Fishing

There's been plenty of whale action visible from the beaches, and it's been a stellar week for inshore and offshore fishing, with fluke, striped bass, porgy galore, and tuna farther out.

I had a nice chuckle watching an episode of “Gilligan’s Island” in which Gilligan, in his inevitable white bucket hat, hauled in a lobster trap from the overly warm, tropical lagoon (a stage studio out in Los Angeles).

This was a weird summer. We witnessed it all, from epic rainfall to sustained heat waves to jungle-like humidity. On the fishing scene, anglers are looking forward to the change of seasons.

I was surprised to see in my logbook that my lobster catch was better than expected this year, although lobsters in our local waters have been on a downswing for decades.

A trip to the North Fork to pick up 1,000 oyster spat from the Cornell Cooperative Extension Marine Center means it was time to replenish my North Haven stock.

At daybreak, I went to check my lobster traps off to the east, but before we ventured forth, I wanted to do a bit of fishing on the east side of Gardiner's Island. Fluke and sea bass were the intended quarry. My expectations were very low. Let me explain.

After finishing dinner on our outdoor patio overlooking Shelter Island Sound the other day, we noticed a canoe with a man, woman, and child in it moving rapidly on the strong incoming full-moon tide. It was getting dark and they were too far from the beach.

We are in full-scale summer mode as August approaches. In Montauk stripers are still running, and the same is true for fluke and a plethora of undersize sea bass.

It’s appropriate that Michael Potts will be honored on Sunday afternoon as the Montauk Fishing Legend of the Year at the Montauk Grand Slam fishing tournament that Henry Uihlein has hosted at his marina for nearly three decades.

I trapped 15 lobsters on July 8. That was the good news. The bad was that the Yanmar diesel engine on my Rock Water encountered problems on the return trip to Sag Harbor.

My good friend Robert Cugini, who hails from Seattle, has served as a valued deckhand for many years when bay scallop season opens in early November. But lobsters are a different ballgame.

I know that the East End is a well-known hot spot. I realize that nothing stays the same, but I miss the more simple days when courtesy, respect, and kindness ruled the road and water. Is it too much to ask for today?

The recent heat wave zapped my energy for getting on the Rock Water and wetting a fishing line. But I sucked it up and checked on my lobster traps anyway.

After a good catch of bluefish, I steered back to port in Sag Harbor, but my engine stalled out a few minutes later. Not good.

The D.E.C. has announced changes to recreational fishing regulations to improve management of protected shark species. Plus, a record blue-claw crab hits the counter at Tight Lines Tackle.

In local waters there has been a decrease of kelp, much of which was typically found from the east side of Gardiner’s Island all the way to Montauk. A new project looks to change this.

Fishing-wise, things are much better than my 62-year-old body or my Jeep Wrangler’s transmission.

Blowfish are one of the tastiest local fish in our warming waters as we jump from spring to summer. They are one of the cheapest fish at the markets, too.

I was supposed to take my boat to check my lobster traps. It had been about 10 days. I also planned to do some diamond jigging for striped bass in Plum Gut. None of it happened.

The striped bass showed up en masse for their annual residency off Montauk on May 1. It was a true sign that spring had sprung for those who wet a line for the highly prized linesiders.

Dock to Dish, a restaurant-supported fishery cooperative founded in Montauk in 2012, has new owners and a renewed focus on getting fresh-from-the-boat seafood directly into the kitchens of restaurants across the East End and the New York area. And the fact that most of the owners are also fishermen doesn’t hurt.

It’s been sad to watch the demise of our local inshore lobster fishery. I’ve seen a clear downward spiral that’s been especially acute in the past five years.

The recent closure of the only tackle shop in downtown Montauk was a blow for fishermen, but all is not lost for those who wet a hook and line in Montauk. The Montauk Anglers Club, right near the Montauk inlet on East Lake Drive, is looking to fill the void left by the departure of Paulie’s by adding more tackle, bait, lures, gear, and services to its already well-stocked marine and tackle store. 

The question was whether I should stay in port on April 9 or put out my lobster traps for the season. Sounds simple, yes? But it wasn’t. Hear me out.

Hundreds of anglers were saddened to learn last week that Paulie’s Tackle Shop, operating in downtown Montauk for over 20 years, had closed its doors forever.

Out on the water for a last chance to catch some blackfish, The Star’s fishing columnist enjoyed some good camaraderie, and if the fish were to cooperate, so much the better.

The plight of our beloved scallop is a sad one. For five straight years, we have witnessed a summer die-off. Baymen never have it easy.

With the season for blackfish and sea bass concluding in a few weeks, our columnist headed toward Block Island on a trip organized by Bill Bennett of Sag Harbor. They enjoyed consistent action all morning.

“I honestly don’t think I missed a fish, as they were taking the bait with such abandon,” Joel Fisher said of the waters off Big Gull Island. “All were in the 14-to-17-inch range. It was a great way to end the season.”

The plan was to head out on a 90-minute ride to Block Island for blackfish, sea bass, and codfish. When boats were able to get out in recent days, the action was good, especially for blackfish.