Anglers finding Threshers, mako

[Sam]

There are numerous reports about offshore big-game fishing heating up as we head into summer. Sportfishermen going for sharks in two recent tournaments out of Cape May came back with reports of tuna, and it seemed to expand from there.

Most of the reports are from the weekend when more boats got out, but hookups continued into this week. A 520-pound thresher shark was caught Saturday at the 28-Mile Wreck on the Hooker with captain Frank Haney. It was a Father's Day trip chartered by Pennsylvanian Bill Long, according to Haney. The thresher was 174 inches in length when measured at Moran's Dockside in Avalon. Haney said they probably would not have gotten the shark on board without the help of Sea Isle City's Mark and Mack Dever.

They were fishing the same area and jumped from their New Moon to the Hooker to assist. Haney said two of the anglers in his crew were in their 80s. Haney runs the Hooker out of the Sea Isle City Marina.

Rob Barrett at Dolphin Dock in Somers Point reported threshers caught closer to the beach. Barry Jacobsen of Egg Harbor Township got a 250-pounder and Michael Carr of Swedesboro got one that weighed 145, both at the Great Egg Reef. There have been reports of mako sharks in addition to threshers.

Chris Daggett of Ocean City caught a 150-pound mako Tuesday at the 28-Mile Wreck. It was weighed at Fin-Atics in Ocean City. Haney said the Devers had a mako and he reported seeing makos free jumping. Barrett weighed a 175 mako caught by Chris Schultz at the GE Reef.

Yellowfin and bluefin tuna joined the mix. Plus, a few white marlin have been reported raised and blue marlin sighted at the canyons. Robin Scott at Ray Scott's Dock in Margate said a weekend offshore trip by David and Benjamin Rubin, David and Robert Pascal, and Dave Lamm racked up yellowfin and bluefin at the 500 line in the Baltimore Canyon. The crew sighted basking sharks estimated between 15 and 17 feet on the surface feeding on plankton. Sharks and tuna have been reported at several other areas: 750 Square, 19-Fathom Lump, East Lump, Northeast Lump, Middle Lump, and Elephant Trunk.

Tim Davis at Moran's said trolling blue and white daisy chains in the wake of the boat works for tuna. Cedar plugs and small feathers are other trolls.

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