After finishing up an early game of tennis last week in East Hampton, I hopped on my motorcycle and headed off to my marina in Sag Harbor to take Rock Water out for a few hours of fishing.
Whenever I can in the warmer months, I prefer taking my motorcycle. I refer to it as the Hog, although most of my friends generously poke fun of me and call it the Piglet. They may have a point. I’m clearly not Jack Nicholson, who famously rode a Harley-Davidson in “Easy Rider,” the iconic 1969 motorcycle movie.
Besides being so much fun to ride, it’s also incredibly convenient when I’m running a quick errand in town. Finding a parking spot is never a concern, as I can slip into many places that a car can’t. Still, logic dictates that I need to be extremely careful navigating among some very careless summertime drivers.
Untying the dock lines, I first decided to catch the last of the incoming tide at Jessup’s Neck, a pencil-thin peninsula that separates Noyac and Little Peconic Bays. For the past few weeks, the turbulent rip there has held a robust supply of striped bass. I also heard through the rumor mill that bluefish had shown up in recent days. I looked forward to putting a few brined fillets in the smoker.
Ray Sperling joined me that early afternoon. My trusty lobster trap deckhand for many years, Sperling is trying to get as much fishing in this season as possible before he and his wife move to San Antonio early next year. His friendship and assistance as my first mate will be sorely missed.
The weather was sublime on June 3 — 75 degrees, low humidity, and clear blue skies. The water temperature hovered near 67 degrees, baitfish were plentiful when I scanned the fish finder screen, and the tide was just right. Frankly, the conditions were almost too good.
“Okay, let’s see if anybody’s home,” I said to Sperling, as I reduced our forward speed to an idle just before the rip. We were the only boat there. “Hopefully that’s not an omen.”
Dropping our four-ounce diamond jigs in the two-knot tide, the drift was perfect. The only thing we needed was the fish to jump on our shiny chromed lures. Alas, other than yours truly catching a sea robin, we drew a solid blank in the 90 minutes we were there. Not a good start. It was then on to Plan B.
Sadly, plan B was not much better while making a number of drifts for porgy and weakfish in various locations.
The only real excitement we encountered on our excursion were some massive smooth dogfish measuring up to five feet that inhaled our baited hooks not far from the Sag Harbor breakwater. These inshore beasts were scary big. It was a nice day to enjoy a few hours on the water, but I guess I should also be prepared for a Plan C.
Elsewhere, while fishing for fluke remains a picky pick in Montauk, that’s not the case when it comes to striped bass. By all accounts, it’s been a bass bonanza, whether fishing day or night.
Daytime anglers are having a ball casting diamond jigs in and around the Lighthouse. Those who preferred to troll umbrella rigs and parachute jigs were equally successful. Some days it’s been a bit of a challenge to secure a keeper, as anglers are allowed to retain one bass per day between 28 and 31 inches. Many of the stripers landed and released are well over the slot size.
“At night it has been phenomenal bass fishing, as many either have caught their personal-best fish and/or had double-digit landings,” said Capt. Anthony D’Arrigo of the Ebb Tide Princess, a Montauk party boat. “Many of the fish are in the 30-to-40-pound range and larger.”
Those on the Ebb Tide Princess daytime excursions are also catching a nice mix of bass and some fluke. Check out their website for the latest sailing schedule at ebbtidefishing.com to cash in on the action in darkness or daylight.
On Sunday, the 70th annual Blessing of the Fleet will take place. The much-loved annual event is hosted by the Montauk Boatmen and Captains Association and the Viking Fleet, in collaboration with St. Therese of Lisieux, the Montauk Community Church, and Chabad of the Hamptons. The festivities start at 5 p.m. in Montauk Harbor.
Looking down the line, the 2026 Montauk Grand Slam inshore charity fishing tournament takes place on July 18 and 19 at Uihlein’s Marina on West Lake Drive, hosted by the East Hampton Kiwanis Club and the Montauk Friends of Erin. Anglers of all ages compete to catch a grand slam consisting of fluke, sea bass, bluefish, and porgy.
Now in its 26th year, a highlight of the event for many is the awards party at the end of the weekend to celebrate the Montauk Fishing Legend of the Year. It’s a great moment to properly acknowledge a person from the hard-working fishing community. This year, the honor will be bestowed upon Capt. Tom Herlihy, the longtime skipper of the charter boat Herl’s Girl. It’s a well-deserved accolade.
You can view the full schedule, keep an eye on leaderboards, and find details at mtkgrandslam.org.
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Fishing tips, observations, and photographs can be sent to [email protected].