Dan's Papers - October 31, 2008

This is the last fishing column for the year, and what a glorious fishing year we're having. Strong fall winds do affect small boat fishermen, but surfcasting for striped bass and bluefish and bottom fishing for sea bass and blackfish continues to be strong this week. With all the baitfish in the water, light winds and air temperatures in the 50- to 60-degree range, surfcasting for striped bass and bluefish should be good off all the beaches. The party boats and charter boats are also getting their clients into fish. We have had a report of a tarpon in Napeague Bay and a large tiger shark in Montauk waters.

The Montauk Local Surfcasting Tournament continues through December 1. The leaders so far are: Willy Young (wader division, 52.12-pound striped bass); Loretta Sears (ladies division, 18.08-pound striped bass); Brian Ritter (wetsuit division, 40.94-pound striped bass); Taylor Harned (youth division, 37.12-pound striped bass); Dycan Linick (kids division, 12.50-pound striped bass). The fish are weighed in at Paulie's Tackle Shop in Montauk. All local fishermen are eligible. There is a $10 entry fee. Call Paulie's at (631) 668-5520 to enter.

Ken Morse, of Tight Lines Tackle, Sag Harbor, says blackfish up to nine pounds are off Plum Island and Fisher's Island, and sea bass are at Cartwright Shoals south of Gardiner's Island. Amagansett fishing guide Harvey Bennett tells us there are also large bluefish at Cartwright. Surfcasters are catching striped bass off Southampton ocean beaches. Look for seabirds chasing baitfish near the shore.

Anglers on the Prime Time III, a party boat out of Orient Point, got their limit of blackfish last weekend and other boaters are catching blackfish up to six pounds off Fisher's Island. Linda at Jamesport Bait & Tackle says customers are catching blackfish at Roger's Rock and striped bass and bluefish at Horton Point.

Steve, at East End Bait and Tackle, Hampton Bays, reports striped bass on the ocean beaches from Shinnecock inlet east to Mecox Bay. Most of the stripers are schoolie-size (catch and release) but there are some large bluefish in the mix. Steve also says boats drifting at night in the Shinnecock inlet are getting keeper-size stripers. He weighed in a 42-pound striper caught by Dan Murphy. Large blackfish, up to eight pounds, are being caught at the wrecks outside the inlet. The party boat Shinnecock Star is getting clients sea bass and blackfish at the reefs and wrecks.

The final Stony Brook Southampton marine science public talk is next Friday, November 7 in the Duke Lecture Hall at 7:30 p.m. Dr. Cindy Lee will discuss "Ocean Acidification and the Global Carbon Cycle." The oceans are absorbing carbon dioxide produced by worldwide industrial manufacturing, which causes acidification as it dissolves. This is harming coral reefs but oceans still need carbon particles in the depths to maintain the marine ecosystem. There is no admission charge for this talk. The entire marine and atmospheric science lecture series is very informative. A reception follows the talk.

Dowling College, in Oakdale, is taking over the former Blue Points property, in West Sayville, to use as a marine research center. They plan to monitor coastal waters from Brooklyn to Montauk. The lab there was used by Stony Brook marine science researchers while their main facility at Flax Pond was undergoing renovations.

The 104th annual New York Boat Show is December 13 to 21 at the Jacob Javits Center in Manhattan. Adult admission is $15. This is a good opportunity to view boats and marine electronics. If there are questions or comments about fishing, please email me at YeOldeSalt@aol.com.