The Memorial Day holiday weekend is upon us. Blink and it will be July 4, and then . . . I won’t mention it, but you know what I’m referring to.
My boat, Rock Water, should be back in the water in a few weeks.
Built nearly 25 years ago in Arichat, a small village on Isle Madame off Cape Breton Island in eastern Nova Scotia, she is a stout craft and has served me well over the years. But my luck finally ran out last year, and it seemed everything was breaking down on a weekly basis. First was the demise of my fish finder, followed by my GPS/radar. Then the oil cooler went kaput. Next to die was the alternator.
Finally, on my last fishing trip of the season in mid-November, the diesel fuel lines became clogged with debris north of Gull Island, nearly 15 miles from home. It took us nearly three hours to limp back to port. Should I even mention being towed back by Sea Tow in May when I conked out in Noyac Bay?
Starting in January, my marina ripped up my entire stern deck to put in new twin fuel tanks. New fuel lines were also installed. Currently, a new stern deck is being fiberglassed. It will then need a few coats of paint, and the boat needs bottom paint and a thorough waxing of its 30-foot hull. Rock Water remains high and dry, but I’m not losing sleep over it. Sure, I miss fishing for lobsters, but soon, blue-claw crabs will be scurrying about. I actually prefer them over lobster.
Hopefully all of the extensive repairs and maintenance will bring her back to her former glory. That said, I just renewed my Sea Tow membership to be safe.
As for the fishing scene, anglers are enthused by what they are catching in many locales. While the calendar may not say so, it feels like summer is here.
“Fishing in the Peconics has been absolutely amazing,” said Ken Morse at Tight Lines Tackle in Southampton and Sag Harbor. “There are loads of giant-sized porgies around and the bluefish have showed up big time at Jessup’s Neck and many other places. The fishing scene has literally exploded here.”
Morse was equally excited about the fishing for striped bass. “Bass over 30 pounds have been landed of late,” he said. “They are everywhere: Robins Island, Nassau Point, Jessup’s, Paradise Point, and the South Ferry area. Folks are landing a nice amount of slot fish between 28 and 31 inches. And don’t forget about weakfish. The fishing has been quite good, especially in Noyac Bay and west of Jessup’s.”
Farther east, Sebastian Gorgone of Mrs. Sam’s Bait and Tackle in East Hampton was excited about the upcoming holiday. “It’s been a real bang on the fishing front,” he said with a smile on Sunday afternoon. “Bluefish are chasing poppers at Gerard Drive and striped bass are doing best at sunrise and sunset. Porgy fishing has been great at Cedar Point and Sag Harbor. Lots of action everywhere.”
Gorgone was also glad to see that a few fluke have shown up at Sammy’s Beach in East Hampton and off Gerard Drive in Springs. “Hopefully, it’s a sign of better fishing for them this summer,” he added. “The last few years have been disappointing.”
Out at Montauk, fishing for striped bass continues to gain momentum, with bluefish mixing in. Diamond jigs are the hot lure, but anglers trolling umbrella rigs and bucktails have no reason to complain. The fishing has been solid most days.
Fluke fishing is also perking up when the winds don’t blow. An angler on the Montauk Star landed a 10.4-pound flattie on Sunday. A good sign.
Capt. Steven Forsberg, Sr. of the Viking Starship returned on Sunday afternoon from a very eventful, extended offshore fishing trip. “The first day started off with a slow pick, but things quickly turned around as we moved into deeper waters,” he said. “The action picked up with anglers hauling in impressive catches of blueline tilefish, along with a number of monkfish. By the end of the trip, everyone had a hefty bag of fish. It was a great trip with great people.”
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Fishing tips, observations, and photographs can be sent to [email protected].