NEW YORK

Point Lookout

A few small cod were picked every place Saturday’s trip fished on the party boat Captain Al, “but nothing crazy,” the vessel’s Facebook page said. Wrecks 20 to 30 miles from port were fished, and the ocean closer to shore was becoming too cold for cod. The angling was slow on Sunday’s trip, and Monday’s trip was weathered out, and today’s probably would be, too. Anybody interested in joining the trips can telephone the boat. The Captain Al is this site’s nearest boat to New Jersey that fishes for cod daily in winter. When cod are in, the trips go after them. Otherwise, the trips fish wrecks for whatever bites, like ling. The trips are slated for 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. See More Info. Call: 516-623-2248.

VIRGINIA

Virginia Beach

Blueline tilefishing was fair on the weekly party boat trip to Norfolk Canyon with Rudee Inlet Charters, Capt. Skip Feller said. Not a bad catch was rounded up, and seas became rough. Seas were fine at first, until the wind, from southwest, breezed up. Sharks were a nuisance, but some of the bluelines were citation fish. They must be 10 pounds or larger for the angler to be awarded a citation from Virginia, and 12 pounds was the largest caught on the outing. After blueline fishing, the trip pushed farther from shore for deeper water, and black belly rosefish were pitched aboard. But then seas started to become too rough. Sometimes, when enough bluelines are bagged, and seas are calm enough, the trips also sail farther from shore like that. Then catches can include the rosefish, wreckfish, barrelfish, golden tilefish and groupers. The trips, since Skip’s been reporting about them here in past years, reached the deep, catching a variety like that, more often than not. The water was 51 or 52 degrees on the fishing grounds, about 4 hours from shore. The unique fishing sails 3 a.m. to 8 p.m. every Saturday in winter. Sometimes anglers will be offered to fish on another day, like that Sunday or Monday, if weather forecasts look better for then. Call: 757-422-5700 or 757-425-3400. Visit Website.

NORTH CAROLINA

Hatteras

This is the home stretch for winter at Hatteras, and spring is right around the corner, a report said on the website from The Roost Bait & Tackle at Teach’s Lair Marina. No charters were booked with the fleet at the marina, so there wasn’t much to report. Weather was rough this winter, too. But fishing is possible year-round from Hatteras, and if anglers would sail, jigging for blackfin tuna is world-class. The crew from the shop wouldn’t be surprised if bluefin tuna swam the coast, but nobody knew whether the fish were there, because anglers didn’t try for them. But one trip bottom-fished, pumping in a good catch, including triggerfish, snappers and a 40-pound grouper. Water was too cold for fishing inshore. In the surf, a few puppy drum were in, but mostly dog sharks and skates bit. If anglers could get a bait past the dogs and skates, they had a chance at a pup. Visit Website.

Morehead City

Weather was too rough and cold, and no fishing trips sailed, said Terry Willis from Captain Stacy Fishing Center. Giant bluefin tuna had been boated a few weeks earlier this winter, covered in the last report, and could show up again. But the tuna weren’t around currently. Weekly party boat trips were also docked in the weather, but are bottom-fishing for vermilion snappers, silver snappers, triggerfish and more. Visit Website.

FLORIDA

Islamorada

Sailfish were clutched with Captain Easy Charters, fishing that wasn’t on fire, but steady, usually landing one or two per trip, Capt. Bruce Anderson said. The angling was slow a moment this winter, but became better in past weeks. Sometimes blackfin tuna were taken, and a 30-pounder, a sizable one, was boated yesterday. Lots of king mackerel were smashed. While trolling for the kings toward bottom, sometimes mutton snappers were hooked. Occasional wahoos were trolled. All of these fish were trolled just offshore of the reef, a few miles from port. Farther from shore, one or two trips deep-dropped bait like squid to bottom, hooking queen snappers, vermilion snappers and blueline tilefish, good catches. That was in 400 to 750 feet of water, 8 to 11 miles from port. Call: 305-451-9578 or 305-360-2120. Visit Website.

Two anglers fished from Islamorada in past days with Capt. Joe Hughes from Jersey Cape Guide Service from Sea Isle City, N.J., he said. On the first day, two tarpon were released, and another was missed. Jacks and mangrove snappers were also fought aboard. On the second day, a tarpon was released, and more jacks and mangroves were lit up. That was all on the bay near port at Islamorada. The anglers also fished the Everglades, on the mainland, and on the bay along the flats near the Everglades. A couple of snook, including a 15-pounder, were yanked in at the Everglades. A 30-pound lemon shark was released, and another broke off, at the flats. Was a lot of fish during the days, a good time, Joe said. Mostly jigheads were fished, tipped with live shrimp, including for the tarpon. For the sharks, the shrimp were tossed on circle hooks. Traveling charters fish from Islamorada each winter until Easter aboard, mostly on weekends. Anglers can arrive on a Friday evening, fish all day Saturday and part of Sunday, return Sunday evening, and be back to work Monday morning. Or they can visit on a different schedule. Visit Website. Call: 609-827-3442.

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