VIRGINIA

Virginia Beach

Striped bass, spread along the ocean from Oregon Inlet in North Carolina almost to Virginia Beach, started to trek back to local waters from the south, said Capt. Bill Richardson from Backlash Sport Fishing. Trips picked them up not far from Virginia Beach,  and Backlash did no fishing Monday, but a buddy ran a trip that day that whacked a 50-pounder and seven in the 30-pound range, returning to the dock at 1 p.m. “So that’s not bad,” Bill said. The fish are returning to spawn up Chesapeake Bay, but are still feeding, chasing large herring and adult bunker. They usually feed a while early in the day, unlike the all-day chew common earlier in winter. Waters had slowly begun to warm back up, triggering the migration. Lots of rains fell that can cool waters, but west winds blew most of the week that help warm the ocean close to shore. Many of the boats had left port by this time of the season to pursue other fishing, but Backlash keeps on striper fishing, taking advantage when the pressure was off the fish. “The rockfish are back,” Bill said. “That’s the story.” Backlash will fish offshore for swordfish when waters warm somewhat more. Call: 757-286-0711. Visit Web Site.

Fin Seeker Sport Fishing sailed for striped bass on the ocean the last few days, racking up plenty of the fish, Capt. Bob Robinson said. But the fishing will come to an end soon for the season, and the boat is slated to be moved this week to Hatteras, North Carolina, for annual fishing for tuna and big game. The first tuna trips are scheduled for Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, and bluefin tuna currently tore up the waters. But blackfin tuna were also around and are usually the main species this time of season. Mahi mahi, wahoo and billfish angling will begin next. Anglers who mention Fishing Reports Now will get a special rate on trips. Call: 757-618-7421. Visit Web Site.

Anglers pumped up lots of blueline tilefish to 16 ½ pounds from the depths on Saturday’s weekly party boat trip to Norfolk Canyon, said Capt. Skip Fuller from Rudee Inlet Charters. A healthy number of citation fish, bluelines that weigh 10 pounds or more, or 20-some of the trophies, were iced. Seas were rough, though forecasts had called for seas to diminish, so the trip stayed on the blueline grounds, instead of moving deeper, where golden tilefish, blackbelly rosefish and scattered groupers can be more common. So bluelines made up most of the catch, but tons of out-of-season sea bass chomped and were released. The trips, sailing 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. every Saturday, hook mostly blueline tilefish, a few golden tiles, blackbelly rosefish and snowy groupers. Limited to 40 passengers, the trips are only $170 per person, a great price for offshore angling. Call: 757-422-5700 or 757-425-3400. Visit Web Site.

NORTH CAROLINA

Oregon Inlet

Crews on a couple of boats from Oregon Inlet Fishing Center this morning found striped bass a little farther north than before, but said gazillions schooled, more than they’d ever seen, Virginia Lawhorne said. Last week she reported that some located the fish very close to port that week. How long they remain somewhat depends on how cold the weather stays. A state biologist said large populations of bait that the rockfish forage on still swam the waters. Offshore boaters from the marina fought 150- to 200-pound bluefin tuna, unusually close to shore. Bluefins were sometimes seen among the stripers. Nobody mentioned boating yellowfin tuna, but a sizeable mako shark was clubbed. Visit Web Site.

Hatteras

Bluefin tuna to 180 pounds, good catches, were smoked through the weekend, days of no winds, rains or floods for a change, said Dave Hissey from The Roost Bait & Tackle at Teach’s Lair Marina. A few blackfin tuna were docked, and quite a few amberjacks were brought in. Some boaters bottom fished, coolering tilefish, groupers and sea bass. Boating for catches was pretty excellent all around. Surf anglers sometimes lucked into occasional pods of puppy drum. Dave then tried his hand at the fishing, coming up with none. Previously the surf had turned too cold for fishing. Visit Web Site.

FLORIDA

Lake Okeechobee

Cold weather through most of the week, despite warming days at the end of the week, slowed the lake’s largemouth bass fishing, said Capt. Butch Butler from South Florida Bass Fishing. The fish hunkered down in the chill, were reluctant to bite, and anglers were lucky to score 15 or 20 bites a day. The lake was in the high 50s, frigid for Florida, and air temps increased almost to 80 degrees in the past days through Monday, but the lake temps would take a moment to rise. But they will rise, and fishing will get back to normal. Largemouth catches had been great, and the lake was in good shape for the angling, with clear waters, lots of fish-holding vegetation and an average depth of 13 ½ feet, normal for Okeechobee. Charters swam live shiners under a bobber for catches, and that was a top choice while the fish were inactive. Trips will begin to fish more often with artificials when the season warms, making the bass aggressive. But tournament anglers during the cold spell caught the bucketmouths on artificials including top-water lures, spinners and rubber worms. Crappie fishing shoveled up excellent catches in the Kissimmee River at night in the cold, and Butch also guides for crappies. Some anglers waxed a hundred of the slabs in a day. Call: 863-634-5431. Visit Web Site.

The lake began to be warmer more consistently, and that was needed to make largemouth bass fishing more consistent, and good catches began to get socked, said Capt. Angie from Captain Angie Douthit Guide Service. She saw a catch of five bass that totaled more than 28 pounds. Big females were moving on to the spawning beds, and she explained in a past report that the lake’s bass spawn from September to May, and December to February is the height. But not all the fish spawn at the same time. Some anglers specifically target spawning females, because of their size, releasing the fish. But Angie usually targets an area on the lake that will hold a variety of fish including spawning ones. Angie, a professional bass angler who guides when not competing, enjoys fishing for the bigmouths with artificals including top-water lures, spinners and rubber worms. Choices lately included the East Texas Big Bass Lure, a wooden top-water with props on both ends; rubber worms that had wide tails for vibration on the drop-down, worked slowly during the recent cold; and 3/8-ounce spinnerbaits with double willow leaves, thrown to holes in the grass. Some anglers specifically take a trip to learn how to fish the artificials, and she’s up on the latest techniques. Some even take a trip to compete in one of the many bass tournaments always taking place on the lake, experiencing how to search for for a heavy creel under the gun. Call: 863-228-7263. Visit Web Site.

Fort Lauderdale

Fishing for king mackerel spanked the catches, a zoo of the fish, during the weekend on party boat trips with Flamingo Fishing, Capt. Alan Moudy said. One trip almost limited out on 8- to 12-pounders, and one of the fish weighed 18. A bunch of bonito were pummeled lately, and so were gray triggerfish 1 to 1 ½ pounds. No sailfish were hooked in the past days but occasionally are. Nasty weather kept the boat docked Monday, because the crew didn’t want the conditions to beat up the anglers. None of the evening trips sailed in some time, because of cooler nights that most customers wouldn’t prefer to be surprised to find themselves in. Nights on the waters can be cooler than expected for some during this cooler winter. Three trips sail daily 8 a.m. to 12 noon, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Call: 954-462-9194. Visit Web Site.

Miami

Better weather moved in, said Jackie Glinski from the Blue Waters II, after winds and rains had been difficult, and a few mahi mahi, schoolie fish, grabbed live baits 2 to 3 miles offshore. The season was early for mahi, so that seemed encouraging. Abundant king mackerel swiped baits 2 miles out, and a new population of sailfish seemed to just start arriving. Amberjacks swarmed around the wrecks a couple of miles off Dade County, and not much was heard about sharks, but hammerheads and such usually come through in March to June. Some boaters tried to sail for swordfish, but rough seas hampered the angling. Swordfishing is available during the day, unlike the usual nighttime fishing for the species, in deep waters with expensive electric reels that crank them in. Call: 305-373-5016. Visit Web Site.

Islamorada

Big amberjacks, lots of them, were beaten at the Hump, 11 miles offshore, with Captain Easy Charters, Capt. Bruce Anderson said. A 130-pounder, a huge one, the biggest ever on the boat, was creamed last week. Anglers aboard livelined 2-pound bullet bonito or small blackfin tuna to nail them. Lots of king mackerel and a few wahoos were pounded a few miles from shore on trolled baits. A few sailfish, not as many as earlier this season, roamed the same waters, pouncing on slowly trolled ballyhoos. When charters targeted sails, they caught the fish, including two on a charter Sunday. Mutton snappers were hoisted up from the wrecks on live baits such as ballyhoos, pilchards or cigar minnows. A good-eating fish, muttons are sizeable, such as 20-pounders that are commonly claimed on the vessel. Warmer, better weather than before had rolled in, though horrible rains and winds hit the area Monday. Call: 305-451-9578 or 305-360-2120. Visit Web Site.

Back to Top