It’s time. I need to conduct a proper spring cleaning on the fishing and boating front.
While my boat is still shoreside as she awaits the completion of a new stern deck, I want to remind motorboat owners that as per 2025 law, they need to attend and pass a New York State safe-boating course.
Please don’t ignore this. It’s mandatory unless you want to pay a fine upward of $250. Boaters only need to take the course one time. Last year, New York had 18 reported deaths on the waterways, with the main causes of the accidents on the water being inexperience or inattention, machinery failure, poor weather, excessive speed, and alcohol abuse.
The law does not apply to sailboats, kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, rowboats, or canoes.
Safe boating is smart boating. You’ve been duly warned.
I’m now signed up for a two-night course that spans eight hours at the end of May at the firehouse on Shelter Island. I hope I pass.
Despite owning and operating a boat for almost six decades, I know there is much I can polish up on. It’s a smart and necessary law for all boaters these days.
As for the current fishing scene, things are just commencing on many fronts.
Those who pursue porgies can rejoice. The season opened on May 1. Fishermen can retain 30 fish that are over 11 inches in length. Shore-bound anglers are allowed an equal number, so long as they are over 9.6 inches. Take that measuring tape wherever you go. As with operating a motorboat, you don’t want to be caught out of compliance.
The Viking Starlight, which usually sails out of Montauk, is once again calling Sag Harbor its temporary home for the next few weeks as the tasty panfish set up residence in and around Jessup’s Neck, a few miles to the west.
The Starlight sets sail at 6 a.m. from Long Wharf, with the longtime Viking skipper Capt. David Marmeno holding the wheel. The boat returns at noon. The action is improving every day, with mixed-size fish up to three pounds landed. A few weakfish are also making the fishing pail.
On a side note, porgies are incredibly underrated. I grew up out here munching on the silver-slabbed fish with its crispy skin for breakfast almost every day in the warmer months. Corn flakes, eggs, and oatmeal be damned. It was porgy time!
Fried fish, whether it was porgy, blowfish, flounder, weakfish, or kingfish, was a breakfast staple for us. The smell of fish being fried in a cast-iron skillet still stays with me to this very day. Great memories.
As well, early spawning weakfish are now here. Anglers have caught a few, but those who tend to commercial box traps have seen better landings of late. Don’t worry, more are on the way.
Bluefish have also made an early appearance in many areas. It’s the same for squid, mackerel, and even butterfish. Rarely seen in the fish market, butterfish was my grandmother’s favorite fish to eat. I have never tried it, as I’ve never seen it available. Today, butterfish is most commonly used as bait and chum for tuna and sharks.
Striped bass anglers are once again allowed to retain one striper per day between 28 and 31 inches. Bass have been landed in the coves of Sag Harbor, Three Mile Harbor, by the South Ferry, and even in Montauk.
The Viking Star out of Montauk did an exploratory trip on Saturday morning and found a nice bunch of bass with a good number of keepers in the mix. Diamond jigs were the lure of choice.
As well, Capt. Rob Aaronson of the charter boat Oh Brother! made his maiden voyage of the season that same morning. His fares landed five keepers along with a few shorts.
“I really didn’t expect to catch anything, but it was a surprisingly nice start to the season as the waters are still cold,” he said on Sunday morning on the stern deck of his boat. Aaronson said the water temperature was 47 degrees. The catch over the next month or so will only continue to improve, especially at Montauk.
Those who pursue fluke also celebrated this week when the season opened on Sunday. Anglers, if most fortunate, can retain four fish over 19 inches on a daily basis.
Spring has officially sprung.
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Fishing tips, observations, and photographs can be sent to [email protected].