Boats find bluefish blitzing, Shark Byte wins white marlin contest

Bluefish were a standout along the northern Monmouth County coast, with party boats and surf anglers landing fish from 2 to 12 pounds during the weekend. Captains reported bait under diving birds and a mix that included Spanish mackerel and bonito, with some catches of weakfish as well. Surf fishing also produced other species at times, including reported bonito for anglers at Gabriel’s Tackle in Brick and a rare king mackerel earlier in the week. In tournament news, Shark Byte won the Beach Haven White Marlin Invitational with a 55.7-pound white marlin, earning a $166,590 payout and beating El Bendido’s fish by 1 pound and 1 ounce. Only two boats met the 68-inch rule; 57 boats competed for $700,115 total, ahead of the MidAtlantic tournament starting Monday.