The chorus “one, two, three strikes you’re out!” comes from the famous 1908 American baseball anthem “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” but it could also easily be applied to those who chase down blackfish, the pugnacious bait-stealing bruisers that are now being pursued by most private, party, and charter boat anglers.
Blackfish, a.k.a. tautog or tog, can humble even the finest of fishermen. Trying to decipher when to lift the fishing rod to set the hook, upon the detection, is key. Unfortunately, it usually ends up with a swing and a miss, along with a bare hook. That’s called strike three. You’re out.
I recall one trip last fall to the north side of Gull Island when I and two others who joined me aboard Rock Water easily went through half a bushel of green-crab baits. We had a challenge trying to hook ‘em and cook ‘em. It was not to be.
Still, there were boats aplenty that took advantage of the
beautiful weather last weekend to take their swings. In the rearview mirror was the Noah’s Ark-type rain and gusty baseball cap blowing winds. Best of all, the blackfish were hungry and few strikeouts were recorded.
“It was lights-out fishing” reported Anthony Caputo, one of my longtime fishing comrades, who sailed aboard the Double D, a Montauk charter boat, on sunny Saturday. “We only kept fish that were 17 inches and above. The lousy weather had kept everyone off the key pieces for days. It was a savage bite.”
Capt. Dan Giunta took Caputo and friends off to the north, just shy of the Rhode Island coastline. The fish eagerly inhaled green crabs that were fished in a standard bottom rig or weighted jig. Presentation was of no concern. “It did not matter what method you used, everything worked,” added Caputo.
Capt. Ken Hejducek of the My Joyce had equal success on several species. “We had a great day on the water with calm seas, and the fish chewed,” he said.
The savvy skipper started the day by catching a limit of slot-size striped bass and a bunch of releases for his fares. Hejducek then spent the rest of the day on the tog grounds where there was tons of short life and ultimately boxed a boat limit of quality blackfish weight up to six pounds, along with a few jumbo sea bass and a lone triggerfish.
Joel Fisher of Sag Harbor took his boat up to the shallow water rocks and groins that surround Plum Island. With water temperatures hovering around 60 degrees, Fisher had no problem catching more than his fair share of keeper-size blackfish in about 20 feet of water.
Sam Doughty of Amagansett did well both weekend days while baiting up with greenies at some of his favorite rock piles at Fishers Island. “For me, Sunday was better,” he said. “Yesterday was a bit of a grind. Today, I was on them right away and got it done fast.”
Doughty also had some well-known blackfish words of wisdom to share. “When blackfishing, you could be on one side of a rock catching nothing, and I could be slamming the fish on the other side of it. That’s just how it is with them.”
Behind his perch at Mrs. Sam’s Bait and Tackle in East Hampton, Sebastian Gorgone enjoyed the Sunday afternoon
sun that filtered in through his west-facing windows while addressing the fishing landscape.
“Oh man, it’s been just perfect weather, and the fishing has been great,” he said. “The big news is the squid, as all of the harbors are just jam-packed with them. They are everywhere. It’s been incredible.”
Gorgone also confirmed the solid action on blackfish. “It’s been a great start to the season thus far, and the fishing has been really good in all of the usual spots.”
Gorgone said that while striped bass have been spotty, he believes the fishing should break out shortly. “With all of the squid and bait around, it’s bound to explode very soon,” he predicted. Gorgone suggests using a bucktail that imitates a squid as a solid choice for fishing inside the bays or from the ocean beaches.
“It was arguably the best nonstop action I’ve ever witnessed,” Capt. Anthony D’Arrigo of the Ebb Tide Princess of Montauk recalled of the action on Friday night. “There were doubles, triples, and quads being landed with multiple people with none to 10 gallons of tubes. Low hook had 100 pieces, while the high hook had over 400. Most were in the 250 zone. And they were big!” The rest of the weekend the bite was solid, if a bit slower.
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Fishing tips, observations, and photographs can be sent to [email protected].