When yellowfin tuna are off Ocean City, New Jersey
Yellowfin fishing out of Ocean City runs on two seasonal windows, with run distances from 15 to 95 miles or more and a short list of named structure on the way out. This page gives those numbers, attributed to the local captains who state them. Ocean City, New Jersey, opens to the Atlantic through Great Egg Harbor Inlet.
Two local operators give the season, and their figures differ. Capt. Syd names June and July, and again September and October. Moover gives early June to October. Both are shown below, and neither window comes with a guarantee of fish. For biology and general behavior, see our yellowfin tuna page.
| Source | Window |
|---|---|
| Capt. Syd | June and July, and again September and October |
| Moover | Early June to October |
The early summer window
Capt. Syd names June and July, and Moover’s range starts in early June. Moover also lists day trips of up to about 50 miles for June and July.
The fall window
Capt. Syd names September and October as the second window, and Moover’s range runs to October. Both operators fish yellowfin from Ocean City into the fall.
How far boats run from Ocean City
Distances range from 15 miles on a typical offshore day to 95 miles or more on canyon trips. Each figure below belongs to the operator who states it, and we have not averaged them.
Moover runs day trips up to about 50 miles in June and July, and canyon trips of 75 to 95 miles or more. Capt. Syd says a typical offshore day is 15 to 80 miles out. Mod Squad runs 10 to 16 hour offshore and canyon trips, which is a trip length rather than a distance. For the wider run from the canyons to the shelf along this coast, see the Atlantic Northeast guide (see also the Atlantic Northeast region guide).
| Operator | Trip type | Distance or length |
|---|---|---|
| Moover | Day trips (June and July) | Up to about 50 miles |
| Capt. Syd | Typical offshore day | 15 to 80 miles |
| Moover | Canyon trips | 75 to 95 miles or more |
| Mod Squad | Offshore and canyon trips | 10 to 16 hours |
Day trips
Moover’s day trips reach up to about 50 miles in June and July, while Capt. Syd’s typical offshore day covers 15 to 80 miles. The two ranges overlap but are not the same figure.
Canyon trips
Moover runs canyons of 75 to 95 miles or more. Mod Squad’s offshore and canyon trips take 10 to 16 hours, so the day should be planned around that trip length.
Grounds and structure off Ocean City
The named grounds below are listed from near to far, with the offshore canyons at the far end. The inshore items are best treated as waypoints on the way out.
| Name | Type | Depth | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean City Reef | Reef | 55 to 70 ft | 4.5 nautical miles off Ocean City |
| Libra | Hopper scow on Ocean City Reef | ||
| Sulzer, Ohio, AC Wescoat 2, Shamrock | Barges on Ocean City Reef | ||
| Great Egg Reef | Reef | 50 to 70 ft | 7.2 nautical miles off Atlantic City |
| 28 Mile Wreck (the Varanger) | Wreck | Named for roughly how far it is from Ocean City | |
| Offshore canyons | Canyons |
Ocean City Reef and its barges
Ocean City Reef sits in 55 to 70 ft of water, 4.5 nautical miles off Ocean City. The Libra, a hopper scow, lies on it, along with the Sulzer, Ohio, AC Wescoat 2 and Shamrock barges.
Great Egg Reef
Great Egg Reef holds 50 to 70 ft of water. It lies 7.2 nautical miles off Atlantic City, so the run should be measured from there rather than from Ocean City.
The 28 Mile Wreck
The Varanger is called the 28 Mile Wreck because of roughly how far it sits from Ocean City.
The offshore canyons
The canyons are where the local operators run for tuna. Moover’s canyon trips go 75 to 95 miles or more, and Mod Squad works the canyon walls and the continental shelf.
How yellowfin are fished from Ocean City and who fishes them
The two operators that list yellowfin tuna from this port name four methods and two kinds of offshore structure. Rigging and technique detail are in our tuna fishing guides.
Trolling, jigging, poppers and chunking
Moover lists trolling, jigging, poppers and chunking. Boats fish whichever of the four the day calls for.
Canyon walls and the shelf
Mod Squad works the canyon walls and the continental shelf for tuna, which is the structure at the far end of the run.
Moover Fishing Adventures
The Moover is a 42-foot boat docked at Seaview Harbor Marina in Longport. It runs day trips up to about 50 miles in June and July, and canyon trips of 75 to 95 miles or more. Details are on the operator’s site: Moover Fishing Adventures in Longport.
Mod Squad Charters
Captain Syd Unsworth runs Mod Squad Charters from a 29-foot Triton center console. Trips are 10 to 16 hour offshore and canyon trips.
FAQ: yellowfin tuna out of Ocean City
How far offshore do you run for yellowfin from Ocean City, NJ?
Runs range from Capt. Syd’s typical offshore day of 15 to 80 miles to Moover’s canyon trips of 75 to 95 miles or more. Moover’s June and July day trips go up to about 50 miles.
When do yellowfin show up off Ocean City?
Capt. Syd names June and July, and again September and October. Moover gives early June to October.
What is the 28 Mile Wreck?
It is the wreck of the Varanger, named for roughly how far it sits from Ocean City.
What structure is closest to Ocean City?
Ocean City Reef, in 55 to 70 ft of water and 4.5 nautical miles off Ocean City. The Libra hopper scow and the Sulzer, Ohio, AC Wescoat 2 and Shamrock barges lie on it.
Who runs yellowfin charters out of Ocean City?
Moover Fishing Adventures runs the 42-foot Moover from Seaview Harbor Marina in Longport. Mod Squad Charters is Capt. Syd Unsworth’s 29-foot Triton center console, running 10 to 16 hour trips.
