Fireworks on the Water

There was a lot of noise going on. While there were plenty of boisterous and colorful fireworks blasting off into the night sky during the extended July 4 holiday weekend, the local fishing scene also witnessed its own cacophony of activity on several fronts, as angler participation leaped into full summer mode. Some much-appreciated warm and toasty weather did not dissuade many from either jumping in the bay or even the still-chilly ocean waters for a nice, refreshing dip, or from baiting up a fluke or porgy hook for a chance at a nice holiday dinner. 

While no fireworks were set off, the fishing action did exhibit some sparks as folks sailed off from dry land. I even ventured with some friends on Saturday morning in the still lumpy seas east of the Montauk Lighthouse. The bass action was picky. However, I did finally land my first keeper striper of the season, a nice 29-inch fish on a simple diamond jig. Bluefish were rather thick and helped fill the void. As it turned out, the incoming tide that afternoon saw an influx of sand eels move into the rips and a multitude of keeper bass were caught, including a 52-pound bass trolled up on the Capt. Mark. Sadly, we had prematurely called it a day at 11 a.m. As the fishing credo goes, we should have practiced better patience.

“Bassing has been good, but it should really be solid with the upcoming full moon this weekend,” predicted Capt. Mike Albronda of the charter boat Montauk. “Lots of bait around and the diamond jigging should be great.” Striper action should also peak for those who prefer the solitude and secrecy of fishing under the moonlit skies. The sale of small eels will likely be big this week, for that is the preferred bait of choice for those seeking larger stripers in the dead of night with the stronger-than-normal lunar tides. 

But striped bass and blues were not the only fixture on the fishing scene. Sharing the waters about a mile away in the still-dense Saturday morning haze was the outline of the Viking Starship, all 140 feet of her, anchored up near Great Eastern Rock. The boat was packed almost elbow to elbow with eager anglers reeling up a mix of large porgies and black sea bass. Recent action has been consistently good. The eagerly awaited sea bass season finally opened on June 27, and three fish over 15 inches can now be retained. 

“Action for bass and bluefish has been consistent,” said Tom (T.J.) Jordan at Gone Fishing Marina in Montauk. “And the sea bass fishing at Cartwright and Frisbees has been very good too since the opening of the season.” Jordan did not have any reports from offshore due to the recently persistent high winds and turbulent seas, but once the seas settle a bit, the activity should quicken for those in pursuit of sharks and tuna.

For flatfish fans, fluke fishing perked up a bit in the local rips off Montauk, said Kathy Vegessi, the patriotic, shoreside support arm of the open boat Lazybones. “The action has been good, with more keepers in the mix up to six pounds.” An outsize doormat of nearly 11 pounds was caught on the Miss Montauk II on Sunday. 

Harvey Bennett, owner of the Tackle Shop in Amagansett, was flying the French flag in honor of Independence Day with pride outside his shop. “We owe a lot to the French and how they helped us gain our independence, and people forget that,” proclaimed Monsieur Bennett, who had the Tour de France bicycle race on TV in his establishment. 

Turning to the fishing scene, Bennett said that Sy Ross of Springs and a buddy picked up six nice fluke between 22 and 24 inches off Accabonac Harbor on squid and spearing combos. He also said that stripers can be caught on clams from the ocean surf from Amagansett heading east to Gurney’s, and that shad, a particularly favorite food of large striped bass, can be still found in the nearby wash. A multitude of smaller bass can be had at Sammy’s Beach and Albert’s Landing on the bayside, he said. 

But Bennett was beyond enthused over the freshwater action. “I’m as happy as a clam at high tide about the action going on at Fort Pond in Montauk,” he added poetically. “Largemouth bass can be had on night crawlers and walleyes abound too. Great fishing.”

Those into light tackle and fly-fishing have also had some good innings of late. “Mostly sight fishing last week,” said Capt. Paul Dixon, an East Hampton guide. “When we had sun it was great for larger fish. When we didn’t have sun, we blind-cast and caught a bunch of schoolie stripers in the 15-to-22-inch range. Also, there are a lot of small blues off Cartwright Island.” Capt. Ken Rafferty also confirmed the solid bluefish action.

Sea bass were in very good supply on the east side of Gardiner’s Island, said Sebastian Gorgone of Mrs. Sam’s Bait and Tackle in East Hampton. “The sea bass have been big too, up to four pounds,” he said. “Fluke fishing was also good at Accabonac and Napeague Harbors.” Gorgone added that small stripers were plentiful inside Three Mile Harbor and Sammy’s Beach.

Action inside toward Shelter Island and the Peconics lacked some of the intensity of areas to the east. “Nothing very exciting going on as the winds have been a bit relentless for many,” said Ken Morse of Tight Lines Tackle in Sag Harbor. “Fluking has been slow, but there are blues off of Jessup’s Neck and some weakfish in Noyac Bay.”

For those anglers with a more competitive bent, a couple of fun summer fishing tournaments get underway in the next few days in Montauk. First up is the inaugural Star Island Yacht Club fluke tournament. The weeklong tourney starts on Sunday and ends at 4 p.m. on July 15. The entry fee is $400 per boat with a six-angler maximum. 

In addition, the ever-popular Montauk Mercury Grand Slam charity tournament will once again be held on July 15 and 16. Now in its 17th year, proceeds benefit youth, families, and senior citizens in the East Hampton community. 

It is presented by the Kiwanis Club of East Hampton and the Montauk Friends of Erin. Various prizes and trophies are given for the largest striped bass, sea bass, bluefish, and fluke for recreational, professional, commercial, and party boat divisions. Popular with children, the Wayne Clinch Kids Catch program will offer a new rod and reel and tackle boxes to 10 lucky kids under 13, and all will be entered in a drawing to win a seven-foot inflatable boat with a Mercury outboard motor. 

In addition, at the awards ceremony late Sunday afternoon, July 16, Capt. Frank Tuma Sr. will be honored as the Fishing Legend of the Year. The accolade is well deserved for Captain Tuma, a Montauk legend at the age of 92. Weigh-ins and events for the tournament take place at Uihlein’s Marina on West Lake Drive, and more information can be found at montaukgrandslam.com. 

We welcome your fishing tips, observations, and photographs at [email protected]. You can find the “On the Water” column on Twitter at @ehstarfishing.