New Jersey Fishing Reports

The Bandit fished for tog Friday and Saturday, and the fish chewed aggressively, with water temps now as high as 47 degrees, Jerry the mate said in an e-mail. On Friday lots of 4- to 8-pounders and a couple of limits of the blacks to 10 pounds were bagged. All the fish were hooked on white crabs in 90 feet. On Saturday lots of limits were boated, and some of the fish were good-sized, too. Two weighed 13 pounds, and one was 12 ½ pounds, making the pool a tight contest. A 13.2-pounder took the money, and the angler with that fish also reeled up two 8-pounders and limited out. The angler with the other 13-pounder claimed a total of three keepers, and the patron with the 12-1/2-pounder limited out. Lots of 6- to 10-pounders were also hauled up. Two anglers dunked cooked shrimp and limited out, giving credit to a New Jersey angler who taught them to use the bait. Five of one of those shrimp soaker’s fish weighed 5 to 8 pounds. A highlight of the day also included 6-year-old “Steven Jr.” tackling four keepers, including an 8-pounder, and out-fishing his dad. White crabs also fooled most of the fish this day, and the boat again targeted 90 feet. The Bandit, sailing from Belmar, N.J., from spring through fall, is tog fishing in Delaware for the second year in a row. Delaware’s waters get less pressure and are somewhat warmer than Jersey’s, so the fishing can be better, last longer in winter and start earlier toward the end of winter than in the Garden State. Delaware’s bag limit is currently 10 fish through March, compared with Jersey’s limit of four during that period. The boat is sailing on individual-reservation tog trips, usually with two or more groups, every Friday through Saturday. But single reservations can also be made, and no walk-ons are accepted. Tog charters are offered the rest of the week. The vessel will leave port for tog from Delaware through the first weekend of April, before returning to Jersey. In Jersey the Bandit will offer winter flounder charters on the Manasquan River in April before returning to Belmar in May to start charters for stripers, blues and bottom fish. Call: 732-692-9521.
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VIRGINIA

Virginia Beach

A party-boat angler sailing from Virginia Beach Fishing Center pulled aboard a world-record, 46-pound 2-ounce yellowedge grouper last week, John Crowley said. Party boats from the marina were returning with lots of sea bass and groupers. Striped bass fishing in the nearby ocean was slowing down and probably coming to a finish soon, but the rockfish were still boated at times. The marina’s web site included a photo of four of the linesiders from 40 to 45 pounds checked in on Friday, and talked about windy weather that usually kept anglers from boating the ocean. At Rudy Inlet customers were sometimes jigging speckled seatrout and puppy drum on baits like chartreuse, soft-plastic grubs. Virginia Beach Fishing Center features a marina, tackle shop, slips, launching, charter boats and party boats and is located near the ocean, beach, hotels and the mouth of Chesapeake Bay, near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Visit Web Site.

NORTH CAROLINA

Oregon Inlet

Boaters from Oregon Inlet Fishing Center were fighting a bunch of bluefin tuna, Ashley Party said. Yellowfin tuna should appear soon, and afterward mahi mahi and wahoos will swim to the grounds. Closer to shore striped bass left the area weeks ago, and mackerel and bluefish are expected to move through next. Blues were already biting at Cape Hatteras, an hour south, so not much time should pass before they storm local waters. Jersey anglers take note: These are the first signs of the migration of mackerel and blues that will turn up in Garden State waters toward late April and early May. The above report also mentioned stripers disappearing from Virginia waters, a little north of Oregon Inlet, and those fish had been stacked up off Virginia until a couple of weeks ago. Fish are on the move, and they’re headed north!
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Capt. Randy Frees, formerly from Country Girl Sportfishing in North Carolina, has joined the crew at Over Under Adventures and will help Over Under expand its Tarheel State tuna charters, an e-mail from the company said. Trips with him will fish on the Pretty Work from Oregon Inlet in May and June and also in the fall. In summer he and the Pretty Work will hunt tuna from Ocean City, Maryland. Over Under also fishes from New Jersey for big game in summer with another crew and boat. All the spring and summer trips are already being booked. Randy is already fishing on the Pretty Work from the Florida Keys. Call: 866-OUA-TUNA. Visit Web Site. Click here to check out Randy’s bio.

Hatteras

Offshore anglers were putting the skids on lots of bluefin tuna this morning as Dave Hissey gave this report from The Roost Bait & Tackle at Teach’s Lair Marina. The boaters were probably trolling the fish 15 to 20 miles from the coast. A few yellowfin tuna were picked up lately, and blackfin tuna were more prevalent and were deep-jigged, and some anglers the other day drilled a few wahoos. Surf sharpies were beaching a bunch of 1- to 2-pound bluefish and a number of sea mullet, blowtoads, puppy drum and dog sharks. Puppy drum offered solid action on several days in Pamlico Sound, usually on soft plastics on light tackle. Visit Web Site.

LOUISIANA

Venice

Rough weather kept charters from fishing through the past week, Capt. Damon McKnight from Super Strike Charters said in an e-mail. Previously his anglers were coming back with yellowfin tuna, blackfin tuna, wahoos and other fish from the Gulf of Mexico. Call: 800-318-1720. Visit Web Site.

Likewise no reports were posted on Paradise Outfitters’ web site in a week. Charters before then were fishing the Gulf of Mexico and wrestling aboard yellowfins, blackfins, amberjacks and other fish. Call: 985-845-8006.
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FLORIDA

Clearwater/Tampa/Tarpon Springs

Snook, big bruisers averaging 12 pounds, were starting to haunt the river mouths and the waters around the mangrove islands, said Capt. Rich Knox from Absolute Flats Fishing in an e-mail. This is top-water plugging time, and skill is needed to keep the brawny fish out of the always-present structure. Small tarpon were also turning up in the back-water springs and deep canals off the rivers. More and more redfish and speckled seatrout, large “gators,” were schooling to local waters. All fishing was generally improving, and early season action was excellent, with temperatures higher than usual, coming into spring. Baitfish migrations were appearing just offshore, poised to push in, and huge schools of Spanish mackerel to 7 pounds will be right behind them. So will king mackerel to 40 pounds. Cobia will also start holding on the nearshore wrecks and rock piles. Book now for spring slam trips for snook, redfish and trout in one outing. Also reserve your trips for giant tarpon fishing in May and June in Boca Grande, world famous for its run of the silver kings. Call 727-376-8809 or 800-890-9373 or Visit Web Site.

Miami/Fort Lauderdale/Boca Raton

Sailfishing picked up, and most boaters scored multiple bites, and mahi mahi swam in, Capt. Ron Mallet from the Just Add Water said. The mahi, fish to 8 pounds, were probably the highlight of the week, and charters with Ron would hook a few in a school, and then another bunch would school through, and more would be reeled in. The fish that Ron saw were heading south, but others said they saw schools running north. Still, they should be migrating from south to north at this time of year. The mahi popped up in waters 120 feet deep, only a mile from the coast, and the sails appeared in 75 to 160 feet, only three-quarters of a mile to 2 miles offshore. King mackerel were sometimes mixed in with catches, and a false albacore was decked on Sunday. Live pilchards were the bait for all the fish, and Ron tried livelining the more expensive goggleyes, but they made no difference. Charters sometimes fished the baits on kites when the breeze was right. Winds blew too strongly yesterday to fish the ocean, so a charter fished the harbor, walloping big barracudas, fish 3 feet and maybe larger, and jack crevalles from 3 to 15 pounds on light tackle with live pilchards. But the bigger jacks were difficult to land in tight quarters, like among the docks. The harbor fishing is one of the advantages for Just Add Water, because the ‘cudas and jacks are great alternatives when either the ocean’s too rough or when charters, such as those with children, simply prefer the calm waters of the harbor. The ocean was 73 to 74 degrees, the same temp that it’s been. The weather was warm, including a record 90 degrees yesterday. Winter conditions might be finished for the year. Call: 954-423-8700. Visit Web Site.

Islamorada

Overlapping seasons were producing a little of every type of fishing, but bottom fishing was especially on a tear, mahi mahi were beginning to move in, amberjacks were beginning to appear at the Hump about 11 miles offshore, and sailfish could sometimes still be found, said Capt. Bruce Anderson from Captain Easy Charters. Wayne and Mike Pielech from Oradell, N.J., were onboard the past three days. On Saturday they fished 3 to 7 miles from shore and reeled in 40 vermillion snappers, some genuine red snappers, a healthy sized mutton snapper, a couple of king mackerel and a 40-pound amberjack. On Sunday they fished farther off in 400 feet and found a color change from green to blue water with some weeds. Huge schools of mahi sometimes swam through, and lots of the fish were small, but the anglers managed to pick through them and boat a dozen. They also discovered four or five sailfish tailing in the weeds and landed one. On Sunday the anglers stopped on the way offshore and lifted a bunch of vermillion snappers over the rail and then tangled with more mahi in the deep. They also spotted a 30-pound spinning shark, pitched a bait and leadered the fish. The weather was mostly calm and in the mid 80s, but today was blowing. Call: 305-451-9578 or 305-360-2120. Visit Web Site.

Cobia moved through along the edge of the reef in good numbers, and live grunts cast toward the rays that the cobia follow did the trick to catch them, said Capt. John Oughton Over Under Adventures and the Pretty Work said in an e-mail. The rays kick up food that the lemonfish pounce on. The reef itself put out plenty of 2- to 3-pound yellowtails, steady action with them, and a few king mackerel. Early season mahi mahi gave up bites on a few days, and one of the captains from Over Under ran a trip that hooked 15 to 20 two days ago around a pallet that was found floating. Sailfishing was mostly tough, and only a handful were landed, maybe because of 85-degree, sunny, great weather and little current. One of Over Under’s boats, That’s Right, licensed for 15 passengers, is also taking multi-day trips to the Dry Tortugas this season. Call: 866-OUA-TUNA. Visit Web Site.

Bahamas

Results were better on recent trips for Over Under Adventures than previous ones, Capt. Joe Trainor said in an e-mail. Not great, but improved. A charter fishing from San Salvador, the usual port for Over Under, on Sunday scored five or six bites and boated two wahoos and a dolphin. The wahoo, a 56-pounder, was actually hooked while the angler was deep-dropping a jig on spinning gear, the fish screaming the line 50 feet down. Another trip fished off Rum Cay for a change of pace, but the action was poor, and local captains said that was the case lately. So Over Under returned to San Salvador and loaded up with snappers. On another day five boats fished, and only one blackfin tuna was mustered up among all of them. Anglers on the vessels called it quits by mid day and bottom fished instead. So big-game fishing’s been slow at the Bahamas, but bottom fishing was consistently bagging loads of snappers, groupers and some amberjacks. A cold front was coming through, and maybe that was needed to trigger the bluewater bite. Call: 866-OUA-TUNA. Visit Web Site.