6/29/2007
We fished just to the SSE of the tip of Jenny's Horn in very lumpy conditions with a one man charter on Tuesday. We had numerous bluedogs up to 9-ft.. dropped a really good mako.. and had a nice thresher in the slick that simply wouldn't eat for the moment.
Immediately after a severe thunderstorm warning was issued via Sirius the customer gave me the word that he wanted to head to the barn (1 1/2 hail, winds, etc. within 4-5 hours).
It blew up pretty good on the way in.. somewhat over 25 knots- 4- to 6-fters. breaking. However, it was really no big deal getting back to port.
A CG cutter was sitting just to the south of SW Ledge looking to board boats for EEZ violations.. so be aware that fact. No warnings.. just tickets if you have ANY portion of a striper aboard whether it was caught that day or a week ago.. no difference. It's been stated any that they will be checking boats heading offshore to see if there are stripers aboard.
There's no doubt that this fishery will only improve over the course of the next couple of weeks with more threshers and makos becoming more common as the summertime water temperatures take hold.
6/24/2007
Caught excellent numbers of stiped bass on the morning trip along with some nice bluefish.
The afternoon proved to be a little tougher for keeper sized fish, but the number of fish was excellent. Good action on both the incoming and outgoing tides.
6/17/2007
Star Island Shark Tournament
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As the summertime temperatures heats up so does the fishing upon the offshore arena. This is especially true for those anglers who head out to do battle with the sharks that begin to invade the near coastal waters that abut the Montauk Point and Block Island waters during the mid-June time frame. Last weekend featured the first shark tournament of the year, the 21st Annual Star Island Shark tournament that was held at the Star Island Yacht Club at Montauk Point, Long Island, from June 14- to 16.
Last Thursday afternoon, after a quick stop on the Watch Hill Reef Complex for some bluefish, Pat (1st mate/son) and I took the Tim Connors four man charter group from Foxboro, MA on a 14.5 mile lumpy and bumpy journey aboard the BILLFISH over to Slip 89 at the Star Island Yacht Club at Montauk Point, NY. We arrived at the marina at roughly 1630 to find nearly 300 crews preparing their boats and tackle for the start of the Shark Tournament that would begin the next morning at 0600.
After tying up and cleaning the boat, we met up with a contingent of other participants in the event from Rhode Island and Connecticut at the picnic area behind SIYC. Jorge Ospina (chef extraordinaire), and one of Connecticut based boat, ‘Sand Dollar’s' boat team members cooked up a meal fit for a king. We then all headed over to the tournament tent at 1930. As in many of the northeastern shark tournaments, we saw many familiar faces in attendance at the captain's meeting as many of the same crews fish the circuit of these events that are held from New Jersey up to Maine during the summer season.
After a quick summation of the rules/angling times/etc., we were informed that the Humane Society of the United States would be protesting this event. While they definitely have the right to express their viewpoint about shark fishing, they are less than truthful in regards to exactly what their organization’s stated aims really are. In fact, their agenda strays far from their stand on this form of angling as, although they've declared a virtual jihad against shark tournaments and their participants, their intentions are actually focused upon more mainstream issues that would affect everyday life for the majority of the US population.
However, other than a plane circling overhead dragging a banner that read, “Stop Cruel Shark Tournaments Now,” their whole protest was a non-event that consisted of 15 non-local individuals with professionally produced signs, and whole page ads in local newspapers. A mandated visit to the website-
http://www.activistcash.com/organization_overview.cfm/oid/136 - should convince one and all that they are engaged in a nefarious course of action that strays far from their stated agenda shark fishing which would have repercussions for farmers, fishermen, the dairy industry, and those engaged in biomedical research. Be warned and be very wary of this organization as their actions belie their publicly stated intentions and basically defines the word disingenuous.
After a congenial conversation with Capt. Chris Peters (captain of the team that landed the world record 1,221-lb. mako shark in 2001) about water temperature locations, their prefishing results, etc., both his and my game plans were set. Most of these teams are running VERY large, fast boats. Chris operates the ‘PATRIOT,’ a 65-ft. Viking, and these large vessels have speed and range that very few others can match.
After getting up at 0445 on Friday to assess the possible effects that a stiff NE wind that was blowing would have, we slowly motored out to the sea buoy off of Montauk Inlet for the 'shotgun start' that was scheduled for 6 AM. With the majority of the nearly 300 boat entered and accounted for within a square half mile, I have to admit, no matter how many times I've experienced the start of this event, it's almost indescribable how thrilling (and adrenaline producing) that the results that the 0600 announcement of 'GO!' truly is. Center consoles from the mid 20-ft. range compete with 80-ft. battlewagons all going balls-to-the-wall trying to reach Montauk Point first before heading off to the open vistas of the Atlantic. If you’d like to view true aquatic mayhem and any number of near serious marine incidents and catastrophes in a sea beaten to a frenzied froth, then this is the time and place to see it.
We then had a bumpy 39-mile jaunt to the SSW off of Montauk Point through very sloppy seas where satellite temperature charts and my logbook indicated a historical pattern, and a decent chance that a mako or thresher might be in attendance. We set up the slick over a piece of structure on the 35-Fathom Curve and it wasn't too long before the first of many blue sharks came a-calling. Within the space of a short while, the ‘blue horde’ laid waste to all of our baits due to their insatiable appetites for fresh bluefish fillets. We actually ended up fishing with only one rod in the water out of the four that we’d started with as the fishing became so frenetic.
Snappy water conditions, featuring 3- to 6-ft. swells topped with a nasty chop, soon had Tim calling in the dinosaurs with a near terminal case of mal-de-mere. With sympathy in our hearts, but devilment on our minds, we all took great advantage in making his misery a little more painful in good natured ways. On Friday, most of the too many to count bluedogs fell within the weight range of 75- to 175-lb which was below the 200-lb weigh-in minimum for this species. We definitely had a thresher bite and, while the results were not what I'd hoped for when the hook was set on the ‘whiptail,’ that's what sometimes happens when you’re fishing with guys who are relatively new to the sharking game.
On that first day of fishing, there were plenty of boats on the horizon no matter which direction you looked at with most boats choosing to set up on areas that featured preferred temperature parameters that were located over bottom structure. The ‘Sand Dollar's’ crew, set up about five miles from us, had a fish tale to tell about ‘The one that got away!' as they hooked into a very large thresher that ‘spooled their reel’ after a one hour and 35 minute battle and escaped a ride back to the scales.
Shortly before 1030, a large Ocean Yacht pulled in and began to set up less than a half mile away with the potential for the start of a territorial war. However, once I contacted its captain on the VHF and asked him politely (honestly) to move away a bit further, he apologized for his fishing faux pas. After he agreed to move away (a very nice guy who I talked with at length back at the dock), I mentioned that he should, "Move up to the NW roughly a mile and a half to a piece of structure to start your drift as we dropped a good fish there." Well, that boat was aptly named 'FISH' as they found that my suggestion held some serious merit since they soon found themselves hooked up with what tuned out to be the tournament’s second place fish, a 372-lb Mako. This highly acrobatic and gnarly toothed fish was fought for one and a half hours before their crew could subdue it and take it aboard. In fact, once we arrived back at the dock at 1745, we discussed the exact number of how many libations their crew owed me for the hint. The captain was a great guy and we both laughed at the irony of the fact that I’d put him on a ‘money fish’ on a piece of real estate that our boat had previously drifted over.
At day’s end on Friday, we quickly huddled with a few fellow captains and discussed each other’s results so as to concoct a game plan for the next day. We then enjoyed a great meal at the SIYC bar/restaurant where Jorge met up with our group as his Sand Dollar crew had already crashed and burned. Good friend Tony Timpano from Mystic turned up with his girlfriend Katrina (a swimsuit model) on his arm and wanted to spend time with her rather than us. Any wonder why that might be the case?
On Saturday, the boat pulled out of the slip for a repeat of ‘The mass dash of the lemmings' at the time of the day’s 0600 start. We headed back to an area not too far from the day before in much calmer seas. This day featured beautiful sea conditions- 61.2 degree, clear/clean blue, slightly green-tinted water with relatively light SW winds. There was lots of life around the boat with a whole lot of molas (Ocean Sunfish) and Shearwater Gulls in sight throughout the day. Basically, it was a repeat of the previous day in regards to the number of bluedogs that were caught, with an exception in that we tail-hooked a thresher that slapped our live bluefish and then pulled the hook after nearly yanking Tim over the side of the boat.
The FISH pulled in a couple of miles away, late again, and quickly hooked up on a thresher that was slightly below the tournament legal limits. Once again, this turn of events provided some excellent material for a few good laughs. (After the Awards Banquet, they let us pose for photos with their trophies and 2nd place check.)
Saturday’s angling ended with our crew taking a marginal fish (the group had put some serious money up for the calcuttas, back to be weighed) that fell just short of the 200-lb minimum. The scene near the weigh-in dock was chaotic and, basically, a free-for-all with the operators of one or two boats acting very much like water-borne idiots. The organizers have got to get that part a little more in order or someone is going to end up with a dented boat, along with a broken nose. Money and attitude does strange things to some people who own big boats with an ego that matches.
The Awards Banquet went well, and the cash prizes were handed out. Here's the run-down on the winning boats with their catches:
First Place Overall - 374 lbs - Thresher - THREE G’S
First Place Mako -372 lbs - FISH.
Second Place Mako - 215 lbs - OH BROTHER
First Place Blueshark - 273 lbs - LUCIA
Second Place Blueshark - 259 lbs - HYPERACTIVE
Third Place Blueshark - 257 lbs - DORADO
First Place Other - 374 lbs - Thresher - THREE G’S
Second Place Other - 359 lbs - Thresher - TUNA TANGLER
Third Place Other - 300 lbs Thresher - PISCES III
The payout for the largest calcutta and cash prize went over $440,000 (I’m not sure which boat took that bag of cash home, as yet).
After waking up at 0600 on Sunday morning, we ate a leisurely breakfast at the Galley Restaurant at Star Island Marina with some of the other teams. Our charter crew showed up at 0915 and we quickly headed northward arriving back at the dock at Lotteryville Marina by 1030. Pat and I then cleaned up the boat and straightened up the tackle, heading for home at roughly 1400.
All in all, the weekend was a great experience and a whole lot of fun for all aboard.
While there were no winning fish on the BILLFISH but, for a fact, all aboard knew that we were in the right neighborhood in regards to where some big fish were swimming. In closing, one guiding principle to keep in mind is that there's always another day, and another tournament where the fish you just might catch will make all of your fishing dreams actually come true.
Bill
6/12/2007
Hi All,
A nice mix of sublegal and legal bass in and around the Watch Hill Reef Complex over the weekend. There were literally thousands of bass on the surface on Saturday night slurping down everything in sight including our Snapper Slapper jigs sweetened with Mario's Squid Strips. Some nice keeper fluke off the south shore beaches, too! The biggest one measured 26" on squid/spearing combos.
Bluefish are available, as well, but not so many as to be a problem.
Good numbers of blue sharks have put in their annual appearancein the 50- 250-lb range and, hopefully, a couple of makos and/or threshers will show up in our slick during the upcoming weekend's Star Island Shark Tournament. It has all the signs of being an excellent year for sharking.
We still have some excellent dates open for those who'd like to hit either the inshore or offshore arenas. The new boat can comforable manage six anglers with plenty of room to spare.
__________________
Bill
6/7/2007
Bass & Fluke- Watch Hill/Block Island
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Hi All,
Took a group out for a day's fishing on a Blue Moon incoming tide last Thursday. Caught a ton of short bass and some very nice keepers in and around the Watch Hill Reef Complex and at BI, as well. Also spent a couple hours fluking at the SW Corner at BI. While the group had non-stop action on squid and spearing combos for the whole time that we were fishing, the vast majority of fish were all 'cookie-cutters' approximately one inch shy of the RI size limit. We did pick up some very nice keepers including a very fat 27" fish.
Saturday, I ran two half day trips on both the flood and ebb tides with both groups capturing large numbers of sub-legal fish mixed in with some keepers in the 28- 32" bracket. All fish were taken trolling Snapper Slapper lures sweetened with Mario's Squid Strips.
This morning, back to BI for non-stop fluke action with bag limits being reached (19- 27") via culling through untold numbers of these summertime flatties. Stopped on the way home and picked up some very nice bass on the east end of Fishers Island.
Both of these fisheries will improve over the course of the next few weeks as more and more linesiders filter in from both LIS and from the mid-Atlantic spawning grounds. There's no doubt that there's some big fish to be had, especially during the hours of darkness, dusk and dawn.
__________________
Bill
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