Fishing Montauk with Captain Skip: November 2022

There are plenty of Striped Bass still all around the Point & the South Side. Surfcasters are having a ball with plenty of action. Reports are also saying there are still a lot of Striped Bass in Massachusetts that’ll have to pass by our way, and that’s good news. Good to see a mixed size of Striped Bass coming through. The water temperature is still around 61 degrees and it’s looking like warmer conditions are going to hold up for a while more.

So it looks like we could possibly see Striped Bass action well into November. Actually not too many years ago we had the Striped Bass right up to the season closure on December 15th. The shoals of Herring would come through and it was game on! Right outside the inlet you could “Sabiki” rig all the herring you wanted, then go out to the Rips and feed them to the Striped Bass, it was great fun!! Best part is that all those juvenile Stripers that have been coming by the point for the past 5-6 years have grown up to legal size & then some. Regulations, although not always accurate, do seem to have helped the Stripers. Since COVID there have been a lots of small boats sold and that puts more pressure on the Striped Bass fishery. One 28″ fish will feed a family of 4 easily, so take what you can use and release the rest to fight again another day.

The bottom fishing so far this fall has been spectacular. Black Sea Bass are plentiful and can be found on just about any rock pile that hasn’t been fished on yet. Once again the size limit is 16″ and the bag limit per person is 6. The season closes December 31st. There has been no problem catching fish 16 inches and better, with a few shorts thrown in the mix to add to the action. Been a few keeper Codfish along with the Sea Bass because the fish are starting to move out to deeper water getting ready for the winter. Clams will get the job done, but vertical jigs and diamond jigs really work well & you actually end up catching the larger fish on the jigs. It also saves on clams, which the price for them has gone through the roof!!

Blackfish season opened on October 15th and will run through December 22nd. The size limit once again is 16″ and the bag limit is 4 per person. Green crabs, Calico crabs, Hermit crabs, & even the ugly Spider Crab all work very well. Trim up the crabs with the scissors & send them on down. Anchoring is a must and adjusting frequently will only improve your odds for catching.

Keep an eye on the weather, it can change quickly this time of year. Make sure your safety equipment is all in good order and up to date, so when the Coast Guard stops you for a spot check you’ll be in compliance!

Tight Lines, Capt. Skip

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