VIRGINIA

Virginia Beach

Mild weather enabled boaters to fish for blackfish and sea bass on the ocean from Virginia Beach, according to online reports. Good catches of them were made in 120- to 140-foot depths. At one tackle shop, a crew weighed-in several blackfish 9 to 12 pounds Sunday. Sea bass season is open through the month from Virginia. A few party boats fished ocean wrecks for cod and pollock, catching them. Trips that sailed 30 to 50 miles from shore reported seeing large schools of striped bass. Striper fishing is closed beyond 3 miles from the coast. A trip that limited out on sea bass saw a few birds, slicks, floating bunker and marks on the way in. The anglers stopped and jigged, reportedly trying for bluefin tuna or bluefish. They hooked large striped bass instead, releasing them.

NORTH CAROLINA

Oregon Inlet

A few commercial boats fished for bluefin tuna in the past week, locking into some good catches, said Norma York from Oregon Inlet Fishing Center. A 533-pounder dressed was the only weight she heard about. Three boats with charters aboard headed for the tuna this morning from the marina. Norma expected to post a report about the trips on the shop’s website when the anglers returned today. Some of the commercial captains reported seeing good numbers of yellowfin tuna. Whether they hooked any was unknown, and they were targeting bluefins. Visit Website.

Hatteras

Surf anglers eased a few puppy drum from the water from Hatteras to Frisco, online reports said. They angled black drum and mullet at moments. Temperatures were in the 60s yesterday and 50s during the weekend along the shore. Sometimes boaters headed out, returning with a few yellowfin tuna and blackfin tuna.

FLORIDA

Islamorada

A 100-pound swordfish was cranked in from bottom in 1,500 feet of water, 24 miles from shore, during daytime on a trip this past week aboard, said Capt. Bruce Andersen from Captain Easy Charters. Fishing for light-sensitive swords used to be common only during nighttime. But a daytime fishery for them has developed in deep water, where swords lurk in the dark of the depth, from places including the Keys. The fish was hand-cranked some and reeled in with the electric reel some, and Captain Easy can set up with manual reels or electric reels for the fishing, depending on angler preference. Lots of king mackerel bit aboard during the week. A few blackfin tuna, sailfish and mahi mahi chomped. That was all on live bait during a mix of fishing the bait with kites or slowly trolled just offshore of the reef. Along the reef, 3 miles from port, yellowtail snapper fishing was great on the boat. Call: 305-360-2120. Visit Website

Some of the traveling charters to the Florida Keys fished throughout this Presidents’ Day weekend with Mike Roth aboard, said Capt. Joe Hughes from Jersey Cape Guide Service from Sea Isle City, N.J. Mike was mostly fly-fishing for tarpon and had just jumped one off when Joe gave this report yesterday morning in a phone call aboard. He sight-cast to the fish in shallow water. He had one on that jumped off after a couple of leaps the previous day, too, and had other tarpon bites this weekend. The fish yesterday morning were rolling around, were there. He also fished with conventional tackle during the weekend, landing fish including lots of jacks and mangrove snappers. This was all on Florida Bay. Visit Website. Call: 609-827-3442.

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