Dan's Papers - August 31, 2007

Fall is the height of the fishing season on the East End, and the weather is showing signs of an early fall. Since weather affects fishing, last weekend there were fog banks along the coast but larger offshore boats navigated through it and had big catches. Ed of Star Island Yacht Club & Marina in Montauk says one boat at the Fishtails, trolling with Green Machine lures, caught many yellowfin tuna weighing up to 64 pounds and nine albacore.

Ed said another boat at the Fishtails, the Off Duty, caught a 140-pound mako shark and three albacore weighing as much as 40 pounds each plus some yellowfin tuna greater than 50 pounds each. His customer Steve, fishing out of Montauk on the Outbounder just three miles short of the Fishtails, caught four longfin tuna weighing more than 30 pounds each and some yellowfin greater than 45 pounds each.

Chris of Westlake Fishing Marina, Montauk, reports a charter boat brought in a 360-pound mako shark and another client weighed in a 50.2-pound striped bass. Steve also said a boat fishing north of Montauk off Shagwong Point caught several large weakfish, an unusual catch for that spot. Paulie A. of Paulie's Tackle Shop in Montauk says the north surf under the Lighthouse had good striped bass and bluefish action last week, and boats fishing the rips off Montauk also had a good striper bite.

Linda at Jamesport Bait & Tackle said some clients caught fluke in 60-foot depths just offshore at the Shinnecock inlet buoy, and big porgies are still being caught in the Peconic bays. She had reports of good fluking and bluefishing in Long Island Sound at Horton Point, and at Rogers Rock in Great Peconic Bay. Steve at East End Bait & Tackle, Hampton Bays, reports excellent fluke fishing in the ocean at 90-foot depths near the Shinnecock sea buoy from the Cheesehouse east to Mecox Bay. Steve also said customers had many fluke keepers up to 28 inches, and striped bass are still being caught - mostly on clam bellies - at the Ponquogue Bridge in Shinnecock Bay.

Ken Morse of Tight Lines Tackle, Sag Harbor, says fluke fishing in his area has slowed down but the weakfish bite in Noyac Bay is good. Boats trolling near the South Ferry slip off North Haven are still catching some striped bass and bluefish.

Harvey Bennett of The Tackle Shop, Amagansett, reports good fluking off the buoys in Napeague. A husband and wife team caught a 21-inch fluke in Gardiner's Bay off the Devon Yacht Club.

September 19 to 21 is Boomer Esiason's big "Redbone@large" celebrity fishing tournament, the F.C.A. Montauk Slam. Hosted by the Montauk Yacht Club, the "Catch for the Cure" tournament benefits the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and provides scholarships for C.F. patients pursuing a college education. Baseball Hall of Famer Wade Boggs is a celebrity host along with Boomer, and many more celebrities will be fishing. The tournament is open to fly fisherman and light-tackle anglers using catch-and-release technique for striped bass, bluefish and false albacore. About forty boats are expected; entry fee is a $3000 donation to fish with a celebrity or $3500 for a two-man team. For more information, contact the Redbone Foundation at 1-877-534-7423.

Note to hunters: duck season opens November 29 and runs until January 27, 2008. Bag limit has been upped to six per day. There is also a special early season for local Canadian geese - September 4 through September 30. The limit for early goose season is eight per hunter per day. Regular Canadian goose season opens November 29 and runs through January 27 with a bag limit of two geese per day. Sea duck hunting opens October 14 and runs until January 28; limit is seven ducks per hunter per day.

Reminder: please lock up your fishing equipment left overnight on boats. There were several thefts of equipment off private boats at Montauk marinas last weekend.