Western Sound Blackfishing 2019

[Capt13]

My experience ...... 47 degrees, its over. When you catch small ones and they are grey and waxy looking, its done.

 

[BlueMarlin478]

Kings Point is reading 49 still - that gives me alot of hope. My guess is its still at least 50 in the middle, West of Rye.

Heading out on Sat early, first stop will be Mamaroneck/Rye and then I'll steam east to Stam perhaps. Think we still have temps in the low 50s out that way. Can anyone else confirm that?

 

[BennyV]

I

Kings Point is reading 49 still - that gives me alot of hope. My guess is its still at least 50 in the middle, West of Rye.

Heading out on Sat early, first stop will be Mamaroneck/Rye and then I'll steam east to Stam perhaps. Think we still have temps in the low 50s out that way. Can anyone else confirm that?

im curious to see if the fish are still biting off Norwalk and new haven.

 

[AllyKat]

Hoping to get out sat.....I saw 54 deg two weeks ago. Expecting to see high 40's on Saturday.
Going to start @35 feet, and work deeper from there.

 

[JoeBfishing]

I was out yesterday, 48* inside 40a off Rye.
49* off of 32a in 38ft
50* off of 42 in Mamaroneck. Caught all shorts with 1 keeper on both greens and Asian crabs. Best bite was on 42.
All fish had that grayish tint to them. I’m done.
Happy Holidays Everyone.

 

[AllyKat]

Went on my neighbors boat on Saturday. Fished the reef at 11B...50 feet. His temp reading was 51 degrees. Decent life, and all shorts for us, with two that were oh so close. Fished the entire outgoing. Weather doesn't look promising for the long weekend, but I will keep my fingers crossed.

 

[Fluke Whisperer]

A lot of the fish caught off Block island were coming up gray, must be borderline in R.I., was going to hop on another trip this coming Saturday, but I got too much to do, put the boat away and clean up my garage, making all those flower boxes I never took my compound saw in from outside, need to bring the snowblower out of the shed and change the oil. glad I got one last trip in this saturday.

 

[Matts]

All but one fish caught over the last few days in the west had that grey sheen to them.

 

[Fluke Whisperer]

Last day tomorrow for Ct. tog.

 

[BennyV]

Last day tomorrow for Ct. tog.

From what I hear there’s not much going on

 

[poorrichard]

Last trip of the year on Tuesday 11-26. Great weather, 60 degrees. Sound was very flat,

Fished the Port Jeff area on Tuesday. Moon tide made anchoring and holding bottom at adventure. Had only one good blackfish hit on a green crab. After that nothing for about 3 hours hours.

Surprise of the day was jigging up a few large Mackeral on some of the deeper drop offs. Haven't seen macks here in many years but caught a few while jigging for bass-none and blues-none.

Pretty poor year for the most past. Weather did not help in the fall. Many days the wind blew and getting to the good blackfish grounds was impossible.

 

[BennyV]

Last trip of the year on Tuesday 11-26. Great weather, 60 degrees. Sound was very flat,

Fished the Port Jeff area on Tuesday. Moon tide made anchoring and holding bottom at adventure. Had only one good blackfish hit on a green crab. After that nothing for about 3 hours hours.

Surprise of the day was jigging up a few large Mackeral on some of the deeper drop offs. Haven't seen macks here in many years but caught a few while jigging for bass-none and blues-none.

Pretty poor year for the most past. Weather did not help in the fall. Many days the wind blew and getting to the good blackfish grounds was impossible.

Great post!

I’ve heard about a few macks being caught over the last few years. Hopefully they make a comeback in the Sound.

As far as the weather goes it was definitely one of the more challenging years. The days we got out we had decent action for the most part. The short to keeper ratio was definitely a bit worse this years then the last few years, but small ones will hopefully equate to big ones in the future.

 

[flounderbound]

Great post!

I’ve heard about a few macks being caught over the last few years. Hopefully they make a comeback in the Sound.

As far as the weather goes it was definitely one of the more challenging years. The days we got out we had decent action for the most part. The short to keeper ratio was definitely a bit worse this years then the last few years, but small ones will hopefully equate to big ones in the future.

 

[flounderbound]

I hope you`re right about the small blacks,Benny.I have my doubts because many poachers at my marina have been keeping blacks as small as 12" for the market.And I`m not talking a few fish. These pedofiles are getting upwards of 50 lbs.a trip. Disgusting.

 

[BennyV]

I hope you`re right about the small blacks,Benny.I have my doubts because many poachers at my marina have been keeping blacks as small as 12" for the market.And I`m not talking a few fish. These pedofiles are getting upwards of 50 lbs.a trip. Disgusting.

Hello Pete! Real dirtbag stuff right there. Is it commercials or recs doing it? I took a stroll by orchard beach and saw some people keeping short stripers. DEC has been stepping up there game and issued some summonses.

 

[flounderbound]

Recs and my friends .to boot. Tried making them feel a little guilt till I was blue in the face. Money,money.money!!!

 

[poorrichard]

Hi Benny
I grew up fishing the western sound through the 70's and 80's. Speaking with one of my old fishing buddies from the same area the other day and told him I picked a few macks. We started talking about the macks being so thick in the western sound the Sheepshead Bay fleet would travel up the East River and catch very well. Usually right around Memorial Day, near Execution Light house. The fish had left the ocean and migrated into the sound. Nice to see a few mackerel around again

 

[flounderbound]

Oh yea. The good ole days. Mackerel,flounder and tommy cods in the spring.

 

[JoeBfishing]

I’m just wondering if all this potting and poaching of the blackfish helped the population grow in some odd way?What I’m saying, is that I certainly want the potting n poaching to stop, or at “least” be controlled with the tagging of blackfish starting this April. But, I must say, that this year and last was the most action I’ve experienced on almost every drop from 5’ to 55’ in the 30 years of targeting them. Is it just me?

 

[BennyV]

I’m just wondering if all this potting and poaching of the blackfish helped the population grow in some odd way?What I’m saying, is that I certainly want the potting n poaching to stop, or at “least” be controlled with the tagging of blackfish starting this April. But, I must say, that this year and last was the most action I’ve experienced on almost every drop from 5’ to 55’ in the 30 years of targeting them. Is it just me?

Some days it was like porgy fishing. Drop and stick fishing.

Could it be cyclical? Sure.
Could it be something else? Sure.
Could there be less pressure on the fishery then we like to believe? Sure.

I’m not sure what’s going on, but the abundance of juvenile fish means that the existing biomass of fish is breeding like crazy. Perfect example of this is Black Seabass. I’ve been working on partyboats in the Western LIS for 20+ years. In all that time I’ve only seen a handful of keeper seabass get boated and that is with shorts included. The last 2-3 years on some stops we’ve caught more seabass then porgies.

My question is why & how a fish with little to no existence come to start establishing a breeding population within the last 5 years. It’s mind boggling, but I’m happy to have them around.