Early Monday morning at precisely 3:50 formally ushered in the start of the fall season.
As seems to happen every year, summer appears to get shorter and shorter. Memorial Day arrives and with a quick blink of the eye, Labor Day appears to roll right in.
To be honest, I have no complaints on the change of seasons. The more frequent winds blowing in from the northwest are a welcome change as the leaves slowly change color from solid green to various shades of amber, yellow, red, and brown. The air is clean, as are the waters of the inside bays and harbors. Around my boat slip, I can easily make out several adult-size bay scallops lying lazily in the muddy bottom. The water is crystal clear. Just a week prior, that was not the case.
The shorter days and cooling waters have also spurred many species of fish that have been in residence here since early spring to begin thinking of their fall migration. And for the most part, the fishing has been solid of late.
“The action in Three Mile Harbor remains excellent,” said Sebastian Gorgone at Mrs. Sam’s Bait and Tackle in East Hampton. “Big porgies, blowfish, snappers, and even a few keeper striped bass have been landed. It seems like summer does not want to leave.”
Gorgone said that false albacore are on the prowl and that a late-season burst of large-size fluke have been taken from the east side of Gardiner’s Island. “It’s surprising to see the fluke still close by,” he added. “But it’s been a weird season. Mixed with the fluke are some really huge sea bass too.”
Tanya Miller, Westlake Marina
“The false albacore are spread out in many locations, but many of my customers report that they have been very finicky, and it hasn’t been an easy bite,” said Ken Morse at Tight Lines Tackle in Sag Harbor. “Also, there have been some bluefish taken in the South Ferry area along with a few keeper-sized striped bass.” For those seeking porgies, kingfish, and weakfish, Morse suggests Noyac Bay for consistent catches.
“I’m amazed at how many false albacore are out there,” observed Harvey Bennett from his perch behind the counter of the Tackle Shop in Amagansett. “I mean, the other day I was at Albert’s Landing and there were acres and acres of albies on the feed, but there was not a boat in sight. I have never seen so many of them. You could walk on top of them they were so thick.”
The 13th-generation Bonacker went on to add that snappers, porgies, blowfish, and kingfish remain in good supply in local waters. “And don’t forget the sea bass. The fishing has been off the charts east of Gardiner’s Island and beyond,” he said. “And there are literally a ton of small stripers in the ocean on the beach. Just cast a simple, small diamond jig and you are in business.”
“The fishing on many fronts has been really good,” remarked Dave Reutershan at Westlake Marina in Montauk. “The sea bass and porgy action is excellent, with many large fish around. And the action on false albacore remains strong. Striped bass have been good at times, but you have to cull through plenty of small fish.”
On Saturday afternoon, Reutershan had the pleasure of weighing in a 50.9-pound bass for a 14-year-old angler, Garrett Lilienthal, while fishing on the family boat, Reel Busy.
“It was very cool to see,” added Reutershan. “Many people never catch a bass that large in their lives.” I can personally vouch for that.
“The bass fishing has been great, but the fish have been on the small side,” said Bill Jakob, a surf fishing expert and the head of the Montauk Surfcasters Association. “But after we pass the next upcoming new moon, we should see some bigger fish around.”
As for fluke fans, you only have a few more days to retain a fish, as the season comes to a close on Monday.
“It’s been more of a matter of quality over quantity,” explained Capt. Michael Vegessi of the Lazybones out of Montauk on Sunday afternoon, while observing an eight-pound fish on the fillet table. “But we are also getting a good amount of large sea bass where we are fishing on the south side.”
The veteran skipper will stick with fluke until the end of the month, but will quickly switch over diamond jigging for striped bass and bluefish on Tuesday morning.
“There is a lot of bait in the water and there seems to be a good amount of bass and blues around,” he added. “It should be a good start.”
Have a penchant for a finely crafted fishing rod? You are in luck, as Castoberfest may be to your liking. Sage Rods, in conjunction with Capt. Tim O’Rourke of Montauk Point Fly Fishing, will hold the event at the Montauk Lake Club on East Lake Drive on Sunday and Monday from 2 to 7 p.m. each day.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” said O’Rourke. “We will raffle off a number of prizes including a Sage rod and reel, a Fishpond gear bag, a box stocked with flies, Yeti cooler gear, and I’m giving a half-day charter on my boat.”
Those in attendance will receive a free raffle ticket. Additional tickets will be sold at the event for $20 or three for $50. The Montauk Brewing Company will supply the beer while North Fork Iron Works is coordinating the barbecue over both days.
Sounds like a good time.
We welcome your fishing tips,
observations, and photographs at