day we went 3 for 6 and the other two days we caught one each day and lost a few more. Heading back out once the weather allows us too.
September 22 Tuna
Good fishing despite high winds and big seas. We went anyway knowing that they would bite on the northeast wind compared with the day before when there was no wind and calm seas. Within the first hour we had our first fish and no too long after we had our second. As hard as it was to stand up they got the job done. One fish was around 80 lbs and the other 100lbs. We will be doing 3 more charters this week and will report back.
September 7th through the 10th
Great tuna fishing for the second week of September with as many as 12 fish a day. Most have been around 100 pounds and some as big as 500 pounds. It has been consistent fishing for the last month and looks good for the forseeable future. Congratulations to Dan Golding and his first giant tuna! The next one will be bigger. Many days we have been back at the dock early because the guys were just worn out. No pictures from the last two day trip that had no results with one giant being lost after a brief battle. We will report back later in the week after the next few charters. We still have plenty of openings for the month of September!
tuna.comcharters@yahoo.com