Recent content by Jillybird

The goliaths do need thinning out in certain areas. They eat a huge amount, including many of the fish anglers are bringing to the boat. But the giants can be wiped out very quickly. So the harvest has to be very well controlled and tightly monitored. BTW the giants taste awful from what the...

About ten years ago there was an old time run for a couple of weeks off the south shore in the winter. I took my son and some of his friends when they were young teens. They experienced what I enjoyed as a kid. It was great and then never again.

Fred was 69. He died of heart-related COVID complications from what I’ve heard.

The plan today was to get a late start so that the fog would burn away. Well, Capt. Jan and I did get that late start, but the fog didn’t cooperate. Wasn’t too bad leaving the harbor - maybe 1/2 mile vis which improved to 2 miles for a while by the Elbow. Plenty of birds working the rips...

I was one of the fools who left five rods in my rocket launchers. At least they weren’t my expensive offshore ones. To my knowledge, the crooks haven’t been caught - yet. I suspect it was a local job. Maybe one night at one of the bars someone will start talking.

Agreed. These guys are likely running west from Montauk or points east on autopilot following their GPS route and you just happen to be in their way. When I run, I try to set my route to avoid fishing grounds like the Middle Grounds or the Triangle so I don't have this issue.

Blackfish jigs are the only way to go in LI Sound in the early season. The best are the Tidal Tail jigs created by Capt. John Knight. These are the original blackfish jigs and I've caught many thousands of tog using them. There's nothing better than using a light spinning outfit in 10-15 feet...

I'm sure they'll be found easily once the wind dies down. Tomorrow will be a zoo out there. Good luck.

Roccus7, my son, who's a charter captain, ran my boat up from Florida in July. Then he lived on the boat until mid-September, and left all the offshore gear in the rocket launchers and the tower launchers, even though the dockmaster had warned us not to, and I told him not to. But he was...

Thanks. Yesterday, the water on the South Side was very clear where I ran. Last week when I was out there was a lot of muddy water around the breakers. But yesterday was so calm, I actually drifted too close to the beach for comfort. Yesterday, there should have been some good shots for you...

Loads of stripers yesterday towards sunset from the Point and to the west for several miles. Fish were from the "breakers" (no surf yesterday) and out to about 30 feet deep. Pods were moving around fast. Some pods were very big. Others just a dozen or so bass. Couldn't tell what they were...

First, the excellent news. Saturday was a magnificent day to fish off of Montauk. I drove out to my boat in the morning and met my friend, Capt. Jan, from Moriches. In contrast to Thursday’s wind fest, Saturday was a very light northerly breeze with calm seas. Plan A was to drift the rips at...

Today was too beautiful a day not to fish, and I managed to talk my wife into joining me in a drive out to the Jillybird IV at the Montauk Lake Club. We left Westchester around 10 am so I was planning on fishing the afternoon bite for stripers in the rips and some surface action. Crossing the...

Went over to SW Ledge yesterday afternoon in calm seas with a bit of a swell. Plenty of action on the high spots with small sea bass. Only one keeper of about 17 inches. Lots of boats. Didn't want to make the run to the windmills. Wasn't worth running over to the Ledge for this. Then...

The tuna fishing offshore of Montauk has been very good. My son is offshore today on my boat. He fished a 1/2 day mid-shore tuna trip on Wednesday and nailed a beautiful 126 pound bluefin, 2 20-30 pounders, released another that size, and his misfit friends lost a bunch more. As for other...