VIRGINIA

Virginia Beach

Gale winds in the past days kept trips from striped bass fishing, but the next charter is slated to steam for the rockfish on Thursday, said Capt. Bob Robinson from Fin Seeker Sport Fishing. Trips should keep chasing them, stripers that winter in the ocean, until the boat is relocated to Cape Hatteras in a couple of weeks for annual charters that fish for blackfin tuna and bluefin tuna. Some snow fell at Virginia Beach during the weekend, but winds were the factor that caused trips to be called off. Call: 757-618-7421. Visit Web Site.

The weather put the nix on the weekly party boat trip to Norfolk Canyon on Saturday, said Capt. Skip Fuller from Rudee Inlet Charters. Seas and winds were rough, and snow fell, but not as much as during the previous week. The long-range forecast currently looked like this Saturday’s trip could sail. The trips, sailing 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. every Saturday, hook mostly blueline tilefish, a few golden tiles, blackbelly rosefish and snowy groupers. Limited to 40 passengers, the trips are only $170 per person, a great price for offshore angling. Call: 757-422-5700 or 757-425-3400. Visit Web Site.

NORTH CAROLINA

Oregon Inlet

Boaters from Oregon Inlet Fishing Center limited out on striped bass last week on Tuesday and Friday, the two days when the weather allowed them to sail, Virginia Lawhorne said. But boats were back out today, and one of the vessels had already returned with a limit. The fish schooled close to port, and one angler said he found them nearly 3 miles from shore. Fishing for them is closed beyond 3 miles, but the cold winter seemed to keep the rockfish near Oregon Inlet this season. Not every winter is cold enough for them to push that far south, but this one was. Boaters from the marina that Tuesday also battled six or seven bluefin tuna that were mostly 100 to 150 pounds. But one was 200 pounds that was docked. Those were the area’s first bluefins of the season, and the fish seemed to be in. No yellowfin tuna were landed, but that was unusual, and they were caught previously and would probably be seen again. The weather kept boats from sailing offshore for tuna from then until today, when two vessels from the marina went after them. But they were yet to return when Virginia gave this report. Visit Web Site.

FLORIDA

Tampa

More redfish than before began to be plucked from the flats along Fort Desoto on the southern bay and along the west side of the bay, said Capt. Chuck Rodgers from Rattlesnake Point Outfitters. Shrimp under a popping cork grabbed them, and cut mullet worked when lots were schooled up. A few speckled sea trout hung around the same areas. Fishing that was previously going strong for permit, pompano and other fish at the warm waters of the power plant seemed to taper off. Waters probably became too warm, after the warmth itself attracted the better fishing at the plant before. Jacks 12 and 15 pounds gathered in the Hillsborough River. Call: 866-439-4305. Visit Web Site.

Lake Okeechobee

Largemouth bass angling put a whooping on the fish, a bunch, including big ones, in the last few trips on the lake, despite chilly weather, said Capt. Butch Butler from South Florida Bass Fishing. A half-day trip last Tuesday totaled 30 of the fish including an 8-pounder and a 6-pounder. Another on Friday whacked 20 of the bucketmouths including a couple of 7-pounders.  Another on Monday racked up 20 including five over 6 pounds, two of them weighing almost 7. Impressive catches, especially on half-day trips. The largemouths were claimed on shiners swum 1 ½ feet under a bobber, usually in 4- and 5-foot depths along cattails, bulrushes, scattered hydrilla patches and such. The shiners range 2 to 9 inches and come from tackle shops from suppliers who castnet them on the lake. Other anglers tackled plenty of the bigmouths on plastic worms, and Butch’s anglers can fish the worms or other artificials if they prefer. Crappie fishing tore up catches on the Kissimmee River at night, and some could be pounded on the lake during the day. Many of the boat’s anglers like to target the area’s exceptional crappie angling, fishing with small minnows or jigs. Butch hoped the bass fishing held up this well. Call: 863-634-5431. Visit Web Site.

Windy weather was often a factor, calling for tactics like throwing spinners to the lake’s largemouth bass, said Capt. Angie from Captain Angie Douthit Guide Service. The weight of the spinners helped, and so did fishing on the leeward side of land. Angling with rubber worms with heavier weights could also be effective. Okeechobee is a good lake for rubber worm fishing, but also offers all different types of bassing, including angling with top-water plugs or just about any of the usual artificials. She had just gotten off the waters when she gave this report Monday evening and saw lots of bass, many of them bucks. The big females weren’t congregated. Now was a good time to locate large, spawning females that the anglers release. Largemouth bass undergo a long spawning season on the lake, and December to February is the height, but many breed from September to May. Not all spawn at the same time, so a mix of pre-spawn, spawning and post-spawn fish are always swimming around during that time. Some anglers specifically target the spawning beds for a big lunker. But that takes lots of effort, and Angie instead usually works an area, and a mix of the different fish are likely to be there. Angie, a professional bass angler who guides when not on the pro circuit, enjoys fishing with artificials with her clients, is up on the latest techniques and often teaches her anglers if they’d like. Or if anglers want to fish with bait, she’ll do that too. She competed in a tournament Saturday, winds honking 30 m.p.h. The weather was also cooler than usual lately. Crappies really bit in the lake, and she also guides for them. The lake was 63 to 68 degrees, somewhat cool because of chilly nights. But the temps weren’t bad for the fishing, and 65 to 68 is the range where bass will spawn. The mean water level was 13 ½ feet, a normal depth. Call: 863-228-7263. Visit Web Site.

Boca Grande/Pine Island

Mostly speckled sea trout were snatched aboard, said Capt. Larry Conley from Reel-Ality Sportfishing. Three feet of waters in Pine Island Sound usually gave them up around the weeds on Gulp shrimp on 1/8-ounce jigheads. The weather was cooling down, and the angling was best when the days were warmer. Friday was 80 degrees and dished out the better catches, and by Monday, the morning was 43 degrees. But the angling should pick up again when temps rise. Winds kicked up seas to 5 to 7 feet in the Gulf of Mexico. That kept trips from fishing for amberjacks 20 miles from the coast at the box car reef. But that fishing should be turned on. Trips last year around this time had a blast muscling in the strong fighters to the high 20 pounds. The a.j.’s don’t give up easily! Live pinfish are usually used to pelt them, but spoons could also work. Grouper season opens March 1, and gag groupers should be nabbed from the passes to the holes, ledges and reefs in the Gulf. Giant tarpon fishing should kick in starting in April, and Boca Grande is called the tarpon capital of the world. The silver kings are often 125 pounds and can grow to 200. They gather at the passes and in 10-foot depths near the coast. Live pinfish or jigs with a round lead head with eyes and a rubber shad can hook them, and so can trolled Rapala X-Rap lures. But whether the angler will land the fish is the question. :) Book now to ensure a favored date. Call: 239-471-0875 or 215-932-8411 (cell). Visit Web Site.

Fort Lauderdale

A trip this morning clobbered king mackerel on dead trolled baits, said Capt. Brenda Fann from <b>Fanntastic Fishing</b>. But this is a good time of year for sailfishing, and when the sails come in depends on winds and currents. Northeasterly winds that kick up seas often produce the most. Both the kings and sails hold in the same area 1 to 3 miles from shore. Depths drop off quickly from the coast, such as 100-foot depths a mile from land, and the trip to the fishing grounds only takes 15 minutes from port. That also allows fishing for the big game on half-day trips. A few hammerhead sharks were around, and the season for them was a little early. March and April usually draws them in. Mahi mahi sometimes showed up. Fishing for both of those species usually also takes place 1 to 3 miles from shore. Call: 954-288-1055. Visit Web Site.

King mackerel were on the attack the past five days on the party boat trips with Flamingo Fishing, Rebecca Moudy said. They mostly bit on the morning trips, and two big Spanish mackerel were added to the catch on this morning’s trip. Scattered false albacore were landed lately, and gray triggerfish were swung aboard. A healthy number sailfish were caught and released on trips in the past two weeks. All of these fish were boated on the drift, but the vessel also anchor fishes sometimes. Angling on anchor these days put patrons into yellowtail snappers and mutton snappers.  Three trips sail daily 8 a.m. to 12 noon, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Trips from Saturday to Tuesday are drift fishing for species on the move such as king mackerel, and outings from Wednesday to Friday are anchor fishing for bottom fish. Call: 954-462-9194. Visit Web Site.

Miami

A few sailfish roamed the clear waters within 2 to 3 miles from shore, smacking live bait on riggers or kites, said Jackie Glinski from the Blue Waters II.   King mackerel hovered 1 to 2 miles from the coast, swiping live baits that were usually drifted or trolled but that were sometimes dangled from kites. Blackfin tuna and false albacore were live-baited 3 to 4 miles from land. Amberjacks could be clocked from the wrecks in shallow waters. Call: 305-373-5016. Visit Web Site.

Islamorada

The two boats fishing from Islamorada for Over Under Adventures were motored out on charters Friday, Capt. John Oughton said in an audio report on Over Under’s Web site said. The anglers on one of the boats socked a good catch of king mackerel and then pushed inshore for reef fishing. Reef fishing’s been excellent, apparently because the severe cold snap weeks ago pushed fish to the warmer waters at the reef from the colder, shallower waters in the back country. Mangrove snappers turned out steady bites for the anglers at the reef, though mangroves don’t normally litter the area at this time of year. Grouper fishing’s been great along the reef, and grouper season is closed, but lots of keeper black grouper and some gag groupers were hauled up. Photos are snapped of the catches, and the fish are released “for next year,” he said. The group on the other vessel pumped in king mackerel and yellowtail snappers while anchored closer to shore. Then they spent the afternoon sailfishing, and sails were difficult to find the past couple of days in green waters with no current. Still, a double-header of swords was scored and released toward the end of the day. So the trip was productive. More trips were supposed to fish the next day and today. Call: 866-OUA-TUNA. Visit Web Site.

A bang-up week of fishing was drilled on the boat, said Capt. Bruce Anderson from Captain Easy Charters. Sailfishing remained top-flight, one of the better years for the angling, and some trips really wiped up on the fish. One charter on Thursday went 7 for 10 on sails and saw about 15. Another last Tuesday walloped three 30- to 50-pound wahoos, some king mackerel and a blackfin tuna, releasing a 25-pound, out-of-season gag grouper. Anglers on deck this Monday hammered four big amberjacks to 45 pounds, a large king mackerel, a 15- to 20-pound mahi mahi and a hefty mutton snapper. The sails are trolled on live ballyhoos on light tackle, usually 4 to 5 miles from shore. The wahoos and kings swim the same area, and the amjerjacks gather at the wrecks or at the Hump a dozen miles from land. The weather was good and seasonable through the week, and Monday was beautiful. Call: 305-451-9578 or 305-360-2120. Visit Web Site.  

Yellowtail snapper fishing stayed steady on the party boat Miss Islamorada, and consistently warm weather and water temps kept them chomping, Capt. Ben Loy said. Abrupt changes in temps can throw off the fishing, and a cold front was coming, with 40-degree temps predicted for Thursday. So anglers will see whether that affects the fish. But a coming front can also trigger them to go nuts, and that’s what seemed to happen on Monday, because patrons crushed them, two garbage cans full. The yellowtails on trips are copped on baits drifted out in a chum slick. Probably 70 yellowtails were bucketed on today’s trip, and so were six or eight king mackerel, most of them on dead ballyhoos on a treble-hooked rig. But a 30-pounder was drilled on a live blue runner on a kite, and most of the bigger fish are usually whaled on kites. One sailfish was leadered and released this past week on a kite. All the fishing was done within four miles from shore, and today’s trip fished in 50 feet at the edge of the corral, a typical spot. The Miss Islamorada sails 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. from world famous Bud N’ Mary’s Marina. Call: 305-664-2461. Visit Web Site.

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