Island fishing comes to life if the north winds die down
Wind, wind and more wind. It’s no surprise when the breezes roll out of the north come October and November, but the sentiment around local marinas that still have some fishing boats afloat is, “Enough already!”
Generally speaking, this fall’s fishing action has been quite good when the fleet could get out and surfcasters could toss their lures past the breakers. The real culprit keeping catch rates down at times has been the gusty winds, especially on weekend days.
With many fall fishing trips for linesiders, sea bass and blackfish having been cancelled in our area due to heavy seas, it will be interesting to see how the reduced effort is reflected in the government’s statistics when fishery managers try to estimate the degree of fishing effort expended during this time period.
It’s not unreasonable to expect that less overall effort should equate to lower total landings and, ultimately, lower overall fishing mortality, which could be reflected in future regulations.
Heading into the weekend, striped bass remain a decent bet along Long Island’s South Shore, although the fishing has been far better in 55- to 70-foot depths than in the surf. The edge of late has gone to diamond jiggers working east of Fire Island Inlet or west of Jones Inlet.
School bass now far out-number bigger fish but a few keepers remain available to those who work hard. In the surf, an occasional hit of bass remain around Shinnecock and Moriches inlets. The vast majority of these will measure less than 24 inches.
Blackfishing is another possibility, although this species seems to be moving farther out into deeper water on a daily basis. While some action can be found in Long Island Sound on the deeper ledges around Eatons Neck, the most consistent catches are coming from charter boats headed for Block Island or Fishers Island. Action at the latter location has included some hefty black sea bass plus a few cod.
On the West End, long-range open boat wreck trips aboard the Point Lookout Super Hawk and Freeport-based Capt. Lou Fleet have produced plenty of fillets when the boats can get offshore.
“We’re looking for big sea bass, big porgies, cod, pollack and hake on these trips, “said Capt. Anthony Gillespie of the Starstream VIII. “We’ll be far offshore, so dress for the elements and book early so you don’t get shut out of a spot.”
Don’t forget that freshwater fishing is an option, too. “Trout fishing has been quite good of late on stocked lakes and ponds,” said John Mantione of J & J Sports in Patchogue, who suggested anglers use small spinners. “Fly fishing at Connetquot River State Park Preserve has also been very productive.”
There is no fall stocking list currently available on the DEC website, but if you aren’t sure which local lakes received a boost, you can call the DEC Freshwater Fisheries Office for info at 631-444-0280.
Looking ahead, the start of show season isn’t far off. The New York Boat Show (http://www.nyboatshow.com) is set for Jan. 23-27 at the Javits Center.
The 7th Annual Ward Melville High School Fishing Expo and Fundraiser (www.wardmelvillefishingclub.com/2019expo) is slated for March 2. This free event supports the Ward Melville High School Fishing Club.
The Patchogue Fishing Flea Market (http://www.hiflier.com/patchogue) will be held on April 7.
