NEW YORK

Point Lookout

Cod fishing shoveled up good catches aboard on most days, said Capt. Tom Weiss from the party boat Captain Al. The fish chased herring and mackerel, so the cod moved daily, and fishing for them was slow on a couple of days, when the cod couldn’t be found. When cod were found, anglers on the boat usually also jigged mackerel. The cod, weighing up to the low 20 pounds, were clammed, and some were jigged. On one day cod swam 10 to 15 feet off bottom, couldn’t be caught on bottom, so jigs nailed them. Anglers dropped lines to the bottom then cranked up to the depth. The best cod fishing came from 75- or 80-foot depths. Water temps stayed the same at 45 degrees. So there seemed no reason cod would leave anytime soon. Weather kept the boat docked the past two days, but otherwise the vessel sailed every day. The Captain Al is this site's closest Long Island cod boat to New Jersey. Trips run 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
See More Info. Call: 516-623-2248.

VIRGINIA

Virginia Beach

The weekly party boat trip to Norfolk Canyon was weathered out during the weekend with Rudee Inlet Charters, Capt. Skip Feller said. But the long-range forecast looks good for this weekend’s trip. The trips so far this season whaled very good catches of blueline tilefish. The last trip also fished the deep a moment, adding golden tilefish and black belly rosefish to the catch. Sixteen-hour trips are sailing to Norfolk Canyon, a few hours from port, every Saturday, from 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. They steam for catches including blueline tilefish, golden tiles, black belly rosefish, wreckfish and groupers. Call: 757-422-5700 or 757-425-3400. Visit Web Site.

The weather during the weekend dropped the ocean temperature by Monday at Virginia Beach, and fishing for striped bass there was slow that day, a report on Virginia Beach Fishing Center’s Web site said. The weather that day turned calm, and winds began to shift around to westerly, and that “should help, and the temperatures look better for the rest of the week,” the report said. One trip ran across a short bite on stripers that day, hooking the fish. No report was posted for Sunday, apparently because of weather. On Friday and Saturday striper fishing was slim pickings. About 10 stripers were reported caught Friday, and two on Saturday. The weather was perfect on Friday but began to turn wintry on Saturday. Not much was heard about catches on Thursday. One trip that day tried to find bluefin tuna that previously swam close to shore, but located none. But lots of trips from the marina limited out on stripers last Tuesday and Wednesday. “We can’t even begin to tell you how amazing the fishing was (on Tuesday),” the report said. With the westerly winds that now began to blow, anglers hoped stripers would begin to appear again this week. Visit Web Site.

NORTH CAROLINA

Oregon Inlet

Boats last sailed on Friday from <b>Oregon Inlet Fishing Center</b>, Denise MacNamara said. About nine yellowfin tuna were gaffed, and some bluefin tuna were released, from the five vessels. No striped bass showed up this far south yet this season. The rockfish remained at Virginia. Visit Web Site.

Hatteras

Blackfin tuna were always around, and false albacore, amberjacks and sharks bit, Teach’s Lair Marina’s Facebook page said. A big bluefin tuna was usually battled every time a trip sailed for them. A photo of a bluefin caught last week that was bigger than a man was posted on the page. Not much chomped in the surf. A few puppy drum, a few summer flounder and one speckled sea trout were reported beached last week. Visit Web Site.

FLORIDA

Islamorada

Plenty of king mackerel were clobbered aboard, said Capt. Bruce Anderson from Captain Easy Charters. Sailfishing somewhat slowed during the past week, and some big, 30-pound mahi mahi were decked. The mahi were found under a couple of frigate birds, and catching the large ones was unusual for the time of year. A few mahi will bite through the whole year, but the best fishing for them, and the best for bigger ones, usually happens in May and June or spring and summer. All of this big game was trolled on live baits along the offshore edge of the reef. Bottom fishing on the reef, a few miles from shore, scooped up very good catches of different snappers. Out-of-season groupers gave up action on the reef and were released. A cold front, only the second of the season, moved in during the past days. But this winter was mild, and cold fronts are usually more frequent. Call: 305-451-9578 or 305-360-2120. Visit Web Site.

Weekend getaways to the Florida Keys are slated to sail aboard again the next three weekends, said Capt. Joe Hughes from Jersey Cape Guide Service. Fishing’s been great on the trips so far this season. The winter and waters were warm, making lots of fishing, including for tarpon and for different species along the flats and back country, better than usual. Fishing for tarpon was putting up consistent bites from large ones near port at Islamorada. The flats and back-country fishing was serving up lots of different species from redfish and big speckled sea trout to jacks and really large snook. Anglers can arrive on a Friday, fish all day Saturday and part of Sunday, and get back to work on Monday morning. The trips can be a mini, fish-filled vacation for catches from redfish to sailfish, king mackerel and blackfin tuna. Visit Web Site.
Call: 609-827-3442.

COSTA RICA

Los Suenos

Fishing’s been very good this season, said Capt. Pete Wagner from the
Dream Girl. Trips aboard averaged 8 to 12 sailfish released daily, and dorado and marlin were mixed in. Bob Centamoore’s party from New Jersey totaled 15 sails released, a 200-pound marlin let go and some sizeable dorados decked in two days. Ron Nowack and friends from Manasquan, New Jersey, on Thursday went 12 for 12 on sails to 125 pounds. “Great success rate,” Pete said. Eric Larson’s gang from Georgia on Wednesday released nine sailfish. “Nice fishing,” Pete said. He runs the Dream Girl from Costa Rica in winter and the Hyper Striper from Highlands, New Jersey, the rest of the year. Visit Web Site.

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