Dan's Papers - October 3, 2008

Stony Brook University's School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences continues its fall public lecture series Friday, 7:30 p.m., with Dr. Ellen Pikitch speaking about "Conservation of Endangered Marine Fishes in the World's Oceans" in the Duke Lecture Hall. With so many of the world's fish disappearing (primarily due to over-fishing and secondarily from habitat destruction), Professor Pikitch is a proponent of the "ecosystem-based" approach to preserving fisheries and she will speak about the most imperiled species, including sturgeon and sharks. There is no charge to attend her talk and a reception follows.

Last weekend's rainy weather affected fishing but surfcasters and boaters in Montauk still caught striped bass and bluefish. Last Tuesday, before the rains, there was a striper blitz at Turtle Cove, just south of the Lighthouse, about 10 a.m. on the incoming tide; then the fish moved north of the Lighthouse by sunset where I saw at least 30 surfcasters catching large stripers. With cooler temperatures expected this weekend, bait should move in towards the shore and striper and bluefish runs should be good.

In Montauk, an angler on the Barbara Ann out of Westlake Marina caught a 57.15-pound striped bass. Clients on the Viking fleet caught many stripers and monster bluefish; Christine Dassler caught a 39.50-pound striper on one of the Viking trips. Anglers on the Suzy E had stripers up to 33 pounds fishing with live eels north of the Point. Customers on all the Montauk boats are catching fish.

Harvey Bennett of The Tackle Shop, Amagansett, reports Ron King caught 43-inch and 36-inch stripers surfcasting off the Barnes Landing bay beach with atom plugs. When an east wind blows, it brings bait into the bay beaches followed by bluefish and stripers. Harvey also tells us surfcasters caught striped bass last Sunday at Indian Wells.

Porgy fishing is still allowed for clients fishing on charter boats and party boats. The Prime Time III out of Orient Point came in with porgies up to three pounds and many bluefish. Linda at Jamesport Bait and Tackle said three customers (Jerry, Matt and Paul) came in with stripers measuring 41 to 44 inches and weighing more than 25 pounds each - all caught on a boat last Sunday off Horton's Point in Long Island Sound using live eels.

Ken Morse of Tight Lines Tackle, Sag Harbor, reports a client fishing last Sunday in the rain and fog at the Ruins in Gardiner's Bay caught large striped bass up to 32 pounds. Further west, at Shinnecock's west jetty, Scott of East End Bait and Tackle, Hampton Bays, says anglers have been catching stripers on rubber shads and bucktails. There are also jumbo bluefish in Shinnecock inlet and around the Ponquogue Bridge. Capt. Don Kaye, the Shinnecock guide, fished in the bay due to the high surf and his clients caught bluefish and stripers.

The blackfish season just opened on October 1. Minimum keeper size is 14 inches with 10 fish allowed per angler per day. The best bait for blackfish is green crabs and most of the local bait and tackle shops are stocking them. Long Island's largest boat show at Tobay Bay Beach continues this weekend at the marina on Ocean Parkway, four miles east of the Jones Beach Tower. Send fishing news, comments or questions to me at YeOldeSalt@aol.com