NEW YORK

Point Lookout

On the party boat Captain Al, cod fishing was good, when weather allowed trips to sail, Capt. Tom Weiss said. Sunday’s catch was somewhat off, for unknown reasons, but catches were decent otherwise. Ninety percent of fish landed were cod, and a few ling were mixed in. The cod were boated mostly from shallow, 60- to 70-foot-deep waters. They were hooked on clams, and none was jigged. No bait was marked in about a week that was read previously. Previously, lots of bait that looked like herring was seen on the fish finder. Pool-winning cod usually weighed in the teens, and most of the cod were school or market sized.  The Captain Al is this site's closest boat to New Jersey sailing for cod daily. Trips run 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, and the fishing could be peaking, so don’t delay jumping aboard. See More Info. Call: 516-623-2248.

VIRGINIA

Virginia Beach

The weekly party boat trip to Norfolk Canyon sailed Saturday with Rudee Inlet Charters, Capt. Skip Feller. Was a good trip, not a banner one, but the anglers were happy, he said. Sea bass to 5 pounds, bluefish, blueline tilefish to 14 pounds, a golden tilefish, black belly rosefish, wreckfish and barrelfish were beaten. So, a good variety of fish. What depths were fished? Skip was asked. “We did it all,” he said. The trip began fishing in 250 feet, where the sea bass, blues and bluelines came in. Then the trip spent time in 600 to 750 feet, where the rest of the catches were nabbed. Weather was cold but calm. The unique trips, running 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. every Saturday, sail to Norfolk Canyon, 4 to 4 ½ hours from port, each winter. Sometimes when weather is predicted for a Saturday, anglers will be offered to sail on that Sunday or Monday, if weather looks better then. Long-range forecasts for this Saturday look iffy but okay for Sunday. That could change, but if Sunday continues to look better, the trip could sail then. Call: 757-422-5700 or 757-425-3400. Visit Web Site.

A few boats fished from Virginia Beach Fishing Center on Friday, a report on the marina’s Web site said. But the trips found no striped bass. A few vessels sailed from the docks Saturday, and one returned with blackfish. But stripers lately remained “elusive,” the report said. The fish swam the ocean off Virginia. “We are just waiting for them to move closer inshore,” the report said. Striper fishing is closed beyond 3 miles from shore. Reports were only posted for Friday and Saturday since last week on the marina’s site. Offshore fishing was great for sea bass and tilefish. Visit Web Site.

NORTH CAROLINA

Oregon Inlet

Reports about bluefin tuna began to be heard at Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, though none was seen yet, Denise MacNamara said. One of the charter boats Monday reported “a near miss,” she said, and was back out for the fish today when she gave this report in a phone call. “At least (the bluefins) are out there,” she said, and anglers hope fishing for them will turn on. Sea bass and tilefish were pumped in from offshore during the weekend. No striped bass showed up this far south so far this season. Visit Web Site.

Hatteras

Bluefin tuna were boated starting late last week, a report said on the Web site from The Roost Bait & Tackle at Teach’s Lair Marina.  “Still a pretty good run to get on them,” the report said, but the fish were within range. At mid-week last week, winds gusted to 60, keeping trips in port. Early last week, good catches of yellowfin tuna were decked. Bottom fishing was good for sea bass and tilefish. Surf fishing was slow, but a few puppy drum and speckled trout could be beached if anglers worked hard for them. Sea mullet schooled the surf early last week, but none was reported seen since the blow. Visit Web Site.

FLORIDA

Islamorada

Fishing was good, said Capt. Bruce Andersen from Captain Easy Charters. A trip Tuesday landed three sailfish, some blackfin tuna and a couple of mutton snappers. Big mahi mahi, including a 46-pounder and a 30-some-pounder on one trip, were axed on trips lately. Wahoos were also wrestled aboard recently. The sails, tuna, mahi and wahoos are usually trolled just offshore of the reef, several miles from port, or farther out. Live baits are usually dragged at varying speeds, depending on the species targeted, like slowly for the sails and faster for the ‘hoos. The muttons are reeled from bottom at wrecks farther out, in 200 to 250 feet, on live baits. Sometimes cobia are caught close to shore in 20 feet. Live baits are pitched to rays the cobia follow, foraging on food the rays stir up with big wings. Call: 305-451-9578 or 305-360-2120. Visit Web Site.

Traveling trips to the Florida Keys fished this weekend aboard, said Capt. Joe Hughes from Jersey Cape Guide Service from Sea Isle City, N.J. The charters are available each winter, mostly on weekends. Dustin Laricks climbed aboard the outings this weekend, and on Saturday, redfish, barracudas, bonnethead sharks, and a lemon shark were fought. All were sight-fished along the flats behind Islamorada on live and Gulp shrimp on jigheads. In the evening, two tarpon were caught and released on livelined ladyfish near the island. On Sunday, at the Everglades, big snook 30 to 35 inches or 10 pounds were waxed. So were redfish, speckled sea trout, black drum, barracudas and blowfish. Large jacks and mangrove snappers were also caught during the weekend aboard. Anglers can arrive on a Friday, fish all day Saturday and part of Sunday, and be back to work on Monday. Call: 609-827-3442. Visit Web Site.

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