VIRGINIA

Chincoteague

A trip Friday aboard nailed striped bass, including big ones to 47 inches, off Ocean City, Maryland, on the troll, said Capt. Perry Romig from Topless Fishing Charters. Loads of 35- or 36-inchers hit, and no bluefish did. Another trip for the rockfish was slated for today aboard. All the stripers anyone could want schooled 7 miles off Ocean City last week, but bagging stripers is only legal within 3 miles from shore. But a commercial netter this week told Perry a few of the fish now swam within 3 miles from shore off Ocean City. The ocean off Ocean City is within range for trips with Topless, and the fish should keep migrating south to Chincoteague. The ocean off Ocean City was 53 to 54 degrees along the 3-mile line and was 54 to 55 degrees farther off. That was warm for the time of year. The weather became somewhat colder in the past days, but wasn’t yet freezing. This morning was supposed to be 34 degrees. Topless each year around now intercepts the migration of striped bass, big, mature fish that gather in huge numbers. Call: 757-824-5580. Visit Web Site.

Virginia Beach

Offshore, bottom-fishing, party boat trips were weathered out this weekend with Rudee Inlet Charters, but the fishing was rescheduled for Wednesday, Capt. Skip Feller said. The last trip, covered in the previous report, cleaned up on sea bass and blueline tilefish. Trips are trying to take advantage of sea bass before sea bass season closes January 1. Trips are sailing to Norfolk Canyon every Saturday from 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. for catches including blueline tilefish, sea bass, golden tilefish, black belly rosefish and groupers, for only $170 per person. Those are 16-hour trips, but special 18-hour trips to the canyon are slated for this Sunday and Thursday, December 29. One of the 18-hour trips was slated for last Sunday but was rescheduled because of weather. So was the regularly-scheduled 16-hour trip last Saturday. Sea bass and blueline tiles are the main targeted species at the moment. Call: 757-425-3400. Visit Web Site.

Currently cooler weather should make ocean temperatures drop, encouraging striped bass to migrate south to the local coast, a report on Virginia Beach Fishing Center’s Web site said. Cooler waters should also encourage stripers to move out from the rivers into Chesapeake Bay, eventually merging with the ocean stripers. Smaller stripers were sometimes decked on the bay. Reports were heard about large, migrating stripers boated on the ocean farther north. Anglers fished for speckled sea trout from shore in windy weather this weekend. Specks 6 and 8 pounds were weighed in. Visit Web Site.

FLORIDA

Islamorada

Fishing for groupers, sailfish and mahi mahi was especially good aboard, and other fish like yellowtail snappers, mutton snappers and mangrove snappers were also pumped in on the boat, said Capt. Bruce Anderson Captain Easy Charters. The groupers, mostly blacks and gags, were on a tear, pouncing on hooks at wrecks in 100 to 200 feet, located 4 to 5 miles from shore. Some of the blacks weighed more than 30 pounds, and some of the gags were close to 30. Four gag groupers 30 pounds apiece were axed on one trip. Quite a few sailfish were fought with Captain Easy, and this was the season for sailfishing. Fishing for sails is usually most consistent in December and January, though the angling lasts into spring. Sailfish this past week aboard were swiped on slow-trolled ballyhoos on the outside edges of the reefs 3 to 4 miles from shore. Six sails, including five at once, were landed on a trip Wednesday. The trip hooked the five at once, and all five were landed. Mahi mahi fishing was better than usual, and some sizeable ones 20 to 25 pounds were decked. Mahi are usually a by-catch throughout the year, and are usually targeted specifically when fishing for them peaks in the warm months. But mahi were numerous lately. The yellowtail snappers, mutton snappers and mangrove snappers were tugged in from the patch reefs inshore of the main reefs. The weather was mild, reaching the 80s, and some days were windy, but some were calm. Call: 305-451-9578 or 305-360-2120. Visit Web Site.

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