Dan's Papers - August 24, 2007 -

An article in a regional fishing weekly recently noted stress is reaching epidemic proportions in the U.S. Clinical psychologist Dr. Paul G. Quinnett has written several books on the psychological benefits of fishing as a stress reliever. We already knew this! Let's fish.

This past Sunday, the Montauk charter boat Breakaway brought in 25 striped bass weighing up to 40 pounds, and "gorilla" bluefish weighing up to 10 to 15 pounds. Chris at West Lake Fishing Marina, Montauk, says a mako shark of 368 pounds was caught by Tod Heppen. There are also lots of yellow-fin tuna offshore at the Fishtails (40-50 pounds), and Chris said a few boats went as far out as Cokes Ledge and caught codfish of up to 28 pounds.

Paulie A. of Paulie's Tackle Shop in Montauk reports striped bass weighing up to 19 pounds were caught on the north side of the Point this past weekend. He says there are also plenty of bluefish in the bays and in the ocean surf. Tom at Gone Fishing Marina, Montauk, says many yellowfin tuna have been brought in and weighed at his dock.

Steve at WeGo Fishing Station, Southold, says there are striped bass being caught at night at The Race and Plum Gut, and bluefish are everywhere in the bays. He weighed in a nine-pound and six-pound fluke caught by boat off the Greenlawns area of Shelter Island. Steve also says there is a lot of bunker bait in Sterling Harbor.

Harvey Bennett of Amagansett's Tackle Shop reports false albacore are starting to show up in Gardiner's Bay. His friend Sam Lester caught a 27-inch fluke off Shelter Island's Greenlawns. (A monster "doormat fluke," weighing 24.3 pounds and measuring 38 inches long, was caught near Monmouth Beach, New Jersey, recently. If the International Game Fish Association certifies this catch, it will be a record catch.)

Ken Morse of Tight Lines Tackle, Sag Harbor, says weakfish are still in Noyac Bay at red buoy #16 in 55-foot depths. The fish are biting on two- to three-ounce diamond jigs tipped with squid strips. He also reports bluefish of six to ten pounds are being caught at The Ruins north of Gardiner's Island.

Steve at Hampton Bays' East End Bait and Tackle finds fluke action has moved outside Shinnecock Inlet to the 90-foot depth and east to the Mecox Bay inlet. The fluke are biting on killies or baby bluefish (snappers) caught in the bays. Fluking inside Shinnecock Bay has slowed, but bluefish are all over - just look for the birds circling above them.

A new local fishing tournament open to all adults and children was just announced: Southampton Cove Fishing Tournament. It is one day only, Saturday, September 8, starting at sunrise with final weigh-in at 4:30 p.m. the same day. There will be prizes awarded for the largest striped bass and bluefish caught that day, and a children's prize for the largest porgy and snapper (baby bluefish). Fishing can be by boat or in the surf in Great Peconic Bay, Noyac Bay, Sag Harbor bay and Shelter Island Sound.

Registration is $10 per adult; children twelve and under compete at no charge. Competitors can enter only one fish per species. The weigh-in is at the Southampton Cove's pavilion on Water's Edge Rd., Southampton (east side of Fish Cove, off Noyac Road and North Sea Harbor). Prizes for first and second place in both divisions are rod and reel combos from Tight Lines Tackle, Sag Harbor, and gift certificates for third-place finishers. To enter, contact Peter Aiello at (631) 283-5228.