NEW YORK

Point Lookout

Cod fishing launched Monday and caught on the party boat Captain Al, Capt. Tom Weiss said. The fish weighed up to 12 pounds, and no trip sailed on Tuesday because that was Christmas. The angling was expected to resume today. On the trip, the boat first fished where it usually begins fishing for cod each winter. But the ocean there was light green and sandy. Nothing bit except dog sharks and bergals or fish like that. So the boat was moved, and the anglers began reeling in cod. That was in 50 to 70 feet of water, and 50 is the usual depth for the catches at first in winter. As the ocean becomes colder, cod pull farther from shore to warmer water. The water was 46 degrees, a fine temperature for cod, on the fishing grounds. Lots of baitfish that looked like herring and mackerel were marked, and that seemed good. The trips will return to the place that had the light-green, sandy water, because cod were angled there on private boats a week ago. Trips are fishing for cod 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. The boat is this website’s closest to New Jersey that fishes for cod daily each winter. See More Info. Call: 516-623-2248.

DELAWARE/MARYLAND

Little was reported from Delaware about striped bass, according to online reports. One report mentioned a 30-incher trolled at the mouth of Indian River Inlet. But even that report said that was the only news about stripers. Delaware’s surf fishing seemed finished for the year, including for stripers. Blackfishing was up and down on the ocean for trips from Delaware. That’s typical for blackfishing, and on some days, anglers limited out. From Maryland, fishing for stripers was also slow. Most of the bass these days school beyond 3 miles from shore, where striper fishing is closed, off Delaware and Maryland. A few 30-inch stripers were trolled near Ocean City, Md., on the ocean. A few migrating stripers seemed to push into Chesapeake Bay. A few were decked off Cape Charles, Va., on the bay. The anglers worked hard to locate a fish or three per trip. The bay’s fishing will close beginning Tuesday. Blackfishing was good from Maryland at deep ocean wrecks.   

VIRGINIA

Virginia Beach

A trip Saturday from  <b>Virginia Beach Fishing Center</b> walloped three striped bass 61, 44 and 40 pounds on Chesapeake Bay off Cape Charles on trolled eels, a report said on the marina’s website. Striper fishing will become closed beginning Tuesday on the bay. The marina’s fleet used to fish for stripers on the ocean beginning then. But practically no stripers swim the ocean within 3 miles from shore in this area anymore. Fishing for stripers is closed beyond 3. The fish still school beyond 3 in winter in this area. That’s where many stripers spend winter. In spring, those fish migrate to the Northeast for cooler water. Visit Website.

NORTH CAROLINA

Hatteras

Surf fishing was slow in past days, and the water was dirty because of weather, River from Teach’s Lair Marina wrote in a report on the marina’s Facebook page. Drum were dragged from the surf at certain spots. A few keeper summer flounder among throwbacks were eased in. River fished the surf south of Cape Point on a trip, and blowtoads kept biting. If you wanted blowtoads, there was a bite. Visit Website.

Atlantic Beach

Bluefin tuna fishing’s been slow so far, said Faye from Captain Stacy Fishing Center. A few wahoos were reeled in, and the fleet was fishing this morning when she gave this report. How they fared would be heard about later. Visit Website.

FLORIDA

Marathon

Fishing for cobia was great aboard, Manicsportfishing’s Facebook page said. So was fishing for snappers on Christmas Eve day on the boat. “Snappers all over that (reef),” the caption for a photo said on the page.  Fishing for sailfish and sharks was also good lately, the page said.  More details are expected to be posted here in future reports, because the captain will be telephoned for them. Calling on the phone became difficult this week because of Christmas. Manicsportfishing fishes from Keyport, N.J., home port, from spring through fall and from Marathon in the Florida Keys in winter. Call Manic: 908-216-8355. Follow Manic on Facebook.

Islamorada

Annual traveling charters to the Florida Keys were going to begin this week with Capt. Joe Hughes from Jersey Cape Guide Service from Sea Isle City, N.J., he said. The trips fish every Christmas to Easter. Visit Website. Call: 609-827-3442.

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