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.

RI, 10/1/05

The new moon Monday could boost the bite in the lower Bay, where baitfish abound. The uppermost reaches of the Bay are already active.

BAY

Bluefish blitz the waters at Barrington Beach and Sabin Point once or twice a day, said John Littlefield of Archie's Bait & Tackle, and Ken Ferrara of Ray's Bait & Tackle said that blues between 6 and 12 pounds apiece are biting in Greenwich Bay. They're also biting in the Providence River, according to David Henault of Ocean State Tackle. Small squeteague are mixed among the blues in Greenwich Bay.

Immature herring are pouring out of the spawning grounds now, and stripers of all sizes are waiting for them downstream in the Seekonk River at Omega Pond and in Apponaug Cove below Gorton Pond, where fish as large as 39 inches were biting Wednesday. Yesterday morning, bass had thinned out on the Seekonk, where they were replaced by bluefish. Bass as large as 30 pounds have been nailing parachute, umbrella and tube-and-worm rigs trolled near Marker 14 off Conimicut Light and in the channel near Ohio Ledge, said Littlefield. Stripers are also taking swimming plugs near the White Church Bridge in Barrington. After free-diving around Sakonnet Point Sunday, Faye Anderson said she saw several large bass against the jetty there. Bass have been biting in deep-water drop-offs off Jamestown and Newport. John Lisi continues to catch large bass before dawn in the surf at Beavertail Point.

Tautog are beginning to bite near Hope Island, and spear fishers are shooting large blackfish off Sakonnet Point.

BEACHES AND SALT PONDS

"The South Shore has exploded with fish from Narragansett to Westerly," writes Rob Neilson of Wildwood Outfitters. "The waters from the Narrow River to Hazard Rock hold stripers and bluefish. The stripers are taking needlefish, poppers and eels. Four- to six-inch soft plastic shads are also working, especially those that look like bunker, mullet, and red-head shad. Walter Pike caught a nice 24-pounder at Point Judith Light, and I caught a fat 28-pounder on an eel, fishing with Sea Ferra Charters." Bill Nolan has been taking a lot of large stripers along the Narragansett shore, said Steve McKenna of Quaker Lane Outfitters.

Fishing on the reefs got tough Wednesday, said charter boat skipper Ron Mouchon of Breachway Bait & Tackle. Bass were biting in Ninigret Pond, yesterday morning, however. A cold front should help the fishing, he said.

Among this week's top catches were a 49-pound bass taken by Bill Gavitt and a 52-pounder landed by Bob Wheeler, said Al Conti of Snug Harbor Marina.

McKenna said little tunny have been biting along all three walls on the Harbor of Refuge.

PARTY BOATS

"Captain Don found some nice bluefin tuna this week in the 70-pound range," reports Frank Blount, skipper of the Frances Fleet. "They are a little farther offshore then we would like, but they are out there. Captain Mike had a canyon trip at the end of last week and got into a good bunch of albacore and one nice yellowfin. Porgy fishing on the beach was very good with lots of really big humpback porgies around. Captain Rich is still finding a good number of fluke on the 7 a.m. trip. This is the longest season we have ever had for the jumbo fluke."

CUTTYHUNK ISLAND

Steve McKenna ran out-of Slug-Gos so he switched to Hab's Needlefish and caught 40 stripers between 20 and 37 pounds last weekend in the surf. On Saturday night, he caught 33 big bass.

BLOCK ISLAND

David Henault fished with Dave Sloane and Jason Seratin aboard Mike Neto's Adriana on Wednesday and caught bass as large as 30 pounds on light tackle. They marked fish off Southeast Point, but had difficulty catching them in the morning, so Neto moved to the western end of the south side and found the fish to be more cooperative in the afternoon, Henault said.

OFFSHORE

The bluefin bite at the Mud Hole is on and off. There are some giants there, but they haven't been biting, according to Al Conti. Don Venticinque and Craig Stevens steamed out to Cape Cod to catch giants aboard Venticinque's sportfisherman, "25."

Curt Behling caught yellowfin tuna and large mahi this week, chunking at the Fish Tails.

FRESHWATER

John Cote caught a 4-pound bass on Spectacle Pond in Cranston this week, said David Henault. Bass fishing should improve after a cold front moves through.

BEST BITES

Greenwich Bay:

Bluefish, possibly squeteague

Block Island:

Striped bass

Cuttyhunk Island:

Striped bass

Newtown Creek most polluted waterway in NY

Newtown Creek is New York City’s most polluted waterway. More than 50 years ago, a 17-million-gallon oil spill seeped below 55 acres of residential, commercial and industrial property in the area. The spill affects the communities of Maspeth, Bushwick, Greenpoint and Long Island City.
City officials first learned of the oil spill in 1950, when an underground explosion in Greenpoint shot 25 manhole covers into the air and shattered windowpanes on more than 500 buildings. It turned out that gasoline had seeped into a sewer and ignited.
It took almost 30 more years for the problem to be rediscovered. It was a Coast Guard pilot on a routine patrol who noticed the oil slick on Newtown Creek in 1978. Further investigation revealed the slick was part of a spill that originated from tanks at an Exxon facility. According to Riverkeeper, because ExxonMobil ignored the spill, it has spread. It is now six times larger than the infamous Exxon Valdez spill was in Alaska.
It was not until 1990 that ExxonMobil signed a consent order from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to clean up the mess.
But Riverkeeper has maintained that the order was inadequate since no provisions were made for cleaning the contaminated soil beneath the water’s surface and ExxonMobil was not required to pay penalties or compensate the community. An estimated 230 homes and 80 businesses are still thought to be affected by contaminated soil.
In addition to the oil spill, Empire Transit Mix, a concrete manufacturer based in Brooklyn, pleaded guilty in federal court in May to illegally dumping concrete slurry into the creek. Riverkeeper also sued Maspeth Concrete Loading for similarly dumping concrete, which changes the pH balance of water and kills fish.
Riverkeeper continues to patrol the creek either in a helicopter or by boat every few weeks, and sometimes on consecutive days. Even now, with the fate of the creek highly publicized—Robert Kennedy Jr. is the organization’s chief attorney—companies still routinely dump hazardous materials. [orb pub Queens Chronicle by Kim Brown]

NY Newsday, 9/23/05

1. Western Long Island Sound: As the tune switches from fluke to porgies, the bluefish are still keeping the beat. Snappers are huge and can sometimes be taken on every cast, according to Jack's B&T. They're mixed with harbor blues and some to 10 pounds on bunker chunks. R&G Bait and Tackle reported some bass off the points at night on chunks, but nothing huge until the water cools a little more.

2. Huntington/Northport bays: Joseph Roach won the Oyster Bay Bluefish Tournament with a 12.63-pounder and there were 12 fish weighed in at more than 10 pounds. Joe Migliore won the Huntington Yacht Club Tournament with a 10.5-pounder. Four Winds reported sustained action just outside Huntington Harbor on 7-10 pound blues on diamond jigs.
3. Smithtown Bay: Swaine's reported schoolie and keeper striped bass to 35 inches in the mouth of Stony Brook Harbor on clams and worms, and customer Tadd McLaughlin nailed a 30-pounder in Port Jeff Harbor on eels. Bluefish are in and out of the channel; Bill Higgins reported drilling fish to 8 pounds while watching another boat catch keepable bass on bucktails. Porgies are off Cranes Neck and fluke are mostly short but killies have better luck finding keepers.

4. Port Jefferson to Mattituck Inlet: Snappers to cocktail blues are along the local beaches, according to Rocky Point Fishing Stop, and the false albacore are dashing around. The boats out of Port Jeff are hitting the porgies, then catching the bass and blues on the tides. The Capt. Bob fleet was banging the keeper stripers at Hortons Point, including Tom's 25-pounder that won the pool Sunday.

5. Orient Point to Fishers Island: A lot of pole-benders in the Gut and the Race as the fall fishing kicks off. Most of the bigger bass have been taken on the ebb at night, according to Wego Fishing, with dark bucktails and eels working well. During the day, it's a bluefish bonanza with some bass still around. Surfcasters are getting their share of the action, as well, working worms and chunks at night for nice fish.

6. The Peconics and Gardiners Bay: Porgies are still strong, though once in a while a klunker of a day comes along. Bluefish are packed nicely in the bay and anglers are finding a nice run of weakfish from 12-20 pounds, especially off Rose Grove and Buoy 16 by Noyak, according to Wego Fishing.

7. Montauk Point: The caravan will be heading east this weekend for the Montauk Classic surf tournament, and just in time for the first blitzes of the season at Turtle Cove and North Bar this week. Freddie's, which will be open 24 hours for the tournament, reported loads of fish in the 20-pound range from the suds. Rick had a 52.8-pound bass weighed in off the Night Stalker, so the big guys are out there. Sharking is very steady with lots of exotics alongside the blue sharks. Eddie Ammon caught a 15-pound mako while fluking a quarter mile off the town beach.

8. Shinnecock Bay: The Shinnecock Star reported a load of big sea bass Wednesday, with some porgies mixed in. Chuck Wouters nailed an 8.5-pound fluke immortalized on Willy's Wall at Molnar's Landing. Bass are starting to turn on as John Fernandez had fish to 29 pounds. Offshore, Molnar's reported the crew on Barbaric caught five yellowfin to 75 pounds and eight albies.

9. Moriches Bay: A nice body of bass is sitting in the east and west cuts and anglers using live baits are having the best success. Silly Lily's reported decent fluking with a keeper ratio of about 1-8.

10. Great South Bay/Fire Island Inlet: Stripers are heating up in the inlet, taking eels even during the day, according to Augie's B&T. Ken Higgins on the Laura Lee reported terrific sea bass action with some triggerfish and big porgies mixed in this week. Monday's half-day trips had more than 500 keepers each. J&J Sports reported a lot of action off the Patchogue docks with snappers, kingfish and blowfish coming up.

11. Jones Inlet/Western Bays: The fluke are pushing out of the bay, and anglers are at the JI Buoy to ambush them, according to Scotty's Fishing Station. More and more striped bass are being caught, mostly on whole clams for bait with clam belly chum. Check out the action at the bridges or out on the West Bar.

12. East Rockaway Inlet: No Time Charters has been hitting the weakfish hard, sailing west to Raritan for limits to 5 pounds on sandworms and peanut bunker, according to Bay Park Fishing Station. The Reel Time took a 33-inch striper off Riis Park. The crew on Fish On made it out to the north tip of the Hudson Canyon and scored bluefish to 100 pounds chunking with sardines and herring.

13. New York Bight: The Angler reported loads of porgies and sea bass on the half-day trips, and customers who bring a spinning rod can usually snag the bonito that break around the boat on occasion. Surfcasters are itching to get at the stripers, but so far, it's been pretty slow. [NY Newsday, Tim Rock]

RI, 9/23/05

Rhode Island [org pub Providence Journal]

• BAY: Ed Noll took a 48-pound striper on a tube-and-worm rig this week, said Sam Toland of Sam's Bait & Tackle. Large fish have been striking the rigs in deep water from Elbow Ledge to Brenton Reef, he said. Anglers are catching as many as 100 stripers a night on the Seekonk River, according to David Henault of Ocean State Tackle. Only three or four percent are long enough to keep, but the action is fast. Larger bass have been hitting umbrella rigs trolled over Ohio Ledge.
• Bluefish are biting throughout the Bay, but they're unpredictable. Larger blues have moved into the waters off Barrington Beach and Bristol, said John Littlefield of Archie's Bait & Tackle. Ed Hughes spotted a large school of 10- to 12-pound fish off Allen's Harbor yesterday at midmorning. Snapper blues are in all the coves and they're biting. Newport Harbor, the Newport Bridge and the waters father up the East Passage also hold blues, said Toland.
• An angler caught a 12-pound squeteague on a live scup near the No. 2 can off Bristol this week, Littlefield said. There have been a lot of small weakfish around, but this was one of the first reports of a keeper this season. Scup fishing has improved, but the fish are smaller than they have been. Sea bass are mixed among them in deeper water, said Toland. Bonito arrived in the waters off Newport Wednesday.
• BEACHES AND SALT PONDS:The waters from Whale Rock to Fishers Island are alive with gamefish.
• The big news is the arrival of little tunny and bonito: They're popping up everywhere. Fly fishermen and light-tackle anglers are catching 7- to 12-pounders on flashy flies and small lures such as Deadly Dicks and Swedish Pimples; a green Crippled Herring is deadly. The waters off Weekapaug have been especially hot.
• Striped bass are biting around dawn and dusk along most of the beaches. Don Michaud of King Cove Outfitters said boaters are taking fish on Watch Hill, Catumb and Sugar reefs. The bite has also been active off Sandy and Napatree points, and the flats in between. Bass are biting on the reefs and inside the breachways, too, but you have to get through the bluefish, said Ron Mouchon of Breachway Bait & Tackle.
• The bluefish bite has been reliable all day long off the Charlestown and Quonochontaug breachways.
• Fluke fishing is getting more difficult but anglers willing to work have been catching fish in 60 to 80 feet of water off Isabella Beach on Fishers Island.
• Blackfish are beginning to bite on Old Reef and Ragged Reef. They're also biting in the waters off Latimer Light, but those are New York waters, and the Empire State season doesn't open until Oct. 1.
• Reports on scup are mixed this week; Ron Mouchon said large fish have been biting on the reefs off South Kingstown, and Don Michaud said they're also biting off Stonington.
• Fishing for sea bass is slower, although there have been fish on reefs to the west of Charlestown.
• Hard-fighting jack crevalle have arrived, said Michaud. Most of them are under 6-inches, but one angler caught a pair of 14-inchers off Weekapaug on small Kastmasters.
• OFFSHORE
• Albacore tuna, between 40 and 50 pounds apiece, are biting in the waters from Atlantis Canyon across to the Fish Tails and down to the Dip, according to Sam Toland.
• The Mud Hole holds sharks and small bluefin.
• The only concentration is yellowfin is still to the east, at Oceanographers Canyon, but Toland is confident, they'll move closer.
• BLOCK ISLAND
• Reporting by cell phone from Great Salt Pond yesterday morning, Don Rafferty of Oceans & Ponds said that either little tunny or bonito were in and boiling. Both fish have been making forays in and out of the Coast Guard Channel.
• Boaters are still catching a lot of large bass and bluefish in the waters over Southwest Ledge said Ron Mouchon. Rafferty recommended the waters on the south side of island for surf casters; Southwest Point and Black Rock have been dependable all season long.
• Fluke are biting in the waters south of Southeast Point, said Mouchon.
• FRESHWATER:
• Buddy Thayer and a pal have been catching a bass between 5 and 7.4 pounds on Stump Pond in Smithfield and Echo Lake in Burrillville, Thayer reported in an e-mail. They've been using shiners.
• BEST BITES:
  
• South Shore Bluefish, bass, bonito, little tunny
• Block Island: Bluefish, bass, fluke
• Lower Bay: Bluefish
  

On The Water, 9/23/05

1. The big story this week is the arrival of false albacore in the eastern end of Long Island Sound and along the south shore beaches of Rhode Island. It is far from a sure bet with these fast-moving fish, but apparently they are around in sufficient numbers that a scouting trip of likely spots should at least produce some sightings. The best, most consistent catches are coming from Montauk Point, with other “inside” areas the usual hit or miss.
2. Since the storm, bass and bluefish activity have improved as these fish moved inshore to chow down on the super abundance of bait that seems to be everywhere in the region.
3. Steve McKenna of Quaker Lane Bait and Tackle, North Kingstown told us that the fishing has picked up considerably in the waters he and his customers have been fishing around Narragansett and along the south shore since the storm passed through over the weekend. There is tons of bait, mostly in the form of mullet and peanut bunker along the shore from Newport to Watch Hill.
4. False albacore showed up off the West and East walls at Pt. Judith, off the coastline along Narragansett and down the beaches to the Weekapaug Breachway. Fluke fishing is pretty well dead since the storm. Scup and blackfish are filling the void for bottom fishermen, with blackfish catches just starting to pick up as fall approaches. Waters are still a tad warm for this cold-loving species. Steve said it looks and feels like the fall runs are revving up already.
5. Rob at Saltwater Edge, Newport reported that the fishing is pretty good along the mouth of Narragansett Bay. He caught two 20-pounders on Sunday and another similar fish while casting the surf Tuesday evening. The bass are chasing mullet that are 6 or 7 inches in the surf from Sakonnet to Sachuest Point. Watch Hill was red-hot with albies, bass and bluefish over the weekend, according to a group of his buddies who headed down that way. There are some bigger bass around. Rob dropped a big fish on a foot-long Hab’s needlefish over the weekend. Iron Mike caught a 38-pounder on a plug he “borrowed” from Peter Graber who works at the shop. The albies seem to be biting best in the morning but disappearing toward the afternoon when they have been popping up off the breachways.
6. The bluefish in the Newport area have been bigger fish of eight pounds and up lately, as opposed to the small “snarbors” that were dominating the fishery for most of the summer.
7. Ronnie at Breachway Tackle said the bass and bluefish have been all over the breachway all week, and the false albies just showed up about two or three days ago.
8. Scup fishing has been pretty good for bigger scup along the beaches and local rock piles, but not many anglers are after them. There are tons of bait inside the breachway, more than Ronnie has ever seen. Offshore has slowed since the storm, while the action along the beaches has improved.
9. We missed Rob at Wildwood Outfitters in Wakefield this week, hope he was into a blitz somewhere.
10. John Swienton, owner of Twin Maples Tackle out on Block Island, told us the island has been producing lots of bonito and false albacore in the Coast Guard Channel and vicinity. Anglers are hitting them on Deadly Dicks and Fin-S lures that, as he jokingly said, have to be “activated” at Twin Maples before they will catch anything.
11. The island is still holding big bass weighing in the low 40s for local eel slingers. Overall, the striper bite is still holding up well with big fish in the usual spots such as the southwest corner and Black Rock. Bluefish are dominating the bite at Sandy Point, but elsewhere in rocky areas stripers are the primary target and catch for those who fish the surf both from boats and the rocks.
12. Fluke slowed, but sea bass and scup are still around for bottom fishermen to catch.
13. Here like everywhere else, there are tons of bait all over the place. John said that Wednesday while at Payne’s Dock he looked in the water and saw needlefish and northern sennet (northern barracuda, a small toothy fish of about a foot in length) in good numbers swimming around near the dock. Both of these species are tidbits for bass. There are also some eight- to nine-inch baby bonito swimming around, along with anchovies that are big, up to eight inches or so, attracting the bass. Surprisingly, peanut bunker is not the primary bait at Block Island like it is every place else. But they are present along with enough big bait to maintain a great bite all fall, weather permitting.
14. A few locals have been out looking for shark and bluefin, south-southeast of the light, but there’s been no word on how they did.
15. Captain Don of Captain Don’s in Charlestown, Rhode Island reported that there are fish (bass, blues and some tunoids) all over the place. Tons of mullet have moved in since the storm’s passing on Friday, and with them have come some nice bass and loads of bluefish that are strung out from Watch Hill to Point Judith. The weekend produced phenomenal fishing, according to the customers he’s talked to. Saturday you could see people tied into fish in both directions from the Quonny Breachway. It looks like these fish are holding and not on the move due to all the bait in the area.
16. Over the weekend no one was out fluke fishing. He suspects the fluke are still around because the water temperatures are high and bait is so abundant. However, the bigger fish are of primary interest to most anglers as the fall blitzes begin to shape up over the next few weeks.
17. False albacore have been showing up off the West Wall at Point Judith. Wednesday they were in both the Charlestown and Quonny breachways, although in the morning they were not sure if the fish at Quonny were albies or bonito because no one caught one. But they were definitely tunoids of some variety. [OnThe Water, Bob Sampson]
    

RI, 9/16/05

BAY

Bluefish as large as 30 inches were blitzing butterfish on the East Providence side of the Red Bridge over the Seekonk River yesterday morning, said David Henault of Ocean State Tackle. Pods of blues have also been popping up at Green Island, Sabin Point, Barrington Beach and Colt State Park in the upper Bay, and near Halfway Rock and the Jamestown Bridge in the lower Bay. Skipjack blues are in every cove of the Bay, said Ken Ferrara of Ray's Bait & Tackle and John Littlefield of Archie's Bait & Tackle.

Striped bass are scarce in the upper Bay, but there have been some schoolies taking clams and Storm Wild-eye Shad at the White Church Bridge in Barrington. Trollers are catching bass in the 20-pound class on the reefs off Newport, said Sam Toland of Sam's Bait & Tackle.

Yesterday morning, a diver spotted a lot of large tautog at Hope Island, Ferrara said.

The fluke bite is still fairly strong off Shepley's Dock and Conimicut Light, said Ferrara. In the lower Bay, fluke are biting between Newport and Jamestown.

Scup fishing is fair along the rocks off Newport, but the sea-bass bite is spotty.

BEACHES AND SALT PONDS

Large bluefish and bass up to 15 pounds have been feeding on peanut bunker in South County's breachways, according to Ron Mouchon of Breachway Bait & Tackle. The bass bite has also improved along the Narragansett shore, said Steve McKenna of Quaker Lane Outfitters. He has been fishing Slug-Go lures, and his partner, Bill Nolan, has been using live eels to catch bass in the 20-pound class at night. Bluefish have been relatively scarce after dark, they said.

Scup are biting on the slack high tide in the breachways.

Fluke fishing is waning, according to several sources.

The salt ponds are filling with exotic fish now. Al Conti of Snug Harbor Marina has seen a lot of northern barracuda around his docks this week.

OFFSHORE

Yellowfin tuna over 100 pounds apiece were biting in Hudson Canyon on Wednesday, said Al Conti. Aerie One took wahoo, mahi and bonito on the south side of the shipping channel south of Block Island, too.

Sunday, the bluefin bite has taking shape at the Mud Hole, but it died following Monday's blow, said Conti. Giants bluefins are rolling up behind draggers, he said.

There are plenty of albacore tuna from Veach Canyon to the Dip, said Sam Toland.

BLOCK ISLAND

Striper fishing has been hot and cold this week. John D'Agostino took a 50-pounder on Southwest Ledge, and Jack Linton nailed a 48-inch fish Monday, said Bob Neilson of Wildwood Outfitters, but the bite turned off on Wednesday.

Don Richards caught an 8.9-pound fluke this week, said Ron Mouchon.

FRESHWATER

The water temperature on the Wood River was 63 degrees Tuesday, according to Ed Lombardo. Trout were rising to No. 12 and No. 14 ant imitations, and there was a small emergence of Blue-Winged Olive mayflies.

In Smithfield, anglers are catching a lot of bass, some as large as 4 pounds, on Stump Pond, said David Henault. The bass and northern pike ar taking shiners.

Boston, 9/16/05

A bit of inclement weather could change the fishing trends, and most certainly will affect the number of anglers on open waterways. Generally, it is these storms and the cold rain of fall that remind the migrant game species in the Northeast that it's time to bulk up for the long trip south. That usually spells good fishing in our parts, and all the signs were there this week for a strong finish. One sign of weakness, however, is a general cooling off of the great football tuna craze, though there are still fish in Massachusetts Bay up into the Gulf of Maine.
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Area A: The rockbound Downeast coast had some excellent striper fishing this week, with catches of note around Boothbay Harbor, Damariscotta, Orrs, and Bailey's Island up to Muscongus Bay. Also check out Popham Beach for stripers -- none too large, but slot size -- and down into the Piscataqua River mouth for both blues and striped bass. The ledges are still producing cod and haddock for party boats (and others), while the football action out in the gulf has quieted -- fewer fish or fewer anglers or both. North Shore fishing is generally fair with some decent catches at Plum Island, off Halibut Point, Lamprey River, and Lynn Harbor, where schools of blues and stripers are chasing bait.

Area B: Boston Harbor is decent, but with many fewer charters these days, the reports are diminished. Still, catches of stripers between Deer Island Light and Long Island Light have been reported steadily. Also, the outer islands, Lovells, Gallops, and Georges, had some schools of feeding stripers as did the southern approach -- Rainsford, Peddocks, and Grape Islands. Hingham and Hull have plenty of bait and fish feeding on it right down into the Weir River around World's End.

Area C: Blues and bass found around Hingham Harbor, with some decent bass schools outside over the rocky bottoms from Black Rock to Minots, Strawberry Point and The Glades. While the bass are still decent, as of yesterday morning, the bluefish were more in evidence along this coast, around to the North River mouth. Lots of bait in Duxbury, Plymouth, and Kingston bays have plenty of fish on the move, with medium striped bass all over this shallow inner bay that meets the estuary. Manomet rocks are OK, but not hot right now, and the east end of the Canal is only fair off the jetties.

Area D: Some bonito still biting in the west end of the Canal and anglers were having luck trolling into Buzzards Bay around Wareham and across at Pocasset, where the fluke fishing is still decent but fading. Stripers between Scraggy and Woods Hole for trollers, and there are even a few scup deep around Clevelands. In western Buzzards Bay, the stripers are decent from back of Cuttyhunk to Westport, and on the back side out toward Nomans.

Area E: The South Cape is pretty quiet just now, with only fair fishing in the early days of the annual Vineyard Derby. Nantucket bluefish are excellent in the shoal water, especially at the famous Old Man Shoal -- all that could be altered by Ophelia, of course.

Area F: Some good bass catches around Monomoy, but the water is churned up and weedy along the National Seashore beaches. Some decent bass and bluefish inside around Billingsgate, Provincetown Harbor, and Crescent Beach.

NY Newsday, 9/16/05

1. Western Long Island Sound: This should be a good weekend for full-moon fluking, and on Wednesday, anglers from Jack's B&T in City Island were already finding limits. Lots of bluefish up to 13 pounds on chunks or on the surface, and mixed in is a fall prelude of small striped bass.

2. Huntington/Northport bays: There will be plenty of bluefish hunters on the water this weekend with the Huntington Yacht Club Tournament tomorrow and the Town of Oyster Bay Bluefish Tournament on Sunday. Four Winds had reports of big bluefish off Eatons Neck and by Buoy 13, and if the wind kicks things up, there should be some bonito and albacore activity.


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3. Smithtown Bay: Not much bass action until Wednesday, when things began to open up. Rob Krogman nailed a 20-pounder using clams off the jetty leading out of Stony Brook Harbor and his father, Bob, had a 15-pounder on the same trip, according to Swaine's. Jeff Sicdi, Heather Velez and Christie Palazzo also reported 20-25 pounders on eels. Bluefish to 9 pounds are stretched along the shore and there are keepable fluke among the many shorts.

4. Port Jefferson to Mattituck Inlet: Porgies are biting in good size and numbers at the Middle Grounds when conditions accommodate anglers. Slack tide and no drift make things difficult. Bluefish are being jigged all around in deeper Sound waters with some bass showing up more regularly. Big fluke are still around, but use large baits to slow the throwbacks.

5. Orient Point to Fishers Island: The Race and the Gut are teeming with blues during the day on heavy diamond jigs and bass at night on bucktails and eels. The bass haven't been stunning in size, but the action is nearly non-stop with a few larger fish in the Race, according to Wego Fishing. Sound-side surfcasters have been enjoying a nice run of bluefish and bass.

6. The Peconics and Gardiners Bay: You can't go wrong looking for porgies with Cedar Point and Buoy 17 among the hot spots lately, according to Wego Fishing. Weakfish aren't in the numbers they were two weeks ago, but there are some being taken on high-low rigs or diamond jigs off Rose Grove and Greenport.

7. Montauk Point: Offshore fishing is very good when conditions allow the trip. Gary Benker had a 210-pound mako and Mike Nolan had a 65-pound yellowfin tuna on the Viking Star's first offshore tuna trip of the season. All totaled, there were eight yellowfins, three albacore, two makos and plenty of ling and mahi. Surfcasters are finding bass on both the north and south sides, mostly through the night, according to Freddie's B&T, with a lot of false albacore and bonito mixed in off Shagwong.

8. Shinnecock Bay: Young Cassie Deneuve caught her first fluke, a 4-pounder, while fishing with Grandma Sue and Timmy on the Awesome over the weekend, according to Molnar's Landing. Capt. Robert DeMarco and Frank DeMarco both hooked into the same 7-pound, 13-ounce fluke outside the inlet. Stripers are starting to show up; John Fernandez caught a 29-pounder on Wednesday near the bridge.

9. Moriches Bay: On Wednesday, the open boat Rosie fished outside the inlet and had 45 keeper fluke, 23 of them better than 5 pounds. Of course, the day before, there were practically no bites. Bass are biting on the outer bar and on the flats. B&B Tackle customer Doug reported a 35-pounder caught on herring.

10. Great South Bay/Fire Island Inlet: Stripers are starting to perk up as anglers are hitting on live eels in the evenings, according to Augie's in Babylon. The action runs from the Robert Moses Bridge to the inlet, depending on conditions, and it's a nice start to the fall with loads of bait to entice the fish to the area. A few larger weakfish are coming close to the docks looking to chow on the snappers.

11. Jones Inlet/Western Bays: With forecasts for 5-20 foot seas this weekend, there won't be a lot of boats heading for the Canyon, where the fishing has been excellent. But inshore is pretty good, too, with a burst of fluke in 70 feet, south of the inlet according to Woodcleft Fishing Station, which also reported Gary Corwin's 10-pounder taken in the bay on a live snapper. Weakfish are hitting sandworms in the creeks and bluefishing is good at Three Sisters, 17 Fathoms and the Mud Buoy.

12. East Rockaway Inlet: Bay Park Fishing Station reported the crew of Four Queens had 10 keeper-sized bass Sunday and nine Monday drifting clams behind the commercial boats. Make sure to give those guys their space! The crew on the Low Key had fluke to 6 pounds with eight keepers and nice sea bass at the Atlantic Beach Reef on Tuesday. And over the weekend, the Fish On went to the tip of the Canyon and had bluefin to 100 pounds on the chunk, including 11-year-old Justin Mole's first bluefin.

13. New York Bight: Bluefish to 15 pounds are being taken off the beaches and the striped bass are starting to snoop around the shoreline, as well. Weakfish aren't as consistent as they've been, but there are still keepers around and it's a nice pursuit after you've killed your arms bluefishing.

On The Water, 9/16/05

This week everyone is anticipating the approach of slow-moving and hopefully wet, Hurricane Ophelia, which will most likely be remnants by the time it gets here. Either way, many anglers along the shore are looking for fishing to pick up in the suds after this storm passes through. For sure it will improve the very difficult freshwater conditions that inland anglers are contending with.
Thomcat Pelletier of Quaker Lane Bait and Tackle, North Kingstown said the fishing has been pretty good for stripers along the south shore reefs for their customers who are fishing the dusk through dawn bite with live baits such as scup, hickory shad and eels. Thom himself said he was catching stripers over the weekend on live bait that were in the 20- to 30-pound range. Steve McKenna, who also works at the shop, continues to do well by slinging Slug-Gos at night off the beaches in the Narragansett area.
Bluefish are all over the place. Fish of all size classes from one pound to over 10 are chopping eels, shredding soft plastics and generally raising hell with anyone who is not targeting them. One of his buddies had a bluefish take a four-inch-wide bite out of a fluke that was being reeled up to the boat on Sunday. Bluefishing is, for all practical purposes, a “can’t miss situation” along the south shore, as well as up inside Narragansett Bay.
Fluke fishing is slowing down, but there are still fish coming in from the drifts at Pt. Judith, Newport and Sakonnet in 60 to 70 feet of water. There was a 12-pounder caught over the weekend out in front of Point Judith during what was a pretty fair bite. Anglers are also taking sea bass up to five pounds while fluke fishing off the beaches.
Bottom fishermen are killing big scup off the east wall at Point Judith Harbor in closer to the rocks. One scup fisherman caught a stray triggerfish, a migrant from the south that is commonly caught in our waters late in the summer. With water temps so high, it seems like oddball species such as angel fish, jack crevalle, cobia, wahoo and even tarpon might show up in our waters this year as they have in the past during hot long summers. However, other than some wahoo reported offshore, reports of southern migrants locally have been scarce so far. No solid reports on false albacore and bonito in the area, and no one has even mentioned Spanish mackerel yet this fall.
Rob at Saltwater Edge, Newport reported that nothing much has changed since last week’s report, other than the fact that the striped bass action is picking up, with fish weighing in the mid-twenties. These fish have been hitting well on topwater baits, such as Zara Spooks and Poe’s walk-the-dog lures, as well as on larger Slug-Gos.
Lots of big eight-pound and better blues are also hitting well and are easy to find around the Newport area.
Rob heard that the albies are starting to move down along the Long Island shore, but not much in this area so far. The fact that there’s peanut bunker everywhere and some mullet up to about seven inches swimming around to bring them in and hold them when they show up bodes well for later in the fall. He thinks something big is about to happen after the hurricane blows up the coast. This week has been the calm before the storm, so to speak.
John Swienton, owner of Twin Maples Tackle out on Block Island, told us the big waves stopped earlier in the week, so anglers could get back out to fish. One friend from Line Sider Charters caught seven big bass just south of Southwest Ledge up to 42 pounds on Tuesday by drift-fishing with live eels. Everyone else on the ledge was getting fish, as well.
John went to Black Rock with a buddy and easily limited out using eels over the weekend. There are loads of big fish around the island at the present time and plenty of bait in the form of anchovies and baby bunker to keep them around for a while. The area around Sandy Point is also producing fish to 20 pounds and better on poppers and swimming plugs.
There are bluefin tuna southwest of Sharks Ledge, running between the 90- and 120-foot line. These fish are in the 20- to 50-pound range, and most are being caught by trolling offshore lures such as Hex heads, Green Machines, etc. The false albacore are still ripping in and out of New Harbor with the tides at the Coast Guard station and vicinity.
Fluke fishing was slow this past week, due more to the lack of anglers targeting them than to lack of fluke. There are good numbers of sea bass being caught along the west side of the island incidentally by fluke anglers and by a few sharpies who are targeting sea bass around the rock piles and drop-offs that hold them in high densities.
Captain Don of Captain Don’s Tackle in Charlestown, Rhode Island, reported low angler activity levels so far this week, but the weekend saw plenty of activity and catches of bass, bluefish, porgies and fluke from Quonny Pond and vicinity.
There are some very big slammer bluefish around ranging from 12 to 15 pounds being caught off the shore from Charlestown Breachway down to East Beach and the Andrea Hotel at Misquamicut.
The Watch Hill Reef complex has been producing consistent catches of both bass and bluefish, mostly on eels and by trolling with tube and worms, although anglers tossing plugs are taking their share of smaller fish. Fred and Trish Dewolfe of Westerly caught an 18-pound bass off the Charlestown Breachway at two in the afternoon on a tube and worm. These things are so easy and effective they break all the rules. My son caught his biggest bass to date, a 33-pounder, using a tube and worm on a hot July day at around 3 p.m. at dead slack low tide, a time I wouldn’t bet on being able to catch a dam porgy. Yet over the years, we’ve consistently caught decent stripers at times when they weren’t supposed to be biting.
Fluke are still being caught along the south shore but at a greatly reduced pace over the past week or so. Bigger fish have been caught in 60 to 70 feet of water off the beaches, with smaller fish coming in from the salt ponds where they appear to be chasing peanut bunker. One customer and a friend caught fluke of 27 and 29 inches and about nine pounds while fishing out off the shore from Weekapaug Breachway over the weekend. No one has been out fluking so far this week.
Bill Jolley caught a 3-pound weakfish off Weekapaug Beach on Sunday using a Kastmaster. Another angler took a 5.25-pound sea bass in 50 feet of water off the beaches while drifting for fluke.
The Swamp Yankee Classic Tournament is underway. This is an event that runs from September 5 through November 13, with weekly prizes for both bass and bluefish in the shore and boat divisions.
There are still some good scup around the breachways, as well as off the beaches and local reefs, for anyone who wants fast fishing action and edible fillets.
As of Wednesday, the surf was kicking up, so many anglers are anticipating good action as the effects of Hurricane Ophelia are felt.
Don at King Cove Marina, Stonington told us they have been seeing tons of bluefish and some good striper catches from the waters between Watch Hill and Stonington. One kayaker caught a 46-incher, along with eight other keepers while trolling a tube-and-worm rig on Tuesday evening. Everyone who has gone out lately has been taking some nice bass and blues off the reefs, as well as from the Stonington flats.
Fluke action has died off big time throughout the eastern Long Island Sound area, with many anglers switching over to sea bass or scup for their frying material.
Kevin, who fishes out of the shop, said he spotted schools of tunoids off the reefs on Monday, but they were not on top long enough to get a hook into them. Customers and the guys at the shop are hopeful this may be a sign that this fall’s albie run is finally beginning. Maybe they will be about three to four weeks late, which puts their arrival about the middle of next week – or maybe due to the presence of tuna earlier in the summer they are not going to make a major showing this season.

RI Provo, 9/9/05

1. BAY:"Fluking is the name of the game," said Sam Toland of Sam's Bait & Tackle. "I've never seen a season like this one where it gets progressively better. Normally, it's just the opposite." Fluke have been biting at the mouth of the Sakonnet River and off most of Aquidneck Island's beaches, off Goat Island, and near the Newport Bridge, he said. Off Bailey's and the other beaches, fluke are taking squid strips on flashy rigs in 50 to 75 feet of water. In the upper Bay, the fluke bite is "pretty good" near Conimicut Light, said John Littlefield of Archie's Bait & Tackle.
2. Bluefish are also biting in the lower Bay, particularly in the East Passage. The bluefish bite is virtually guaranteed in the Sakonnet River, off Sapowet, Fogland and Sandy points, said Joe Latinville of Riverside Marine, noting that the blues frequently shoot into the Tiverton basin, too. Shore fishermen have been taking blues along Burma Road in Portsmouth, said Toland. In the upper Bay, the bluefish bite has been iffy at best.
3. Bass fishing is terribly slow throughout the Bay, although Ed Hughes said he found stripers among blues off Castle Hill. Latinville said he weighed fish as large as 37 pounds. He recommended Taylor Lane in Little Compton on the Sakonnet for shore fishermen and the waters off Lands End and Sakonnet Point for boaters. Tube-and-worm rigs and eels have been luring the big fish, he said.
4. On the reefs off Newport, Tiverton and Westport, sea bass are huge. John Dubois caught a 6.24-pounder this week. Triggerfish fish have appeared, too.
5. Scup aren't numerous, but they are large. Look for them off the Clambake Club, Sakonnet Point, north of Third Beach in the Sakonnet, and around the Dumplings off Jamestown. In the upper Bay, the White Church Bridge in Barrington has been a fairly consistent spot.
6. BEACHES AND SALT PONDS: Gil Pope, a commercial rod-and-reel fisherman, caught a 13.55-pound fluke last weekend. The fish was 31 inches long, 16 inches wide and 3 inches thick. "I caught it south of the center wall of the Harbor of Refuge about a mile out or so, on a combination of fluke and squid strip," he said. "It was in the afternoon and the current was moving pretty fast and I had to use a 12-ounce sinker to keep the bait on the bottom. It was just one of those days when the larger fish were biting. I had a 7-pounder, a 5-pounder and a 4-pounder in the same area on that same day and quite a few 3-plus-pounders as well. The next day, same spot, same baits, same tide. There were just a few smaller fish and not such a great day. Such is fishing."
7. Fishing the Narragansett surf over the weekend, Bill Nolan took a 41-pound bass on an eel. Ron Mouchon of Breachway Bait & Tackle has been finding small concentrations of large bass on the reefs off South County.
8. "Anglers have been treated to full coolers of jumbo scup," writes Frank Blount, skipper of the Frances Fleet out of Galilee. "There has been a nice mix of sea bass and a few fluke mixed in. The fish are bigger then we have seen at this time of the season in years. We will be sailing daily at 8 a.m. The jumbo fluke and sea bass trips continue to do well and will sail through the fall. Sea bass should take over as the fluke start moving to deeper water. Night bass fishing has turned on again. The fish are the biggest fish that we have seen for the season. On one recent trip we had several fish in the 40-pound class, and the pool fish top out in the 50s."
9. OFFSHORE: "There's a monster slug of good water in Oceanographer's [Canyon] that must hold a massive amount of fish," said Sam Toland. "It's working its way toward the Fish Tails. There's also some nice water moving into the Dump. It should hold some albacore and mahi."
10. The bite between the Dip and the Fish Tails has cooled, Toland said, but it should improve within two weeks. "Overall, the fishing is not good," he said, "but it's certain that it's going to improve."
11. FRESHWATER: Bass are striking weedless frog and mouse lures in the middle of the day on Turner Reservoir in East Providence, according to Bill Quatrucci of Bill's Bait & Tackle. The Yum Buzz frog has been especially effective, fished over the heavy weed cover.
12. On Stump Pond in Smithfield, a lot of undersized pike, and occasionally a keeper, have been taking heavy-medium shiners, according to Rudy D'Agostino of the R&Y Shop. At night, large bass are nailing surface lures near the inlet.
13. BEST BITES:Sakonnet River:Bluefish, scup
14. South County reefs:Bass, bluefish, seabass, scup
15. Stump Pond:Pike, bass

NY side of LIS, 9/9/05

1. Western Long Island Sound: A lot of blues spread around with big fish amongst them. Even the snappers are huge, to 14 inches in some cases. And since the blues are on the L.I. side of the Sound, the porgies have run to the Connecticut side. Jack's B&T in City Island reported slow fluking, but there should be one last hurrah for the species next weekend.

2. Huntington/Northport bays: Great fluke action with some 15-17 inch shorts but plenty of keepers with a few 5-pounders mixed in. They're biting on both sides of Huntington Bay, as well as Cold Spring Harbor and Oyster Bay. Four Winds B&T reported a nice mix of blues and keeper bass south of 11B in 50-60 feet of water. Porgy fishing hasn't been very consistent.

3. Smithtown Bay: Sean Barron and his dad had fluke to 25 inches using killies off West Meadow Beach and Steve from BLT Cafe in St. James had five fluke to 22 inches in the same area, according to Swaine's B&T. Bluefish from cocktails to 8 pounds are in and out and some keeper bass are in Stony Brook Harbor with a lot of schoolies. Chumming is the key to porgy fishing, but that draws bluefish.

4. Port Jefferson to Mattituck Inlet: Jigging for bass and blues is producing good action in the Middle Grounds, with the stripers getting bigger each day. The Celtic Quest reported the sunset bite on porgies has been fantastic. Fluking took an upswing in the past week. Over the weekend, Mark caught a 10-pound fluke, then followed it with keeper sea bass and stripers on the Capt. Bob in Mattituck.

5. Orient Point to Fishers Island: The bass bite has gotten better and should continue to improve through next weekend's full moon. Eels and dark bucktails at night are hitting the majority of the 30-pounders. Bluefish are mixed in and can be diamond jigged in the Gut or Race. Porgy fishing is very good all the way out to Fishers, and when the tide is slack in the Gut, there are a few jumbos, according to Wego Fishing.

6. The Peconics and Gardiners Bay: Not a lot of big weakfish, but some good keepers being taken on squid and diamond jigs by Greenport and Roses Grove. Plenty of cocktail bluefish with some bigger ones at Jessups. Porgies are everywhere and still being taken in terrific size and number.

7. Montauk Point: Surfcasters caught some bass yesterday just east of Ditch Plains and on the north side at Lazy Point, according to Freddie's B&T. The north bar and false bar have also been producing in the middle of the night. Under the light has been tough with the large heave that has also slowed the traffic for offshore boats (though the ones that do get out are doing well with tuna and sharks).

8. Shinnecock Bay: Limiting out on fluke has become work, but some anglers are sorting through the shorts poised for their fall dash to the ocean. It's been a remarkably consistent year for fluking here, and there's no reason it shouldn't end with a bang this month. Ocean fluke anglers are taking some fish to 8 pounds, along with nice sea bass off the wrecks and rockpiles.

9. Moriches Bay: The fluke are moving; on Tuesday, Julius and his wife had four keepers at Buoy 14, but Wednesday, there was nothing there and they caught their keepers at Buoy 4. Silly Lily's reports squid and spearing still working the best, usually three hours before high water. Plenty of schoolie bass in the cuts, and weakfish are biting by Buoy 31.

10. Great South Bay/Fire Island Inlet: Fluking had been pretty good over the holiday weekend but a roll of waves the last few days has turned them off, according to Augie's in Babylon. Expect a good fall run in the next week. A lot of big bluefish are inside the bay and blowfish and kingfish are being taken on the north side of the bay. The water is still a little warm for the fall bass explosion, but with the loads of bait around, it could happen any day.

11. Jones Inlet/Western Bays: Since the heat wave ended, the fishing has come back to respectability. Fluking is still fraught with shorts but the action is terrific and there are 3-5 pounders. Scotty's reported one boat anchored near Point Lookout Bridge taking 25 nice sea bass to 16 inches and two 3-pound triggerfish. Stripers are still small but the evening bite is starting to stir.

12. East Rockaway Inlet: Bay Park Fishing Station reported some nice ocean fluking last weekend as the gang on For Reel took 16 keepers to 7 pounds, and the Donna Rosalie had a limit at Cholera with only a few shorts. Offshore has been slowed by the ocean storms, but over the weekend, the crew of Momentum had an 80-pound bluefin and a 100-pound yellowfin from the east wall of the Hudson while the 50-50 was on the west wall hooking longfin, a hammerhead shark and a '-pound swordfish.

13. New York Bight: Bluefish are feasting on the bodies of bait, busting the surface with fierce action. Poppers will snag some to 8 pounds if you come across a blitz. Fluke action in Jamaica Bay has been good, but the by-catch of sea bass and porgies has been even better with scup to 2 pounds and in good numbers. [by tom rock]

Bluefin tuna remain red-hot - The Boston Globe

1. September always brings a renewal of fishing excitement to our waterfront, and this year is no exception. Except to say that along with the new dedication of striped bass to their feeding habits -- especially with so much peanut bunker around these days -- and the coming of new bluefish, the red-hot fishery for football bluefin tuna has drawn in just about everyone who has a boat capable of fishing 5 miles offshore.
2. Area A: Good bass catches in Saco Bay and the river mouth, down along Southern Maine to Kittery. Isle of Shoals has some excellent bluefishing mixed with the bass. Fishing the ledges holds very strong with cod and market haddock still good fare. Football tuna is the game just offshore from the Gulf of Maine through Massachusetts Bay. Tuna is hot off Plum Island, and the stripers and bluefish are feeding on bait along the beach.
3. Area B: Some large bass catches from Baker Island to Peaches Point. Nahant to the outer harbor islands has been productive water, and a 48-inch bass was caught off Winthrop this week. Other catches at Spectacle, Georges, and Deer Island. Plenty of bait in the inner harbor -- especially small herring and peanut bunker -- makes Boston Harbor a place to wet your line and follow the boats already out there. Some of the action has returned to the surface.
4. Area C: The bluefin craze has come close to shore, as anglers are fishing for them within 4 miles of the Scituate beaches. Also some good bluefish action along the cliffs and in the North River mouth. Fish there long enough and you'll find a mix of everything. Also, pursue the feeding stripers right up to the South River confluence. Again, from this shore across to Stellwagen, the football fishing is tremendous. Plenty of bass action in Duxbury Bay, along with bluefish, which are hitting right up to the Powder Point Bridge.
5. Area D: The Canal has its moments, with plenty of traffic. The fishing is generally better around the west end and into upper Buzzards Bay, where from the Buttermilk Bay side to Pocasset and Hog Island Channel the fishing has been steady. Plenty of action in middle bay around Clevelands and along the Elizabeth Islands, especially Robinsons Hole. Cuttyhunk produces big stripers at night, as does the water from Gay Head to Nomans. Around the other side, Sunken Meadow is strong in Nantucket Sound with bass and bluefish. Wasque is worth fishing again, despite the swell.
6. Area E: Tuna fishing ongoing off Chatham with some big stripers being boated off Monomoy, with some good action in the rips. You'll find a few fluke still biting in the Bass River, and the Falmouth beaches have some good bluefishing, right out into the Sound and across to the Vineyard. Along the State Beach shore, from East Chop to Edgartown, the bonito fishing is still pretty hot.
7. Area F: Still a lot of swell off the north-facing beaches, with weeds making the fishing tough. Inside Cape Cod Bay, good fishing from Billingsgate along Truro to Provincetown Harbor. [org pub Boston Globe by Tony Chamberlain]

Rhode Island, 9/8/05

1. BAY:Unusually good fishing along the Warwick shore, north of Conimicut Point: blues & bass. Big bass have also made a return in recent weeks. I believe it is due to favorable water temperatures and the amount of bait in the water.
2. Large bluefish are also biting off Goddard Park in Greenwich bay, Potter's Cove on Prudence Island and Ohio Ledge, says Bob Neilson of Wildwood Outfitters. "The blues are absolutely monstrous, and in large schools," he writes. Ken Ferrara recommended Brenton Reef and Beavertail Point for large blues. Smaller, 5- to 6-pound fish are biting near Halfway Rock, Hope Island, and Conanicut Point. On the Sakonnet River, Joe Latinville of Riverside Marine, said, "Catching bluefish on topwater plugs is almost a given at Fogland and Sandy points. The fish are up and down all day long. Tide doesn't matter."
3. Fluke as large as 9 pounds have been biting in the waters off Sakonnet Point, said Latinville.
4. BEACHES AND SALT PONDS: Fishing off South Kingstown has slowed some, Neilson reports. "People are saying that it's the first time they have been skunked all year," he writes.
5. Commercial rod-and-reel fishermen opened their fall season yesterday in high, westerly winds and rough seas. "The seas and calming down," Ron Mouchon reported from his boat yesterday morning, "so hopefully by the weekend, fishing will improve." Inside Charlestown Breachway, off the camping area, a young angler took a 34-inch striper Wednesday morning.
6. Bass have been taking eels at Watch Hill, plugs at the Weekapaug overlook at night, and tube-and-worm rigs inside Quonochontaug Pond, said Don Cameron of Captain Don's Bait & Tackle.
7. Inside the Narrow River and Ninigret and Quonochontaug Ponds, fly fisherman Ed Lombardo is catching stripers and hickory shad on the flood tide. "Peanut bunker and silversides are really abundant, and this can become a big problem," he writes. "With all of that bait around, your fly gets lost. Most of the bass are schoolies, anywhere from 15 to 20 inches, but there are occasional keepers. I'm fishing a No. 1 white Deceiver on a 12-foot leader with a 6-weight floating line. Another good fly is a black-and-white Clouser Minnow. Worm patterns also work, and for larger fish, I like to use a 4- to 5-inch-long squid pattern, all white with a little pink in the body."
8. Fluke remain at the Center Wall and also around the Charlestown Breachway in 40 feet of water, according to Neilson. To the west, the fluke have moved into much deeper water, said Cameron.
9. Scup are biting on the slack tides inside Quonochontaug Breachway and Stonington Harbor at high tide.
10. Sea-bass fishing is improving off Misquamicut, Cameron said.
11. Bonito appeared in Quonochontaug Breachway yesterday morning.
12. OFFSHORE: Swells and high winds have kept most boats at the dock this week, but before the blow, offshore anglers were catching a lot of mako sharks. Bill Slattery caught a 320-pounder at the Mud Hole, according to Ken Ferrara.
13. BLOCK ISLAND: "With the small bluefin tuna gone, we have focused our efforts on stripers," writes Chris Willi of Block Island Fishworks. "The past few days have been slow, but fish have been around. Those of us who did have success were fishing the early morning hours coinciding with a good tide. Bubblegum, rainbow, and chartreuse Slug-Gos have worked. Black Rock, Dories Cove, and North Light produced. Hula Charters' largest bass of the week was a 41-pounder. "There is plenty of bait around -- loads of it. Capt. Eric on the Rooster reports great sea bass action on the wrecks."
14. FRESHWATER: Twin Rivers Reservoir in North Providence is the best spot to fish for bass and hornpout, says Rudy D'Agostino of the R&Y Shop. Largemouths as large as 4.5 pounds have been taking shiners, and hornpout have been biting nightcrawlers between 6 and 10 p.m.

On The Water, RI, 9/8/05

1. Steve McKenna of Quaker Lane Bait and Tackle, North Kingstown told us the bass fishing is still pretty good and that it held up consistently throughout the month of August. Bill Nolan, one of his buddies, caught a 43-pounder from the beach at Narragansett on a live eel one day late last week. Steve himself has been doing well and catching bass on Slug-Gos and eels after dark pretty much every night. It’s been consistent action from smaller fish up to about the midteens for him and for his customers who are fishing the Narragansett area.
2. Big seas have made things unfishable since early in the week due to the storms offshore in the south. Once this situation passes, Steve expects the fishing to get back to normal.
3. Bluefish made a major appearance up inside Narragansett Bay since the rainstorms last week. Surprisingly, there has not been much reported in the way of bluefish action outside the bay. But up in the bay, Steve said the only place the blues aren’t hitting is in swimming pools.
4. Fluke fishing is on the way out this time of year. It’s slowed down pretty much all over the area, with a few scattered catches being made along the south shore beaches.
5. Scup fishing is still red hot and will be for a month or so more, but blackfish are slow for the moment. There are loads of bait around, which bodes well for the remainder of the fall.
6. Earl at Saltwater Edge, Newport reported that not too much has changed since last week’s report. Bluefish are present in the Newport area, but there aren’t many of them. The bait situation is not very good at this time, even the peanut bunker seem to have moved out of the Newport area. Speculation is that all of those bluefin tuna that were ripping around the area may have had something to do with this situation.
7. Mrs. Dangelo of Maridee Bait and Tackle, Narragansett, R.I. said anglers have been catching keeper stripers on clam bellies off the Point Judith docks in the evenings. Bass and blues are in the harbor refuge.
8. Captain Andy Dangelo caught a wahoo over Labor Day weekend on one of his offshore charters that was 24 pounds. The captain has been catching bass over 30 pounds off Block Island during his local striper charters.
9. Loads of bait in along the shore and beaches do draw and hold the predatory species. Early and later in the day, the bass are hitting eels and plugs. In the daylight hours, bluefish are the dominant catch off the jetties and breachways when the tide is running.
10. Fluke have slowed down, with a few minor catches being reported from the waters in front of the “Cottages” in 50 to 70 feet, but it’s definitely slowing down. Porgies are still thick, easy to catch and big.
11. Kevin at Breachway Tackle, Charlestown said this week was slow, in general. The fish (bass) haven’t been cooperating very well. Ron, owner of the shop, who has been slaying them all summer long, has been going out and not catching, so something is wrong. Kevin noted that Ron said the bass are hard to find and not biting when you do find them.
12. There are still plenty of bluefish and snappers up inside the salt pond and running in and out of the breachway, but the bass are a disappointment.
13. The bonito have been reported in the area, but nothing specific as to exactly where. One sighting took place off the Pt. Judith walls. As we all know, all news is old news when it comes to reports on any member of the tuna family because they move around so darn fast.
14. Fluke fishing is pretty much over. There may be a week or two left before it’s completely finished, but even now no one is doing very well.
15. Porgies are the best bet for action and filleting material when it’s needed.
16. Rob at Wildwood Outfitters, Wakefield said there was an increase in bluefish that are following the peanut bunker and silversides up into the bay and in along the beaches. There is a ton of bait in the Point Judith Salt Pond. Schoolie bass catches have picked up in Narragansett around the Avenues and in both the Pt. Judith and Charlestown Salt Ponds. The numbers of bass are up lately, but overall the average size is down. Eben Horton caught a 36-pounder along the Narragansett shore with one of his custom-made needlefish plugs in copper color, but that was the only big fish they heard of this week. Dannys and needlefish plugs are popular this time of year, as well as any of the Storm and similar swim baits.
17. The Mud Hole is holding albacore, bluefins and mahi-mahi, but no yellowfins yet. Many of their offshore fishermen are coming in for supplies, which is an indication that things are heating up. The Dip has been red hot for all the different tunas. Steve Flood, captain of the Rum Runner did an overnighter at The Dip and caught yellowfins, albies and mahi-mahi under weed patches by trolling and chunking after dark, the usual routine for a canyon run.
18. We missed John Swienton’s report from Twin Maples at Block Island this week.
19. Captain Don of Captain Don’s Tackle, Charlestown, Rhode Island said that this week there were a few small bluefins back on the south side of Fishers Island again as of Wednesday. One customer who was back there tube-and-worming, or trying to in the dirty water, said there were loads of bait with some small bluefins chasing them. But they disappeared too quickly to get a hook into any of them. There have continued to be random hookups from schoolie bluefins in The Race even since the majority of these fish moved off to the east two or three weeks ago. At his end of the beaches, the Quonny Breachway is alive with bass and bluefish that are chasing peanut bunker.
20. Don told me that there are more needlefish up inside the pond than he’s ever seen. This is good news because it will surely draw big bass up inside the pond where the guys in kayaks and small boats can have a crack at them.
21. In front of Watch Hill, a couple of his old-timers have been doing well by casting Creek Chub Darters. Daybreak and dusk have been consistently productive out front at the Quonny Breachway, where there are some decent keepers being caught on the dropping tide. Generally, the bite dies out with the tide or after the sun rises up above the trees.
22. Fluke have been moving in and out from the drifts that many anglers fish off Misquamicut in waters ranging from 45 to 80 feet and are still being caught, but not in big numbers. There are still good numbers of small fluke to be caught up inside the salt pond on small jigs baited with mummichogs. Last year they were gone by now, so anglers are lucky they are still around in catchable numbers.
23. Remember, this time of year, when all the bait moves inshore, so do the fluke, so look for them in shallow water up inside salt ponds, bays and river mouths. They are not gone yet, they are just not where they were all summer long.
24. Porgies are all over the place and are a “give me” for anyone who seeks them.
25. Hearsay midweek indicated that there were some albies out off the Quonny Breachway, but it was only secondhand news and not verified by another source. Captain Don saw bonito in the breachway a week back but has not seen any since. However, with all the bait around, he believes that it’s only a matter of time before these tunoids move in to feed – providing they come into the region.
26. Don of King Cove Marina, Stonington told us the big waves have made a mess of things along the south side of Fishers Island and around the Watch Hill Reef complex. The fish seem to have moved off the reefs and inside over the past week, since things began kicking up. The best fishing is being found between Sandy Point and Napatree Point, as well as out on the Stonington Flats where there have been good numbers of schoolies ranging on up to keepers of nearly 20 pounds. Kevin from the shop caught fish to 38 inches the other day. Sandy Point has been producing fish from both boat and surf – same thing over at Napatree Point.
27. Some false albacore have shown up off Charlestown and Quonny breachways, as well as out along the south side of Fishers Island, starting last week and right up to Wednesday.
28. Fluke fishing has slowed drastically, but sea bass and blackfish have picked up. Salted clams have been the ticket, rather than crabs, for blackfish, but remember that the season closes in Connecticut waters from September 7 until September 22, when it reopens through December. This second split in the season will be the time to mobilize and do some serious “togging.”
29. There have been weakfish caught up to nine pounds off the Quonny Breachway and up the beaches as far as Misquamicut. The odd report was made by a regular who fishes the beaches every morning. He noted that there were 5 little 10-inch weakfish that were beached, evidently chased into the shallows and washed up on the beach by bluefish early Wednesday morning.
30. Only a few blue crabs are around, and no one is really talking about them.

New York Pike Fishing

SILVER LAKE
Without question, Silver Lake is one of the premier pike waters in western New York. The 761-acre fishing hole in Wyoming County has everything a growing northern pike could want, including a rich forage base of alewives and perch and thick weeds to serve as spawning and ambush cover.

CONESUS LAKE
There is no place in New York where an angler can count on hooking a 30-pound pike, but Conesus Lake is one of a handful of waters where northerns that size are known to swim. DEC biologists have actually handled such fish during local netting forays.

SODUS BAY
For consistent catches of 4- to 8-pound northerns -- and occasional tussles with larger specimens -- it's hard to imagine a spot better than Sodus Bay. Catches of 10 or more such pike are frequently reported in the bay, and wallhangers of 15 to 18 pounds are caught each year.

SENECA RIVER/CROSS LAKE
The Seneca River begins as a canal outlet at the north end of Seneca Lake and then flows in a generally northeasterly direction for about 35 miles through the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge and Cross Lake before meeting the Oneida River and forming the Oswego River near Phoenix.

OWASCO LAKE
While its south end is known for giving up big pike through the ice, Owasco Lake is overlooked by Esox lovers during the warm months of the year. I suspect that's mainly due to the abundance of other game fish in the lake, including brown trout, lake trout and smallmouth bass. Certainly the 8- to 15-pound northerns that enthrall Owasco's hard-water cadre do not disappear in the summer.

SANDY POND
A 2,400-acre bay on Lake Ontario's Oswego County shore, Sandy Pond has a mean depth of 8 feet and a maximum depth of just 13 feet. Weedy from end to end, it's perfect habitat for northern pike and the panfish they love to eat. A run-of-the mill pike in Sandy Pond is a 5-pounder, but 15-pounders are caught annually. In July, the biggest pike will be in the deepest part of the bay, or tucked under weed mats or deadfalls in areas where boat traffic is relatively light.

SIXTOWN POND
Here's a bit of a sleeper, but it won't interest readers whose primary interest is a trophy-class northern. Sixtown Pond in Jefferson County doesn't grow many whoppers, but if you're one of those anglers who enjoy hooking lots of medium-sized pike in relative solitude, it could be just the retreat you've been looking for.

1,000 ISLANDS
Old-timers claim the pike fishing in the 1,000 Islands region of the upper St. Lawrence River isn't what it used to be, yet a good ice-fisherman will have no problem catching several nice fish per outing in Eel Bay, Chippewa Bay and other areas where northerns stage prior to their spring spawning run.

SARANAC CHAIN OF LAKES
The Adirondack region is full of good pike lakes, but the Saranac Chain of Lakes stands out as a consistent producer. Seven interconnected bodies of water are within a few minutes of the village of Saranac Lake in eastern Franklin County. They are Upper, Middle and Lower Saranac lakes, Weller Pond, Oseetah Lake, Kiwassa Lake and Lake Flower. A map of the chain may be obtained from the Saranac Lake Chamber of Commerce, 30 Main St., Saranac Lake, NY 12983. Perhaps the best all-round pike water in the chain is Middle Saranac, which spans 1,393 acres. Its average depth is only about 9 feet and there are plenty of weedbeds to hide northerns that average 2 to 4 pounds but sometimes grow to 8 or 10 pounds.

LAKE CHAMPLAIN
Northern pike are so abundant in the bays and creek mouths along Lake Champlain's shore that generations of sportsmen on the Vermont side once enjoyed shooting big northerns in the spring -- with deer rifles!

While the statewide creel limit of five pike per day applies to Lake Champlain, the minimum keeper size is 20 inches. Most will run considerably larger than that. Virtually the entire 110-mile length of Lake Champlain is home to at least a few northerns, but the most consistent fishing for the species is from Plattsburgh north. Kings Bay, off the mouth of the Great Chazy River, is excellent, as is the water around the abandoned railroad bridge stretching eastward from the village of Rouse's Point.

These areas may be accessed by taking U.S. Route 11 east from Malone or by following Route 87 and Route 9 north from Albany to the northern sector of the lake. Public and private marinas are available at Rouse's Point and Plattsburgh. For advice on accommodations, try the Plattsburgh-North Country Chamber of Commerce at (518) 563-1000.

Rich Clients to Help Out Fishing Guide

PORTLAND, Maine— The case of a single 11-inch smallmouth bass has reverberated far beyond a Maine lake and the fishing lodges of Maine's Grand Lake Stream, echoing through the courts to the canyons of Wall Street. It involves an undercover sting operation aimed at a popular fishing guide with an unblemished record, New York area investment advisers who combine wine tastings with fishing vacations, and allegations of abuse of power by the Maine Warden Service.

Fishing guide Randy Spencer spent two days on trial on a criminal charge that he helped a client keep one fish more than the legal limit. The trial ended in a hung jury in June, but a civil charge is pending, and the 56-year-old guide's well-heeled clients have planned a Manhattan dinner and concert to raise money to help defray his legal bills. Along the way, the Wall Street Journal, CNBC and the Bloomberg financial network have reported on the case.

It all started last year, say Spencer and his supporters, when the new owner of the venerable Weatherby's lodge on Grand Lake Stream decided to get a liquor license. As a result, the lodge told investment adviser David Kotok that he and his fishing buddies would no longer be permitted to bring their own wines on their visits, so the group took their business and libations elsewhere. Spencer, who had been a guide for Kotok, helped with the switch, a move that they say stirred up hard feelings among Weatherby's guides. Weatherby's owner Jeff MacEvoy denied that there was any animosity and said he had nothing to do with any complaints against Spencer.

Two weeks later, according to Spencer, a man who identified himself as Al Begin of Waitsfield, Vt., called to hire him for two days. Over their two days together last summer, Spencer said the client caught and released about 50 fish each day. "It was a great two days," he recalled. Three weeks later, however, district warden Brad Richard and his supervisor delivered a summons to Spencer. At his arraignment, Spencer learned that he was accused of helping undercover officer Albert St. Saviour, who was posing as Begin, illegally take three smallmouth bass from Big Lake. Spencer admits that there were three fish on the stringer on their first day of fishing, and that he fileted and grilled them. But he maintains that he caught one of the bass himself and the client kept only his legal limit of two.

He could have pleaded guilty to the criminal charge and the companion civil charge of failing to report a violation, and paid $100 in fines. But he also would likely have lost his guide's license for a year. The jury deliberated for nearly four hours at the June trial but was unable to reach a verdict. Prosecutors and Col. Tom Santaguida, the head of the warden service, decided against retrying such a minor case. However, the state still plans to proceed with a Sept. 22 trial on the civil complaint.

Spencer's legal bills already have reached $15,000. The New York fundraising dinner for Spencer is set for Nov. 5. Spencer's supporters also want to learn why a guide they say has the ethics of a Boy Scout was singled out as a target.

"I see a young 20-something game warden trying to make a name for himself by taking down a community pillar, and some jealous competitors and a whisper campaign," said Kotok, the chairman of Cumberland Advisers of Vineland, N.J. "And now that they were caught in it, the game warden bureaucracy is trying to dig in its heels and protect its turf because it backfired on them and they're embarrassed." Santaguida said the vilification that the warden service has received from Kotok and others has been balanced by support from the public, and he has no regrets about launching the investigation. "We hold guides to a very high standard," Santaguida said. [org pub telegram.com by Jerry Harkavy]

Old Bridge, NJ Shore Fishing

OLD BRIDGE — Fabio Dos Santos sat on the sandy shoreline in the northern corner of Old Bridge Waterfront Park Monday, surrounded by family and friends. While two fishing poles sat propped up in front of the 31-year-old Perth Amboy resident and the crew, the only thing they were catching were some Labor Day rays. But Dos Santos didn't seem to mind. He said they were having a good time on Raritan Bay, where they had the freedom to spread out as much as they wanted — something they said they wouldn't have at more popular Shore destinations. "We live close to here," said Dos Santos, who comes to the beach every other week. "It's always like this, not too crowded."

While most people opted for points farther south, Old Bridge Waterfront Park yesterday attracted a loyal following of sun worshippers and swimmers seeking to escape long drives to crowded shorelines. "I actually used to go to Sandy Hook, but gas is so expensive," said Edison resident Nellie Kanjo, as she sat on the beach with a magazine in her hand. "If you want to come and get some quick rays, it does the job." The 24-year-old Rutgers University graduate student said she doesn't have to contend with traffic to get here and, generally, feels more at ease.

It's quiet, isolated, it's unknown, and it's free. Near Morgan Bridge, where Cheesequake Creek empties into the bay, fishermen dotted the water's edge. Kids kicked soccer balls in the sand while adults sunbathed and listened to the distant drone of personal watercraft . Juan Valentin, 52, of Elizabeth, said this strip of county waterfront has come a long way. "

This beach was dirty before, but they fixed it up," Valentin said. "They used to have flies as big as bees. The water is cleaner." said Valentin and his wife, Sonia, said coming to Old Bridge does save them money on gas, but that isn't the reason they usually spend time here. "If gas was cheaper, I'd come here anyway because they fixed it up," he said, fishing pole at his feet.[org pub Asbury Park Press BY JOHN MAJESKI]

Montaukm 8/30/05

During the week the offshore fishing was restricted a bit by the weather, but as the weekend approached, the winds moderated and the boats were able to get out to the vicinity of fifty fathoms, and they caught tuna. The tuna fishing is a bit frustrating though because of a lack of consistency. As one charter captain put it "one day a hero, and the next a zero" And, you can get back to the dock only to find out that you were only 6-7 miles away from a bonanza.

The shark fishing though is very consistent, if not spectacular. Big and medium bluesharks and small makos, with occasional nice sized ones. Just about every boat does the same, three or four sharks, and not very far out, fifteen to twenty miles max.

Inshore the fluke fishing continues to wind down. I remember years ago Labor Day weekend was the peak of the big fluke season. One trip stands out in my mind. We had spent the day slamming the Cartwright bluefish and on the way in made one drift for fluke. In that one drift we had four fluke of 10-1/2, 10, 9-1/2 and 7 pounds. Now most of the big fish are caught in the spring. You can still get occasional doormats now, but you have to have a lot of patience. The FLYING CLOUD is out of the fluke business for the rest of the year and now it’s all porgies all the time. LAZYBONES would probably like to switch over to diamond jigging except that it doesn’t seem like it would be very consistent yet.

Striped bass fishing seems to be slowly improving, plus there are good amounts of bluefish around at times, much to the dismay of those using the live porgies. [via email report]

Philadelphia & Suburbs

Conditions great for holiday fishing

By STEVE CARPENTER
Burlington County Times

This Labor Day weekend should prove to be ideal for saltwater anglers working anywhere along the coast. Fluke and croakers have been pretty plentiful for those fishing off the beaches, with impressive black bass coming from the wrecks.

Weakfish catches have been improving the last two weeks, but many continue to be throwbacks, with the north end of Long Beach Island a popular area.

Boats working Myers Hole, Marchelder Channel and B1 Buoy report better-than-average catches, with clam or the popular squid and minnow combo doing the trick. Much of the croaker catches are coming right off the beaches in about 40 feet of water, with clam and squid a top bait choice. Surf anglers are also scoring with croakers with clam baited on top and bottom rigs.

To the south at Delaware Bay, boats continue to pickup fair numbers of croakers, weaks and fluke. In addition, tautog have been reported from several areas. Anglers are reminded the tog season is closed until Sept. 28 in Delaware waters.

Those fishing for weakfish and striped bass are finding sporadic results, with the incoming most productive. Bottom action continues to be focused on croaker, spot, flounder, bluefish and weaks, with 14-Foot Light, Miah Maul and Crossledge getting most of the attention.

On The Water, 9/3/05 Cape Cod

1. The poor weather of the early part of this week and predictions of miserable weather over the weekend, combined with the end-of-summer, back-to-school lull in fishing activity, only put a temporary slowdown on what was apparently a pretty good bite over last weekend.
2. Jim at Quaker Lane Bait and Tackle, North Kingstown said the fluking was still pretty good in the Newport and Jamestown areas prior to the recent storms. Up inside the bay anglers were catching fluke, but on average they were smaller fish with many throw-backs. No doormats reported this week, but customers fishing the south shore were consistently taking fish up to five or six pounds.
3. Scup are thick in all the usual places. Ohio Ledge, Hope Island and other rock piles throughout the area are holding good numbers of these easy-to-catch fish for those looking for sure-fire fast fishing action and decent fillet material – should the fluke not cooperate.
4. Bluefish catches are improving lately up inside the bay, as well. Mostly small stuff, with those one- to three-pound “cocktail blues” dominating the fishery, but there are some 10-pounders ripping around. Jim believed that the late arrival of blues in the bay this year was due to the school bluefin tuna competing for food at the mouth of the bay, keeping them from entering on schedule a month ago.
5. Bass fishing is good if you put the time in after dark. We are in the summer doldrums and are lucky there are decent bass still around after all the miserable heat this summer. Jim feels that the bite is still a couple weeks away from breaking open for the fall. The striped bass normally leave the bay early in the fall. No big fish of any flavor to report this week, but the customers are happy with what is going on along the coast and in the bay in general.
6. Mike at Saltwater Edge, Newport told us that not much is going on other than some good fishing for bluefish up to about 10 pounds that are tearing up everyone’s expensive eels “out front” along the shore in Newport. The tuna are pretty much gone, with only one random report of a sighting on Sunday. But remember that was only a report and not a direct contact from any of the guys who work in the shop.
7. Bonito are showing up now in place of the bluefins, but no false albacore are mixed in quite yet. Normally, Mike noted, it’s the first or second week of September before they show up in catchable numbers. The bonito are ripping around from Lands End all the way down to Point Judith and east to Sakonnet Point. They (the guys who charter out of the shop) missed a few trips due to the bad weather midweek, so the information they could offer is at best three days old.
8. Captain Andy Dangelo of Maridee Bait and Tackle in Narragansett, R.I., said he didn’t even fish on Wednesday because it was so rough. He’s still doing well with striped bass out around Block Island during the ebbing tide when he can get away from the crowds of boats that have been fishing in tight around the island. A regular customer caught a 30-pounder on eels off the beach Tuesday evening in all the wind, rain and turmoil that blew in as a result of Hurricane Katrina’s remnants.
9. Shark fishing has been good on his offshore outings, with many throw-back makos in the mix. He caught a 180-pounder a week back, his best in a while. The blue sharking has been good south of the gully for those interested in some fun fishing action.
10. The bluefins that were around Block Island have moved east to Chatham on the Cape as of last week. It’s odd this year because the normal places that hold schoolies such as the Mud Hole were barren a few weeks back when the fish were in along the surf break. However, the captain said the bait is coming back into these deep-water areas, and so will the bluefins. A few boats are fishing down around the 600 to 500 line and taking occasional albacore or yellowfin. But they are spotty.
11. Deep Hole at Matunuck and Five Cottages have been pretty productive for striped bass from dusk through dawn on eels. To the east, Stinky Beach and the other spots to the light are also producing nighttime fish.
12. Kevin at Breachway Tackle, Charlestown said the weather has kept people home pretty much all week, but the fish are still out there to catch. The Walls at Point Judith are O.K. during big blows, but the Charlestown Breachway has been too rough to cast from lately with the strong winds. Bass, blues, scup and fluke were coming into the shop in good numbers prior to this stormy week.
13. The fluke fishing has been slacking off as fall approaches. The best fluke in a local tournament was 11.3 caught back in July, but the best fish in the past three weeks have been under 8 pounds.
14. People are going out after tuna running offshore; the bluefin blitzes along his stretch of beach are over. Bluefish and snapper blues are abundant off the breachway and up in the salt pond as a source of bait and fun action for the kids.
15. Kevin noted a report of a big great white shark spotted not too far off Block Island late last week, for what it’s worth. As long as there isn’t a whale carcass or something like that to draw it in closer to the beaches, all should be well, but under the oddball conditions this season and the strong winds blowing onshore this week, I know I wouldn’t go swimming in the ocean for a while.
16. Bob at Wildwood Outfitters, Wakefield was not around when we called this week.
17. John Swienton, owner of Twin Maples Tackle out on Block Island, told us that live eels have been hard to find this week, so his personal fishing has been hindered along with his eel-fishing customers.
18. The bonito are still abundant up the entrance to New Harbor and Charlestown Beach. Good bluefish and bass catches are being made from the beach and boats off the north end of the island at Sandy Point. Anglers are trolling successfully off Black Rock with tube and worms in water less than 15 feet deep. Parachutes are still doing well off the Southwest Reef area, as always. There are no monsters to report this week, but the overall angler participation has been slow due to the back-to-school thing. Payne’s Dock was half-empty as of midweek, but will fill up over this holiday weekend for sure.
19. Captain Don of Captain Don’s Tackle, Charlestown, Rhode Island said the fish had lockjaw for a while during the big high-pressure system that blew into the region last week, but that came to an end on Friday. He said that that night they turned on big time, with Watch Hill and the Weekapaug overlook producing nice catches of bluefish by day and bass after dark on eels, yellow Mega Baits and Hab’s Parrot Green Needlefish.
20. Lots of nice sea bass and fluke have been coming in from the waters of the state beach, from the shallows on out to as much as 80 feet of water.
21. Tube-and-worming has been very consistent in 13 to 15 feet of water over the rocky hard bottom found to the left of Quonny Breachway, as well as up inside the pond itself. It’s been this way since June so don’t expect much to change other than for the fishing to get better as the fall progresses, if history holds true again this season.
22. Don saw bonito rolling around and pushing bait up inside the breachway earlier in the week when he checked his boat after one of the heavy rains.
23. Don at King Cove Marina, Stonington said that prior to the big blow (jibing nicely with Captain Don’s report), there were bass all over the reefs from the hill to Fishers Island. Anglers were catching them on everything prior to the winds this week.
24. Fluke fishermen are now working harder for their few keepers on what has been a slow pick for fluke, but sea bass are picking up nicely off Latimer Light and in the deeper waters off Wilderness Point. These fish are being caught mostly by accident. Look for small rock humps and ledges, and you will probably find sea bass.
25. Anglers are catching a few blackfish, as well. Some are targeting them on clam bellies, but no one is asking for crabs yet. These are some of the folks who have been catching sea bass in the process of targeting blackfish with clams for bait.
26. Porgies are a give-me everywhere, with some real giants to be caught when the tides are slowing out around those same reefs that are producing all the bass and bluefish. I caught my personal best scup years ago on a whole squid intended for stripers out near Catumb Rock. That tiderunner scup was 2.75 pounds and around 18 inches and looked like a dinner plate with a tail. We’ve caught them up to 17 inches while tubing along the south side of Fishers Island, both last summer and the one prior.