NEW YORK

Point Lookout

A few cod were bagged Saturday on the party boat Captain Al, Capt. Tom Weiss said. The 13 anglers bagged a couple of dozen, and the fishing wasn’t good Sunday. Just a few ling were hooked, and waters were 36 degrees or cold. The cod on Saturday were landed in 100 feet. But on Sunday, the cold waters seemed to keep any fish from biting, until the trip pushed farther from shore, and fished in 185 feet. The ocean there was 36 ½ degrees, and the ling were caught. Until waters warm, trips will probably fish as deep as possible. This winter has been colder than recent ones, and cod usually bit more abundantly earlier in winter before. But the coldest weather this winter might be about finished. Trips are sailing 6 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Fridays through Sundays. When cod are in, the boat goes after them. Otherwise, the trips fish wrecks for a mix of cod, pollock and ling. See More Info. Call: 516-623-2248.

VIRGINIA

Virginia Beach

The weekly party boat trip to Norfolk Canyon was weathered out Saturday with Rudee Inlet Charters, Capt. Skip said. Sometimes anglers will be offered to sail on another day, like Sunday or Monday, if weather looks better. But weather was also rough this past Sunday. The trip the previous weekend shoveled up a good catch of blueline tilefish, then moved deeper, cranking in black belly rosefish, wreckfish, barrelfish and golden tilefish. These are the typical catches on these unique trips, sailing 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. every Saturday each winter. Call: 757-422-5700 or 757-425-3400. Visit Website.

Nothing new was reported about striped bass fishing on the ocean from Virginia Beach Fishing Center on the marina’s website since the last report. The bass were mostly a no-show on the legal fishing grounds, within 3 miles from shore, this winter, though they schooled beyond 3 miles, where fishing for them is closed. Angling for the stripers was great in past years on the legal grounds. The fish winter off Virginia, after migrating from the entire eastern seaboard farther north. Deep-drop fishing for tilefish and barrelfish was good offshore this season. Visit Website.

FLORIDA

Islamorada

A little of everything bit, like before, said Capt. Bruce Andersen from
Captain Easy Charters. Deep-drop fishing remained good for a variety
of species, especially queen snappers. The fish were hooked along bottom
in 500 to 700 feet, mostly on squid. Catches there could also include blueline tilefish, snowy groupers and other snappers. Closer to shore, sailfishing wasn’t red hot, but sails were definitely caught. So were king mackerel, including big ones yesterday, and wahoos. All those fish are usually trolled along the offshore edge of the reef, a few miles from port. Sometimes baits can be pitched, like when sailfish shower bait along the surface. Bottom-fishing for mutton snappers was also good. Call: 305-451-9578 or 305-360-2120. Visit Website.

Four permits, a bunch of big jacks and some snappers were tugged-in Sunday on one of the traveling trips to the Florida Keys with Jersey Cape Guide Service from Sea Isle City, N.J, Capt. Joe Hughes said. The anglers, Dusty Laricks and Dan Rath, that day also sight-fished for sharks, reeling in a bonnethead. On Saturday, they pulled in groupers, jacks, Spanish mackerel, cero mackerel and triggerfish. They landed eight or nine lemon and bonnethead sharks while sight-fishing. That night, they hooked a tarpon that broke off on a bridge. The trips were very productive, Joe said, and fished the bay near Islamorada. Weather was beautiful, and the bay was 81 degrees. Traveling charters to the Keys fish aboard every year from Christmas to Easter, mostly on weekends. One option is to arrive on a Friday, fish all day Saturday and part of Sunday, return Sunday evening, and be back to work on Monday. Visit Website. Call: 609-827-3442.

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