Winter Kings in Summer
When I told a few friends the other week on a 90-degree day that I was planning to go fishing for cod, I received some strange and quizzical looks.
“You can catch cod in the summer?” asked one. “I thought that you can only catch them in the winter?” piped in another skeptical colleague. The fact is that codfish, which are also known by many as the winter king, can be found in pretty solid and consistent quantities during the dog days of summer. Granted, the ride to the productive grounds is not that close.
Distant wrecks located 20 to 40 miles offshore or various pieces on Cox’s Ledge, about a 30-mile ride east of Montauk, are the usual haunts to pursue such quarry. But when the weather conditions are conducive, traveling to some deeper offshore waters makes for a very nice and appealing diversion from the more typical local scene searching for sea bass, porgies, fluke, and other inshore species.
Last Thursday, on one of the hottest and most humid days we have experienced this summer season, I hopped on the Viking Five Star, ably handled by Capt. Steven Forsberg Jr., for an early 4 a.m. departure for the cod grounds. The Five Star is a beautiful 65-foot custom-built fishing boat that is tricked out with all the comforts of home, most thankfully a fully functioning air-conditioner in the main salon cabin and forward bunk areas, a real blessing on that steamy day. Forsberg’s game plan was to take a nearly three-hour ride to one of his secret offshore wrecks.
No doubt about it, this family knows its cod. Of Norwegian descent, Forsberg’s great-grandfather Carl started the family fishing business in Freeport back in 1936 before relocating it to Montauk in 1951. And the main fishery the Viking boats focused on most of the year was cod. Winter or summer, it did not matter. People wanted to catch cod and good fishing was available most of the year.
“The wreck is sticky,” said the first mate, Bobby Schroeder, on the calm ride out, meaning that we were likely to get hung up frequently on some old trawler nets entangled on the wreck. “We may lose a lot of rigs, but the action should be good.” He was right. Within a few minutes after setting the anchor, a nice 10-pound cod was gaffed aboard by one of the seven anglers booked on the 12-hour trip. The bites below were quick and I landed two cod right off the bat. But my luck quickly petered out as I repeatedly got tangled up in the obstructions in the175-foot depths below, with several lost fish and rigs.
However, those inconveniences did not dissuade the fishing powers and prowess of Vinny Esposito and his friend Frank from Wantagh. Originally from Canarsie, Brooklyn, these gentlemen were true cod pros who took the sport seriously. Taking along their own stockpile of freshly shucked skimmer clams for bait, they both lived and breathed cod, and it was a real spectacle to watch them catch one after the other throughout the day. If a Paramount movie were to be made, either of them could have come out of central casting and played Marlon Brando in a slightly retitled movie — “The Codfather.” They were that good.
Esposito topped off the family business that day by coaxing up a hefty 35-pound cod from the deep blue water on one of our last drops. It’s clear he made the cod an offer it could not refuse.
Closer to shore, the action continues to stay hot on a variety of species. “It’s summertime and the fishing is easy,” sang Harvey Bennett from behind the counter of the Tackle Shop in Amagansett. “Kingfish and blowfish are being taken in Three Mile Harbor and the snappers are getting bigger. Also, try a live snapper for fluke as bait near Napeague Harbor. It’s like candy for them and the fishing has been good.” Bennett also said that the porgy action is solid near the old hangar dock on Fort Pond Bay in Montauk, but he did say that the local freshwater scene slowed down in the most recent heat wave.
On another note, he added that he has heard several good reports on blue- claw crab action.
Bennett also reminded anglers that he will make personal deliveries of bait and tackle to those in the local area after normal daytime business hours. Bennett’s bright green Volkswagen Beetle (a.k.a. the Fish Bug) is hard to miss. In addition, the drive to secure more baseball equipment for children in the Dominican Republican is now in the bottom of the ninth inning. “The response so far has been good, but more is needed before we ship things off.” I’m sure the Fish Bug could be coaxed into making a pickup up of a baseball glove or two for this worthy cause.
Over at Mrs. Sam’s Bait and Tackle in East Hampton, Sebastian Gorgone relayed that the activity for snappers has been very good and that blowfish can be taken at the commercial dock on Three Mile Harbor. “Nice to see the blowfish supply up in these parts,” said Gorgone. “And the fishing for sea bass and fluke continues to be good on the east side of Gardiner’s Island.” Gorgone also added that action on the ocean beaches remains consistent for stripers and bluefish on small diamond jigs, as well as those intent on slinging bunker chunks or clams.
Farther to the west, Ken Morse, owner of Tight Lines Tackle Shop in Sag Harbor, was enthused by the weakfish activity in Noyac Bay, even as local water temperatures near 80 degrees. “Fishing for weakfish has been really good with some fish pushing up to six pounds.” Morse said that those who fish early in the morning have a decided edge, with smaller fish more prevalent in the midday sun. He added that blue-claw crab action has also been good in the local creeks and bays of late. “I took my daughter out the other evening and we caught a nice amount of large crabs. Fun times.”
A little fresh crabmeat on top of a seared cod fillet sounds good to me.
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