Sun., April 28, 2024
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Offseason Fishing Report 3-27-12


NEW YORK

Point Lookout

The Captain Al was in the yard, for seasonal maintenance and a Coast Guard inspection, and will resume fishing on Friday, Capt. Tom Weiss said. Trips will fish for ling and cod from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Fridays to Sundays. Daily trips for the same fish will launch on April 13. Porgies will be able to be targeted on the trips when New York’s porgy season opens on May 1. The Captain Al is this site's closest Long Island cod boat to New Jersey. See More Info. Call: 516-623-2248.

VIRGINIA

Virginia Beach

Weather was gorgeous, seas were slick calm, the weekly party boat trip to Norfolk Canyon steamed Saturday, “(and) it was a real good day,” Capt. Skip Feller from Rudee Inlet Charters said. A good catch of blueline tilefish was beaten in 300 feet. Then the trip moved to 600 to 800 feet, pumping in black belly rosefish, barrelfish, wreckfish and golden tilefish.  Long-range forecasts look nice for this weekend’s trip, and the fishing’s been great this year. The deep-drop, bottom-fishing trips are heading to Norfolk Canyon, a 4 to 4-1/2-hour sail, 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. every Saturday. If the weather is rough, sometimes the trips are moved to Sunday or another day. The unique outings aim for catches including blueline tiles, golden tiles, black belly rosefish, groupers and wreckfish. Ask about special trips for golden tiles this month and in May. Charters are also running. In other news, a private-boater from the marina walloped a 24-pound 6-ounce tautog that will be a new state record if confirmed. Boaters from the marina rounded up the tog, and began to catch summer flounder and a few black drum. Call: 757-422-5700 or 757-425-3400. Visit Web Site.

NORTH CAROLINA

Oregon Inlet

Boaters motored offshore Sunday from Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, and nearly all limited out on yellowfin tuna, Denise MacNamara said. Two bluefin tuna, including a 64-incher, were docked from the trips that day. So were a wahoo and a gaffer mahi mahi. On Saturday a bunch of the marina’s boaters  limited out on yellowfins. They also returned with five bigeye tuna 74 to 82 pounds, no bluefin tuna, three wahoos including a 52-pounder, and a mahi. Did fewer bluefin tuna seem around lately? Denise was asked. No, she said, but anglers usually chased yellowfins, because the catch limit was more liberal. One boat from the docks fished inshore recently, and the anglers came up with tilefish and a mako shark. Winds weathered out trips on Monday. Visit Web Site.

Hatteras

The first sailfish of the season was caught on the boats from Teach’s Lair Marina, a report on the marina’s Web site said. The sail, probably also the first of the year from Hatteras, was landed Monday. Lots of the marina’s boaters fished Saturday in beautiful weather,  rustling up blackfin tuna, mahi mahi and wahoos. Catches were similar Sunday, and the weather was rougher, but “doable,” the report said. One trip fished inshore recently, cracking a citation drum and all the tailor bluefish the anglers could tug in. From the surf, anglers loaded coolers with blowtoads, small bluefish, mullet and a few drum. Many of the mullet were small, “but that will change here shortly,” the report said. Visit Web Site.

FLORIDA

Islamorada

Mahi mahi, pushing in early this season because of warmth, amberjacks, a few blackfin tuna, and other catches, like lots of yellowtail snappers, were dragged in with Captain Easy Charters,  Capt. Bruce Andersen said. Fishing aboard was good, and the mahi were mauled in 200 to 500 feet, or 6 to 12 miles from shore. Some were trolled, but others were caught when anglers could sight-cast live bait to them, for excitement. The amberjacks were muscled in from the deep, at places like the Islamorada Hump, 11 miles from shore, other sea mounts and deep wrecks. At the Hump, live baits were deep-dropped to the top of the underwater, geologic tower, rising 300 feet from bottom, in 600 feet of waters. The amberjacks were showing up on time, but the blackfin tuna, located in the same areas, were late to arrive. A few swam the waters. The yellowtail snappers, warm-water lovers, lots of them, and other fish like mutton snappers were bailed from the reef 5 miles from shore. Weather was mild and pleasant, reaching at least the mid 80s. This month was windy, but warm like winter was, and the past days came with calm winds. Call: 305-451-9578 or 305-360-2120. Visit Web Site.

COSTA RICA

Los Suenos

Sailfishing was slower this past week than before, said Capt. Pete Wagner from the Dream Girl. Two to four sails were landed on most trips, and seven sails 80 to 115 pounds were released on the best day. Two blue marlin were tackled during the week aboard. Pete Longo’s party drilled a 350-pound blue and a few sails and dorado on one day. Jeff Walling’s party slugged a 200-pound blue, a sailfish and some dorado on another. Bottom fishing was strong for small to medium groupers to 20 pounds, red snappers and lots of small tilefish, “providing lots of good eating,” Pete said. Pete will return to New Jersey on April 6 to begin striped bass fishing on his boat Hyper Striper from Highlands. Anyone wanting a striper trip in the early season should call or e-mail him ASAP. At Costa Rica, he runs trips on Dream Girl each winter, fishing from New Jersey the rest of the year on Hyper Striper. Visit Web Site. E-Mail. Call: 732-212-1847, office; or 732-688-1933, boat.

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