DELAWARE

Indian River

The crew of the Bandit first wanted to congratulate the angler known as “Stellios” or “Stelly” for landing his personal-best tog, a 19-pound 6-ounce monster, on a trip on the boat, an e-mail from the crew said. The fish, grabbing half a blueclaw crab, was well deserved, they said, because Stelly put in his time at tog fishing from New York to Delaware. The Bandit, sailing from Belmar, N.J., from spring through fall, is fishing for tog from Indian River, Del., for the winter for the second year in a row, both on individual-reservation trips, usually a number of groups of anglers but also individual people, and charters. A charter yesterday started fishing in 70 feet, where there was a slow pick of nice-sized tog. So they moved to 90 feet, and the blackfish were more responsive. One angler limited out on the slipperies to 10.2 pounds, and another scored eight, and most grabbed four or five good-sized keepers. On Friday, 16 anglers sailed on one of the individual-reservation trips, and six limited out on the fish to 12 ½ pounds, and one, Mr. Yoo from the Eastern Fishing Club, nailed one of the limits including five beasts over 10 pounds apiece. The first drop gave up fish from 8 a.m. to noon, and four of the limits were scored by 10:30 a.m., and one more drop was fished to finish out the day. On a charter Thursday fishing wasn’t as good, and lots of shorts bit, but one angler managed an 11-pounder and two other keepers, and a couple of 8-pounders came over the rails, and one customer drilled nine keepers. The same charter fished Wednesday on the boat, and the catch was good in 85 feet. The weather was a little breezy at first until it settled, but the northwesterly got the fish chewing. One angler limited out on tog from 4 to 8 pounds, and another limited out on blacks to 12-plus pounds, and four others limited.  Waters off Delaware reportedly receive less pressure than those off Jersey, and the result can be better togging. The water can also be somewhat warmer, keeping the fish biting later in winter. Delaware’s bag limit is currently also 10 fish until April, while Jersey’s is four. From Fridays through Sundays Bandit accepts individual reservations, usually from two or more groups of anglers, but a single person can also book a spot. However, no walk-ons are accepted. Those trips are limited to 25 passengers, and the boat has been full, so making reservations ahead of time is a good idea. From Mondays through Thursdays the boat accepts charters from single groups.  A discount is available at a local hotel for patrons from the boat. Call: 732-692-9521. Visit Web Site.

VIRGINIA

Virginia Beach

Lots and lots of rockfish, John Crowley from Virginia Beach Fishing Center said. Many boaters from the marina were limiting out on 25- to 55-pounders, mostly trolling the stripers along the ocean front, no more than 6 miles from the marina. John heard about no bluefish showing up, and he said the water was a little too cold for speckled sea trout. The ocean was 45 degrees. Party boats from the marina are bottom fishing offshore on Saturdays, but the trips were weathered out last weekend.  Virginia Beach Fishing Center features a marina, a tackle shop, charter boats and party boats and is located near the beach, boardwalk, hotels, ocean and Chesapeake Bay, near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Visit Web Site.

NORTH CAROLINA

Oregon Inlet

Ocean boaters from Oregon Inlet Fishing Center grabbed good catches of rockfish Saturday, though they had to head north, Jenny Lippincott said. Some also fished offshore for plenty of bluefin tuna,  lots of catch-and-release fish, but sometimes keepers, such as a 116-pounder that was weighed in. Afterward the weather was rough, but five boats were fishing today. Visit Web Site.

Morehead City

Giant bluefin tuna fishing was slow late last week, and only a handful were caught among the fleet, an e-mail from Over Under Charters said. But previously an 84-incher was battled aboard on the Low Profile, Over Under’s boat that’s been targeting the fish from Morehead since December. On the same trip a double header of very large bluefins hit at once, and one almost spooled a Penn 130 reel, but then the tuna crossed each other and cut off both lines. The Low Profile will sail for the giants one or two more times before leaving for its winter and spring home at San Salvador in the Bahamas. The crew hears that wahoo fishing was already going off down there. Call: 866-OUA-TUNA. Visit Web Site. 

LOUISIANA

Venice

Big yellowfin tuna that haunt the Gulf Mexico around the Midnight Lump in winter seemed to start appearing at times for charters with Paradise Outfitters, according to the report on its web site. The fishing began to turn on early last week, when one charter nailed a 150-pounder on Tuesday. A charter on one of Paradise’s other boats that day sailed for wahoos, another option in winter, and found no ‘hoos but came back with two yellowfins. On Friday two trips also sailed, one pinning down a 151-pounder, an 80-pounder and a jack, and the other slamming an 80-pound yellowfin and four blackfin tuna. On that trip a huge hammerhead shark was hooked, fighting every bit like a huge yellowfin, so the anglers thought it was a tuna at first, and they got the beast to the boat after two hours. The fishing had to be cut short that day because of rough seas. Paradise fishes offshore in the Gulf for big game and also targets the Gulf’s rigs and wrecks for snappers, cobia, groupers, amberjacks and such. Call: 985-845-8006. Visit Web Site.

FLORIDA

Clearwater/Tampa/Tarpon Springs

Fishing for big, “gator” speckled sea trout was still great, and was even improving, with more of the large fish moving onto the flats and into the waters around the islands and at the mouths of the Anclote and Pithlatchcotee rivers, Capt. Rich Knox from Absolute Flats Fishing said in an e-mail. The holes on the flats were also putting out redfish, snook and sheepshead, and the tides on the flats are the lowest of the year in January, with low tides way below average. So skinny water flats boats were the order of the day, allowing access to the deep honey holes and troughs on the flats that are found by looking for green water and places where no birds are wading. Snook and juveniles tarpon were also on tap at their winter hangouts: deep canals, some of the springs in the bayous and along the deep bends in the rivers. Charters were tackling them on light, Loomis spinning rods for 8- to 10-pound test. Absolute Flats is also booking trips for the spring giant tarpon run, and last year’s catches were excellent, and charters fought numerous fish from 100 to 200 pounds daily. Call 727-376-8809 or 800-890-9373 or Visit Web Site.

Miami/Fort Lauderdale/Boca Raton

Capt. Ron Mallet from the Just Add Water was traveling in the past days, but on charters last Tuesday and Wednesday good numbers of fish had pushed down from up north as a cool front helped trigger them to migrate, he said. Fishing was hopping for sailfish, mahi mahi, little tunny and sharks, all fish that are expected at this time of year. A friend fished locally over the weekend, and the weather was terrible then and yesterday, but Ron expected action to pick up in the next day or two. His charters fish or all these species with live bait like pilchards within only a couple of miles from shore, because of a steep drop-off. Sure beats the long run for big game off New Jersey, where the bottom is a very gradual decline. King mackerel were mostly scarce so far this year. But jack crevalles and barracudas continued to slam live pilchards from the inlet to the canals. The ‘cudas, usually smaller ones about 26 inches but sometimes larger ones like 40-inchers, are territorial and hang out pretty much at the same places all the time, like along a dock, and Ron knows their address. The jacks roam but can be found in areas likely to hold them. Fishing for both is a blast on light tackle, a great option either for anglers who prefer to avoid rolling seas, such as charters with children, or charters who fish on days when the ocean is too rough. So the upshot is that Just Add Water can usually fish someplace, even if the ocean is too stiff. Anglers also usually love this back-water fishing because of the scenery: a harbor and canals with million-dollar mansions, the finest yachts docked behind them and the busiest cruise ship traffic in the world. Charters also sometimes bottom fish in the ocean, dunking shrimp and frozen baits down to patch reefs for catches of snappers, jacks, sheepsheads and such. This area isn’t known for mega catches of bottom dwellers, like the Florida Keys are, and the fish here are smaller and less numerous, but these trips are also an option, when anglers want to tangle with larger numbers of fish than big-game angling can provide. Call: 954-423-8700. Visit Web Site.

Islamorada

Sailfishing picked up around the Keys, and most who fished scored multiple hook-ups, and quite a few of the fish were landed, said Capt. Bruce Anderson from Captain Easy Charters. His charters found the fish mostly in shallow water, about 25 feet inside the edge of the reef from 3 to 5 miles offshore, while sight casting live bait like cigar minnows or ballyhoos. There were edges of blue and green water where the sails turned on. But Bruce’s charters also found bites in deeper water, and most other anglers were connecting in the deep with slow-trolled live baits in 100 to 200 feet. Previously sailfishing had been slow to start in the area, maybe because of warm weather. Mahi mahi fishing was also surprisingly good in the same shallow waters, and charters on the boat reeled in a bunch of gaffers including a 25-pounder. Mahi are usually only a by-catch on sailfish trips at this time of year, and fishing for the dolphin is usually best in the warmer season. Fewer king mackerel than last week bit for anglers with Captain Easy, but some nice kings, such as a 35-pounder that was subdued, put tackle to the test. Bruce’s charters also did some bottom fishing, pulling up mutton snappers and groupers, usually at deeper wrecks in 150 to 200 feet within 6 miles from land. Call: 305-451-9578 or 305-360-2120. Visit Web Site.

Charters on the Pretty Work from Over Under Adventures are fishing around the Keys from Islamorada through the winter. But overnight trips are also running to the Dry Tortugas from Key West on the company’s vessel That’s Right. One of those trips fished on a two-day outing last week, an e-mail from Over Under said. The crew loaded the boat with a livewell of shrimp and pinfish and filled the cooler with fresh ballyhoos and speedos, and the trip was off. The vessel’s first stop was 6 miles from the Marquesas, where the anchor was dropped in 70 feet on rocky bottom. Chum was sent out, and the anglers started jigging 10-pound red groupers on ballyhoo on double-hooked rigs. Then they reeled up a great catch of 2- to 4-pound yellowtail snappers on ¼-ounce jigs tipped with shrimp. The boat moved close to the beach to spend the night, settling above a patch of reef, and the group feasted on fresh shrimp that were gotten when the vessel pulled alongside a shrimp boat earlier in the day. Fishing at night was slow at first, but then the crew noticed that turning off the spreader lights seemed to be key, and catches turned on. Big yellowtails to 6 pounds, amberjacks, mangrove snappers, groupers and a hefty mutton snapper came up. In the morning, after breakfast, the anglers tried deeper water wreck and ledge fishing in 160 to 200 feet, reeling up larger black groups and mutton snappers. Later in the day they bagged big red groupers and “flag” yellowtails on live bait at rocky bottom in 65 feet, the water so clear that the groupers could be seen chasing the yellowtails. Later, the gang explored the Tortugas Bank and settled in for the night at Rebecca Shoal. They only fished a little that evening, but added 5-pound mangroves and another big mutton to the catch. Florida fishing regs now make allowances for multiple-day bag limits for some species, so the anglers could come home with full coolers. After breakfast the next morning, they began the 48-mile sail back to Key West. Call: 866-OUA-TUNA. Visit Web Site. 

Key West

Yankee Capts sailed on a four-day, “Iron Man” trip to the Dry Tortugas this past week, Capt. Craig Mercurio said. These trips allow anglers to fish grounds farther away than usual, places where a baited hook is rarely seen by the different bottom fish targeted. The outing had to be cut a day short and only fished three days, because of rough weather, but patrons reeled up quite a few mutton snappers, yelloweye snappers and red snappers, some black groupers and a few wahoos and king mackerel. The snappers and groupers are hooked on typical bottom-fishing rigs and bait, and the ‘hoos and kings are taken on flat-lined ballyhoos, and Craig said that this trip fished lots of deep water. The Dry Tortugas are about a 60-mile sail from Key West, and the 90-foot boat’s trips fish anywhere from 40 to 90 miles from the Keys. Passengers, as many as 48 per trip, live, sleep and eat on the boat, and breakfast, lunch and dinner can be bought onboard. One-, two-, three- and four-day trips are slated, and a two-day trip to the Tortugas is on the schedule later this week, leaving port on Friday. Yankee Capts has been fishing the Tortugas for 30 years, and currently the trips from Key West run through May. From Memorial Day to Labor Day the boat fishes for cod from Gloucester, Massachusetts, and in September and October it targets tuna from New Bedford before returning to the Keys. Call: 888-88-CAPTS or 305-923-2926. Visit Web Site.

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