NEW YORK

Point Lookout

Cod fishing improved on a trip Saturday on the party boat Captain Al, Capt. Tom Weiss said. Pretty much each angler bagged two to four apiece, and dogfish seemed to depart the area for the season, because only one was reeled in. A few blackfish, out-of-season in New York, were released. The cod bit in 50 to 75 feet of water, relatively shallow and close to shore. Cod usually school deeper as the ocean cools in winter, until the fish disappear out-of-range. Those depths were shallower than cod are found during some Februarys. The ocean on the fishing grounds was 40.5 to 41 degrees, somewhat warmer than usual. Sunday morning was windy, though less windy than forecast, and no anglers showed up for a trip to sail. Still, seas would’ve been nasty because of the wind. On Saturday’s trip, the ocean was calm and the day was beautiful, though a little cold. Trips will now fish for cod and ling 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Friday through Sunday. The trips sailed daily previously, and the schedule change happens every year about this time. The boat is this website’s only that fishes for cod this often each winter. If cod are in, trips target them. Otherwise, trips fish wrecks for cod, pollock, ling or whatever will bite. See More Info. Call: 516-623-2248.

DELAWARE/MARYLAND

No doubt blackfish could be boated on the ocean off Delaware, one online report said. But news was scarce about the angling. Trips had the weather to sail a day or two, and the fishing might’ve been slower than expected, because of stirred up water from the days with rougher weather. Another online report speculated that maybe striped bass could still be found off Maryland’s coast. The report based that assumption on reports that stripers were hooked off New Jersey at Sea Isle City. But Fishing Reports Now heard about nobody finding stripers to boat in that area in legal waters, within 3 miles from shore, in more than a month. Be careful about what you read in online reports. ;) In other news, a proposal to turn Baltimore Canyon into a fish sanctuary was reportedly withdrawn.

NORTH CAROLINA

Oregon Inlet

Bluefin tuna are here! a report said yesterday on Oregon Inlet Fishing Center’s website. Anglers from a private boat reported subduing a 70-incher that day. A few captains from the marina on Thursday “had some good results” on the fish, it said. No reports for other days were posted since, probably because weather kept trips docked. But the marina’s fleet is ready to sail for bluefins. The angling usually begins in mid-February and peaks in March. Visit Website.

FLORIDA

Islamorada

A little of everything bit, said Capt. Bruce Andersen from Captain Easy Charters. A trip yesterday aboard landed a sailfish, limited out on good-sized king mackerel and tackled some blackfin tuna. That was all on live bait fished from kites, just offshore of the reef, 4 or 5 miles from port, in 120 feet of water. Then the trip bottom-fished, cranking in vermillion snappers and lane snappers, releasing out-of-season amberjacks and groupers. That was at a wreck in 200 feet of water, 6 or 7 miles from port. On most days, trips landed a couple of sails and a mix of fish like the kings. A few mahi mahi were also around. Weather was mostly in the 70 and 80 degrees. A couple of cold fronts came through so far this winter, bringing low temperatures and wind. Better days of weather were sometimes mixed in. Call: 305-451-9578 or 305-360-2120. Visit Website.

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