August 2020
Crazy times for sure, but what better, safer way to get outside and get fresh air, than going fishing! Bonus, you bring home fresh sea food, and had a blast doing it!
The weather has been for the most part excellent, providing many days to get out. Inshore fishing has been just about non stop. It started with huge schools of juvenile Striped Bass coming from the west. Great action off of the beach from Shinnecock to Montauk. When the tide was right you could Diamond Jig the Striped Bass all around the Elbow just outside of the lighthouse. Along with the Bass were lots of Bluefish of all sizes, which pound for pound give a great fight. Since the opening of the Black Sea Bass on June 23rd that fishery has not been disappointing at all. They have been everywhere; Elbow, Great Eastern, Frisby, Rocky Hill, Pocketbook, you’d have to work hard not to catch any. Porgy too have been off the charts and really provide instant gratification for the young anglers just learning how to catch fish. They can learn the art of “setting the hook” and these feisty little fish fight every inch on the way up!
Fluke on the other hand have been playing hard to get. The season opened on May 4th and it started to look promising, but shortly dropped off. They were off to a slow start possibly due to the colder water temperatures. They were not even in the sound, the Draggers were finding low numbers there as well.
Well, that is all starting to change! Finally Fluke fishing is starting to pick up aroung Rocky Hill, outer Frisby, even the Pockbook area. Loads of action out by the Midway rips, but they all measure out at 17-18″ just shy of the legal 19″ limit. Once again great action for the kids just starting out. Hang in there the better Fluke days are just around the corner!
The Offshore report is pretty good. Shark fishing has been steady with a lot of Mako, Blue Shark, and Brown Sharks (Sandbar sharks). Remember the Mako Sharks have a sex-specific minimum size: 71 inches fork length for males. 83 inches fork length for females. Keep in mind Sharks are the Waste Management department of the ocean. They keep the seal population in check, clean up the dead Whales and Porpoise that die of old age, so try to use circle hooks so they can be released with minimum damage.
The Canyon report is pretty darn good. Those of you that have the means to venture out to the edge will be pleasantly surprised. Boats making the trip out are being rewarded with decent catches of Yellowfin & Bigeye Tuna. As the water gets warmer the Mahi Mahi and Blue & White Marlin will be showing up. Always get a water temperature chart and fish the edges of those warm water eddys, sometimes they’re in the colder water side, but sometimes they’ll fool you and be on the warm side. All depends on where the bait is, you find the bait don’t leave, even if you go a couple of hours without a bite! Most of us don’t eat 24 hours a day, why would a fish? LOL
Summer is only just getting going, get yourselves some fresh air! Bring your masks and practice safe distance, there’s no safer place than out on the water!
~ Tight Lines, Captain Skip
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