Post up up your 2019/2020/2021/2022 Blackfishing Pix/Reports/Adventures/Musings

[captmike28]

Last of 2025

Last trip of the season. Headed to my favorite local reef with Capt. Mike and RobbiePav, right to the numbers where Robbie had fish yesterday. West breeze against the incoming made anchoring a bit of a problem. Clean miss on first try (first tries are usually "for practice" anyway). Second try got right on it, but swung off. Third try, dead nuts. Spent a significant amount of time on that piece for a couple of keepers and a slew of shorts to "just unders." Nice piece Robbie found, but tough to get on if the conditions aren't just right. Anyway, around 10:30 sailed over to where I've been fishing the entire season and had a few more keepers and a ton of shorts. Ended the day with five in the box, with Mike leading the way with a 4.5 and another pushing 6 pounds. Not a fan of fishing blackfish on a Moon, but we sail when we can, and make the best of it. And so, that's it for 2025. Boat comes home Monday morning and I'm already accumulating the parts I need to fix the exhaust issue and a bunch of other more minor matters. It's gonna be a busy Spring, prepping the Lep.

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And this is how I know my wife of 40 seasons still likes me. She cooked while I fished - 3-meat meatballs in white wine sauce with hot cherry peppers, onions, garlic, over imported penne rigate. Really hit the spot after a day on the cold grounds. Gonna pay the price tomorrow morning though - if you catch my drift. Oof aaah!

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Many thanks to Pete for always positioning the boat just right with traditional ground tackle to give us the best possible chance to score. Experience shows!!

 

[OVERBORED]

I find the lack of quality fish to be very depressing. This is the time of year when the DDs come out and play aggressively as fish move deeper.........

Great reporting. Hopefully the Agida doesn't last too long. That's why God made Brioschi!

 

[Leprechaun]

It wasn't agita I was concerned about. The "Italian curse" is more like it! And I wasn't wrong about it hitting me this morning, by the way. There was a time I could cover a plate of pasta with red pepper flakes. Not anymore, for sure. Uggh, TMI, amirite?

 

[OVERBORED]

Ha! Sometimes the consequences are worth it!

You guys caught better than most yesterday.

 

[Matts]

I ended the season in grand fashion. We were supposed to fish Newport today, Monday, but the captain called last week to say he had a cancellation for yesterday, Sunday, that the weather would be much better Sunday, and that we might not make it our Monday trip due to high wind.
I jumped on it.
A slow pick for most of the day, but when we did hook up, the fish were high quality; several in the 5-9 pound category and this beautiful 11# that got a trip to the surface before an easy release. No distended stomach or popped out eyes.
That wraps 2025. On to ski season.

 

[longcast]

I ended the season in grand fashion. We were supposed to fish Newport today, Monday, but the captain called last week to say he had a cancellation for yesterday, Sunday, that the weather would be much better Sunday, and that we might not make it our Monday trip due to high wind.
I jumped on it.
A slow pick for most of the day, but when we did hook up, the fish were high quality; several in the 5-9 pound category and this beautiful 11# that got a trip to the surface before an easy release. No distended stomach or popped out eyes.
That wraps 2025. On to ski season.View attachment 109275

Beautiful tog!!! Wow.

Jig? Lighter tackle?

 

[Matts]

Beautiful tog!!! Wow.

Jig? Lighter tackle?

Current was light and I fished with a jig for most of the day, caught a bunch of bergals and sea bass, but they just did not want a jig. All the tog were caught on sinker rigs. This fish was caught in about 100' with 30# braid and my conventional Al Goldberg spiral wrap.

 

[Leprechaun]

And That’s That
Got her home this morning. Time to Winterize and get the shrink wrapper over here.

 

[Leprechaun]

Last of the 2025 Fresh Fish

Teriyaki glaze (Giunta’s house version - I like it the best), toasted sesame oil, toasted seeds on Saturday’s catch. Broiled in our oversized toaster oven. Really simple, really great!

 

[Leprechaun]

These are the three key ingredients to make the dish above. Inexpensive, quick to cook and VERY nice to eat:

 

[Leprechaun]

And FINALLY I Can Close Out 2025

Took way too many days of high winds, heavy rain and two snow storms worth of deck shovel-outs, but thankfully it's finito. Got a halfway decent morning for Squiggy's to shoot over here and do the job that's been pending for weeks. Goodbye to 2025. And good riddance. We had our decent innings, but overall it was not a great year for our local bottom fishing. Now we begin the long, cold slog toward Spring '26.

 

[Chinacat]

Good luck with the winter projects Pete!

 

[Togilator]

And FINALLY I Can Close Out 2025

Took way too many days of high winds, heavy rain and two snow storms worth of deck shovel-outs, but thankfully it's finito. Got a halfway decent morning for Squiggy's to shoot over here and do the job that's been pending for weeks. Goodbye to 2025. And good riddance. We had our decent innings, but overall it was not a great year for our local bottom fishing. Now we begin the long, cold slog toward Spring '26.

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I would never complain about my neighbor if he had a boat on his property all winter. I believe in the don't bother me and I will not bother you system. I'm amazed though in this day and age and how people are today that none of your neighbors call the town on you. Actually surprised there is no dumb town code that restricts you from storing the boat on your own property, or some special money grab permit to apply for to do so. I had a neighbor when she was younger had a problem with anything and everything around her. I mean she was yelling at my wife for watering the bushes during a long no rain period and getting water on her fence. Ugh, there's to many people like that these days.

 

[Leprechaun]

Yep, I've written on this before - maybe to address this question that was (I think it was you - but maybe not) already asked in the past. Anyways, here goes. I have one neighbor, directly across the street from my side yard who some years ago tried to enlist a few of the other neighbors to find a way to get the boat off my property. Actually went door to door.

What they didn't know was that I'd already headed off that sort of thing by spiffing the other neighbors around me with fresh fillet, whenever I had some extra that I could share. Needless to say, no takers on a joint effort to evict my boat from my yard. So they went solo to the 7th Precinct here in town and spoke with the desk sergeant about it. He told them that in the Seaford/Wantagh area there is no ordinance that pertained to this. I guess they were disappointed. Tough titties.

One of the neighbors they approached told me about their effort, and that she actually liked to see my boat. She actually enjoyed watching my Spring prep process every season. I guess she told them that as well. Tough titties X2.

The funny part - one Spring, not too long after their failed eviction attempt, the troublesome neighbor was out futzing around with his shrubs when my hauler pulled up. Chris/HippyChic was moving the boat off the blocks and into the street for its annual Spring trip to the Freeport State ramp. "Mr. Lep hater" came across the street and tried being all friendly, asking why I was getting such a late start (it was mid-May) and what I would be fishing for.

Yeah, he didn't know that I know what he did, and I didn't make him any smarter. But someday, probably when I finally do move the boat along to its next owner, he and I will have a "little discussion" on the subject.

Also, I do know that putting a boat on the lawn is not permitted in Massapequa (or is it Massapequa Park, maybe? I dunno). You can have a boat on a trailer on your driveway, but not on blocks. But here in my specific area, nope, no such regulation.

 

[Togilator]

I don't recall asking but may have. I honestly cant stand the snobbish yuppie stuck up culture of many Long Islanders these days. Or what the towns have become. Everything is a money grab now. People are paying 10-30 K or more in taxes and the towns regulates you to death. People need to mind there own business and not have an issue with everything. leave me alone and I will do like wise. Okay I'm done with its time to move elsewhere rant. lol

 

[Leprechaun]

I’m a big believer that “tall fences make for good neighbors.”

Sounds like you are as well.