Dan's Papers - September 14, 2007

Last weekend was very windy, and the wind and scattered showers continued at the beginning of the week - not great for fishing. Weather forecasts were for two-to three-foot seas and 10 to 15 m.p.h. winds but, in reality, the seas were four to six feet and winds were 20 to 25 m.p.h.

Clients on the charter boat Reel Action, traveling about 100 miles offshore from Shinnecock to the West Atlantis canyon, caught a small swordfish at night and, at daybreak, the yellowfin bite was on. They boated 11 fish, with many more crashing the ocean's surface - quite a sight.

Scott of East End Bait & Tackle in Hampton Bays says there is good fluking in the ocean southeast of the Shinnecock inlet buoy at a 90-foot depth, and sea bass are starting to show up at the reef off Shinnecock. Some lucky inshore fluke fishermen using live peanut bunker, fishing from the sea buoy off Shinnecock inlet to the Cheesehouse, reported six keeper-sized fluke of up to five pounds each. Scott also says there are schoolie weakfish in Peconic Bay between Jessups Neck and Roses Grove, and porgies at Rogers Rock using clam chums and sandworms as bait.

Ken Morse of Tight Lines Tackle in Sag Harbors says there are cocktail-sized bluefish in the Peconic bays chasing schools of peanut bunker - just look for diving birds over the schools. Ken also reports snappers and porgies are still being caught in Sag Harbor bays.

Linda at Jamesport Bait & Tackle says there are big striped bass in Plum Gut and at Rogers Rock, and big porgies off Orient Point. Snapper fishing off the docks and bulkheads in the Peconics has been great fun for children in the last few weeks.

Harvey Bennett of Amagansett's Tackle Shop tells us a customer brought in a 41-inch striped bass caught at Goff Point in Napeague Harbor on a plug lure. Paulie A. of Paulie's Tackle in Montauk says a customer caught a 30-pound striped bass in the surf at night north of the Montauk Lighthouse at Jone's Reef, and another customer weighed in a 41-pound striper caught on eels south of the Lighthouse last Saturday night.

Ed of Star Island Yacht Club and Marina, Montauk, reports Jerry and Justin caught four yellowfin tuna (weighing up to 100 pounds each), 12 albacore weighing up to 50 pounds each, two big-eye tuna weighing in at up to 200 pounds each while trolling 16 miles west of the Dip offshore. They also hooked and released an estimated 400-pound blue marlin.

Chris at Westlake Marina in Montauk says one customer caught several yellowfin tuna weighing up 75 pounds, albacore up to 50 pounds, and Boomer Esiason's F.C.A. Montauk Slam tournament, part of the Redbone@large celebrity series benefiting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, is next Wednesday through Friday, September 19 to 21, at Montauk Yacht Club.

Entrants in Southampton Cove's first annual fishing tournament in the Peconic bays last Saturday had a rough time with the weather but adult winners in the biggest bluefish category were Kyle Owen (first place) and Rich Firstenberg (second place, fishing on John Locke's boat). Young Patrick Maloney caught the largest fluke and the second-largest porgy. Raymond Hipner reeled in the largest porgy. Prizes for the winners were donated by Tight Lines Tackle, Sag Harbor.

Fall Boat Shows: the annual Tobay Beach Inwater Boat Show is two weekends, September 29-30 and October 6-8, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (adults $10, seniors $8, no charge for children 12 and under). The Norwalk (CT) Inwater Boat show runs September 20-23 from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. ($15 adults).

This weekend is HarborFest in Sag Harbor. The village's annual celebration will be especially gala because it's the 300th anniversary. One of the special events is the Sag Harbor Challenge Cup, which features several America's Cup 12-meter yachts racing in Noyac Bay on Friday through Sunday.