Blackfish bite off to solid start
Neil Vicerra of Hicksville fishing for blackfish at the Jones Beach fishing piers inside of Jones Beach State Park, New York. (Nov. 1, 2009) Credit: Joel Cairo
It can be tough to tell with all the wind of late but there is little doubt the sunny skies predicted for the next few days will reveal that blackfish are already well established along both the North and South Shores of Long Island.
Many anglers wait for late-October before trying for these tasty battlers, but it is usually during the second week of the month that catches from shore reach their peak. That's when the tautog, or simply 'tog, as blackfish are called throughout New England, ease into the shallows looking for green, fiddler, calico, hermit and Asian crabs.
For the next two or three weeks, bank fishermen can have a blast trying for these tasty, tough-lipped battlers along rocky North Shore beaches and from the jetties that line the South Shore inlets. Already, reports are solid from Moriches Inlet, Shinnecock Inlet and the Wantagh and Meadowbrook Bridges on the South Shore. In the waters of Long Island Sound, this week should see the shore-bound catches take hold.
Boaters, too, have been tangling with blackfish, especially out of Huntington, Port Jefferson and Orient Point where the bite has been building in 20- to 40-foot depths on incoming tides. If you don't have your own boat, the party boat and charter fleets are ready to help. Virtually every port right now is enjoying excellent mixed-bag action with scup, triggerfish and blackfish. Expect the 'tog to begin dominating the bite in the next few weeks.
Strong action at the ForksOne thing that strong winds do is light up the false albacore, striped bass and bluefish action along both the North and South Forks. This past week has been no exception as the albies have run thick north and east of Orient Point and across the way at Montauk. Some real monster blues to 15 pounds were also culled on chunk baits by surfcasters working Long Island Sound beaches between Riverhead and East Marion. The best of the bite has coincided with the strongest winds and the start of outgoing water.
For those able to get out to the Long Island Sound Middle Grounds, a mix of blues, huge porgies and a few keeper bass await. The action out of Mattituck has been smoking of late.
Upcoming eventsThe NYS DEC's annual Fall Fishing and Children's Festival is slated for Oct. 15 at Hempstead Lake State Park. This event combines fishing for freshly stocked trout with a variety of children's activities. Admission is $6 for ages 12 and over and an $8 vehicle fee will be waived for those with a State Parks "Empire Pass." No fishing license is required. Call the DEC's I FISH NY program at 631-444-0283 for more information.
The New York Metropolitan Outdoor Press Association will host their 71st Annual Dinner Friday, Oct. 21, at the Casa Mia Manor in Blauvelt, New York. Attendees can meet and mingle with many of the top outdoors writers in the Northeast. Festivities begin at 6:30 p.m. and include an open bar and lavish hors d'oeuvres followed by a sit-down dinner, bucket auction and silent auction. Each guest receives a commemorative limited edition print. Reservations are $95 per ticket. Contact Jeff Merrill at jeffmerrill2@verizon.net for more info.
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