Boats: Cents and Sensibility
It’s said that the two best days in the life of a boat owner are the day the boat is bought and the day it’s sold. While there is much truth in this running joke among boat owners, the laughs haven’t discouraged many from joining their ranks.
Recreational powerboat sales are expected to climb 6 percent in 2016 and reach 194,000 total units sold, according to the National Marine Manufacturers Association, an industry trade association.
Boat ownership makes little sense on a strictly financial basis, particularly here on the East End where the season is six months long at best. Tallying the finance, boat and engine winterization and storage, spring preparation and launch, boat slip, insurance, maintenance, fuel, and usual unexpected costs will make any levelheaded person’s head spin. It’s likely cheaper and more productive for many fishermen to hire a guide or a charter boat when they want to hit the water. Few will miss scrubbing dried bait and fish blood off the deck or polishing rails on a 90-degree summer day.
But every boat owner knows it’s not about the bucks. Yes, boating is expensive. Yes, boats can be frustrating with their quirky electrical and mechanical issues. But we love them nonetheless.
Boats free us from the crowds. Boats are adventure. Boats put us in touch with the natural world. Boats are a place to escape, if only for an hour to tinker with this or that at the dock. So when it comes to boats, we must ignore dollars and sense and understand that a day on the water is priceless.
Now, of course, there are boats and there are boats. One doesn’t need to own a 57-foot Bertram sportfishing yacht or even a small Whaler to enjoy a day of fishing local waters. There are many less expensive and maybe even more enjoyable alternatives.
How about a kayak? Many kayak manufacturers today, including Hobie, Wilderness Systems, and Ocean, offer a wide range of products with fishermen in mind. Kayaks can be purchased with rod holders, tackle storage, live wells, dry storage, sonar transducer mounts, and other great features. Several companies now offer a pedal-drive system that allows anglers to use their legs rather than arms to propel the kayak. With a pedal drive, fishermen can spend more time casting and less time paddling. What could be better than simultaneously getting a great cardio workout and catching dinner? The next time a friend brags about his or her SoulCycle indoor cycling class ask them how many fish they caught.
If kayaks don’t do it for you, why not try a standup paddleboard? They’re not just for the core anymore. Several companies now manufacture boards and accessories specifically for fishermen. BOTE offers a sleek and stable board equipped with an aluminum leaning post with integrated rod holders. If you own a SUP already, Engel, Hobie, and other companies offer coolers with attached rod holders, which can also serve as seats. Want to do it on the cheap? Just screw a couple rod holders to a milk crate and bungee it to the board.
Hobie’s new Mirage Eclipse, which utilizes a step-motion propulsion system and handlebar steering to increase speed and maneuverability, is ideal for trolling and covering longer distances. While most SUP fishermen tackle inshore species, the more intrepid have traveled to deep water for large grouper, sailfish, and marlin.
If you prefer horsepower over human power but don’t want to buy a boat, then renting one is an option. Uihlein’s on West Lake Drive in Montauk has boats up to 31 feet, and Harbor Marina on Gann Road in Springs has a 22-foot Boston Whaler, which is perfect for fishing Gardiner’s Bay and beyond.
It’s also said that a bad day on the water is better than a good day at work. That’s no joke.
Sebastian Gorgone at Mrs. Sam’s Bait and Tackle in East Hampton reports the bay is full of porgies. Anticipating that Saturday’s full moon will precipitate a cinderworm hatch, Gorgone is stocking a variety of cinderworm flies that should prove irresistible to striped bass.
Anglers are catching striped bass of up to 30 pounds in the South Ferry slip on parachute rigs and Danny plugs trolled on wire line, reports Ken Morse at Tight Lines Tackle in Sag Harbor. For anglers who don’t have wire line gear but want to troll the bottom, Morse is bringing Mojo brand jigs and specialized rods to fish them into his shop. Mojo jigs, which weigh up to 32 ounces, are often fished in tandem with a nine-inch rubber shad on a three-way rig. They have long been a favorite of Chesapeake Bay fishermen. Harvey Bennett at the Tackle Shop in Amagansett reports that sunny weather brought out fishermen as well as fish, including short bass on ocean beaches, schools of long and skinny bluefish at Accabonac Harbor, and a nice 10-pound bass at Sammy’s Beach taken on a small Hopkins.
On the commercial side, Kelly Lester said that while strong winds continue to make it tough to tend poundtraps, her fishpots are in the water and conchpots are ready to go. According to Lester, blowfish continue to show in the bay.
Fluke seasons opened on Tuesday with five-fish possession and 18-inch minimum size limits.