NEW YORK

Point Lookout

Daily trips for cod were launched Friday on the party boat Captain Al, Capt. Tom Weiss said. A few cod to 10 pounds were decked that day in 50-foot shallows close to shore. Afterward, southerly winds that chill waters close to shore, because of upwellings, caused fish to stop biting in the shallows. So trips pushed farther offshore, and caught ling. Saturday’s trip scooped up a good catch of ling, and not many cod. Sunday’s trip was weathered out, and Monday’s trip barreled up ling. Cod usually don’t show up for trips until the first week of January. Then the fishing peaks. But a few cod were already around, and will probably bite again when winds switch to northwesterly a couple of days. Cod usually show up in shallows at first in winter, schooling deeper as waters cool. Waters currently were 42 to 43 degrees in the shallows, cooler than usual, but a good temperature for cod. When cod are biting, trips target them. Otherwise, trips wreck-fish for ling and whatever other bottom-fish will chomp. The Captain Al is this site's closest Long Island cod boat to New Jersey. Trips are fishing for cod and ling 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. After New Year’s sometime, the trips will begin to depart at 6 a.m. See More Info. Call: 516-623-2248.

VIRGINIA

Virginia Beach

Weather kept the weekly party boat trip for sea bass from sailing offshore Saturday with Rudee Inlet Charters, Capt. Skip Feller said. But the trip sailed for them inshore instead, about 30 miles from the coast, and caught sea bass and a few bluefish. The sea bass were mostly small on the inshore grounds, but can be large jumbos offshore. On the inshore trip, a couple of sea bass topped the 5-pound citation size. Forecasts were better for the inshore waters, and the trips previously steamed 60 miles from shore, almost to Norfolk Canyon. The trips are usually sailing 3 a.m. to 8 p.m. every Saturday, but the trip inshore ran only 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., because of the shorter distance to the fishing grounds. The trips are taking advantage of sea bass before sea bass season is closed on January 1. Forecasts currently look like this Saturday’s trip for sea bass will get the weather to fish offshore. Afterward, the weekly trips, running at the same hours every Saturday, will fish Norfolk Canyon, mainly for blueline tilefish. But the trips can dock a mix of fish that can include the bluelines, black belly rosefish, wreckfish, barrelfish, golden tilefish and groupers. The unique trips are the main event for Rudee Inlet Charters each winter.  Call: 757-422-5700 or 757-425-3400. Visit Web Site.

FLORIDA

Islamorada

Capt. Joe Hughes from Jersey Cape Guide Service from Sea Isle City, N.J., trailered the boat to Islamorada this weekend to begin annual traveling charters from the Florida Keys, he said. The trips fish each Christmas to Easter, and Joe expected to kick off the angling this week with trips to the Everglades, for catches including redfish, speckled sea trout and snook. The trips through winter target a large variety of catches, from the reds and specks to tarpon and sailfish, and many other species. Variety is the thing, and the Keys are also a great vacation spot because someplace can be fished no matter the weather. If winds blow from one direction, fishing in the Everglades might be in order. If they blow from another, fishing along the ocean side, the opposite side of the Keys, might be. Or maybe the trips will stick close to port and tangle with tarpon, if winds are just plain terrible. And so on. The trips mostly fish on weekends, and can be a mini, fish-filled vacation. Anglers, if they choose, can arrive on a Friday, fish all day Saturday and part of Sunday, return Sunday evening, and be back to work Monday. Visit Web Site. Call: 609-827-3442.

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