Captain's Table - June Moon Bass

[captmike28]

The June Full Moon is always a classic time to fish for Striped Bass. Thanks to a decent weather window on Friday and Saturday, I took full advantage of mother nature’s gift.

Friday was a solo trip for me both to prospect for Saturday’s charter and also to enjoy my favorite way to catch Bass, 3-way bucktailing. Got to Plum Gut just as the flood started and not more than a minute into my first drift, I had he first slot fish of the day on my rod and headed to the box. The next 2 hours produced hook ups on nearly every drift and my final tally was 13 Bass with 4 in the slot size range, orl. To top things off I also landed the largest Bass I personally have caught here this season; a very fat and healthy 36” fish that tipped the scale at 23#. I know I am getting too old for this as the fish wore me out like a 30#+ fish used to do only 5 years ago!

Also tried several drops back in the bay looking for Fluke on the end of the flood and swing to ebb. Unfortunately, it was extremely quiet with just a couple of shorts and one 3.5# Weakfish. A real concern for the next day’s charter.

Saturday found my regulars, John, and Ricky along with our own George Scocca on a split ¾ day outing targeting Bass and Fluke. Once again, the Gut came through although it was a lot more challenging with the enormous amount of boat traffic present. At one point John said he did a quick count and saw about 45 boats tightly packed in the area! Anyway, we put our heads down and got the job done. George started us off on the first drift with a beautiful 30” slot fish. John made a few contributions on the next several drifts with a slot fish of his own and Ricky also got his keeper a few drifts later. With the steady action and my concentration fixed on staying clear of all the competition I cannot recall who landed the 4th slot fish but we did make the full boat limit on Bass with ease, culled out of a baker’s dozen for the 2.5-hour effort.

One other interesting observation. We all know Bass are very opportunistic when it comes to food. However, this was a first for me. A few of the Bass landed spit up small Whiting! Normally Whiting are a very cold-water fish that I only see on rare occasions, in recent years, as a by catch when working 100’ depths off Montauk. This is the first time I ever saw one in Plum Gut. Any potential explanations?

So, we headed west, and I was almost certain we would be finishing the day with Weakfish. However, on the first pass George nails a 19.5” keeper Fluke giving us some hope. Next drift John comes up with a 20” keeper and I am beginning to think we might put together a few nice Fluke dinners. For the next 2 hours we did land at least one Fluke on every successive drift. Only problem was they were all short. A better showing than I had the day before, but still a far cry from what Fluke fishing in the Peconic Bay system used to be. Nevertheless, everyone went home with plenty of fresh filets and some big smiles following an action packed, albeit very warm day on the water.

I will be off the water all next week with some consulting jobs so my next crack at wetting a line will be for the newly arriving NY Sea Bass season. Can’t wait to put one of those tasty guys on the dinner table!

Capt. Mike

 

[Pangaroo]

I think the whiting were there because it's so deep near Plum Gut. I think it's almost 300 feet deep in certain areas near there. Probably the good bottom there has a lot of food for them.

 

[live bait]

Great job Capt. Those whiting look good enough to eat.

 

[Snapprhead27]

Nice job Capt!

 

[captmike28]

I think the whiting were there because it's so deep near Plum Gut. I think it's almost 300 feet deep in certain areas near there. Probably the good bottom there has a lot of food for them.

Pangaroo: While it is true there are a few areas in the eastern Sound where the depths plunge to over 300' I still can't explain why in over 60 years of fishing this area I never saw a single Whiting, either on hook and line or spit up by another fish. Very Strange.

And yes, John they did look good enough to eat, just a bit small as that photo was pretty close up. However, you better believe when I catch a decent sized one or two each summer off Montauk, they go straight to the dinner table!

 

[george]

What a great day it was fishing with Mike and John and Ricky. I had a bass on almost every drift. Aside from the times I snagged bottom

All kidding aside, fishing with such a knowledgeable Capt had me at ease as he navigated the fleet. His reading out of the bottom depths was really helpful to me as it had me searching much less. As always the boat was impeccable, and our baits and rigs were ready. So relaxing.

Thanks again Mike for a well need sit back and fish day. I'm always available to fill an extra spot on a Captains Table Charter.

 

[Pangaroo]

Pangaroo: While it is true there are a few areas in the eastern Sound where the depths plunge to over 300' I still can't explain why in over 60 years of fishing this area I never saw a single Whiting, either on hook and line or spit up by another fish. Very Strange.

And yes, John they did look good enough to eat, just a bit small as that photo was pretty close up. However, you better believe when I catch a decent sized one or two each summer off Montauk, they go straight to the dinner table!

Where there's 2 , there's others . Hope a population builds there. I remember being off Montauk 30 years ago fishing next to the draggers . They were scooping up Whiting and there were dead whiting floating on the surface . Saw a gigantic blue shark about 12 feet long swimming on the surface sucking in those whiting. So sinister looking ! Loved the great tuna fishing that day. Haven't seen a whiting ever again except at a fish market.

 

[OVERBORED]

Hey Cap.

Im curious as I used to fish the Peconic bay back when the Brand X and Wilheric were around, when was the last time you saw an 8+lb weakfish or 10+ fluke from the Peconic bay?

I remember both being quite common in the 80s.........Thanks

 

[captmike28]

Hey Cap.

Im curious as I used to fish the Peconic bay back when the Brand X and Wilheric were around, when was the last time you saw an 8+lb weakfish or 10+ fluke from the Peconic bay?

I remember both being quite common in the 80s.........Thanks

Although I rarely fished from party boats in that area in the 70's ad 80's I certainly saw both of the boats mentioned many times from my own vessels. During the era most considered to be the very best for Weakfish, mid to late 70's 8# fish were indeed very common, and it literally took a double-digit fish to turn heads. My personal best during that time was a whopping 13.5# beast and I know larger ones than that were also caught.

As far as large Fluke in the Peconic's, the early 80's, IMHO were tops. On Memorial Day weekend of 1980, while listening to the Islanders win the first of their 4 Stanley Cups, I caught a 9.25# fish on Friday and a 9.75# fish in the same area on Sunday! And it is true many 7-10 # Fluke were caught during those special years.

While it is still possible to catch a really large Weakfish or Fluke in the Peconic's the numbers seem to be way off what they were during that era. After one of the unexplainable long declines in Weakfishing, they did come back in huge numbers in the Peconic's starting about 5 years ago. However, the overall sizes range is much smaller than we saw in the 70/80's time frame. To answer your question directly it was 4 years ago when one of my charter customers caught an 8.5# Weak, the largest I have seen on my boat since the "hey days"

Now we have a lot of volume but may short fish and on most days depending on how much time you invest. Top fish may be 4 or 5# with a rare exception. However, what I find very interesting is that the volume is so large right now that on most days you can catch Weakfish all day long. In the 70's, as good as it was, my recollection is that the best fishing took place at sunrise, sunset, or overnight. Now, in most cases you can catch them almost any time even during mid-day 90-degree heat in the middle of the summer!

Fluke, on the other had have become continuously tougher to find in the Peconic's over the last several years. I certainly see a lot less squid in the bay than were present decades ago and that has to have an effect on the fishing. Now I bust my hump for a handful of keepers on most trips with maybe a 5-6# fish being the best on any given day. I think over the last 5 years the largest caught on my boat in the bay just touched 8#. Having said that I do know the winner of this year's Billy's by the Bay tournament was a 10# fish that came from the area around Greenport. So, there is always hope. Just not the better fishing we were all spoiled with long ago.

Hence the reason why I make several Montauk Fluke trips now each summer. Still no guarantees but the odds are definitely better for finding some quality fish in the ocean.

 

[OVERBORED]

Thanks for the thorough response Mike!

Being from the city, my dad and I rented boats from Capt. Marty's in New Suffolk and were never disappointed. When I started mating in Montauk, we always had good flukiing in the shelter island/Gardiner's ruins areas with whole, live squid in late May.

Hopefully we can get that fishing to return as it was top notch and I remember many sleepless nights thinking about the next days fishing!

 

[captmike28]

ThThanks for the thorough response Mike!

Being from the city, my dad and I rented boats from Capt. Marty's in New Suffolk and were never disappointed. When I started mating in Montauk, we always had good flukiing in the shelter island/Gardiner's ruins areas with whole, live squid in late May.

Hopefully we can get that fishing to return as it was top notch and I remember many sleepless nights thinking about the next days fishing!

Thanks for the thorough response Mike!

Being from the city, my dad and I rented boats from Capt. Marty's in New Suffolk and were never disappointed. When I started mating in Montauk, we always had good flukiing in the shelter island/Gardiner's ruins areas with whole, live squid in late May.

Hopefully we can get that fishing to return as it was top notch and I remember many sleepless nights thinking about the next days fishing!

Yet another sad story regarding the collapse of our Fluke fishing by the Ruins and east side of Gardiners. As you noted, Overbored, that area was also well known for very reliable Fluking up until about 5-6 years ago. Just one example was a charter I ran there 6 years ago for a party of 4. I set up the first drift and didn't restart the engine for the next 2.5hours! We caught a mix of both shorts and keeper Fluke and Sea Bass, limiting the boat on a single long drft!

Once again it's hard to explain this trend but the results for myself and many other really skilled anglers and Captains don't lie. On rare occasions a boat or two may still have a good Fluke day off Gardiners, but that is now the exception.

Currently, I feel nothing but sadness as I steam past Gardiners headed for Montauk and no longer see any boats working the area.

 

[OVERBORED]

Ruins fluke and Tobaccolot bay snowshoes were some great memories. Such a shame.

Is it overfishing? Lack of bait? Global warming?

That area seemed to be the center of the east end fishing universe in the spring/Early summer!

 

[Pangaroo]

Although I rarely fished from party boats in that area in the 70's ad 80's I certainly saw both of the boats mentioned many times from my own vessels. During the era most considered to be the very best for Weakfish, mid to late 70's 8# fish were indeed very common, and it literally took a double-digit fish to turn heads. My personal best during that time was a whopping 13.5# beast and I know larger ones than that were also caught.

As far as large Fluke in the Peconic's, the early 80's, IMHO were tops. On Memorial Day weekend of 1980, while listening to the Islanders win the first of their 4 Stanley Cups, I caught a 9.25# fish on Friday and a 9.75# fish in the same area on Sunday! And it is true many 7-10 # Fluke were caught during those special years.

While it is still possible to catch a really large Weakfish or Fluke in the Peconic's the numbers seem to be way off what they were during that era. After one of the unexplainable long declines in Weakfishing, they did come back in huge numbers in the Peconic's starting about 5 years ago. However, the overall sizes range is much smaller than we saw in the 70/80's time frame. To answer your question directly it was 4 years ago when one of my charter customers caught an 8.5# Weak, the largest I have seen on my boat since the "hey days"

Now we have a lot of volume but may short fish and on most days depending on how much time you invest. Top fish may be 4 or 5# with a rare exception. However, what I find very interesting is that the volume is so large right now that on most days you can catch Weakfish all day long. In the 70's, as good as it was, my recollection is that the best fishing took place at sunrise, sunset, or overnight. Now, in most cases you can catch them almost any time even during mid-day 90-degree heat in the middle of the summer!

Fluke, on the other had have become continuously tougher to find in the Peconic's over the last several years. I certainly see a lot less squid in the bay than were present decades ago and that has to have an effect on the fishing. Now I bust my hump for a handful of keepers on most trips with maybe a 5-6# fish being the best on any given day. I think over the last 5 years the largest caught on my boat in the bay just touched 8#. Having said that I do know the winner of this year's Billy's by the Bay tournament was a 10# fish that came from the area around Greenport. So, there is always hope. Just not the better fishing we were all spoiled with long ago.

Hence the reason why I make several Montauk Fluke trips now each summer. Still no guarantees but the odds are definitely better for finding some quality fish in the ocean.



View attachment 81635View attachment 81636

I'll never forget going out to Port Of Egypt during it's heydey in the mid to late 1970's when they rented 16 footers . They probably had 25 Rental boats they quickly rented on the weekends. We drove all the way out there from Nassau County , didn't know much about Peconic Bay Fishing, the hotspots,. Even with our limited knowledge we went out with a few boxes of squid and caught big tiderunner Weakfish. Maybe 15 or 20 Big tiderunners. I think we went out in May.

 

[captmike28]

Ruins fluke and Tobaccolot bay snowshoes were some great memories. Such a shame.

Is it overfishing? Lack of bait? Global warming?

That area seemed to be the center of the east end fishing universe in the spring/Early summer!

I believe that most of the changes that take place in our fisheries are due to a multitude of reasons, not just a single factor. Is there less bait in the area, yes, I can actually see that when I still prospect a little hoping for a return to better action.

Water temperatures have certainly risen but like most things climate related they are cyclical and will eventually swing in the other direction. Salinity can also be a factor, but I have no real way of measuring that parameter.

While I do not want to point a finger at only the commercial activity, I do observe that on my trips to Montauk when I pass Gardiners there does seem to be a lot more trawler activity to the north and west of the Montauk Jetties than I recall in the past.

As far as Tobaccolot snowshoes, please, don't make me cry!!

 

[Pangaroo]

I believe that most of the changes that take place in our fisheries are due to a multitude of reasons, not just a single factor. Is there less bait in the area, yes, I can actually see that when I still prospect a little hoping for a return to better action.

Water temperatures have certainly risen but like most things climate related they are cyclical and will eventually swing in the other direction. Salinity can also be a factor, but I have no real way of measuring that parameter.

While I do not want to point a finger at only the commercial activity, I do observe that on my trips to Montauk when I pass Gardiners there does seem to be a lot more trawler activity to the north and west of the Montauk Jetties than I recall in the past.

As far as Tobaccolot snowshoes, please, don't make me cry!!

The only way they're bringing back flounder is by stocking the bays with millions of young flounder and building up a new population in each bay. Flounder aren't coming back because there aren't enough of them to build a population . Predators keep them from rebuilding. It's the same with cod now.
The fishing out East today is better than it was in the 70's,80's,90's when flounder were out there in good numbers. , if flounder ever return it'll be amazing!