NEW YORK

Montauk

Cod trips were yet to sail this season on the party boat Helen H, because the fishing had been slow, and the anglers who had wanted to sail were few, Capt. Joe Huckemeyer said.  But the fishing improved in the last days in cooler waters, and the trips might begin this weekend. Call: 508-790-0660. Visit Web Site.

Point Lookout

Fishing was the best yet this winter last week on the party boat Captain Al, Capt. Tom Weiss. Cod made up 90 percent of the catch, and mackerel were mixed in. Cod fishing fell apart on Sunday’s trip, for some reason, but began to improve on Monday’s. Trips concentrated on cod while the fishing was good, but Sunday’s trip, when the codding dropped off, targeted ling a moment. The ling fishing wasn’t great, but some were caught. If the trip had fished for ling all day, a good catch probably would’ve been made. But a bunch of ling weren’t going to be caught in about the hour the trip fished for them. The cod lately were hooked in 70 to 90 feet, somewhat deeper than earlier this season. A few were jigged, but most anglers clammed for them. Cod fishing sounded slower farther north, but they bit from Point Lookout lately. This warm winter seemed to change fishing sometimes. Fifteen giant bluefin tuna 500 to 600 pounds were marked under the boat one day. The season was late for them to swim this far north. A few out-of-season sea bass, fish that during some winters already migrated offshore for winter, were landed and released each day aboard. Striped bass, fish that during some winters would already be migrated south, were seen busting the water surface in a couple of acres close to shore on a trip one day. The Captain Al is this site's closest Long Island cod boat to New Jersey. Trips run 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. See More Info. Call: 516-623-2248.

VIRGINIA

Virginia Beach

A 69-pound striped bass was checked in Friday at Virginia Beach Fishing Center, a report on the marina’s Web site said. Still, the coast’s striper fishing slowed down, and only several were docked in the past week, except one trip limited out. Charter captains expected a comeback, but weather usually kept trips from sailing in the past week. Bluefin tuna, fish that swam close to shore, were sometimes brought back to the marina, when boats could sail. Six bluefins – a 127-pounder, two 134-pounders, a 147-pounder and a 272-pounder – were checked in Saturday. Little was reported Sunday, apparently because of weather, except that’s when the one trip limited out on stripers. A 128-pound bluefin and a 44-inch striper were the two fish reported caught on Monday. Then a winter storm hit, and no boats ran from the marina today, because of weather. The shop didn’t open until 10 a.m. today, because of the storm. Visit Web Site.

NORTH CAROLINA

Oregon Inlet

One boat sailed today from Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, steaming offshore, Denise MacNamara said, in a phone call while the vessel was on the waters. So no results were heard, and Saturday was the last time boats from the docks got the weather to sail. Six trips sailed that day, returning with two bluefin tuna 259 pounds and 133 pounds. The anglers also released two bluefins 300 pounds each. One of the boats fished inshore, returning with a sea bass, a red snapper, two summer flounder and a tailor blue. None of the trips caught yellowfin tuna, but yellowfins were gaffed previously this winter. No rockfish or striped bass were reported found this far south so far this season. Visit Web Site.

Hatteras

“What a strange winter this has been,” a report on Teach’s Lair Marina’s Web site said. “Been more spring-like than winter,” it said. But temps in the 60s made for beautiful fishing, it said. One trip boated a few big mahi mahi, surprisingly. “Like (we) said … strange, strange winter,” the report said. Another trip got into a huge school of drum, 60- to 70-pounders, just off Cape Point. Some boaters headed north to fish wrecks for sea bass and triggerfish, because sea bass season is closed south of the Point. “But the ride is worth it,” the report said. Surf fishing “has come to a halt,” it said. One of the staff from the shop hadn’t beached a speckled sea trout in nine days, and saw none caught. A puppy drum was banked at North Beach, and dogfish bit, but not much else happened from the shore. Visit Web Site.

FLORIDA

Islamorada

Sailfish, pretty consistent catches, Capt. Bruce Anderson said, were slow-trolled on live baits like ballyhoos with Captain Easy Charters, along the offshore edge of the reef. Kingfish, quite a few, big ones sometimes, too, were slow-trolled in the same area aboard, mostly on live cigar minnows. Trips aboard this week fished the patch reefs often, also. Catches like mangrove snappers, yellowtail snappers and cero mackerel were winged there. The patch reefs are patches of corral inshore of the reef in 10 to 20 feet. Trips anchored and chummed there, fishing with either live baits like ballyhoos or live shrimp. This winter’s been mild in the Florida Keys, and some days last week were windy, but trips still got out and caught. Call: 305-451-9578 or 305-360-2120. Visit Web Site.

Big snook, some larger than 30 inches, were crushed in the Everglades on one of the weekend getaways to the Florida Keys this weekend with Jersey Cape Guide Service, Capt. Joe Hughes said. The snook were a highlight of the trips Saturday and Sunday, with Dan Rath and Dustin Laricks aboard, but redfish, speckled sea trout, jack crevalles, a black drum and various other species were also walloped. On Saturday evening, the anglers fished near port at Islamorada, landing and releasing a big tarpon, jumping off a couple of others. The silver kings were 70 to 100 pounds. Tarpon fishing’s been on, consistent, during this warm winter, and the tarpon have been big. It was a banner weekend, Joe said. Jersey Cape, fishing from Sea Isle City, New Jersey, the rest of the year, runs the Keys charters through winter, mostly on weekends, sometimes during the week, like on holidays. Anglers can arrive on a Friday, fish all day Saturday and part of Sunday, and get back to work on Monday morning. The trips can be a fish-filled, mini vacation, reeling in lots of different catches, from sea trout to sailfish.
Visit Web Site. Call: 609-827-3442.

The weather this season was warm, and so was the water, about 78 degrees, and that kept yellowtail snappers chewing, said Capt. Ben Loy from the party boat Miss Islamorada. Lots of yellowtails were swung aboard, and some days were windy and rough, but trips still sailed. Yellowtails are one of the best-eating fish, so anglers looking for meals were especially happy. To catch the snappers, the boat is anchored at the reef within 4 miles from port. A 40-pound chum bag is placed in the waters, and the crew tosses into the waters additional chum mixed with oats. The anglers hook a small chunk of bait on a weighted rig, casting it into the chum slick. No king mackerel were fought aboard in the past couple of weeks, because of the warmth. Kings had been nailed on the boat during a cold spell earlier this winter, covered in a previous report. The crew hopes more will migrate in if the weather sometimes becomes cold this season. Kings migrate to local waters in the cold of winter. Visit Web Site.

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