Newsday 6/30/06

Fishing Forecast
Source: Newsday, Melville, N.Y.
Publication date: 2006-06-30


Jun. 30--1.Western Long Island Sound: Striped bass continue to mob the area with plenty of fish in the 20-30 pound range and R&G in Port Washington reporting a 38-pounder. The action is almost exclusively on fresh bunker chunks and live bait. Jack's B&T in City Island reported anglers are limiting on fluke to 5 pounds at the points using bucktails with squid and spearing. Porgy fishing is strong.

2. Huntington / Northport bays: Four Winds in Huntington Station reported super fluke action with loads of sand eels and anglers having no trouble reaching limits. The pool fish on the Huntington open boats is typically between 4 and 6 pounds with outstanding action. Bass are biting well though the weather limited anglers last week. Porgies are shallow which is good for beach fishing but tough for anglers drifting worms for bass.

3. Smithtown Bay: Tony DeVito and his buddy limited on fluke to 6 pounds and had porgies to 2 pounds while Mike Mastrogiacomo and Rich Cunes had fluke to 25 inches off West Meadow, according to Swaine's B&T in St. James. Dave Ciotti used live killies off Short Beach to take a limit of fluke to 20 inches, a few bluefish to 4 pounds and a 14-pound striper.

4. Port Jefferson to Mattituck Inlet: An intense fluke bite with many anglers limiting out on fish to 6 pounds and plenty of juicy keepers in the 3-4 pound range for the open boats out of Port Jeff. The sand eels keep the fluke feeding through all conditions. Many say it's the best fluke action in at least 10 years. Fluke has been pretty disappointing in other parts of LI, but from Oyster Bay to Rocky Point it is tremendous.

5. Orient Point to Fishers Island: A nice bite along the Sound side from Goldsmith Inlet to Orient with anglers working the surf with poppers and wooden plugs for keeper bass and blues, according to Wego Fishing in Southold. A lot of big porgies on that side as well. The Gut and Race are producing strong bluefish with a few keeper bass during the day, and at night the bite turns to stripers.

6. The Peconics and Gardiners Bay: Some decent fluke action by the Ruins in the last few days, with anglers using squid and spearing or live killies to flush out the keepers. Bluefishing in the bay is a sure thing with a diamond jig or small shad; just find the birds working. Most of the fish are cocktail size.

7. Montauk Point: The Marine Basin Shark Tournament brought 10 fish to the scales, but no threshers for the first time in a few years. Most of the action was far offshore. Fish On took first place with a 315-pound blue shark and Tuna Tangler had a 192 mako. Striped bass action is excellent as Amanda had a 38.4-pounder on the Venture and Freddie's B&T reported some keepers from the surf, mostly on night tides.

8. Shinnecock Bay: Every so often the fluke bite has a pulse, like when the ocean lit up for the Shinnecock Star on Saturday with fish to 6 pounds, but then it fades again. Wind and fog this week did little to boost angler participation, according to Molnar's Landing, but Tom, Wayne and Al had stripers in the inlet to 18 pounds.

9. Moriches Bay: Mastic B&T reported good striped bass action on clams and a solid bite of sea bass and ling on the outside reef and wrecks when conditions allow anglers to get there. Fluking in the bay is decent; Bob hit a limit of fluke between buoys 27 and 29, according to Silly Lily's in East Moriches.

10. Great South Bay / Fire Island Inlet: Billy Sorrese drilled a 40.71-pound striper on live bunker off South Beach and fishing buddy Dave Gagliano took a 27.8-pounder, according to Augie's B&T in Babylon. Peter Mack picked up a 15-pounder fly fishing in the inlet. Bluefish are spread about and the fluke bite from West Channel to the bridge picked up with some nice keepers. Fluke are biting outside southwest of the inlet but dogfish are a nuisance.

11. Jones Inlet / Western Bays: Paul on the Emily S had a 37-pound striper on live bunker in the inlet and anglers have been using bunker and clam chum from the Meadowbrook to the Wantagh bridge for nice keepers, according to Woodcleft Fishing Station. Sam Agro took a 223-pound mako while releasing another 150-pounder around the Schooner. Fluke has been slow but a few keepers have come off the Lido Golf Course in Reynolds Channel.

12. East Rockaway Inlet: Pete and crew on the Fish On battled the dogfish at the Mudhole before moving to the Virginia for a 214-pound thresher, according to Bay Park Fishing Station. Bill, Randy, Les and Ronnie had 17 keeper-sized stripers to 41 inches off Rockaway using fresh clams in about 35 feet of water and Capt. Jack of Jesse James charters fished the back bays for a 28-pound bass and nice blues on clams.

13. New York Bight: Joe and Vin from Bernie's B&T in Sheepshead Bay had a first-hand report of strong fluke action on the open boat The Angler with fish to nearly 8 pounds. Mike Bordes and Bob Heney also had fish over 7 on the half-day trip in the bay.

NY Newsday

1. Western Long Island Sound: Jack's B&T in City Island reported striped bass in the 20-pound class and said the big 40-pound cows have been coming to anglers trolling wire. That means the fish are deep and on the bottom, so make sure the chunks get all the way down. A burst of bluefish hit the area this week around the bridges and fluke to 4 pounds have been caught off Harts Island.

2. Huntington / Northport bays: The coolers lined up outside Four Winds B&T in Huntington Station yesterday as the shop weighed five fish over 20 pounds by 10 a.m. with Tim Lober's 26-pounder leading the way. Most action is in Cold Spring Harbor but there are fish in the Triangle and inside Huntington Bay. Charlie Burk had a 7.38-pound fluke off Asharoken.

3. Smithtown Bay: Steve from the BLT CafA© in St. James took a 14.5-pound striper from the mouth of Stony Brook Harbor using worms and Swaine's B&T in St. James had reports of bass to 15 pounds with bluefish mixed in at the Nissequogue. Most stripers are on clams or worms but some anglers are using bucktails and plugs.

4. Port Jefferson to Mattituck Inlet: Anthony Caputo hooked a 7-pound fluke on the Celtic Quest on Sunday, and like the other keepers it was stuffed with sand eels. There was also a report that a local dragger pulled a 20-pound fluke near Buoy 11. The Capt. Bob fleet in Mattituck continued to mash the keeper fluke with fish to 8 pounds. Rocky Point Fishing Stop reported huge shad in the Sound with 25-pound stripers feeding on them and bluefish along the beaches.

5. Orient Point to Fishers Island: Steady fluke as the Peconic Star reported 60-80 keepers per day, including last week's 11-pounder. Bernie Osofsky had an 8-pounder last week then returned Monday for a 7.35-pounder, and Choi Duk Il had a 6.85-pounder on Wednesday. There have been one or two tough nights for bass in the Gut and Race, but overall the fishing has been excellent.

6. The Peconics and Gardiners Bay: Lots of life in the bay. The weakfish arrived and anglers are taking fish to 12 pounds from Jessups to the Greenlawns, according to Wego Fishing. Bluefish are buzzing all over. Stripers are hitting in Jessups. Anthony Capasso caught a 6.41-pound fluke on Tuesday, one of many 4-6 pounders.

7. Montauk Point: George Bowman nailed a 42.5-pound striper from the surf on Monday and the bass fishing has been good according to Johnny's Tackle Shop in Montauk. The charter boats are diamond jigging and trolling for their limits and the big open boats start their nighttime eel fishing trips this weekend. Lots of fluke with plenty of shorts and a few sea bass. Many charters have openings this weekend.

8. Shinnecock Bay: Ocean fluking had fizzled with the storms but as things settled the fishing returned. The Shinnecock Star had fish up to 8 lbs., 6 oz right outside the inlet. Molnar's Landing reported Willard and Mary Huber have averaged 15 flounder a day this week in the nearby creek.

9. Moriches Bay: The final weekend of flounder season promises to be a very good one. Silly Lily's in East Moriches reported that the best action should be early in the morning. Worms and mussels have been working very well between buoys 15 and 21. Stripers are being caught in the east and west cuts on clams and lures. Anglers after fluke could find them at the warmer water around buoy 7.

10. Great South Bay / Fire Island Inlet: Conditions dictate how the Captree boats make out on night striper trips. The Laura Lee had 15 fish over 20 pounds on Monday, including Steve Wilitus' 29- and 23-pounders, while on Tuesday with more wind Cole Rudnick limited out with a 22-pounder amid slow action. By Wednesday it picked back up and Chris Fogione had a 30-pounder. Fluke action is frenzied but keepers are absent. There are sea bass to 5 A1 2 pounds.

11. Jones Inlet / Western Bays: Ed Haran caught a 30-pound striper off Long Beach using chunks yesterday, according to Scotty's Fishing Station in Point Lookout. There are some keeper fluke mixed with the shorts in the bay and out in the ocean. Jose Rodriguez hooked a 12-pound blackfish using fiddler crabs off the Point Lookout jetty. Blackfish season closes Wednesday.

12. East Rockaway Inlet: Clams are the bait for striped bass with Bay Park Fishing Station reporting action at the Rockaway Reef and the Atlantic Beach Bridge. The Fish On reported six keeper-size fish to 28.5 pounds over the weekend and the Valiant had lots of action with a pair of keepers. An occasional keeper fluke pops up, but the sea bass are a better bottom bite.

13. New York Bight: Striped bass fishing is terrific for the Sheepshead Bay boats and while fluking has been tough there are plenty of sea bass, blackfish and ling to pick at. Don't forget the Noreast.com Striped Bass Memorial Classic this weekend where the angler with the two heaviest fish between 30 and 34 inches could win $10,000. [Newsday Tom Rock]

PoughkeepsieJournal.com - Shad run is dud, fishermen claim

Shad run is dud, fishermen claim [By Dan Shapley, Poughkeepsie Journal]

John Mylod found nothing in his nets Wednesday and gave up fishing for shad early. He turned to working out knots and repairing holes in hopes they catch more next year.

"It's not so much the season. It's the few shad that are out there," the Poughkeepsie fisherman said. "We used to fish past Mother's Day."

Shad fishing on the Hudson River reached new lows this year. The number of crews trying to catch the Hudson's only remaining commercial fish declined. Most who did fish didn't catch much.

Coastwide, the story was the same, said Christopher Letts, an educator for the Hudson River Foundation. He buys shad for the annual shad festivals, and his suppliers reported slim harvests from South Carolina to Connecticut.

"The season is terrible. I've never seen it so bad," said Kevin Coons, a Hyde Park resident who for 15 years has taken time off each spring to fish for American shad. "I've had a lot of people stopping by. I've had restaurants stopping by. Restaurants can't get them from their suppliers."

Last year, about a dozen boats fished for shad, the largest of the river herring. This year, it was closer to 10.

Roe is coveted

Shad's Latin name means "most delicious herring." Its notoriously bony flesh deters many. It takes an expert to fillet a shad and remove the bones. Its roe is a delicacy as passionately loved by enthusiasts as it is reviled by its detractors.

Bill Collier, a Wappingers Falls resident, has looked for the fresh catch from the river ever since tasting roe at a VFW dinner in Cold Spring. He was sorry to hear about the early end to the season, since he hadn't had a meal yet.

"I'm disappointed to hear the news," he said.

Commercial fishing on the Hudson has been in decline for decades. PCB pollution makes most species of fish illegal to sell, and unsafe to eat, according to state advisories.

Shad are the exception because they spawn briefly in the river, eat little, then return to the ocean or die. Yet, a number of insults have contributed to a decline in shad numbers.

PCBs and other pollutants may harm fish directly. Acres of spawning habitat have been destroyed. Thousands of eggs and larvae are killed by power plants drawing cooling water from the river. Zebra mussels invaded the river 15 years ago and have since filtered so much plankton from the water that young shad leave the river smaller, weaker and more prone to predation. Intense industrial ocean fishing at the river mouths was only banned last year. And fisheries managers have favored the striped bass, the voracious predator at the heart of a recreational fishery that now eclipses the commercial.

This is the second year since interstate fisheries managers banned off-shore fishing that had decimated the shad population. Whether it results in a resurgence in Hudson River shad remains to be seen, since shad born in coastal estuaries mature for four or five years in the Atlantic before returning.

"It'll be another couple years before we see," Mylod said.

Bobby Gabrielson Sr., whose family has fished out of Nyack for decades, catches the smaller river herring, bluebacks and alewives that striped bass anglers use for bait. They hardly fished for shad this year, but caught them when they tried. He was the lone fisherman of several interviewed who said shad were abundant.

"I'm telling you, the shad were there. They were there last year too," Gabrielson said. "They stopped the intercept fishery on the coast. Now, I'm getting calls from Cape May, N.J. A guy from Philadelphia came all the way up here for shad. That's the demand for this stuff now."

Restoring shad coastwide is a goal of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. On the Hudson, it's a priority for the state's Hudson River Estuary Program.

"This is one of our signature species, and it is our goal to restore them to their historic high levels," said Fran Dunwell, coordinator of the estuary program. "We have our work cut out for us."

There are no shad festivals scheduled in Dutchess or Ulster counties this year. The Hudson River Foundation will host a festival Saturday at Memorial Park, Depew Avenue in Nyack, Rockland County. Next weekend, festivals are planned in Catskill, Greene County and Croton, Westchester County. Visit www.hudsonriver.org for information.

Providence Journal 5/12/06

1. BAY:When there's a break in the weather, striped bass are rolling on the surface outside of Bristol Harbor and along Prudence and Patience Islands, especially near Potter Cove and Providence Point, said Billy Silvia, skipper of the charter boat Can't Imagine. Wednesday evening, Silvia caught 34- to 40-inch bass in the Seekonk River. Jim White, skipper of the charter boat White Ghost, says the Providence River is loaded with stripers. He also recommends the waters off Barrington and Poppasquash Point in Bristol.
2. This is the time of month when Ed Hughes starts finding large schools of large stripers in the waters off Conanicut Point. The fish tend to be just beneath the surface, and they'll hit flies, Slug-Gos and hard-plastic lures. He said bass have been hitting flies in East Greenwich Harbor near the Goddard Park boat ramp. Nearby, Dave Sanford has been catching a lot of stripers and some squeteague at Sally Rock, said David Henault of Ocean State Tackle.
3. In Middletown, Sam Toland of Sam's Bait & Tackle said schoolies to keeper-sized bass are biting at First and Second Beaches early in the morning and in the evening. They're taking small poppers, Slug-Gos and Storm Wildeye Shad. A bit up the Bay, anglers are taking fish as large as 26 pounds on squid, he said.
4. Tautog are biting from Sachuest Point to the Stone Bridge in Tiverton, Toland said. He also recommended fishing the rocks at Fort Adams, Ocean Drive and the Mount Hope Bridge. The bite has improved in Bristol Narrows, said Henault.
5. BEACHES AND SALT PONDS:Fran Sawicki, the dean of Point Judith Pond, has been catching flounder, but it hasn't been easy, he said. "I caught four real nice flounder [Tuesday], but I had to work for them," he said. I caught them in 4 feet of water, and they were nice, fat fish. I got four on Sunday, but I had to look for them. They're in places where they haven't been before. Two weeks ago, I got my four fish in 25 minutes, but they're much harder to find since the weather turned cold." Stripers as large as 35 pounds are holding in the deeper holes of the pond. Sawicki cuts 6-inch, motor-oil Slug-Gos in half and uses the tail ends to catch the bass. Three- to 4-pound bluefish have appeared in the pond, too. "My gut tells me this is going to be a phenomenal year," Sawicki said.
6. Quonochontaug Pond holds bass and tautog, said Don Cameron of Captain Don's Bait & Tackle. He weighed an 18-pound striper Wednesday morning. The fish hit a squid-colored Gag's It's Alive lure at the boat ramp on the breachway. Tautog, as large as 7 pounds, are biting worms.
7. Fluke are biting in the waters from the fish trap at Point Judith to Green Hill Beach, Cameron said. Thom Pelletier of Quaker Lane Outfitters said the fish are in 35 feet of water one day and in much deeper areas on other days.
8. PARTY BOATS:Squid fishing has been excellent aboard the Frances Fleet boats, their skippers report.
9. Cod fishing is slow, but fluke fishing along the beaches is excellent, even though there aren't any jumbo fluke being caught. When cod fishing did improve a little on Sunday, the largest fish taken was a 25-pounder.
10. FRESHWATER:"All this rain will raise water levels on our rivers, but that's not necessarily a bad thing," Ed Lombardo said in an e-mail. "I like fishing blood worms in sizes No. 18 to No. 16 just under the surface. The worms will be washed in rivers and still waters by all the increasing volume of water. The worms are a deep to bright red in color and are tied on a scud style hook or a regular hook. I also like using all of the other flies that mimic what is still hatching, such as Mahogany Duns, Red Quills, and Black and light Tan Caddis in sizes No. 16 and No. 14. Black ants have also been good during long periods of rainfall. I like using sizes No. 16 and No. 14."
11. BEST BITES
    
12. Point Judith Pond:Striped bass, bluefish
13. Aquidneck Island shore:Striped bass, tautog
14. Prudence Island:Striped bass
15. THE TIDES:The moon causes tides and affects the activity of saltwater and freshwater fish as well as animals on land. Anglers generally find the best fishing two hours before and after a high tide, but fish and other animals also become active around the time of low tide.

Hudson River Shad

How's fishing? Depends on who's telling the tale By DAN SHAPLEY

Commercial netters on the Hudson were, with rare exception, consistent in their assessment of the 2006 shad season. It was lousy.

When it comes to dropping a hook and line in the water — whether the target was shad or striped bass — the story line was not nearly as consistent.

Spring is the time for fishing on the Hudson, as river herring like shad spawn. They are followed by the spawning striped bass, which prey on the herring.

As you're reading this, chances are Bill Emslie's sitting at White's Marina in New Hamburg, waiting for the next boat to dock and unload a striped bass. The Wappingers Falls resident organizes the annual Hudson River Striped Bass Tournament, and so he will spend this weekend weighing bass.

'Fish are scattered'

If anyone has a pulse on the season, it's him, and this is what he had to say about the year in stripers: "It depends who you talk to."

"There are fish out there now. They're scattered between here and Albany," he said. "You have to find them, and maybe you have to find the hungry ones."

Anglers have been catching bass in the 20 and 30 pound range consistently, he said. He expects one more than 40 pounds to take the prize today.

When it comes to shad, some anglers said they have had a lot more luck than the commercial netters.

"Not many people consider a rod and reel when they think of American shad. Since Colonial times, shad had been the providence of commercial fishermen," Tom Lake, a naturalist for the Hudson River Estuary Program and a fisherman, said.

"In the last 25 years, however, they have slowly become a darling species, albeit for only about three weeks, of a select number of dedicated anglers looking for a world-class fishing experience in the Hudson River."

The best fishing for shad is probably done, as the spawning run nears its end and the rain makes the water muddy. Shad strike by sight so anglers need clear water, Lake said.

If shad are under-appreciated as a sport fish, river herring are all but ignored.

Shad's smaller cousins, the bluebacks and alewives, have been scarce, many fishermen have said. Some catch them to eat, but the biggest harvest supports the bait needs of the trophy bass hunters.

There's no good data on herring caught in the Hudson, but many say their decline has been steep and persistent, just as it has been elsewhere on the East Coast.

Rhode Island and Massachusetts banned all herring fishing this year, following the lead of Connecticut. Other states have set restrictions of various kinds as well.

There's a growing chorus of voices suggesting, quietly, New York should follow suit, though others say herring don't need such aggressive restrictions.

Rob Marshall, who works at his parents' bait and tackle shop, Fisherman's World, in Wappingers Falls, said fishing for the popular bait needs to be stopped.

"We're going to have to," he said. "The only reason the stripers come up here is for the herring. They follow their food up here because that's where the herring spawn." [Poughkeepsie Journal by Dan Shapley]

Fluke 18-inch rule negates the bounty -- Newsday.com

• Anyone interested in catching fluke on opening day last weekend was in luck. The fish were biting hard and fast. But anyone interested in keeping fluke had a much tougher time as the 18-inch regulation relegated some otherwise very big fish to throwbacks and left many anglers frustrated.
• The distance between 17 1/2 and 18 inches never seemed as great as it did this week. So many fish were just-shorts, forcing fisherman to first squint at the lines on the ruler, then wince at the idea of tossing the catch back. The good news is that in another few weeks, those fish will be big enough to find their way to someone's plate. By the end of the summer, the 16-inch fish will probably be long enough to keep. The bad news is that fluke season ends in early September, so any fish smaller than 16 inches this week won't likely reach the regulation by the time the recreational fishing ends.
• While many anglers were tossing fluke over the side as if they were bailing water from the engine room, there were a few locations where keepers were plentiful. Just outside Shinnecock Inlet on opening day, the Shinnecock Star found plenty of 18-inch fish. Bill Nixon had a 9-pound, 4-ounce, fish Saturday afternoon to go with an 8-pounder and a 6-pound, 8-ounce fluke by other anglers on the trip. On Sunday, Mike Chan hooked a 9-pound, 2-ounce fluke. In the Greenlawns area off Shelter Island, Bill Joyce caught a 10.44-pounder and Wego Fishing in Southold weighed about five fish of more than 8 pounds from that same area during the weekend.
• Eighteen inches will be a difficult benchmark to meet throughout the summer. Heck, it was difficult to meet this week. But it is still early for productive fluke fishing in many areas. Sure, anglers may have to alter their techniques or their locations to put some filets on the table this year. But fishermen who know their craft and put in their time will find the keeper fish. That's the one constant in fishing. [Tom Rock NY Newsday]

NY Newsday 5/12/06

1. Western Long Island Sound: The stripers continue to hit hard as R&G in Port Washington reported action on everything from live bunker to pencil poppers with fish to 25 pounds in the bay. Jack's B&T in City Island weighed a 34.5-pound bass taken between the Throgs Neck and Whitestone. A few bluefish are moving in, mostly in the Sound, and some bottom anglers are still finding blackfish or flounder.

2. Huntington / Northport bays: Decent striper activity with fish to 23 pounds taken from Cold Spring Harbor and keepers off Eatons Neck and in the Triangle, according to Four Winds in Huntington Station. The big excitement was over sightings of mackerel schools yesterday morning; the bluefish should be right behind them. Fluking has been steady with keepers up to 21 inches, and Bill Joyce brought a 10.44-pound fluke into Four Winds that was caught off the Greenlawns of Shelter Island.

3. Smithtown Bay: A lot of fish to catch but not a whole lot to keep. Most of the striped bass are schoolies with a few up to 30 inches, and they are coming on clams and worms according to Swaine's B&T in St. James. The fluke have also been short as anglers reported many 17-inch throwbacks on squid and spearing or sand eel and squid combos.

4. Port Jefferson to Mattituck Inlet: Rocky Point Fishing Stop reported small striped bass taking cinder worms in the harbors while bigger fish have been working clams and worms off the beaches. The fluke opener saw plenty of action, but not a lot of keepers unless you went to the east. Bluefish are starting to pop up.

5. Orient Point to Fishers Island: A very steady fluke bite with about a 50-50 keeper ratio and the bigger fish in the 5-7 pound range. Capt. Mike of the Prime Time III said Tom McKeever had a 7.5 pounder on opening day. Look for the doormats to start coming up this weekend with the full moon. The moon should trigger some striped bass and bluefish action in the Gut and Race, too.

6. The Peconics and Gardiners Bay: A nice flow of keeper fluke marched into Wego Fishing in Southold this weekend. Jean Rogers was first to hit the scales on Saturday with 7.4 and 6.5 pounders. Mr. Swiskey had a 10.85-pounder taken off Greenport and Jeff Mayo caught a 9.1-pounder on the Isabella. Linda Riedner brought in fluke of 8.15 and 6.95 pounds on Saturday and had a 13.55-pound weakfish on Monday.

7. Montauk Point: A lot of fluke coming up just short of the 18-inch regulation, but they'll grow to keeper size by the middle of June. The action is top-notch and there are nice fish to 7 pounds along with steady blackfish. Johnny's Tackle Shop in the Village reported sparse striper action for the boats but surfcasters under the light and at Ditch Plains have found some good schoolie action.

8. Shinnecock Bay: Fluke season opened with a bang as Bill Nixon took a 9 lb., 4 oz. fish on opening day Saturday and there were other fish over 8 pounds on the Shinnecock Star. Capt. John reported the bite was just outside the inlet in 25-55 feet of water and while it was furious action at times with some shorts and fish from 3-5 pounds, the bigger fish generally came during slower paces.

9. Moriches Bay: Flounder action was hitting a peak last weekend before the weather kept most anglers on land this week. Silly Lily's reported Kenny Dinkel and Phil Kelly found a nice pod of fish around buoy 15 with the biggest flounder at 2.48 pounds. The action has been between buoys 14 and 20 and should continue through the month.

10. Great South Bay / Fire Island Inlet: Capt. Ken of the Laura Lee reported terrific striper action at the bridges on Tuesday night. Ten anglers hooked about 100 fish and Jim Brown had 16 keeper-sized fish. Augie's in Babylon reported similar bass highlights as Conrad weighed a 25.3-pounder on Sunday with most of the action on live bunker.

11. Jones Inlet / Western Bays: Anglers who ran outside for live bunker then brought them back inside for fishing in the rips and off the jetties found nice striped bass from 15-25 pounds over the weekend, according to Woodcleft Fishing Station in Freeport. The Codfather has been limiting out on keeper bass at Debs using clams. Boats on the reef have been finding sea bass from 4-5 pounds.

12. East Rockaway Inlet: Bay Park Fishing Station reported Gene Tripodo decided to throw some bucktails during his lunch break on Wednesday, made four casts and pulled up a 4.42-pound fluke. There have been some fluke to 22 inches on squid and spearing. Striped bass action has been very good and Hans Coflesh had a 6.26-pound sea bass from Rockaway Reef.

13. New York Bight: Premier striped bass action in Raritan on bunker chunks and live baits with fish to 30 pounds and up gobbling the bait. Jamaica Bay is also seeing its share of 20-25 pounders, especially around the bunker schools. The Angler in Howard Beach reported lots of just-short fluke in the bay along with some fat keepers to 5 pounds.

NY Newsday, 10/7/05

1. Western Long Island Sound: It's still mostly bluefish, but a few bass have been found underneath the schools and the cooler weather projected for this weekend should make the stripers more accessible. Jack's in City Island reported big blues to 12 pounds behind Execution and keeper blackfish in the rocks off Rye.

2. Huntington / Northport bays: The bluefish action inside the harbors is still terrific with 6-10 pound fish taking chunks or plugs, and the fish are biting outside the bays as well. More and more keeper bass are being chunked in the Triangle, according to Four Winds, but striper-minded anglers are still fighting through bluefish. Porgy fishing has improved with some limits and fish to 2 pounds. They're in varying depths from north of Buoy 13 to 11B.


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3. Smithtown Bay: John Manning caught a 42-inch, 30-pound striper on eels in Nissequogue early Tuesday morning according to Swaine's B&T in St. James, which weighed in some bass during the week, including a 21-pounder from Ken Koch and a 31-inch keeper from Bill Higgins. Dave Ciotti limited on fluke on Sunday at the mouth of the river with fish to 19 on live killies, then took a 17-pound bass from the surf off Long Beach on Monday.

4. Port Jefferson to Mattituck Inlet: Rocky Point Fishing Stop reported that most surf action is for bluefish but some keeper bass are at the Wading River creek and off Sound Beach when the wind blows from the north. The Port Jeff open boats are slamming the porgies to 3 pounds.

5. Orient Point to Fishers Island: Ask Joseph Kazzola if the bass are biting; he caught a 25.05-pounder on a porgy hook near the Orient lighthouse Wednesday night when the scup he was reeling up turned into bait. The fish was weighed at Wego Fishing in Southold along with the 37.5-pounder taken by Ed Plaia in the Race on the charter Relentless on Tuesday. Chris Papas had a 24.5 and a 35 pounder off Hortons using live eels during the day on Sunday. And John Kowalski had opening day blackfish to 7 pounds near Plum Island.

6. The Peconics and Gardiners Bay: The porgies are still biting hard and fast all over the region, and they should be doing so for the rest of the month. Bluefish and a few small weakfish are running throughout the bay. Not many anglers are interested, but those who put in their time can pluck some keeper fluke.

7. Montauk Point: The boats are loading up on big stripers and bluefish, mixing live baits with trolling and bailing bass to 50 pounds. The surf crowd is hoping for a nice northeast wind to push some action their way. Offshore action is still strong as the Capt. Mark charter for Rick Uidell had four blue sharks to 300 pounds, a 90-pound mako and eight bluefin from 50-90 pounds according to Jack Yee. A day earlier the Capt. Mark hooked what may have been an 800-pound giant bluefin tuna that fought for 25 minutes before dropping the hook.

8. Shinnecock Bay: Capt. John on the Shinnecock Star reports nice action on blackfish and porgies this week, though the blackfish bite may fade when the porgies become super-aggressive this month. The tog will be back, though. Most of the fluke action has faded. Stripers in the inlet are biting well.

9. Moriches Bay: B&B Tackle reported striped bass in the inlet to 41 pounds, the big one taken on an eel during a daytime outgoing tide. The artificial reef has been holding nice keeper sea bass but the blackfish aren't biting yet despite a few keepers taken along the jetties on opening day. The bay is loaded with kingfish and the snappers are still active enjoying the warm waters.

10. Great South Bay / Fire Island Inlet: Bass fishing has picked up with fish to 29 pounds being taken in the bay according to Augie's in Babylon. Live bait is the key with bunker or scup during the day and eels at night. Bass are starting to hit surfcasters as well. Sore Thumb is holding porgies, sea bass and flounder and the bay has keeper blackfish biting. Some anglers have been finding fluke in the ocean, but in deep water that can be a ride from the inlet.

11. Jones Inlet / Western Bays: Scotty's Fishing Station reported big bass in the bay with some 35-pounders being taken on live baits like porgies and sea bass. The bass outside the inlet are hungry too but not as big yet and the bridges are producing keepers on clams with bellies for bait. Kingfish, sea bass and porgies are in the bay and a few blackfish are starting to show.

12. East Rockaway Inlet: Seven-year-old Dominick Simonelli and his dad fished Reynolds Channel with baby bunker for a limit of weakfish to nearly 4 pounds this week, according to Bay Park Fishing Station. Some keeper bass taking clam bellies at the Atlantic Beach Bridge mixed with some nice schoolie action. Pat Stewart had a dozen sea bass to 4 pounds and a 3-pound porgy on fresh clams at Rockaway Reef on Wednesday.

13. New York Bight: The Angler reported weakfish action on sandworms with some customers limiting out and fish around 6 pounds. Bottom fishing is at its best now with porgies, sea bass and keeper blackfish coming up. The cooler temperatures this week should flick the switch from bluefish to bass.

RI 10/7/05

This has been one of the strangest weeks in memory. You could go to a spot one day and catch fish after fish. Go to the same spot on the same tide in the same weather conditions the next day, and you couldn't find a fish. The predicted cold front and a weekend storm may stir up an autumn bite.

This is the final Fishing Report of the season, but Outdoor Notes in Sunday's Providence Journal will continue to report on fishing and hunting opportunities. Small-game hunting season is scheduled to open Oct. 15 in Rhode Island.

BAY

The Providence and Seekonk rivers have been fairly reliable with a steady bluefish bite, according to David Henault of Ocean State Tackle. Fish as large as 15 pounds have been biting there. Stripers move in and out of the rivers unpredictably. Yesterday morning, hickory shad were taking small darts in the Providence River.

Greenwich Bay holds bluefish, weakfish and stripers, said Ken Ferrara of Ray's Bait & Tackle, but the bite is spotty. Shore fishermen have been catching blues and squeteague on Kastmasters, he said. Stripers have been nailing Creek Chubs and tube-and worm rigs.

Early in the week the waters on the east side of Providence Point and off Pine Hill Point were hot, but the fish disappeared later in the week. The striper bite has been fairly consistent for trollers off Brenton Point, said Kevin Kendrick of Edwards Fishing Tackle.

Small squid have appeared in Newport Harbor; jigging after 9 p.m. has been the most productive.

In the lower Bay, blues were stacked up beneath the Newport Bridge, but they vanished with the high-pressure system. Look for them to return to the bridges and the waters between Quonset and Conanicut points after the weekend.

On the Sakonnet River, tautog and small bluefish have been biting in Tiverton Basin, said Joe Latinville of Riverside Marine. Blackfish were biting near the BT marker between Sabin Point and and Port Edgewood yesterday, said Henault.

Bonito and false albacore are mixed among schools of bluefish off Little Compton, said Latinville.

BEACHES AND SALT PONDS

Striper fishing came to a virtual halt after the midweek. There are still bass in the salt ponds, said Ron Mouchon of Breachway Bait & Tackle, but it will take a cold front to get the fish moving and biting.

Steve McKenna and Bill Nolan have experienced very slow fishing in the Narragansett surf this week. A storm could stir up some activity, McKenna said.

OFFSHORE

The bluefin bite improved in the Mud Hole this week, said Al Conti of Snug Harbor Marina, but the fish are finicky, requiring 30-pound fluorocarbon leaders. They're larger at the Fingers, he said.

At the Fish Tails, yellowfin and albacore tuna are biting along with mahi-mahi.

BLOCK ISLAND

Surf fishing has been a challenge, said Steve McKenna, but David Henault reported that fishing was good for Mike Neto and Bill Curran on the south side of the island Wednesday.

FRESHWATER

Most ponds are too warm and many streams are too low for the traditional Columbus Day trout stocking, said Peter Angelone, supervising biologist who oversees Rhode Island's trout program. He said his staff would probably stock the Beaver, Flat and Falls rivers this week, and the Narragansett Chapter of Trout Unlimited is scheduled to float-stock the Wood River tomorrow.

"The Wood is fishing very well even though the water level is still very low," Ed Lombardo said in an e-mail. "In addition to the usual patterns that work so well this time of year -- Blue-Wing Olives and terrestrial patterns -- one of the most exciting phenomena that takes place every year at this time are the swarms of flying ants. Look for them to start falling on the water around 2:30 p.m. The fish will be everywhere, coming up and feeding on these flying ants very aggressively. I use both red and black imitations in sizes No. 18 and No. 14. I prefer tying these imitations with black and cinnamon colored rabbit fur for the body and brown furnace hackle in the center. The wings can be either CDC or dun hackle tips. After the first frost of the year, the warm fall afternoons brings the ants to the water. Wasps and small hoppers are still working well."

Yesterday morning, largemouth bass as large as 17 inches were taking shiners near the bridge on Stump Pond in Smithfield, said David Henault.

TOURNAMENT

Snug Harbor Marina's Bass and Bluefish Boogie is scheduled to start tomorrow at the marina in South Kingstown. Registration will begin this afternoon. Prizes include savings bonds and fishing tackle. The entry fee is $25 per rod. For more information, call (401) 783-7766.

BEST BITES

Newport:

Bass, bluefish, squid

Sakonnet River:

Bluefish, tautog

Wood River:

Trout

NY Newsday, 9/29/05

1. Western Long Island Sound: Bluefish are still biting heavily between the bridges and in the harbors, but they are starting to make room for the stripers. Yesterday, Andrew weighed a 30-pounder at Jack's in City Island, one of three 20-plus pounders he and his crew caught on bunker heads Wednesday night. Porgies aren't thick and a few anglers have found blackfish the last week or so; that season opens tomorrow.

2. Huntington/Northport bays: The James Joseph didn't sail yesterday, and it hardly needed to. The morning crew showed up and pegged bluefish 7-10 pounds right off the tied-up boat and from the Huntington Town Dock. George from Four Winds called this bluefishing "phenomenal" with action in every corner of the region. A few stripers are mixed in deeper water, 50 feet by Buoy 11B. And Four Winds weighed a 2.69-pound porgy for Nader Gerbin taken off the Brushpile at Eatons Neck.

3. Smithtown Bay: Bluefish are thick and strong to 9 pounds. Rocco had porgies to 2 pounds and a 24-inch sea bass last week before the bluefish chased everything away and he started whacking them, according to Swaine's B&T. Schoolie and keeper bass are inside the mouth of Stony Brook Harbor and there was a report of a 30-pounder taken by the big rock off Short Beach.

4. Port Jefferson to Mattituck Inlet: Rocky Point Fishing Station reported John's 15-pound bluefish caught on a bunker at Broadway Beach. There are some big porgies in the water and nice bluefish at Middle Grounds - the Port Jeff open boats are hammering both. Surfcasters around Hortons are getting nice bass and bluefish.

5. Orient Point to Fishers Island: Capt. Dave Brennan of the Peconic Star said porgy fishing has hit a stride the last week with big fish looking to chew. The hungry scup are taking all baits and average 14-15 inches and crowding out the sea bass and blackfish for the time being. Surfcasters are hitting nice stripers all along the Sound.

6. The Peconics and Gardiners Bay: A few spotty weakfish are still hanging around, according to Wego Fishing, but the porgies and bluefish are dominating the local bite. Jessups and Cedar Point are good places to start looking for them. The birds will tell you where the bluefish are. Most fluke anglers have packed it up for the season, but there are still some nice fish being taken by Tobacco Lot.

7. Montauk Point: John Bruno won the Montauk Surf Classic last weekend with a 33.66-pound striper and Richie Michelsen had the top bluefish at 11.28 pounds. Matt Vega took a 41.36-pound bass to lead the Montauk Locals Tournament, according to Freddie's B&T. Miles of bluefish and albacore were lined up this week from the inlet to the point, providing the boaters and flycasters some joy. Offshore action for sharks and tuna has been steady. Wind and weather will start to keep some boats tied up as we get further into fall.

8. Shinnecock Bay: John Bourgal caught a 26-pound bass in the inlet this week, according to Molnar's Landing, a nice signal that the fall season is here. The false albacore dancing around the inlet are giving flyrodders a fight. Most fluke have moved from the bay to the ocean. Some sea bass and porgies are hanging around.

9. Moriches Bay: The inlet is filling with striped bass as Mastic B&T reported customers seeing the fish jumping all over the white water and some anglers hooking up 20 fish in a trip. Plenty of keepers too, up to about 40 inches, on eels, clams and plugs. The fluke are moving from the bay and Charlie Ladella had a 9.5-pounder on its way out last week.

10. Great South Bay/Fire Island Inlet: Sore Thumb is giving anglers plenty of fish to chose from, with lots of porgies, kingfish, blowfish and sea bass. There is even an occasional flounder, according to Augie's B&T in Babylon. Stripers are taking bass in the evenings and anglers can plug schoolies in the middle of the bay during the daytime. Blues are still around in nice numbers and fluke are inside the bay but mostly shorts.

11. Jones Inlet/Western Bays: Stripers are biting clams in the bay, but hooking them in the inlet is tough because of the number of bluefish. Woodcleft Fishing Station reports nice action around the bridges on sea bass and porgies with some nice weakfish bites in the deeper holes in the bay.

12. East Rockaway Inlet: Bay Park Fishing Station reports some nice weakfish action between the railroad bridge and the Long Beach Hospital, though not many of the fish are big. They are taking sandworms and live baby bunker. Some keeper bass are at the Atlantic Beach Bridge on clams. No Time Charters limited out on bluefin tuna this week with fish from 75-100 pounds for Lloyd, John, Larry and Kevin.

13. New York Bight: Weakfish are biting well in Jamaica Bay, with sandworms accounting for most of the fish to 5 pounds. There's still a fluke bite offshore and anglers are going crazy with the bluefish at Cholera and the Mud Buoy. Sea bass and porgies are also biting at their usual structures.