If you like tuna, especially ahi tuna, and if your summer vacation days take you to the Jersey or Delmarva areas, delicious eating bluefin tuna are being caught with regularity at both shore locations.

According to our saltwater fishing reporters from On the Water Magazine, the New Jersey offshore areas are producing yellowfin and bigeye tuna that are being taken on trolled ballyhoo in the canyons. The Hudson Canyon in particular has some big yellowfin catches along with a mix of good fighting white and blue marlin. At the same time, the mid-shore grounds hosted a bite of school bluefin and big yellowfin tuna that are showing a preference for Nomad jigs and UVT jigs in 90-160 feet of water. A few yellowfin were even taken on poppers.

According to Capt. Adrian Moeller of Rockfish Charters, the yellowfin have mostly moved off the mid-shore grounds, but large sand eels are keeping the school bluefin well fed and biting.

A recent tournament winner produced a 63-pound white marlin out of Ocean City, NJ. Nearby and just north of Atlantic City, a 193-pound bigeye was brought in. There was also some large and scrumptious eating mahi taken from the Ring Tourney in New Jersey, while chicken mahi are beginning to show up on floating structure and over mid-shore reefs. There are enough of them around that even bottom fishing party boats are catching them by casting jigs toward mats of grass and flotsam on the surface.

Down at Delmarva shore points, like Ocean City, MD, the trolling bite exploded for bigeye tuna from the Wilmington Canyon. One boat brought in a 191-pound bigeye to win the annual Ocean City Tuna Tournament held last Sunday. It was reported that a few fish were taken on spreader bars but most were caught by trolling skirted ballyhoo. Added to this, a few bluefin tuna were taken over inshore lumps in the 15-30 fathom range.

If smaller fish are your preference, fluke fishing is improving at Jersey shore points along with plenty of ling and big black sea bass, but keep in mind “one” is the limit.

Snappers are also showing up along the Jersey docks and in the marinas while crabbing is excellent in the rivers and bays.

According to Frank Giacalone at Gabriel Tackle in Brick, NJ, fluke fishing remains decent at the Manasquan Inlet, in the Manasquan river and in Barnegat Bay. However, shorts outnumber keepers. He adds that Point Pleasant Canal is producing plenty of stripers and blues on live eels and spot. The surf was also good last week for kingfish, croakers, even some nice spot.