DELAWARE

Indian River

Tog-fishing trips left the dock Saturday and Sunday on the Bandit, and strong, full-moon currents affected the catch, Capt. Scotty said. But on Saturday a 12.8-pounder was the pool winner, and the high-hook reeled up 15 of the blackfish, keeping only his limit of 10. Still, some fared worse, only pulling aboard one keeper or none. On Sunday the bite was quite a bit slower, but an 18-pound 1-ounce fish nailed the pool, and a 12-pounder was boated, and so were a bunch of 10-pounders. The high hook grabbed eight keepers, and probably only 30 were bagged on the whole boat. The current seemed to chill down the water on the bottom by that day, making the tog reluctant to chew. The surface was 46 ½ degrees, but the bottom must’ve been much colder. The trip Sunday fished 70 to 100 feet and on Saturday hit 55 to 85 feet. Strong currents or moon currents have always seemed to put off the fish since the boat’s been fishing these waters. But Scotty was hopeful the fishing would pick right back up this week, coming off the moon and with warmer weather in the forecast. The Bandit, sailing from Belmar, N.J., from spring through fall, has been targeting tog from Delaware all winter for the second year in a row. Delaware’s tog grounds receive less pressure than Jersey’s, and the water’s somewhat warmer, both helping to put out better catches in winter. The boat will only run for the tog in the First State through this weekend and early next week before returning to the Garden State. Individual-reservation trips, usually with two or more groups, but also open to single anglers, will take place Friday through Sunday, and Friday is already full. No walk-ons are accepted. Tog charters are available the rest of the week through Monday or Tuesday. In Jersey the boat will charter for winter flounder on the Manasquan River in April before returning to Belmar to charter for bottom fish, bluefish and striped bass in the ocean this spring. Call: 732-692-9521. Visit Web Site.

VIRGINIA

Virginia Beach

Striped bass fishing definitely slowed down for the season near Virginia Beach Fishing Center, but a few were hooked, Mary Norton said. But the slow down was normal for this time of year, and catches were great in the nearby ocean this past winter. Anglers now expected big blues to migrate to the waters anytime. Boaters at the inlet sometimes reeled up speckled seatrout and puppy drum and supposedly occasional flounder that had just begun to move in. The head boats came back with a bunch of sea bass and some tilefish. Virginia Beach Fishing Center features a marina, tackle shop, slips, launching, charter boats and party boats and is located near the ocean, beach, hotels and the mouth of Chesapeake Bay. Visit Web Site.

NORTH CAROLINA

Oregon Inlet

Rough weather rolled in a lot, but customers sometimes checked in a stray blackfin tuna, bluefin tuna, yellowfin tuna, amberjack, king mackerel or mahi mahi from the offshore grounds, said Ashley Party from Oregon Inlet Fishing Center. An inshore boater showed off a catch of tog yesterday, and inshore anglers were waiting for bluefish and maybe mackerel to migrate in. Visit Web Site.

Hatteras

Terrible weather mostly kept anyone from fishing through the past week, said Steve Hissey from The Roost Bait & Tackle at Teach’s Lair Marina. But previously a few big drum were beached from the surf on the south side of Ocracoke, and probably a dozen slot puppies were pulled from the wash at Hatteras Inlet. So were a handful of whiting and sometimes 1- to 2-pound bluefish. Puppies that had been running rampant in Pamlico Sound dispersed since the weather, and nobody could know whether they’d school up again or move to the surf or ocean or disappear. When offshore boaters could make the trip they bailed blackfin tuna down deep on vertical jigs, and the popularity of the jigs was taking off locally. A handful of bluefin tuna, wahoos and king mackerel were trolled, and so were occasional yellowfin tuna. The weather sent wind chills down to 40 degrees and dropped water temps. Visit Web Site.

LOUISIANA

Venice

The weather was “relentless to say the least,” said Capt. Damon McKnight from Super Strike Charters. Very windy, he said, and March was living up to its reputation for winds, and sometimes rains fell. But trips managed to get out Saturday and Sunday to fish the Gulf of Mexico in seas a little too rough to run any distance, and another trip was fishing this morning when Damon gave this report. Charters lately were mostly tackling amberjacks, groupers, wahoos, yellowfin tuna and blackfin tuna. However, the wahoo bite was a little off, despite perfect conditions and all the right bait, and the yellowfins were 30 to 40 pounds, smaller than usual. “But we’ll take what we can get,” considering the weather, Damon said. Spring conditions seemed to be forming early, with warm water, bait, and rip lines that were appearing before they usually do. The weather at the moment was good, so Damon hoped more trips would now sail, and he expected fishing to improve as spring wore on. Super Strike fishes the Gulf of Mexico for big game and rig, reef and wreck fish. Call: 800-318-1720. Visit Web Site.

FLORIDA

Clearwater/Tampa/Tarpon Springs

Springtime fishing was already going off, and so was “slam” fishing for snook, redfish and seatrout all in one trip, according to Capt. Rich Knox from Absolute Flats Fishing in an e-mail. Snook of all sizes filled the mouths of the Anclote and Cotee rivers and also the creeks and bayous of the estuary. Schools of big redfish and large seatrout jammed the shallows. So a slam of all three could be nailed in one trip. What’s more, tarpon from small ones to 50-pounders were on a tear along the flats. Even more, big king mackerel, Spanish mackerel and large cobia swam a little farther out, along the reefs in 25 to 30 feet. If that’s not enough, trips are being booked for giant tarpon fishing in May and June in Boca Grande, world famous for its run of the silver kings, powerful bruisers to 200 pounds that explode with leaps and runs. Call 727-376-8809 or 800-890-9373 or Visit Web Site.

Miami/Fort Lauderdale/Boca Raton

Anglers were picking at king mackerel near the channel only a mile straight off the inlet on live pilchards, said Capt. Ron Mallet from the Just Add Water. Earlier in the season the kings were a no-show. Spanish mackerel swam closer to shore, not even a mile out, in 30 feet. Ron’s charters also toss out live pilchards to score them, but other boaters sometimes troll spoons or subsurface lures to pin them down. Plenty of pompano were running along the beaches and piers, although Ron doesn’t target those fish. Sailfish were scarce the past week, but the sailfishing’s not finished for the season, and they can pop up anytime. Locals were waiting for fish including sails to start migrating north past the area. Mahi mahi are one of the fish that should push through. The Just Add Water’s charters often mix in harbor fishing to round out a day on the ocean, and the harbor continued to hold jack crevalles and large barracudas to 3 feet. Light-tackle angling offered fast action with them, once again on live pilchards. The harbor fishing is one of the advantages of the boat’s charters, because it’s an option either when the ocean’s too rough or when anglers, such as those with children, prefer calm water. Million-dollar homes, big yachts docked behind them and the busiest cruise ship port in the world also create fascinating scenery in the harbor. The weather mostly continued to be warm, a warm season in general, and cooler, wintry conditions were pretty much finished for the year. Call: 954-423-8700. Visit Web Site.

Islamorada

Blackfin tuna fishing turned on at the Hump the last few days, and charters were fighting the 20- to 30-pounders on light tackle and live bait like ballyhoos and cigar minnows, said Capt. Bruce Anderson Captain Easy Charters. The Hump, a hill that rises to within 290 feet of the water surface, is surrounded by 600-foot depths and is an 11-mile sail offshore. Big amberjacks to 70 or 80 pounds also hovered around the Hump. Fishing there was the main action lately, but bottom- or wreck-fishing also turned up plenty of red snappers, mutton snappers and other reef fish. Call: 305-451-9578 or 305-360-2120. Visit Web Site.

Report from 3/18:

DELAWARE

Indian River

The Bandit fished for tog Friday and Saturday, and the fish chewed aggressively, with water temps now as high as 47 degrees, Jerry the mate said in an e-mail. On Friday lots of 4- to 8-pounders and a couple of limits of the blacks to 10 pounds were bagged. All the fish were hooked on white crabs in 90 feet. On Saturday lots of limits were boated, and some of the fish were good-sized, too. Two weighed 13 pounds, and one was 12 ½ pounds, making the pool a tight contest. A 13.2-pounder took the money, and the angler with that fish also reeled up two 8-pounders and limited out. The angler with the other 13-pounder claimed a total of three keepers, and the patron with the 12-1/2-pounder limited out. Lots of 6- to 10-pounders were also hauled up. Two anglers dunked cooked shrimp and limited out, giving credit to a New Jersey angler who taught them to use the bait. Five of one of those shrimp soaker’s fish weighed 5 to 8 pounds. A highlight of the day also included 6-year-old “Steven Jr.” tackling four keepers, including an 8-pounder, and out-fishing his dad. White crabs also fooled most of the fish this day, and the boat again targeted 90 feet. The Bandit, sailing from Belmar, N.J., from spring through fall, is tog fishing in Delaware for the second year in a row. Delaware’s waters get less pressure and are somewhat warmer than Jersey’s, so the fishing can be better, last longer in winter and start earlier toward the end of winter than in the Garden State. Delaware’s bag limit is currently 10 fish through March, compared with Jersey’s limit of four during that period. The boat is sailing on individual-reservation tog trips, usually with two or more groups, every Friday through Saturday. But single reservations can also be made, and no walk-ons are accepted. Tog charters are offered the rest of the week. The vessel will leave port for tog from Delaware through the first weekend of April, before returning to Jersey. In Jersey the Bandit will offer winter flounder charters on the Manasquan River in April before returning to Belmar in May to start charters for stripers, blues and bottom fish. Call: 732-692-9521. Visit Web Site.

VIRGINIA

Virginia Beach

A party-boat angler sailing from Virginia Beach Fishing Center pulled aboard a world-record, 46-pound 2-ounce yellowedge grouper last week, John Crowley said. Party boats from the marina were returning with lots of sea bass and groupers. Striped bass fishing in the nearby ocean was slowing down and probably coming to a finish soon, but the rockfish were still boated at times. The marina’s web site included a photo of four of the linesiders from 40 to 45 pounds checked in on Friday, and talked about windy weather that usually kept anglers from boating the ocean. At Rudy Inlet customers were sometimes jigging speckled seatrout and puppy drum on baits like chartreuse, soft-plastic grubs. Virginia Beach Fishing Center features a marina, tackle shop, slips, launching, charter boats and party boats and is located near the ocean, beach, hotels and the mouth of Chesapeake Bay, near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Visit Web Site.

NORTH CAROLINA

Oregon Inlet

Boaters from Oregon Inlet Fishing Center were fighting a bunch of bluefin tuna, Ashley Party said. Yellowfin tuna should appear soon, and afterward mahi mahi and wahoos will swim to the grounds. Closer to shore striped bass left the area weeks ago, and mackerel and bluefish are expected to move through next. Blues were already biting at Cape Hatteras, an hour south, so not much time should pass before they storm local waters. ***Jersey anglers take note: These are the first signs of the migration of mackerel and blues that will turn up in Garden State waters toward late April and early May. The above report also mentioned stripers disappearing from Virginia waters, a little north of Oregon Inlet, and those fish had been stacked up off Virginia until a couple of weeks ago. Fish are on the move, and they’re headed north! Visit Web Site.

Capt. Randy Frees, formerly from Country Girl Sportfishing in North Carolina, has joined the crew at Over Under Adventures and will help Over Under expand its Tarheel State tuna charters, an e-mail from the company said. Trips with him will fish on the Pretty Work from Oregon Inlet in May and June and also in the fall. In summer he and the Pretty Work will hunt tuna from Ocean City, Maryland. Over Under also fishes from New Jersey for big game in summer with another crew and boat. All the spring and summer trips are already being booked. Randy is already fishing on the Pretty Work from the Florida Keys. Call: 866-OUA-TUNA. Visit Web Site. Click here to check out Randy’s bio.

Hatteras

Offshore anglers were putting the skids on lots of bluefin tuna this morning as Dave Hissey gave this report from The Roost Bait & Tackle at Teach’s Lair Marina. The boaters were probably trolling the fish 15 to 20 miles from the coast. A few yellowfin tuna were picked up lately, and blackfin tuna were more prevalent and were deep-jigged, and some anglers the other day drilled a few wahoos. Surf sharpies were beaching a bunch of 1- to 2-pound bluefish and a number of sea mullet, blowtoads, puppy drum and dog sharks. Puppy drum offered solid action on several days in Pamlico Sound, usually on soft plastics on light tackle. Visit Web Site.

LOUISIANA

Venice

Rough weather kept charters from fishing through the past week, Capt. Damon McKnight from Super Strike Charters said in an e-mail. Previously his anglers were coming back with yellowfin tuna, blackfin tuna, wahoos and other fish from the Gulf of Mexico. Call: 800-318-1720. Visit Web Site.

Likewise no reports were posted on Paradise Outfitters’ web site in a week. Charters before then were fishing the Gulf of Mexico and wrestling aboard yellowfins, blackfins, amberjacks and other fish. Call: 985-845-8006. Visit Web Site.

FLORIDA

Clearwater/Tampa/Tarpon Springs

Snook, big bruisers averaging 12 pounds, were starting to haunt the river mouths and the waters around the mangrove islands, said Capt. Rich Knox from Absolute Flats Fishing in an e-mail. This is top-water plugging time, and skill is needed to keep the brawny fish out of the always-present structure. Small tarpon were also turning up in the back-water springs and deep canals off the rivers. More and more redfish and speckled seatrout, large “gators,” were schooling to local waters. All fishing was generally improving, and early season action was excellent, with temperatures higher than usual, coming into spring. Baitfish migrations were appearing just offshore, poised to push in, and huge schools of Spanish mackerel to 7 pounds will be right behind them. So will king mackerel to 40 pounds. Cobia will also start holding on the nearshore wrecks and rock piles. Book now for spring slam trips for snook, redfish and trout in one outing. Also reserve your trips for giant tarpon fishing in May and June in Boca Grande, world famous for its run of the silver kings. Call 727-376-8809 or 800-890-9373 or Visit Web Site.

Miami/Fort Lauderdale/Boca Raton

Sailfishing picked up, and most boaters scored multiple bites, and mahi mahi swam in, Capt. Ron Mallet from the Just Add Water said. The mahi, fish to 8 pounds, were probably the highlight of the week, and charters with Ron would hook a few in a school, and then another bunch would school through, and more would be reeled in. The fish that Ron saw were heading south, but others said they saw schools running north. Still, they should be migrating from south to north at this time of year. The mahi popped up in waters 120 feet deep, only a mile from the coast, and the sails appeared in 75 to 160 feet, only three-quarters of a mile to 2 miles offshore. King mackerel were sometimes mixed in with catches, and a false albacore was decked on Sunday. Live pilchards were the bait for all the fish, and Ron tried livelining the more expensive goggleyes, but they made no difference. Charters sometimes fished the baits on kites when the breeze was right. Winds blew too strongly yesterday to fish the ocean, so a charter fished the harbor, walloping big barracudas, fish 3 feet and maybe larger, and jack crevalles from 3 to 15 pounds on light tackle with live pilchards. But the bigger jacks were difficult to land in tight quarters, like among the docks. The harbor fishing is one of the advantages for Just Add Water, because the ‘cudas and jacks are great alternatives when either the ocean’s too rough or when charters, such as those with children, simply prefer the calm waters of the harbor. The ocean was 73 to 74 degrees, the same temp that it’s been. The weather was warm, including a record 90 degrees yesterday. Winter conditions might be finished for the year. Call: 954-423-8700. Visit Web Site.

Islamorada

Overlapping seasons were producing a little of every type of fishing, but bottom fishing was especially on a tear, mahi mahi were beginning to move in, amberjacks were beginning to appear at the Hump about 11 miles offshore, and sailfish could sometimes still be found, said Capt. Bruce Anderson from Captain Easy Charters. Wayne and Mike Pielech from Oradell, N.J., were onboard the past three days. On Saturday they fished 3 to 7 miles from shore and reeled in 40 vermillion snappers, some genuine red snappers, a healthy sized mutton snapper, a couple of king mackerel and a 40-pound amberjack. On Sunday they fished farther off in 400 feet and found a color change from green to blue water with some weeds. Huge schools of mahi sometimes swam through, and lots of the fish were small, but the anglers managed to pick through them and boat a dozen. They also discovered four or five sailfish tailing in the weeds and landed one. On Sunday the anglers stopped on the way offshore and lifted a bunch of vermillion snappers over the rail and then tangled with more mahi in the deep. They also spotted a 30-pound spinning shark, pitched a bait and leadered the fish. The weather was mostly calm and in the mid 80s, but today was blowing. Call: 305-451-9578 or 305-360-2120. Visit Web Site.

Cobia moved through along the edge of the reef in good numbers, and live grunts cast toward the rays that the cobia follow did the trick to catch them, said Capt. John Oughton Over Under Adventures and the Pretty Work said in an e-mail. The rays kick up food that the lemonfish pounce on. The reef itself put out plenty of 2- to 3-pound yellowtails, steady action with them, and a few king mackerel. Early season mahi mahi gave up bites on a few days, and one of the captains from Over Under ran a trip that hooked 15 to 20 two days ago around a pallet that was found floating. Sailfishing was mostly tough, and only a handful were landed, maybe because of 85-degree, sunny, great weather and little current. One of Over Under’s boats, That’s Right, licensed for 15 passengers, is also taking multi-day trips to the Dry Tortugas this season. Call: 866-OUA-TUNA. Visit Web Site.

Bahamas

Results were better on recent trips for Over Under Adventures than previous ones, Capt. Joe Trainor said in an e-mail. Not great, but improved. A charter fishing from San Salvador, the usual port for Over Under, on Sunday scored five or six bites and boated two wahoos and a dolphin. The wahoo, a 56-pounder, was actually hooked while the angler was deep-dropping a jig on spinning gear, the fish screaming the line 50 feet down. Another trip fished off Rum Cay for a change of pace, but the action was poor, and local captains said that was the case lately. So Over Under returned to San Salvador and loaded up with snappers. On another day five boats fished, and only one blackfin tuna was mustered up among all of them. Anglers on the vessels called it quits by mid day and bottom fished instead. So big-game fishing’s been slow at the Bahamas, but bottom fishing was consistently bagging loads of snappers, groupers and some amberjacks. A cold front was coming through, and maybe that was needed to trigger the bluewater bite. Call: 866-OUA-TUNA. Visit Web Site.

Report from 3/11:

DELAWARE

Indian River

A tog trip made it out Friday on the Bandit between the windy weather, and catches were very good, and the water bumped up to 45.5 degrees, a degree-and-a-half higher than before, Capt. Scotty said. Bob Murphy from Lewes, Del., won the pool with a 9-plus-pounder and limited out, and others also limited out. The boat fished in 75 to 80 feet. The weekend was a washout from the storm followed by ripping winds, and no trips sailed. The Bandit will target the blackfish off Delaware through the first weekend of April before heading back to its home port in Belmar, N.J., to fish from spring through fall. The boat’s been fishing for tog from Delaware for the second winter in a row. Delaware’s waters are less pressured and somewhat warmer than Jersey’s, keeping the fish biting later in winter and earlier in spring, and Delaware’s bag limit is 10 fish through March, compared with four in Jersey. Individual-reservation trips for the slipperies are leaving the dock every Friday through Sunday, usually with two or more groups, but single reservations are also available. No walk-ons are accepted. Charters are fishing for the tog the rest of the week. Anglers from the boat are offered a discount at a local hotel. Looks like water temps and the fishing might be on the upswing after the coldest months, and get down there before it’s too late, or otherwise wait until next year. The crew is also looking ahead to the boat’s season in Jersey and is accepting bookings for Garden State charters. The boat will first fish for winter flounder in the Manasquan River in April and then will move to Belmar in May to run for bottom fish, blues and stripers in the ocean. Call: 732-692-9521. Visit Web Site.

VIRGINIA

Virginia Beach

Striped bass fishing turned a little slow for boaters in the nearby ocean, said John Crowley from Virginia Beach Fishing Center. A few of the linesiders were hooked yesterday, and winds were too strong to fish Sunday. Previously the bite was incredible this winter, and lots of big bass from 30 to 50 pounds were schooling for weeks. Maybe the slow down meant the fish were finally heading north toward Jersey for spring? Wait and see. Anglers fishing the inlet sometimes boated speckled seatrout and puppy drum. Head boats at the marina were also weathered out from sea bass trips this weekend. But the party boats are running for the bottom fish Fridays, Saturdays, Mondays and Tuesdays, fishing the grounds closer to shore than earlier this winter, because of warming water. Virginia Beach Fishing Center includes a fleet of charter boats, party boats, private boat slips, boat launching and a tackle shop and is located near the beach, boardwalk and motels, and is also located near the Chesapeake Bay and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Visit Web Site.

NORTH CAROLINA

Hatteras

Pamlico Sound anglers were mugging puppy drum whenever the water reached 50 degrees, said Steve Hissey from The Roost Bait & Tackle at Teach’s Lair Marina. Probably six to eight schools of 1,000 drum apiece swam the sound, and Steve himself hooked 25 of the fish on a trip last week, keeping his limit of one slot fish and releasing the rest. And all the fish were the slot size from 18 to 27 inches. Artificials such as Gulp grubs were attracting the bites, and the fish were also starting to swallow down cut baits, but casting the artificials on light tackle was fun. A few puppies and larger drum to 40 inches were also pulled from the surf on the south side of Ocracoke when the water warmed. Otherwise the local suds were giving up mostly dog sharks and skates, though small, 1-pound or ¾-pound blues sometimes stormed the wash. Weather fronts from the southwest or Georgia and Texas were often making offshore fishing impossible. Winds gusted to 60 m.p.h. over the weekend, but when winds and seas were calm, blue-water boaters were claiming blackfin tuna and small to medium-sized schoolie bluefins. Giant bluefin tuna were virtually absent this winter. Scattered yellowfin tuna were sometimes found, but yellowfin fishing kicks in a little later this season. Visit Web Site.

LOUISIANA

Venice

Offshore fishing was up and down in the Gulf of Mexico last week, said Capt. Damon McKnight from Super Strike Charters in an e-mail, but he reported plenty of catches. On Wednesday he ran a trip with the John Payne crew, starting in choppy, 4-foot seas and strong winds that quickly settled down. At first the anglers went 0 for 3 on wahoos, and then the crew figured out that the eyes of the Yozuri Hydro-Magnum lures were cutting through the wire leaders, and needed split rings. Next the charter decided to try for amberjacks, easily bagging a two-person limit and drilling a cobia to boot. Then they were off to the tuna grounds. A school of 30- to 40-pound yellowfins came up immediately, and two of the tuna were landed, and then two more were fought aboard, until the fish turned off. The anglers chose to wrap up the day by looking for wahoos one more time, but none of the fish appeared. On another trip the Stewart gang fished with Capt. Bob Kenney, going 1 for 5 on wahoos, boating a 61-pounder, and putting the brakes on a couple of amberjacks and some cobia. On Thursday the Preston charter joined Capt. Bob in heavy seas, went 3 for 4 on wahoos and also pinned down several blackfin tuna. Rough weather kept charters from sailing the next days. Fishing’s spring pattern in the Gulf seemed to be coming early. “I guess only time will tell …” Damon said. Super Strike fishes the Gulf for big game and rig, wreck and reef fish. Duck hunting is also offered in this world-class flyway, one of the last of its quality, along the marshes where the Mississippi River finally draws to an end, at the open Gulf. Call: 800-318-1720. Visit Web Site.

Fishing for yellowfin tuna seemed to turn back on in the Gulf of Mexico for trips through the week with Paradise Outfitters, according to the reports on its web site. One charter yesterday with the owner, Capt. Scott Avanzino, nailed a 183-pound Allison along with a 90-pounder and a 20-pounder: three yellowfins in three bites. Two other groups who sailed with two other captains that day came back with five 20- to 30-pounders on one boat and a mix of blacks and yellows on the other. On Sunday a party of 12 on two vessels walloped 13 yellowfins, mostly on live ballyhoos, and six amberjacks. A charter last Wednesday night sailed for swordfish, got three bites, released a 60-pounder, and landed two sharks. In the morning the anglers kept busy with nine yellowfins and eight blackfins taken on chunks and live baits. “Pretty cool to see the tuna blow up on ballys,” the report said. “The ballyhoo start jumping before the tunas hit, and it’s pretty exciting ….” Man. Laissez les bon temps roulez: Let the good times roll. Paradise fishes offshore in the Gulf for big game and also targets the Gulf’s rigs and wrecks for snappers, cobia, groupers, amberjacks and other fish. Call: 985-845-8006. Visit Web Site.

FLORIDA

Clearwater/Tampa/Tarpon Springs

More and more charters were scoring slams of speckled seatrout, redfish and snook, said Capt. Rich Knox from Absolute Flats Fishing in an e-mail. Chuck Herb from Mickleton, N.J., was one of the anglers. Most trips were pinning down plenty of trout and reds and a few snook, and snook fishing should pick up with the warmer water of spring. Actually all the fishing should keep getting better, as water temps rise, bringing in schools of migrating pilchards and greenies, attracting predators. Capt. Rich normally castnets the baitfish at first light, and then he chums with them on charters while the anglers fish with the baits. Other fish that will arrive to ambush this forage on the flats will include cobia, king mackerel, Spanish mackerel, jack crevalles and juvenile tarpon to 40 pounds. Book your slam trip now for April. Charters are also being accepted for giant tarpon fishing in May and June in Boca Grande, world famous for its run of the silver kings. Call 727-376-8809 or 800-890-9373 or Visit Web Site.

Miami/Fort Lauderdale/Boca Raton

On the Just Add Water anglers yesterday went 1 for 2 on sailfish and bagged some mahi mahi in the ocean a mile or two offshore and then fished the harbor, tangling with jack crevalles and barracudas on light tackle, Capt. Ron Mallet said. Live pilchards were the baits for all the fish, and seas in the ocean were 3 to 5 feet, with a ripping north current against easterly winds, but the anglers hung in there like Vikings. Boaters on a nearby vessel landed four sails, and folks on a boat slightly north wrestled up a blue marlin only a mile from the beach, closer than usual. Maybe 30 blue marlins are caught in the area each season. So the fishing was good yesterday, but a dreadful amount of rains, more than Ron ever remembered, fell the rest of the week. Water temps remained the same, and last week Ron said they were 73 or 74 degrees, warm for this time of year. If the water fails to cool now, it’ll only start warming through spring and summer. Fishing should only improve at this point, because the fish should begin to migrate through local waters from down south as they head north to cooler waters. The harbor fishing for jacks and ‘cudas kept producing lots of action, and Ron often mixes in those catches with his ocean trips for a bonus. The option to fish the harbor is one of the advantages on the Just Add Water, because anglers can stay in the back waters if the ocean’s too rough, helping to ensure that some type of fishing is available. Or sometimes charters, such as those with children, simply prefer the calmer waters in the harbor over the ocean. Call: 954-423-8700. Visit Web Site.

Islamorada

Rough weather with lots of rain fluctuated water temperatures and made fish finicky much of the week, but conditions were improving by yesterday, said Capt. John Oughton from Over Under Adventures and the Pretty Work. But more dolphin—5- to 10-pounders or “heavy lifters”—were showing up than before. Lots of yellowtail snappers were clamping down on baits at the reef close to shore before the weather cooled the water, and that bite was picking back up by yesterday in the improved weather. A few king mackerel were around, and not many sailfish were turning up. One of Over Under’s boats, That’s Right, licensed for 15 passengers, is also fishing on multi-day trips to the Dry Tortugas from Key West, but the weather nixed those trips lately. But John expects lots of mutton snappers and some groupers to get reeled aboard at the Tortugas in April. Call: 866-OUA-TUNA. Visit Web Site.

A charter with Joe Renzo and wife Deidre from Atlantic Highlands, N.J., loaded up on two 20- to 25-pound mutton snappers, a 30- or 35-pound cobia, a red grouper, two almaco jacks, eight dolphin from 5 to 12 pounds, a true American red snapper—a somewhat rare fish locally—a big, 8-pound yelloweye snapper, and a mix of 20 other yelloweyes and vermillion snappers yesterday, Capt. Bruce Anderson Captain Easy Charters said. So the catch was great, and charters through the week were mostly doing this type of fishing, dropping down hooks to the wrecks in 180 to 250 feet. For example, a charter the previous day boated a bunch of yelloweye snappers and vermillion snappers and some amberjacks. The bottom fish on these trips were taken both on live bait or on multi-hooked rigs with dead bait. The number of dolphin or mahi mahi was starting to increase. A few king mackerel were hitting, more kings than sails, and a handful of sails were showing up. Yellowtail snappers were also lifted up from the reef in 60 to 90 feet, a half-mile closer to shore. The water was 70 degrees, the coolest all season, but a normal temp. Earlier this winter the water was a little warm, but cold fronts pushed the temperature down to a normal level by now. Call: 305-451-9578 or 305-360-2120. Visit Web Site.

Report from 3/4:

DELAWARE

Indian River

Strong winds forced tog trips to be cancelled on the Bandit throughout the past week, Capt. Scotty said. So there was nothing to report, but the boat will keep sailing for the blackfish through the first weekend of April before returning to its home port in Belmar, N.J., to fish the rest of spring through fall. The boat is fishing for the blackfish from Delaware for the second winter in a row, offering individual-reservation trips from Fridays through Sundays and charters the rest of the week. The individual-reservation trips are usually made up of two or more groups of anglers, but single anglers can also book a spot, and no walk-ons are accepted. Scotty hoped the weather would be calm enough to sail this coming week, and this Friday and Saturday’s trips are full, but a few openings remained on Sunday. Delaware’s tog grounds get less pressure than Jersey’s, and the water is somewhat warmer, keeping the fish biting longer in winter. The tide might be turning now, or the water might be as cold as it’ll get this winter, before temps start creeping back up. The fish were still chomping on baits the last time the boat sailed. A local hotel offers a discount to anglers who fish on the Bandit from Delaware. The crew is also looking forward to the vessel’s season in Jersey, and Garden State charters are already being reserved for bottom fish, blues and stripers that will begin in May. Call: 732-692-9521. Visit Web Site.

VIRGINIA

Virginia Beach

Boaters from Virginia Beach Fishing Center who fished for striped bass in the nearby ocean this morning had already caught their fill and returned by the time John Crowley gave this report at 10 a.m., he said. So the catches continued this week, and the marina’s web site reported some off and on action during windy weather the past several days. But it also reported an incredible day of fishing for the linesiders Thursday, including three 50-pounders and nine 40-pounders weighed in. John today said that the keepers recently ranged 30 to 50 pounds, and customers always trolled the fish. Fishing for stripers in nearby Chesapeake Bay is closed and opens May 16. Party boats from the marina returned to port with lots of sea bass Saturday, and the fish were closer to shore than before. The head boats are fishing for the humpbacks 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. several times on weekdays and on longer trips on weekends. Visit Web Site.

NORTH CAROLINA

Oregon Inlet

Offshore anglers from Oregon Inlet Fishing Center boated a few bluefin tuna, and one reported landing a yellowfin tuna, and that was about all that was happening, Katie Gaskins said. Inshore fishing was in a lull for now. Visit Web Site.

Hatteras

Customers mohawked puppy drum in Pamlico Sound yesterday, said Dave from The Roost Bait & Tackle at Teach’s Lair Marina. His brother and a friend reeled in 25 of the fish that day. The bag limit is one of the red drum from 18 to 27 inches per angler per day, so anglers catch and release the rest, tossing artificials such as Gulps, twister tails and Tsunamis, fun with 6- to 8-pound tackle. A few puppies were also picked up from the surf on cut bait, and a few flounder also came from the suds. Lots of dog sharks also stole baits there. On the offshore boats bluefin tuna put tackle to the test. Visit Web Site.

LOUISIANA

Venice

Fish like wahoos and amberjacks were putting up fights in the Gulf of Mexico for anglers with Super Strike Charters, Capt. Damon McKnight said in an e-mail. But tuna fishing, including fishing for big, triple-digit yellowfins that usually haunt the waters in winter, was slim pickings the last month. The Allisons disappeared after January, and Super Strike’s best trip for them this winter tackled a double-header of 179- and 176-pounders. Blackfin tuna fishing was incredible for charters a number of times early this season, but that didn’t last either. So the fishing was a little different this year, and the weather’s been a little crazy, such as strong north winds one day followed by honking south winds the next. Seas were often sloppy, and anglers would find that the fish weren’t swimming the usual places they normally do. But action with ‘hoos, jacks and such was fortunately taking up the slack, and the wahoos are big at this time of year. Super Strike made a little history on February 19, when a 775-pound mako shark was boated on a trip. The huge fish, landed on an 80-pound monofilament leader (!), will break the Louisiana state record by 10 pounds if it qualifies. “I guess it was just supposed to happen,” Damon said about the non-wire leader. A few dates, but not many, are left for charters in March, and Damon expects the fishing to remain about the same, except more tuna should start to appear. Super Strike fishes for big game and rig, wreck and reef fish in the Gulf of Mexico. Call: 800-318-1720. Visit Web Site.

Charters with Paradise Outfitters ran into weather a number of times through the week, and on one of those days the anglers opted to cast for redfish at the rocks instead of fishing offshore, the report on Paradise’s web site said. They headed out on three vessels, and each group limited out on the reds. But one boat the same day ventured offshore in rough but fishable seas and returned with five huge wahoos. Besides wahoos, cobia were also making up catches, even if seas were stiff, and king mackerel were plentiful, scamp groupers were sometimes hauled up, and a lone, 30-pound yellowfin tuna was taken. The weather cleared Saturday, when a group ran offshore on two different boats. One bagged three small yellowfins, and the other first looked for wahoos but got invaded by king mackerel. So the anglers put top-water poppers on wire leaders to watch the kingfish blow up on the lures. Exciting but not edible, “unless you like kingfish, the other gray meat,” the report joked. That group then tried fishing the rigs, but only small amberjacks showed up. On the way home a mess of sharks, bonito and blackfin tuna were found corralling a big bait ball of pogies, otherwise known as bunker back north in Jersey. At one point hundreds of spinner sharks that weighed more than 100 pounds apiece surrounded the boat. Two blackfins, some bonito and some sharks were landed among the fray. Another boat that day came back to port with six yellowfins, a wahoo and four jacks, and two marlins circled the vessel on the trip. Paradise fishes offshore in the Gulf for big game and also targets the Gulf’s rigs and wrecks for snappers, cobia, groupers, amberjacks and other fish. Call: 985-845-8006. Visit Web Site.

FLORIDA

Clearwater/Tampa/Tarpon Springs

A half-day charter after the last cold front mugged more than 30 speckled sea trout from 2 to 6 pounds on pilchards, pinfish and shrimp, Capt. Rich Knox from Absolute Flats Fishing said in an e-mail. So trout fishing was holding up, and good numbers of redfish were hitting around the barrier islands, on the flats and at the river mouths. The reds will start to school up more and more as the weather warms, and the changing season was already getting snook to move out of the back waters and onto the flats and around the islands. A trip with two anglers landed skinny but impressive-sized snook before the cold front. Inshore slam trips for snook, reds and trout in the same day are being booked for early spring. So are giant tarpon charters for May and June from Boca Grande, world famous for its run of the silver kings. Call 727-376-8809 or 800-890-9373 or Visit Web Site.

Miami/Fort Lauderdale/Boca Raton

The weather was beautiful last week, and no great days of fishing took place, but a bite would turn on about every other day, Capt. Ron Mallet from the Just Add Water said. A charter Friday went 1 for 3 on sailfish, nailed some king mackerel and walloped a 35-pound barracuda, the biggest ‘cuda Ron saw in some time. Live pilchards hooked all the fish close to shore, and the weather was great for kite fishing. Two of the sails came up to check out a pilchard on a kite, but the one that was hooked bit a bait on a plain rod, not on a kite. Ocean fishing through the week turned up sails, kings and bonito, and mahi mahi were scarce, although east winds that swung a little south showed up that normally push them in to shore. But not this time. As always, Ron’s anglers usually mixed in light-tackle fishing for jack crevalles and barracudas in the harbor, and that action kept up its solid pace. The harbor fishing is actually one of the advantages of Just Add Water, because it’s usually always an option when rough weather cancels ocean trips or simply when charters, like those with children, prefer the calm waters of the harbor. So there’s almost always something to fish for. Sailfishing’s been more inconsistent than usual this winter, and it was hard to say why. Maybe the fish already pushed farther south this winter, although places such as the Keys were doling out less consistent catches than normal. Or maybe the sails mostly stayed farther north because of a warm winter. The local water remained 73 or 74 degrees, warm for this time of year. But sailfish were still being caught. Although picture-perfect weather stuck around last week, pouring rains and windy conditions were the deal yesterday and were forecast to continue this week. Maybe that’ll equal more sailfish catches when it’s over? Stay tuned! Call: 954-423-8700. Visit Web Site.

Islamorada

Big mutton snappers, including several more than 20 pounds, were the main event keeping anglers busy with Captain Easy Charters through the week, although a little of everything bit, Capt. Bruce Anderson said. A few dozen muttons were wrestled up from wrecks in 100 to 250 feet, about 5 miles from shore, on the week’s trips. Live bait such as ballyhoos, speedos and cigar minnows got them to bite, and groupers, king mackerel, sailfish and mahi mahi sometimes showed up in the same waters and were hooked as a by-catch, not specifically targeted at the wrecks. Big amberjacks were also reeled up at the Hump around 11 miles from shore. So fishing was good, and the weather was in the high 80s, mostly calm. Ah, the Keys …. Call: 305-451-9578 or 305-360-2120. Visit Web Site.

Key West

A three-day, open-boat trip to the Dry Tortugas got weathered out with Yankee Capts this past week, Capt. Greg Mercurio said. But a two-day, open-boat trip to the Tortugas sailed afterward on Friday night, and waters were churned up and muddy from the weather that cancelled the previous trip, and the fishing suffered. Few catches were made, so the crew was waiting for conditions to turn around. This time of year normally gives up mutton snappers, and lots of red and black groupers typically turn on through April. Two open trips are slated to fish the Tortugas for two-days apiece this week. The 90-foot party boat Yankee Capts fishes the Dry Tortugas, 60 miles from port at Key West, on one-, two-, three- and four-day, open-boat trips in addition to charters. On the open trips, as many as 48 passengers live, sleep and eat onboard. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and beverages can be purchased. The crew and boat have been fishing from the Keys for 30 years and currently offer the Tortugas trips through May. From Memorial Day to Labor Day the vessel sails for cod from Gloucester, Massachusetts, and in September and October its trips target tuna from New Bedford, before returning to the Keys. Call: 888-88-CAPTS or 305-923-2926. Visit Web Site.

Report from 2/26:

DELAWARE

Indian River

Blackfishing was up and down on the Bandit the past couple of weeks, and moon currents sometimes wreaked havoc, but plenty of the tog could be hooked during the right conditions, and some big ones came up, Jerry the mate said in an e-mail. The water was 44 degrees, and trips were probably going to fish a little deeper this week. This past week’s trips sailed Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, and Thursday’s fishing was best. On that day one angler limited out on the fish, including catching a 13-pounder and an 11-pounder, and he was on fire the past two weeks, drilling five of the slipperies that weighed 8 to 13 pounds. On the same trip a couple of others limited out and nailed tog from 8 to 10 pounds. Saturday’s bite was a slow pick, and the high hook bagged five blacks, and a 10-pounder was the pool winner. Sunday’s fishing was slow, but some of the fish bit, and quite a few big ones broke off. An 11.3-pounder was the pool winner, and one angler took a 9-pounder, and another scored an 8-pounder. The angler with the pool winner, his personal best tog, and his friends took home a nice bunch of keepers. Pool winning fish lately weighed 8 to 13 pounds. The Bandit, sailing from Belmar, N.J., from spring through fall, is fishing for tog from Indian River through March for the second winter in a row. Delaware’s waters are somewhat warmer than Jersey’s, keeping the tog biting later in winter, and the grounds get less pressure than off the Garden State. Delaware’s bag limit is also 10 of the fish through March, while Jersey’s is four. Individual-reservation trips, usually made up of two or more groups, but also open to single reservations, are sailing Fridays through Sundays, and a few spots are available this coming Sunday, and no walk-ons are accepted. Charters are running the rest of the week. A local hotel offers a discount for anglers from the boat. The crew of the Bandit is also starting to look ahead to the boat’s spring season in Jersey that will start with bottom fishing for ling, sea bass and other bottom dwellers in mid April. Charter bookings are being accepted for Jersey. Call: 732-692-9521. Visit Web Site.

VIRGINIA

Virginia Beach

Lots and lots of big striped bass kept getting boated in the ocean 2 miles from shore, near Virginia Beach Fishing Center, John Crowley said. Customers today sailed for the fish at 8 a.m. and were back at the dock by 9 a.m. with limits, including some fish from 40 to 50 pounds. Party boats came back from trips recently with healthy numbers of sea bass, and the humpbacks moved a little closer to shore, because the water was warming. So the head boats will now start running shorter trips from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesdays and on Fridays through Sundays. Previously they were sailing on longer-range trips only on Saturdays. 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 the mouth of Chesapeake Bay, near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Visit Web Site.

NORTH CAROLINA

Hatteras

Boaters fishing the sound were pulling up puppy drum, keeping their limit of one fish from 18 to 27 inches per angler per day, but sometimes releasing a mess more, said Dave from The Roost Bait & Tackle at Teach’s Lair Marina. Twenty-five of the fish were hooked on one boat yesterday. The drum chased artificials including Gulps, Tsunamis and small spoons in the shallows. A handful of puppies were also beached from the surf in the last couple of days, but mostly dogfish swam along the shore. Unconfirmed rumors were heard about speckled sea trout taken from the wash today, and Dave didn’t doubt that some might’ve been caught. On offshore vessels anglers were finally getting into scattered yellowfin tuna, and blackfin tuna fishing was good, and bluefin tuna gave arms a workout. Visit Web Site.

LOUISIANA

Venice

Paradise Outfitters ran lots of trips in the past week, and a bunch of different fish were landed, according to the report on its web site. The first mako shark of the year, a 300-pounder, was boated at the “mako hole” after another was lost on the trip because of a broken hook. “Never (saw) a hook failure before,” the report said. But afterward the crew inspected the remaining piece and found corrosion they must’ve missed. The shortfin that was bagged bit a chunk out of the transom door when the fish was pulled in the boat after some time, “… a nice reminder why the fish are the baddest of the sea,” the report said. A 500-pound mako was hooked two different times but lost the previous day at the same place on a charter. Quite a few cobia catches were reported from Paradise for the first time this season. Yellowfin tuna were also bagged on charters through the week, and none was apparently one of the big, triple-digit Allisons that show up in the Gulf in winter. Blackfin tuna were also bagged, and so were amberjacks, lots of beeliners and some groupers. A number of trips looked for wahoos but found none, but sometimes ‘hoos were battled aboard. 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

Great catches of speckled sea trout were nailed on live bait with Absolute Flats Fishing, Capt. Rich Knox said in an e-mail. The bait, including pilchards, for those who knew where to catch them, but also pinfish and shrimp worked best because of water temps rising into the high 60s. Half-day charters bailed 20 to 35 of the trout from 2 to 6 pounds on 8-pound test with 20-pound shock leaders. Redfish from 18 inches to 12 pounds were also hooked 1 to 4 days on either side of the new and full moons in the shallows along the coast and barrier islands. Anglers could get the redfish going if they fished with live pilchards while chumming with the live baitfish. A few snook were also landed in the Anclote and Cotee rivers, a great sign that the fish were waking up with warmer water. Spring slam trips for snook, redfish and trout, all in one outing, are being booked, and so are charters for the giant tarpon run from world-famous Boca Grande in May and June. Call 727-376-8809 or 800-890-9373 or Visit Web Site.

Miami/Fort Lauderdale/Boca Raton

The weather kept changing from warm to cool and back again, but a cool front did push sailfish through on a southerly migration one day, and the conditions caused scattered dolphin to show up another day, Capt. Ron Mallet from the Just Add Water said. Afterward bonito and king mackerel became the thing for a moment. So fishing was in flux, and the menu varied day to day, but charters connected with fights. Ron’s anglers swam live pilchards for all these fish anywhere from less than a mile to 1 ½ miles from shore in 60 feet to the hundreds. Plenty of barracudas and jack crevalles put light tackle to the test for his charters in the harbor. Trips on the boat often mix in that fishing along with targeting bigger game in the ocean. But sometimes anglers simply prefer the harbor’s calmer waters. The harbor fishing is also a plus when the weather is too rough for boating on the ocean. Fishing the harbor is usually an option during those days, one of the great things about Just Add Water. Light tackle and live pilchards offer fun fights with the harbor fish. Another cool front was forecast for this week, after warm weather in the high 80s, so anglers were hoping for another push of migrating fish like sails because of the falling temps. The water was 74 degrees, about the same as it’s been, and would normally be colder this time of year. Call: 954-423-8700. Visit Web Site.

Islamorada

Anglers on the Pretty Work from Over Under Adventures won third place this past week in the Poor Girls Sailfish Tournament, an e-mail from Over Under said. But sailfishing lately was hit or miss. More cobias and big king mackerel than before were starting to hit, and a few wahoos showed up around last week’s full moon. Bottom fishing was also improving, and black groupers were more numerous than before in the deep or 125 feet. Over Under’s boat That’s Right ran a trip offshore to the Hump, arriving at those waters with no other boats in sight. “Should have been perfect, right?” the report asked. “Wrong,” it answered. The fishing was slow, but a double header of blackfin tuna was picked right away, and a triple header was bagged an hour later, and then a few singles showed up for a total catch of 10 of the tuna. Six other boats were fishing at the Hump by the time That’s Right steamed back to port. That’s Right, licensed for 15 passengers, is also running multi-day trips to the Dry Tortugas this season, and a two-day trip fished there last week. The anglers boated snappers including yellowtails and muttons, groupers including reds, scamps and yellowfins, a few 50-pound amberjacks and other fish. Considering tough conditions from tides, winds, green and somewhat cool water, lots of fish were found. Call: 866-OUA-TUNA. Visit Web Site.

Lots of different fish were biting, said Capt. Bruce Anderson from Captain Easy Charters. But his charters were mainly targeting big amberjacks at the Hump about 11 miles from shore and deep-water bottom fish in 250 to 500 feet from 7 to 12 miles from land. The amberjacks, including three or four that weighed more than 90 pounds apiece and one larger than 100 pounds in the past days, were caught best on live, 3- to 5-pound blackfin tuna. The tuna were landed on trolled feathers and then dropped down to the a.j.’s on liveline rigs. Dead, butterflied blackfins also worked, but live ones scored better. Snappers, like vermilions and yelloweyes, and snowy groupers and tilefish were among the deep-water bottom fish. Squid baits on three- or four-hooked rigs drew the strikes from them along bottom structure including rocks, wrecks and any type of sticky bottom. Fishing for snappers and groupers at the reef closer to shore also produced no lack of catches, and king mackerel, a few wahoos and occasional sailfish were around, but Captain Easy mostly sailed for the amberjacks and the deep-water bottom fish. Call: 305-451-9578 or 305-360-2120. Visit Web Site.

Key West

A three-day trip and two two-day trips fished the Dry Tortugas with Yankee Capts this past week, but the fishing was mostly slow, and currents were strong from the full moon and the eclipse, Capt. Greg Mercurio said. But big king mackerel were fought aboard, and a handful of mutton snappers, yellowtail snappers and red groupers were reeled in. The weather was great: flat calm with mid 80-degree temps during the day and mid 70-degree nights. However, that was about to change. Strong winds were forecast this week, when a 3-day trip was supposed to leave the dock tonight, and a 2-day outing was slated to head out Friday night. The 90-foot party boat Yankee Capts fishes the Dry Tortugas, a 60-mile sail from the boat’s port at Key West, on one-, two-, three- and four-day, open-boat trips in addition to charters. On the open trips, as many as 48 passengers live, sleep and eat onboard. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and beverages can be purchased. Yankee Capts has been fishing from the Keys for 30 years and currently offers the Tortugas trips 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.

Bahamas

Fishing from the Bahamas was erratic so far for Over Under Adventures, an e-mail from Over Under said. The company’s boat Low Profile arrived in San Salvador in the islands this month to fish there from winter through spring after fishing from Avalon, N.J., for big game last summer and fall and from North Carolina for giant bluefin tuna earlier this winter. Catches on the boat’s first trips in the Bahamas this season produced plenty of wahoos, but afterward action dropped off, until fishing was okay last week for a pick of yellowfin tuna, dolphin and smaller wahoos. But bottom fishing was excellent every day for yelloweye, button and black snappers. The crew expected great catches after last week’s full moon waned, and a trip Saturday was excellent, producing five yellowfins to 56 pounds and two wahoos that weighed 76 and 64 pounds. But Sunday’s fishing was slower, and a bunch of small tuna bit. The yellowfins and wahoos were biting best on horse ballyhoos skirted with blue and white Islanders behind a 2-pound trolling weight. Over Under sent another e-mail that said discounts of up to 25 percent are being offered on Bahamas trips booked by March 10, and mention the e-mail to receive the discount. A few dates were open in early April, late May and the first week of July, and call for other details. San Salvador is one of the top destinations in the world for big wahoos from February through March. Afterward large dolphin, yellowfin tuna, wahoos and billfish become the main targets. Blue marlin fishing usually turns on best from late May into July. After early July, Over Under returns to Jersey to fish for tuna and other offshore game through fall. Call: 866-OUA-TUNA. Visit Web Site.

Report from 2/19:

DELAWARE

Indian River

On the Bandit strong currents made tog fishing difficult on Friday, but patrons managed to bag a few, probably 20-some, Capt. Scotty said. The currents continued on trips Saturday and Sunday, and on Saturday a few of the blackfish were landed early, but then they refused to bite on incoming tide, but the fishing was good on outgoing late in the trip. On Sunday the fishing wasn’t good, and patrons had difficulty holding bottom with 16- and 18-ounce weights. Pool winners were generally 11 pounds on the trips, and the boat fished in 80 to 90 feet, and the water was 43 to 44 degrees or warm. Tog fishing’s been off compared with last year, but some of the slipperies were biting, considerably more than farther north in Jersey, where the bite is pretty much shut down for the winter. The Bandit, sailing from Belmar, N.J., from spring through fall, is fishing for tog from Indian River, Del., through March for the second winter in a row. Delaware’s waters get less pressure and are somewhat warmer than Jer