Last November I landed one bushel of scallops on opening day in and around Shelter Island Sound. The next day, however, I struggled to land barely a quarter bushel. East Hampton Town waters will open to scalloping in two weeks.
Fishing
On the Water: Smart FishingBlackfishing has been tough of late, “but bass, blues, and false albacore are still running well in Plum Gut,” Ken Morse of Tight Lines Tackle said, and anglers have experienced blitz-like fishing for striped bass around the Montauk Lighthouse.
On the Water: A ‘Tap, Tap, Tap’ Day“Local spots like the Sag Harbor bridge, Nichols Point, and the black spindle rock pile outside the breakwater have been producing of late,” Ken Morse of Tight Lines Tackle said from behind the counter of his new establishment in Southampton.
On the Water: A Miracle RevisitedBefore the water turns to ice here on the East End, the local fishing scene seems to be holding up just fine. Bass, bluefish, tuna, sea bass, porgies, and blackfish are hungry and on the feed.
On the Water: A Harbor FarewellThe closing of Tight Lines Tackle in Sag Harbor is most unfortunate. Small mom-and-pop, one-man businesses like Ken Morse’s establishment continue to be squeezed out because of high rents. It’s a troublesome trend that has become too frequent here.
On the Water: Back on the Court“Yeah, the weather gods have not been cooperating of late,” Ken Morse at Tight Lines Tackle in Sag Harbor said of the slow fishing. “The winds were relentless, but it appears things are finally going to calm down.”
On the Water: Tight Lines Moves OnJust as Tropical Storm Ophelia ushered out summer, Ken Morse, the man behind Tight Lines Tackle in Sag Harbor, is moving out — to Southampton.
On the Water: Same as It Ever WasThere’s bad news for anglers in NOAA’s analysis of its annual recreational fishing survey.
On the Water: A Fee for Saltwater Fishing Permits?If you fish in saltwater in New York and are over the age of 16, you must possess a free Department of Environmental Conservation marine registry permit. But now the marine registry may soon cease to exist, as the D.E.C. is considering a fee-based license for fishing in the state’s marine waters.
On the Water: Fair Winds, JimmyJimmy Buffett, who had a house on North Haven, loved the waters of the East End, whether surfing, sailing, or fishing.
On the Water: Bleak Outlook for ScallopsThe outlook for the bay scallop season, which is set to start in early November, is once again poor. For the fifth summer in a row, there has been a significant die-off of mature bay scallops in local waters.
On the Water: Grab a Crab at RehabA cooler of blue-claws for a new friend in cardiac rehab might mark the first time the tasty shellfish have paid a visit to Stony Brook Southampton Hospital.
On the Water: Head East for FishThe direction you want to go during the August heat is east. “Whether it’s striped bass, bluefish, fluke, porgies, sea bass, or tuna, the fish now prefer to be in cooler, deeper waters,” said Ken Morse of Tight Lines Tackle in Sag Harbor.
On the Water: North Fork Easy RiderI had done some fishing a few days earlier at Jessup’s Neck, and the bluefish were hungry, taking full advantage of my four-ounce diamond jig. I had my fill of fish, so I got on my motorcycle.
On the Water: No Need to Be Crabby“It’s been a great season thus far,” Harvey Bennett, former owner of the Tackle Shop in Amagansett, said of blue-claw crabs. “They are large and plentiful. More people need to take advantage of it. Blue-claws are the best to eat.”
On the Water: Fluke Mojo RegainedIf I truly wanted to catch a fluke, for all practical purposes I would need to hop aboard one of the several fine party boats that set sail from Montauk, which are significantly closer to the more productive fishing grounds.
On the Water: Fluke Prove EvasiveThe fishing for fluke has continued to deteriorate in Block Island Sound where dozens of boats used to drift their baited hooks on a daily basis in summer. Looking at my log book on the ride out, I noted that I had made two trips last summer and we failed to land a keeper. Not good.
On the Water: A Legend Is HonoredThe popular Montauk Grand Slam charity fishing tournament will be held this weekend at Uihlein’s Marina in Montauk. At 5 p.m. Sunday, the tournament will crown Capt. Frank Braddick as the Fishing Legend of the Year.
On the Water: Better Weather, Please“Definitely, the better fishing has been out at Montauk,” Ken Morse of Tight Lines Tackle said Monday. “The bass fishing remains solid and there are acres and acres of bluefish between 10 and 18 pounds roaming around.”
On the Water: Back at the HelmLots of bass between 30 and 50 pounds continue to be caught and released off Montauk. Finding fish in the new smaller slot size has been a challenge at times. Plenty of bluefish are mixed in too.
On the Water: Made in ManhattanGiven all of the supersize stripers now in Montauk, it’s still not too late to enter the popular Montauk Surf Masters Spring Shootout, which concludes on July 9. Bigger fish are clearly on the feed here.
On the Water: Smoke on the Water“A lot of big bass to over 50 pounds are around,” observed Capt. Savio Mizzi of Fishhooker Charters. “Fishing is literally off the hook.”
On the Water: On the Table AgainOut in Montauk, anglers for striped bass and bluefish are returning to the docks with sore arms. Porgy fishing has also been consistent, with fish up to three pounds.
On the Water: Motorcycle to Montauk“Oh man, there are striped bass and bluefish everywhere,” Paul Apostolides said from behind his countertop. “The action has been truly fantastic. More people need to take advantage of it.”
On the Water: Gators on the ProwlGator-sized bluefish thrashed about near the surface one day; two days later it was spunky striped bass.
On the Water: Learning New TricksWhen I’m out pursuing codfish, I always start off using a diamond jig. I also use a diamond jig when I fish for weakfish, sea bass, and bluefish. The same lure is also used when I pursue striped bass from my boat. Old habits are hard to break.
On the Water: Fishing Plans Upended“The striped bass have arrived in Montauk,” said Capt. Rob Aaronson of the Montauk charter boat Oh Brother! Both diamond and bucktail jigs have been the lures of choice for the linesiders.
On the Water: Back on Dry LandStriped bass have shown up en masse in local waters, and many casters are very pleased with their early, bountiful showing. “It’s wonderful to see,” said Ken Morse at Tight Lines Tackle in Sag Harbor.
On the Water: Scratching Out a CatchThe warming rays of the sun have begun to perk up the local fishing scene, with holdover striped bass making the biggest noise in recent days.
On the Water: The Lobster Traps Are InFlounder is scarce, striped bass are not yet here in sizable numbers, so our columnist set about repairing his lobster traps.