Cold snap shifts focus to winter species

The harsh north winds that drove temperatures below the freezing mark in recent days has effectively put the bite on what had been a fine fall run for striped bass fishing. While the official season for linesiders continues through Dec. 15, it is the winter fishery that is now in focus. Think blackfish, cod, ling and pollack in offshore waters, and consider herring on the inshore scene.

"I've never seen so many herring around," Desmond O'Sullivan, skipper of the Port Jefferson open boat Celtic Quest (celticquestfishing. com), said Thursday. "Prior to leaving the dock on our recent blackfish trips, anglers fishing off the back of the boat bailed herring on Sabiki rigs. It added a nice touch to the blackfish limits most customers managed to take home."

Indeed, herring flooded Port Jefferson, Mount Sinai and Huntington harbors last week, along with the South Shore waters at Jones Inlet and Magnolia Pier. As if further proof was needed that the winter transition is under way, O'Sullivan reported one of his fares caught a five-pound codfish in 90 feet of water last Friday while fishing off of Smithtown. That is as far west in Long Island Sound as I can recall hearing a codfish caught since the 1960s.

While herring are a good inshore bet, several local open boats plan to run extended wreck trips for giant sea bass, codfish and pollack between now and Christmas. The Captain Lou Fleet in Freeport (captainloufleet.com) and the Super Hawk in Point Lookout (superhawkfishing.com) are among them. Both boats excel at these 60- to 80-mile offshore trips. The Super Hawk scored well on an extended voyage Wednesday, icing codfish to 42 pounds, sea bass to six pounds and pollack to 29 pounds.

Mark your calendars

The 106th rendition of the New York Boat Show will be at the Jacob K. Javits Center Jan. 19-23. In addition to boats of every make and model, you'll find plenty of vendors showing boating and fishing accessories, electronics and useful gadgets. Fishing and boating seminars will also be held each day. Admission is $12 (free for age 16 and less.) For info and schedules, visit NYBoatShow.com or TheFishingLine.com.

Good reads for Christmas

Award-winning author Angelo Peluso has penned two of the hottest fly-fishing books that cover our waters. Now he is offering both in a holiday special for $44, plus shipping. "Saltwater Flies of the Northeast" and "Fly Fishing Long Island" are two volumes every serious and aspiring fly-fisherman should own. Beautifully illustrated and tightly written, they challenge experts while also explaining the basics for novice anglers. To order both books, or for further information, e-mail Peluso at APdotcominfo@aol.com.

Natural history buffs looking for a good read with an outdoorsy theme should find "Fur, Fortune, and Empire: The Epic History of The Fur Trade In America" (W.W. Norton & Company, $29.95), a compelling read. From the early 1600s through the late 1800s, fur trading was a powerful force in shaping American history. In this book, best-selling author Eric Jay Dolin chronicles how the trade became both an economic elixir and an agent of destruction, inextricably linked to many key events including the French and Indian War, the American Revolution, the War of 1812 and the opening of the West.

E-mail: outdoortom@optonline.net