Dan's Papers - July 18, 2008

I know we have "Go Fish," a fishing column by Richard Firstenberg, who does a great job of telling you who is catching what where, so I don't want to step on anyone's toes, but I've just spent the last week fishing halibut in Alaska and oddly enough, while there, I met an expert on Long Island fishing. Jerry McGrath runs a series of classes on sportfishing and he gave me the inside scoop on fishing the East End. So now I'm going to give you a crash course on what's biting when and how to get it on your hook.

Fluke (season ends Sept. 1)

Fluke, or summer flounder as they are also called, are bottom fish. They are flat, with both eyes on one side of the body. I'm sure you've seen them in all the fish stores, but here's how to catch them yourself. The best way to get to these fish is by drift fishing at entrances to estuaries, shoals, and spots where the depth drops off quickly. But if you don't have a depth finder or know the waters that well, the best way to find out where they are biting is to look for other boats. Since this isn't a fish you can catch from the shore, if you don't have your own boat, hook up with a party boat - the captain will know all the hotspots.

There's a few ways to catch these flat fish, but setting up a fluke rig is one of the most common. Attach a sinker to your line, leaving a three foot leader with B2 squid and spinners. If you don't know what they are, just ask your local bait shop and they'll get you sorted out. At the hook, add spearing, sand eel or smelt and attach a strip of squid cut into a pennant (or triangle) shape. If you can't find squid, cut some other kind of fish belly into the pennant shape and attach it. If you are looking for lures, fluke balls or balls with bucktails are the standards. Drop the line to the bottom and jig.

Once you've landed a fish and reeled it up to the boat, you must determine whether or not it's a keeper. Rules are strict. The fish must be 20.5 inches or larger to keep. If you're lucky, you'll catch your limit which is four fish per day.

Stripers (season ends Dec. 15)

Striped bass are one of the largest fish in our local waters (not including shark) and can weigh over 50 pounds. They're a hell of a good fight and can be caught from land and from boats. They love rocky bottomed waters and lurk around jetties and at large drop-offs. Catching them from the boat is a little different than catching fluke, since your bait choices consist of live eel, live bunker, bunker chunks, mackerel chunks, or live porgy. If you're interested in using lures, bucktails with pork rinds are the way to go. In daylight hours use light colored jigs and pork rinds (white, pink) and at night use dark ones (black, army green). You can also use a diamond jig or umbrella rig. Both mimic a school of baitfish, which lures the bass in for the catch.

When you're fishing from a boat, you should drift in moving water. Plum Gut and The Race are great places to fish for stripers, but they can also get a little hairy for anyone who doesn't know the waters well. When you find a spot with a steep drop-off, let your line down at the deepest spot and drift toward the shallower areas. "Chunking" can be achieved when you drop anchor near a rocky area. Lower the bait and allow the scent of the chunked fish to drift into rocks. It will lure the fish out from shelter.

From shore, the best time to fish is from late evening to early morning, depending on the tides. Your bait shop will know the premium times to fish. As for hooks, go with popping plugs and spinning plugs. A "bomber" is a good choice. Rules on striped bass are a little tricky, but here's the deal. You are limited to one fish which must be over 28 inches in length. If you catch a fish over 40 inches, you are allowed to keep a second fish of 28 inches or greater.

While there is a variety of fish in the sea, these are two of the major ones fished. For more rules and regulations about fishing in New York visit www.dec.ny.gov and for more fishing tips and classes on sportfishing taught by Captain Jerry McGrath visit www.sportfishingadventures.net.