Dan's Papers - July 27, 2007 -

Last weekend's weather had a mini nor'easter brewing offshore bringing strong winds and high seas but there was still plenty of fishing action. Striped bass, bluefish, fluke and porgies were good catches for inshore anglers, and there was some shark action offshore.

Paulie A. of Paulie's Tackle Shop, Montauk, took this past Monday off and says it was his best day of fishing this summer. Despite a strong northeast wind and heavy surf, he and his buddies had a ball catching and releasing a load of stripers and bluefish on the incoming midday tide at both the False Bar and the Lighthouse.

Tom of Gone Fishing Marina, Montauk, says there are fluke up to eight pounds and plenty of blues and striped bass being caught in the surf at Montauk Point. He also tells us a 235-lb. thresher shark was caught offshore last Saturday.

Harvey Bennett of Amagansett's Tackle Shop weighed in a 39-lb. striped bass and a 32.4-lb striper, both caught midday at the Ruins in Gardiner's Bay. Harvey also says the fluke bite on the bay side of Napeague is still strong, and fluking is good southeast of Gardiner's Island near Cartwright Island.

Ken Morse of Tight Lines Tackle, Sag Harbor, tells us a client fishing with friends on his boat in Napeague Harbor caught 14 fluke, seven of which were keepers. Fluke are still being caught in Sag Harbor waters and a 26-lb striped bass was caught in the surf at Mecox Bay. The Mecox cut to the ocean opened by Southampton Town Trustees last week may have closed naturally by this weekend.

Steve at WeGo Fishing Station, Southold, says loads of small bluefish are in Long Island Sound and big bass are being caught both day and night with eels as bait. East End Bait & Tackle, Hampton Bays, reports good fluking on the flats with bucktails in Shinnecock and Tiana bays. Striped bass are being caught at Ponquogue Bridge on clams and fresh chunks of bunker.

Anglers on the party boat Shinnecock Star caught a load of fluke in 65-foot-deep water offshore last Sunday, then fished inside for the last hour of the incoming tide, catching more fluke. Ocean surf fisherman caught some striped bass and weakfish east of Shinnecock inlet last weekend. Liza Gianzi brought in a 10.5-lb. weakfish there last Saturday.

Offshore fishing was spotty due to the heavy seas from the nor'easter but some blues, makos, threshers and brown sharks were caught and released by hardy anglers and charter captains last weekend.

-Rich Firstenberg mail to (YeOldeSalt@aol.com)