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Outdoors

On the Water: The Surreal Deal

On the fishing scene many remain thankful for the great action. While striped bass can still be had from the ocean beaches (Sunday afternoon saw a classic bass blitz from Bridgehampton to Southampton), Montauk continues to be the main port of call for fishing activities, especially for blackfish, sea bass, porgies, and cod.

Dec 3, 2020
On the Water: Thankful in Trying Times

It was an unusual season on the water by all accounts. When the boat was first launched in mid-March, the pandemic was already beginning to have a firm grip on New York and Long Island. It was a scary and uncertain time. In many ways, it still is.

Nov 25, 2020
On the Water: The Clock Is Ticking

The fishing season is winding down, but the fishing for blackfish and sea bass remains strong and the bite is still good for striped bass from the ocean shoreline.

Nov 19, 2020
On the Water: It's All About Location

After about an hour steaming off in my boat to the northeast on Gardiner's Bay, the fish finder machine in my cabin painted a perfect picture of the bottom I was looking for. With the anchor set on the incoming tide, I was positioned on top of a tight cluster of broken rubble and small boulders in about 40 feet of water. It looked fishy.

Nov 12, 2020
Thar She Blows, in Gardiner's Bay!

Their fishing trip in Gardiner's Bay on Monday may not have yielded the blackfish they were after, but Aidan McCormack and Mark Deckman came away with quite a tale to tell.

Nov 12, 2020
On the Water: Silent Waters, Empty Shells

Monday morning dawned bright with a stiff, northwesterly wind on the bay as I lifted the bedroom shades. I squinted as I tried to focus on my surroundings from the second floor. It was a little after 7, and not a single boat was in view. It was a sad sight to see but not a total surprise.

Nov 4, 2020
On the Water: Bleak Forecast for Bay Scallop Season

With two dredges and a culling board laid across the stern of my boat, it was time to see if the upcoming season would be boom, bust, or perhaps something in between. Sadly, it did not take long to see that the hope for a bountiful harvest of scallops would very much mimic the unfortunate events that have unfolded in the black cloud that is 2020.

Oct 28, 2020
State Expands Two Shellfish Closures

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has reclassified two areas in East Hampton waters to restrict the harvesting of shellfish.

Oct 28, 2020
Georgica Opened and Closed in Just Six Days

The East Hampton Town Trustees opened Georgica Pond to the Atlantic Ocean on Oct. 19, a biannual event that allows spawning fish to enter and exit and flushes the pond. Unlike in the last two years, though, the pond closed naturally just six days later.

Oct 28, 2020
On the Water: Proverbs and Patience

Blackfish, also known as tautog, are perhaps the most challenging of fish to catch in our local waters, and quite a few good fishermen are not ashamed to admit that they have never mastered the knack of catching the elusive, bait-stealing fish.

Oct 23, 2020
Scallop Season Opens Nov. 8

New York State has set Nov. 2 as the opening of scallop season in state waters. But the trustees have traditionally opened waterways under their jurisdiction for scalloping shortly after the opening of state waters to allow additional time for scallops to spawn.

Oct 21, 2020
On the Water: A Bass Blitz Like Old Times

Anglers last week saw an influx of migrating striped bass mixed in with bluefish and false albacore that has brought back pleasurable memories of the productive fall run of years past. "It's insane action at times," said Capt. Michael Vegessi of the Montauk party boat the Lazybones.

Oct 16, 2020