NEW YORK

Point Lookout

Wind kept fishing docked a few days, but the eight anglers aboard landed 75 cod, when the party boat Captain Al resumed fishing Saturday, the vessel’s Facebook page said. On Sunday’s trip, cod bit in the morning, until the tide changed. Then the fishing slowed, but was good at a couple of spots found in the afternoon, somewhat farther from shore, though the cod were smaller than in the morning. Cod on trips have been a mix of keepers and shorts, and have schooled close to shore. The fish push deeper each winter as the ocean cools.  The Captain Al is fishing for cod 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, and is this site's nearest boat to New Jersey that sails for the fish every day. See More Info. Call: 516-623-2248.

VIRGINIA

Virginia Beach

The weekly party boat trip to Norfolk Canyon was weathered out on Saturday with Rudee Inlet Charters, Capt. Skip Feller said. But long-range forecasts look like this coming Saturday’s trip will get the weather to sail. The annual, unique trips are targeting blueline tilefish. Sometimes the trips also motor farther from shore for catches that can include black belly rosefish, wreckfish, barrelfish, golden tilefish and groupers. Bluelines are usually fished for first. If enough bluelines are caught, and seas are calm enough, then the trips also do the fishing farther off. The trips are slated for 3 a.m. to 8 p.m. every Saturday in winter. Sometimes anglers are offered the trip on another day, like that Sunday or Monday, if weather is better then. Call: 757-422-5700 or 757-425-3400 Visit Website.

Not many striped bass were boated, a report on Virginia Beach Fishing Center’s website said. But bottom-fishing gave up fish from tautog in Chesapeake Bay to blueline tilefish, golden tiles, black belly rosefish and more offshore. Sometimes offshore trips returned with yellowfin tuna and blackfin tuna. Anglers are waiting for bluefin tuna that sometimes swim close to shore in winter. Virginia’s striper fishing is open in the ocean and closed in Chesapeake Bay currently. The angling is opened in the ocean starting on January 1 and closed in the bay beginning on that date. In the ocean, the fishing is open within 3 miles from shore, and closed beyond that, the same as along the entire East Coast. Striper fishing used to be tremendous in the ocean off Virginia in winter. But the fish seemed to school beyond 3 miles from the coast in recent winters. Stripers winter off Virginia and spend the warmer months farther north. Visit Website.

NORTH CAROLINA

Oregon Inlet

None of the boats fished in past days, because of weather and too few customers for charters, from Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, Ayra Wagner said. Anglers are waiting for bluefin tuna to arrive, and that usually happens from mid to late February. Only one bluefin caught was known about, so far this season, and the fish was released. Some were also seen farther south, off Morehead City. Bluefins could’ve arrived locally, but no trips fished recently, and the season was early for the tuna to move in. Before the past week’s cold, rough weather, trips from the marina reeled in yellowfin tuna and blackfin tuna. Visit Website.

FLORIDA

Islamorada

Wahoo fishing lit up on a couple of days this past week with Captain Easy Charters, Capt. Bruce Andersen said. The fish weighed up to 35 and 40 pounds and were trolled on live bait, mostly speedos and cigar minnows, offshore of the reef, a few miles from port. The water there is between 100 and 200 feet deep, the depth dropping off much closer to shore than off New Jersey. Fishing got off to a great start this winter aboard, a report on Captain Easy’s website said a week ago. Sailfish, king mackerel, mahi mahi, blackfin tuna and mutton snappers were hooked on most charters. Sometimes wahoos showed up, and fishing for them peaks from November to March, becoming hot and cold, or the fish come and go, during that period. Catching wahoos is always a treat, Bruce said in a past report. Sometimes trips fished farther from shore, cranking in queen snappers and tilefish from bottom. The muttons, queens and tiles hold along bottom. The rest of the fish swim farther up in the water column. A few dates are still available later this month for charters. Call: 305-451-9578 or 305-360-2120. Visit Website.

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