NEW YORK

Point Lookout

Cod fishing was great Sunday on the party boat Captain Al, Capt. Tom Weiss said. The fish to 18 pounds were bagged, and almost all hooked were keepers. Annual, daily cod trips began last week aboard, after the boat blackfished daily, until New York’s blackfish season was closed beginning last Tuesday. The cod trips began bagging 12 to 15 per day last week, and the catches flared up suddenly on Sunday’s trip. One place fished was loaded with them. The cod were bigger than last year, and the good catches now were somewhat early. In the past couple of years, the first straggler cod were boated aboard beginning on about the day after Christmas. Sunday’s catch was found in 50-foot to 70-foot depths, fairly shallow. Cod usually push deeper as the ocean becomes colder. The ocean was 51 degrees or fairly warm on the trip. The water’s been that temperature the last three weeks. Lots of herring schooled the water in past days, and sometimes cod can be jigged when the baitfish are around. Jigging was tried, but all the trip’s cod were clammed, and that caught well. Monday’s trip was cancelled, though enough anglers showed up to sail. Wind blew 30 knots when the trip was slated to depart, so the trip was scrubbed, though the wind calmed later in the day.  The Captain Al is this site's closest boat to New Jersey that sails for cod daily each winter. Trips are running 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day. See More Info. Call: 516-623-2248.

VIRGINIA

Virginia Beach

Deep-drop fishing’s been super with Rudee Inlet Charters, Capt. Skip Feller said. The weekly trips to Norfolk Canyon, sailing every Saturday, are fishing for sea bass and blueline tilefish, taking advantage of sea bass before sea bass season is closed beginning January 1. The sea bassing’s been fantastic, “like old school,” he said. The trips, currently fishing in 300-foot depths, are fishing for sea bass first, then tilefishing. The tilefishing’s also been good, and a snowy grouper was in the mix on the last trip, two Saturdays ago. This past Saturday’s trip was weathered out. Once sea bass season is closed, the trips steam for catches that can include blueline tilefish, golden tilefish, black belly rosefish, barrelfish, wreckfish and groupers.  The unique trips, sailing each winter, are running 3 a.m. to 8 p.m. every Saturday, limited to 35 anglers, and reservations are required. Call: 757-422-5700 or 757-425-3400. Visit Website.

NORTH CAROLINA

Hatteras

Surf anglers beached speckled sea trout, bluefish, puffers, sea mullet and puppy drum, and the angling was terrific, a report said from The Roost Bait & Tackle at Teach’s Lair Marina on the marina’s website. Two boats fished, one inshore, the other offshore. The inshore trip limited out on puppy drum, jumping all over a school of the fish that bit anything thrown at them, including soft-plastic lures and spoons. The anglers fought them for hours. The offshore trip waxed a few wahoos, a king mackerel and a couple of mahi mahi. Weather was in the low 70 degrees to mid 70s, and people still wore flip-flops and board shorts. “But that’s the way we like it,” the report said. Visit Website.

FLORIDA

Islamorada

Sailfish, wahoos, king mackerel and blackfin tuna were hooked the last few weeks with Captain Easy Charters, and the fishing’s been excellent, a report on Captain Easy’s website said. The fish were tackled on live bait trolled along the offshore edge of the reef, a few miles from shore. When trips bottom-fished, they pumped in groupers and mutton snappers, good catches. “All the signs are pointing to an excellent winter season,” the report said. In other news, Captain Easy is now on the pro staff at Ryobi Reels. The boat’s outfitted with the reels, and the crew is impressed with the equipment. Ryobi spinning reels will be available wholesale to Captain Easy’s customers in 2016. Call: 305-451-9578 or 305-360-2120. Visit Website.

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