NEW YORK

Point Lookout

No trips fished this weekend on the party boat Captain Al, Capt. Tom Weiss said. Weather was somewhat rough, but not too bad, but anglers didn’t show up to sail. Trips are fishing for cod and ling 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays through Sundays. If cod are in, trips target them. Otherwise trips fish wrecks for a mix of cod, ling and other bottom-fish. The ocean’s been cold during this cold winter, and cod fishing hasn’t been as good as during warmer winters. But when the cod fishing’s on, the boat is this site’s closest to New Jersey sailing for cod daily. By this time in winter, trips usually start fishing Fridays through Sundays like now.  See More Info. Call: 516-623-2248.

VIRGINIA

Virginia Beach

The weekly, deep-drop, party-boat trip to Norfolk Canyon was moved to
Sunday this past weekend, because of weather, but the fishing was good with Rudee Inlet Charters, Capt. Skip Feller said. The trips are usually slated for Saturdays, and the angling’s been good this winter and usually is. At first, the trip pumped in blueline tilefish to 15 pounds in 50 fathoms or 300 feet. Then the trip pushed deeper, landing golden tilefish to 45 pounds, black belly rosefish, a couple of wreckfish and a small snowy grouper in 500 to 700 feet. Larger snowies, and more of them, were in the mix on the previous trip, covered in the previous report. The unique trips usually catch a mix of fish like this, and sometimes barrelfish, sailing 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. every Saturday in winter. But sometimes anglers are offered to sail on another day, like that Sunday or Monday, if weather is better then. Weather on this Sunday’s trip was still somewhat breezy, making seas somewhat choppy. But the fish bit. Call: 757-422-5700 or 757-425-3400. Visit Website.

Blackfish, including a couple of 10-pounders, were boated on the ocean Sunday, a report on Virginia Beach Fishing Center’s website said. That was a gorgeous day, reaching 65 degrees in calm winds and sunny skies. Anglers in small outboards fished Rudee Inlet for puppy red drum. Offshore party-boat fishing docked beautiful catches including blueline and golden tilefish and groupers. Fill the freezer with those fish, including if you expected to fill it with striped bass this season. Stripers this winter never really swam within 3 miles from shore, where fishing for them is open. They schooled beyond 3 miles, and the bass each year winter off Virginia’s then migrate to the Northeast in spring. Visit Website.

NORTH CAROLINA

Oregon Inlet

The fleet was out in force Saturday to fish for bluefin tuna from Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, a report on the marina’s website said. Two bluefins 92 inches and 59 inches were bagged, and three were released that measured 72 to 87 inches. Four boats sailed for the tuna Sunday from the docks, and two of the fish were bagged: a 68-inch 175-pounder and a 66-inch 150-pounder. Three were released that day, including a 300-pounder that was 80 inches. No trips fished Monday because of an impending storm. But six boats fished on Thursday, returning with a 67-inch 200 pound bluefin and some blackfin tuna and tilefish. Bluefins that day “were very visible,” the report said, “but they just weren’t biting. Visit Website.

FLORIDA

Islamorada

Been good fishing this past week with Captain Easy Charters, Capt. Bruce Andersen said. This winter’s been mild on trips aboard in the Florida Keys, though the season’s been cold and snowy in the Northeast. Weather’s reached almost 80 degrees on most days on trips in past weeks, and more calm weather is forecast for the future. King mackerel and a few sailfish were trolled on live bait along the offshore edge of the reef, a few miles from port. Sometimes wahoo were, like a sizeable one 50 pounds yesterday on a live speedo. Bottom-fishing inshore cranked up catches like mutton snappers. Farther out, deep-drop bottom-fishing remained good in 400- to 700-foot depths. Yelloweye snappers were bailed during that angling the other day. That fishing lately also decked vermillion snappers, queen snappers and blueline tilefish. Sometimes trips sailed to the Islamorada Hump, nailing a few amberjacks. The hump, 11 miles from shore, is an underwater dome, rising 290 feet from bottom in 600 feet of waters. Call: 305-451-9578 or 305-360-2120. Visit Website.

Yellowtail snappers, lots, were mugged on the party boat Miss Islamorada
the past couple of weeks, Capt. Ben Loy said.  The record-setting warm winter, usually reaching the 80’s, kept the waters warm, and that was favorable to yellowtail fishing. The tasty fish were also starting to spawn, and that helped. The snappers weighed 2 to 4 pounds, good-sized, and were hooked at the edge of the reef in 40-foot depths, 4 miles from port, a 30- to 40-minute sail. Chunks of shrimp were free-lined, with no weight, into a chum slick to catch them.
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