Giant bluefin tuna giving fishermen a fight off Jersey Shore coast

It started with one giant bluefin tuna. Now, at least a half-dozen more have been landed within the space of week.

The big fish have weighed well over 700 pounds and have yielded as much as 500 pounds of meat, once dressed out. The bluefin have came inshore all the way to the Sea Girt Reef chasing schools of mackerel. How long they stick around remains to be seen, but they've stolen the thunder from the spring run of striped bass and bluefish.

Greg Bogan at Brielle Tackle said the sudden appearance of the fish has led to a run on ballyhoo and spreader bars as fishermen run out to give it a shot. Along with the several giants that were landed were a couple of stories of fish that broke off after several hours of fighting.

A lot of fish are starting to show up now. This weekend a surf fishermen in the Seaside to Island Beach stretch of sand reeled in a fluke while fishing for stripers, according to Grumpy's Tackle. The fish was released but come this Saturday, it is open season on summer flounder.

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The parade of striped bass has picked up steam, at least from the surf and bays. There hasn't been any boat action in the ocean to speak of yet.

Surf caught bass were reported by tackle shops from Beach Haven on Long Beach Island to Sea Bright as most spots on the coast are producing fish. Clams by far have accounted for most of the catches.

Bass and bluefish in Raritan Bay

Patrick Sciortino at the Tackle Box in Hazlet said fishermen are pulling in bass and bluefish in Raritan Bay at a steady clip. A lot of boats are now involved in the fishery. Capt. Alan Lee's Mushin charter boat hasn't been skunked in some time. They've been involved in a couple of blitzes, where they've caught and released about two dozen bass in a few hours of fishing.

The bluefish have been hitting metals and plastic lures in the Manasquan River . The fish have some shoulders on them. Bogan said he's weighed in fish up to 10 pounds. He said the blues came in last week and have drawn a number of anglers. The fish are holding between Treasure Island and the mouth of the Point Pleasant Canal.

The fluke have also made their way into the Manasquan River and are already back by the Route 70 Bridge. Bogan said a winter flounder fishermen caught one by mistake.

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Speaking of out of season fish, Capt. William Egerter Jr. on the Dauntless said his fares caught and released a few really big sea bass while he was fishing structures for blackfish. He had pretty good tog and ling catches over the weekend when they could get around the dogfish. Blackfish closes on April 30. Sea bass, on the other hand, will open on May 17.

When Jersey Shore native Dan Radel is not reporting the news, you can find him in a college classroom where he is a history professor. Reach him @danielradelapp; 732-643-4072; dradel@gannettnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Giant bluefin tuna giving fishermen a fight off Jersey Shore coast