DELAWARE

Indian River

On the Bandit tog fishing on Saturday was good for some patrons and slow for others, and one angler bagged a Delaware limit of 10 of the blackfish, and several reeled in 6 or 8, and some caught fewer, Jerry the mate said in an e-mail. Sunday’s trip started with a slow pick of bigger fish but was better on the last couple of drops. George from Point Pleasant, N.J., a member of the Ideal Fishing Club, hauled in a 13-1/2-pound hog that day, and another angler tackled a 12.4-pounder. One person limited out, and a few took home 6 to 8 blacks, and 2 to 6 keepers was average. The Bandit, a vessel that sails from Belmar, N.J., from spring through fall, is running open-boat trips for tog for the winter from Delaware, allowing anglers to bag a limit of 10 of the fish while Jersey’s bag limit is reduced this season. The open trips take place Fridays through Sundays, and reservations are required, and charters are available the rest of the week.  Call: 732-692-9521. Visit Web Site.

NORTH CAROLINA

Oregon Inlet

Boaters were bailing striped bass, including lunkers from 35 to 45 pounds, in the past days, and the fish were schooling farther north, so all-day trips were necessary, said Jenny Lippincott  from Oregon Inlet Fishing Center. Most of the rockfish were trolled, but some were also jigged. A big school of slammer blues to 17 or 18 pounds also showed up nearby toward Nags Head on Sunday. No customers were fishing offshore for tuna or other big game, because everybody was chasing rocks. Visit Web Site.

Hatteras

The weather turned cold, so only blowtoads and dog sharks were beached in the surf, but when temps rise, puppy drum, speckled sea trout and flounder should start biting again, said Dave Hissey from The Roost Bait & Tackle at Teach’s Lair Marina. The water was 48 to 52 degrees, cold for the best fishing. Anglers were hoping the cold snap would bring striped bass from up north, but so far, they were still waiting. Striper fishing had turned on for a moment earlier this season, but then the fish schooled north. Usually no big bodies of the bass return for the winter once they’ve left, but you never know. No word was heard about anyone who sailed offshore. Visit Web Site.

Atlantic Beach

Seas were too rough for boaters throughout the past week, so no report was available from Captain Stacy Fishing Center. In past weeks the fleet was sailing for giant bluefin tuna, and the action was off and on, but the giants were mostly scarce.  When the weather is clear, the party boat Captain Stacy is fishing on weekends for bottom fish including groupers, big sea bass and triggerfish. Visit Web Site.

LOUISIANA

Venice

Fishing was fair to stellar at the Midnight Lump in the Gulf of Mexico, depending on the weather, and the action’s only going to get better, said the fishing report on Paradise Outfitters’ web site. Anglers last week hooked an equal mix of yellowfin tuna and blackfin tuna and also assorted bottom fish at the Lump, a 200-foot, underwater mound in 400 feet of water, where triple-digit yellowfins and other fish, including wahoos, swarm around bait fish attracted by the upwellings in winter, until the fish move to deeper water toward March.  On a quick charter Monday fish filled the chum slick from start to finish, and seven yellowfins and seven blackfins were boated, and the anglers looked for wahoos but found none. Friday’s charter spent 4 hours looking all over for wahoos with no luck before setting up for tuna. Two medium-sized yellowfins and two blackfins were boated, and then a bruiser yellowfin crashed a bait. The big Allison wouldn’t budge, and more heat was applied to the fight, but the fish made a smokin’ run and broke off. Saturday’s trip had better luck and nailed a 130-pound Allison and other tuna. On Thursday a charter had a tough day, and green water apparently kept the fishing slow, and the anglers managed one 80-pound yellowfin and one 15-pound blackfin. A monster, 400-pound mako shark also got hooked but bit through the leader.  Two crews fished with Paradise at the Lump last Tuesday, and one scored four blackfins, one yellowfin and an amberjack, and the other landed a single blackfin after chumming hard but being stymied by a lack of action. Both also trolled a good bit for wahoo but got no bites. Paradise Outfitters fishes for big game and also for rig and wreck fish, such as snappers, cobia, grouper and amberjacks. Call: 985-845-8006. Visit Web Site.

FLORIDA

Clearwater/Tampa/Tarpon Springs

Fishing for big speckled sea trout was tremendous along the barrier islands near Tampa and along the islands in the Intracoastal Waterway, despite cold water, said Capt. Rich Knox from Absolute Flats Fishing in an e-mail. The cold got redfish somewhat sluggish, but they still bit around the docks in the Anclote River and along the docks in other back waters in Clearwater. Twelve-pound snook and small, 35-pound tarpon also tore up baits in the Anclote almost in brackish water. The specks hit best on Texas-rigged Berkeley Power Bait shrimp, 7-inch Berkeley jerk shads and 12-Fathom Slam “R” rubber baits worked in the shallows. Live shrimp took the reds, and patience was key, and jigs, top-water lures and live shrimp got the bites from the snook and tarpon. In addition to all this action, be sure to book a trip for giant tarpon in Boca Grande later this season with Absolute Flats. Call 727-376-8809 or 800-890-9373 or Visit Web Site.

Jupiter

Dolphin fishing was phenomenal, although dolphin fishing is usually best later in the season, and sailfishing was mediocre, so the scene was totally flip-flopped, because normally sailfishing is the thing at this time of year, Capt. Tony Matarese of Showtime Sportfishing Charters said. Whenever charters swam live baits like goggleyes in hopes for a sailfish, hordes of dolphin showed up, and the charters pitched chunked baits to the mahi with light tackle and had a blast. Any types of chunks, such as cut up ballyhoo or sardines, drew strikes from mostly schoolie dolphin but also some larger ones. Cold fronts have triggered the best fishing, and two cold fronts pushed through this past week. But this year’s been warmer than usual, and the water this past week was 76 degrees and normally would be 72 to 74 degrees. Northern winds usually blow for two or three days at this time of year, but those cool winds this year have only blown about a day before switching to the east and southeast. The easterlies push warmer, blue water to the coast, and that’s probably why the dolphin are around. King mackerel fishing had been good earlier this season, and some big smokers had been around, and then the bite slowed. But Showtime’s been fishing the deeper water for dolphin and sails lately, so Tony was unsure whether kings have returned.  The easterly winds and rough weather have mostly kept waters near the shore too dirty for cobia fishing, but when the water’s clear, Showtime chases the cobia near the coast, looking for the lemon fish behind manta rays that they follow. To catch the cobia, charters toss big jigs with rubber baits like artificial squids or throw live baits. Live baits, and especially small crabs, are best, and if charters are specifically heading out for cobia, they bring small blueclaw crabs or calicos for bait. Also when the water’s clear, Spanish mackerel could be grabbed near the shore south of Palm Beach on light tackle and small jigs or spoons while chumming with glass minnows. Showtime usually does no bottom fishing, but bottom fishing was giving up small yellowtail snappers, mutton snappers, grunts and such fish.  Snook season was closed, but when rough seas kept anglers from boating the ocean, they could fish inland waters to catch and release snook. Pompano were also being hooked along the Intracoastal Waterway but not so much in the ocean. Call: 561-743-6942. Visit Web Site.

Miami/Fort Lauderdale/Boca Raton

A couple of cold fronts triggered some dolphin and sailfish to migrate south through local waters this past week, helping to turn on the type of fishing that anglers hope for at this time of year, said Capt. Ron Mallet from the Just Add Water. The winter’s been warmer than usual, and the fishing’s been less stable than expected, but the past couple of days brought the coldest weather so far, and today was forecast possibly to drop as low as the high 40s. The water was 77 degrees, and usually at this time of year the temp is in the low 70s with maybe an occasional day of high 60s.  Charters on the Just Add Water sailed on two trips toward the end of the week, and another was taking a trip today, and the charters at the end of last week got into some single, smaller dolphin and a few shots at larger ones swimming in pairs. They also got a few sailfish to bite but never came tight, and the sails seemed to be moving fast and were spooky, more interested in getting to wherever they were going than stopping to chew. But they should settle down, and the dolphin and sails should keep migrating south through local waters through March or April. Sometime in April they’ll turn around and start swimming north. Ron’s charters mostly swim live bait for the fish, putting out spreads like a bait fished on a kite, another on a flat line, and another dropped deep. The fish are found only a mile or two from shore in 90 to 200 feet right off the local inlet. Surprisingly few king mackerel have been around this season, and normally kings are one of the more common fish. When the weather’s rough, sometimes charters on the boat fish the inland waters, where currently plenty of barracudas and jack crevalles are chomping down on live baits.  Call: 954-423-8700. Visit Web Site.

Islamorada

Charters were loading up on snappers, groupers and such fish at the reefs, said Capt. Bruce Anderson from Captain Easy Charters. Sailfishing’s been slow, for some reason, but a cold front had just moved in, and anglers were hoping that would kick up the sailfish bite. Jim Thorpe’s charter from Carney’s Point, N.J., fished Monday and boated two nice black groupers to 20 pounds, about 20 good-sized yellowtail snappers, two amberjacks and two cero mackerel. Last Wednesday the Karski charter limited out on king mackerel and nailed a sailfish, and last Tuesday the Artuso gang had a great day, reeling in 30 big yellowtails to 5 pounds, a limit of 16 king mackerel, 8 dolphin, 2 tripletails and a black grouper.  Call: 305-451-9578 or 305-360-2120. Visit Web Site.

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