Dan's Papers - August 3, 2007

This is a great time of year to introduce vacationing children and grandchildren to sportfishing. Small bluefish, called snappers, are now in local bays and they are easy to catch with shiny, small Hopkins lures on light saltwater spinning rods or with small baitfish such as spearing hooked under a float or bobbin. With eight grandchildren ranging in age from 20 months to 19 years, I am now up to teaching grandson Ethan, 5, and granddaughter Rachel, 4, to fish.

On to local sportfishing news. Steve at East End Bait & Tackle in Hampton Bays says the fluke bite is on offshore in 50- to 60-feet of water east of the sea buoy off Shinnecock Inlet. There are also fluke in Tiana and Shinnecock Bays and the striped bass action at Pontequogue Bridge has picked up again. Anglers using clams and fresh bunker are catching the stripers. Steve also says tuna are offshore at Fishtails and the Dip (yellowfin, bluefin and bigeye).

The party boat Shinnecock Star reports the best fluke bite just offshore in 50-to-60 feet of water. Fluke are also being caught by boaters at the back end of the basket in Shinnecock Bay.

Ken Morse of Tight Lines Tackle, Sag Harbor, weighed in a 9.33-lb. weakfish caught in the evening surf off Sagg Main beach by Robin Mueller. There are schools of large bunker in Gardiner's Bay being chased by big schools of bluefish. The bunker are on top of the water and can be spotted by the large oil slick they leave. The bluefish move right in for a feeding frenzy.

Harvey Bennett of Amagansett's Tackle Shop weighed in a 28-pound striper caught by a client at night on a boat at The Ruins off Gardiner's Bay, and Richard Stone caught sea bass and fluke in the ocean on the south side of Montauk.

Paulie A. of Paulie's Tackle in Montauk reports plenty of fluke at four to five pounds in 70-foot ocean depths off Montauk Point Lighthouse. Tom of Montauk's Gone Fishing Marina says offshore fisherman going towards the Canyon from Fishtails to the Dip are catching yellowfin tuna of 70-80 pounds. One offshore boat also hooked a swordfish at night, which broke away, and another caught but did not boat a blue marlin.

TIPS ON KEEPING CAUGHT FISH FRESH: for fluke - keep the whole fish on ice or a combination of ice and salt water is best until you can filet or cook it. Tuna - bleed the fish by slitting the gills and cover it as much as possible in a combination of ice and salt water (slurry). Keeping just-caught saltwater fish in a slurry of fresh ice and salt water is the best way until returning to the docks (keep them out of the sun).