New York Metro &
New Jersey

November 28th, 2003

Right and Wrong...

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Okay…. Once again I’m going to use this column to make a point. And speaking of points, I’m going to point a few fingers… Most importantly I’m going to point the big finger at a “fictitious character” that is very much like myself. This invented character screwed up this week and he’s feeling pretty bad about it. Maybe “guilty” is the better word to use here. I’m even going to go so far as to call this character a big fat hypocrite. However, before throwing stones, let’s all try and decide how we would have reacted if we were in the same circumstances. What’s important is that I realize what was so messed up about this whole “fictitious” experience. And I… I mean this character… will never take part in such “fictitious” activity again. So let me tell you a completely fictitious story about a fictitious day last weekend. Here goes.

The rumors in this tight-knit flyfishing community spread like a California forest fire. Bluefin tuna just a stone’s throw from Montauk Point was the buzz... I’m not talking footballs… I mean big suckers… Fish in the 100 to 300-pound class. Seconds after hearing this over the weekend, I was on the phone trying to cancel trips I had booked for a slowing Jamaica Bay fishery so I could get out and get a look for myself. Several hours and a few winks later I was sucking down coffee at 5:00AM cruising east on Sunrise Hwy while Johnny Cash belted out a foreboding Fulsome Prison Blues.

It was windy and cold when we came around Montauk Point and our intention was to get some big stripers that were reportedly on herring… If those tuna showed, at the very least it would be a spectacle, but I wasn’t counting on it. As a fishless morning turned into afternoon, just as the mechanical weatherman predicted, the wind sat down and the bump turned into flat glass. Chasing around the gannets we came upon what looked from a distance like a school of big bass on herring. After witnessing a few huge boils a 100-plus-pound silver yellowish blue sickle tail monster came flying out of the water just a boat length away from us entering the water with almost no splash. Immediately everyone in the boat screamed a different expletive and the fly-lines began whipping everywhere.

Sounds pretty great right??? Well… It wasn’t. The recreational category for bluefin tuna had closed just 5-days before… Not to mention, not everybody on this fictitious boat had the required Highly Migratory (HMS) Permit to target bluefin. We told ourselves we were targeting stripers, but every time one of these pods slashed through the water with mouths agape and tall dorsal fins penetrating the surface with big black shadows underneath, there was screaming and casting mayhem.

It wasn’t until 3:00PM that one of the folks on this fictitious boat managed to “accidentally” hook into one of these locomotives. For the first thirty minutes we were afraid we would lose it. For the 2-hours that followed, we were afraid we weren’t going to lose it. I have never seen a rod, or the angler holding on to it for that matter, bend like that. It occurred to me after the first hour that fighting a fish this big with a flyrod was just plain stupid. As the light slowly faded in the western Atlantic the fictitious angler had beaten the fish. As it approached the side of the boat what had once been a large colorful animal now appeared a dreary gunmetal gray. An eye the size of a tea plate seemed to stare at me blankly as I reached down and grabbed the big fish by the gill plate and with help from all hands, hoisted it on board.

There was some “oohing” and “ahhing” as we fired off a few shots, then pushed the fish overboard… The adrenaline was high, but I had already begun to feel that sinking feeling in my gut. I knew that more than likely that big beautiful fish was deader than a doornail. On the drive home, Johnny Cash sang “I killed a man in Reno, just to watch him die.” Although exhausted, I didn’t sleep well that night as visions of that big eye on the huge steely gray body plagued my thoughts.

That’s my fictitious story. One might have assumed that catch and release fishing for bluefin out of season was permissible. However, I found out, after checking the NMFS website, that anglers are not allowed to target these fish, which makes sense because if you fight a big strong fish like that, I don’t care what kind of tackle you are using, it’s going to fight to the death. While the fictitious narrator in the story didn’t catch or kill that fish I… He was just as guilty as the angler for allowing it to happen.

They were all caught up in the moment, as any red-blooded angler would be. But regardless, the law is the law and if we are to expect other people to follow it, so should we. According to the Atlantic Tuna Commission the population of bluefin tuna that breeds in the Atlantic is down about 90 percent since the 1970s, now at its lowest level in history. Because of their high value in the sushi market, in areas where they were once abundant they are scarce and in many places, absent. Sure, excellent fishing still occurs in local areas for brief periods as diminished bands of fish sweep through, but the great herds of mighty bluefin that many older people remember is now a thing of the past, like the buffalo. While purse seine vessels continue destroy this great species by the hundreds of tons, it doesn’t seem like a few “fictitious” flyfishermen would make much of a dent. In the grand scheme of things, the fact that that the fictitious fish probably died doesn’t really matter all that much. But that’s not the point… There are ethical and moral issues at stake here. Flyfishermen, especially guides, are at the forefront of a marine conservation movement that has been gathering momentum in the last several years. For any of us to act in such a way is morally and ethically wrong, not to mention illegal. The long and short of it is we should be practicing what we preach.

I’m ashamed of the fictitious narrator in the story. One thing is for sure. It will not happen again… Ever…

Now that I’ve gotten that out let’s get on to the reports…

Things had really slowed down this week across the board as the keeper sized bass seemed to have all but disappeared. Odd because the proliferation of peanut bunker and rain bait remained. But since the wind lifted on Wednesday afternoon the fishing picked up dramatically in New Jersey and the New York Metro area. Montauk had a good run of big bass on herring but that seems to have slowed. Those fishing herring on the bottom have been getting large bass regularly, so they are most certainly there.

Some wind this weekend, but judging by what’s happening today and yesterday, there are going to be larger schooling bass around, and they’re going to be thick. So do what you can to get out there. Go fish!

And don’t forget to email me your own reports. Tight lines all.

Tight Lines!

John McMurray

New Jersey

From the central New Jersey area, Captain Gene Quigley from Shore Catch Guide Service checks in with this report:

John,

Well, after a three day "lull" due to the new moon things are back to full swing here along the Jersey Shore with insane bass blitzes today along the beaches and out in the boat all day long! We have fish up on the surface busting through bait making the topwater fly-fishing fantastic. Fish are averaging between 7 and 17 lbs and the hot flies have been Baby Angels and Bucktail Deceivers. We still also have a lot of Big Blues around and we are getting them up to 16 lbs on the fly both from the boat and the beach. The next few weeks should be "show time" here in Jersey as the really big bass will start to show any day now.

Capt. Gene Quigley
Shore Catch

Gene’s partner Captain Jim Freda also had some great action in the later part of the week.  Clients Marshall Davidson, Tom Stoddard, and Scott Stoddard all cashed in on blitzing bass with hundreds of fish around the boat. Capt Jim also had out good friend Capt Terry Sullivan and after only a short ride out of the Manasquan Inlet they were thick into bass and blues that were tight to the beach out to 30 feet of water. The peanut bunker were thick, birds all over, glasslike water, no other boats, and some great top water visuals with busting fish made it a great day. On the beach the surf is good whenever the winds goes west as the peanut bunker end up right in the wash. Shore Catch beach guide Darin had the bass thick in Manasquan on several days this past week.

From Northern New Jersey Captain Paul Eidman of Reel Therapy checks in with this report:

I haven't been on the water for a few days, so I do not have a current action report, but I do know that things for some reason have come to a lull for us here at Sandy Hook.
With this wind shift, we should greet the bass shortly and see some really awesome fishing coming up.Traditionally, Turkey week, and the first 2 weeks of December have produced some of the best fishing of the season. Reel Therapy will be in the water until the Fat lady sings.
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Get out and fish!
Paul

After a painstakingly slow weekend and a slow first part of the week, today (Thursday) things just started happening.  Captain David Azar from one more cast charters took his biggest fish of the year estimated at over 30-pounds (on light spin gear) while fishing in Jamaica Bay.  Apparently David was marking fish solid and couldn’t get them to eat.  After working a spot for over an hour he finally dropped a jig and got a taker, and a big one at that.  Later on that day, David reported plenty of schoolies on the outside with the occasional fish over the 30-inch mark.  Captain Peter Chan called in with the same sort of report. 

Western Long Island

From the North Shore Reel-Timer Angelo Peluso checks in with this report:

Hi John,
The reports are starting to get shorter and shorter but we are still into small schoolie bass with an occasional bigger fish. Small bass continue to show up along the beaches but a bit of luck needs to be on your side to be there when they are. Every now and again a big bluefish is thrown in the mix. Water temps are now in the low 50s so if the big bass are going to happen in this part of the Sound it should be soon; still no reports of meaningful herring in this area either. There are still some pods of large spearing around. All in all, it is still worth a shot or two at getting out there and trying your luck.
My congratulations to ten year old Christian Vulpis(photo) on a very nice Montauk bass while out fishing with his dad, Tom. Tight lines and Happy Thanksgiving to all. Regards...Angelo

No official reports from the South Shore but word is that the birds and fish, after a short lull had started working the South Shore beaches again today…

Eastern Long Island

Yea, there might be some bluefin out there but forget about it…  They’re out of season, so don’t even try…  Some reports of bass and hearing are abound but nothing to write home about.  Most folks are still waiting for that legendary run of the big guys.  Hope it happens soon. 

From Shinnecock, Captain Don Kaye from Shinnecock Guiding checks in with this report:

It's about time! After the worst weather season in memory, (weekly high wind events, soaking rains, etc.), the seas calmed down a bit this weekend and with moderate temperatures, we set sail in search of migrating fish along the ocean beaches. Acres of Striped Bass awaited us with a few Bluefish thrown in, all feeding on thousands of 'Peanut Bunker' and other assorted baitfish. The surf was rough and dangerous. Angler Bruce Jabbonsky joined me for a great, late November adventure (which was previously postponed a number of times due to high winds and rough seas). Birds 'worked' over constant schools of feeding fish and we hooked and released more than 20 Bass by staying out of harms' way, just beyond the breakers. Some GREAT November angling days finally returned at Shinnecock! Capt. Don Kaye, Shinnecock Guiding, 631-7288175

From the beach, Salty Flyrodder Joel Filner checks in with this report:

What a beautiful weekend. Too bad about the fish.  Fished the beach
on Friday morning and watched the birds and the surf casters drive
along looking for fish and bait. The birds won. Very spotty fishing
and only the truly long casters with the wind behind them did any
good. Along the surf line the birds worked very tiny bait that no
fish followed into shore. Friday afternoon was like a spring day,
with the same scene except the fish were not even showing off shore.
The birds worked the tiny anchovy, and I mean tiny, with the
fishermen following the birds and casting with no success. Saturday
morning along the village beaches before first light some keeper bass
and a rare blue fish. Saturday afternoon was a command performance,
but Sunday was a free day. I went out on a boat with the opportunity
to fish for bass, blackfish, fluke, and blues. Bass of any size were
not around, just shorts in the 20 inch range, blues were chasing
small fish but not interested in flies or lures, so the captain went
for blackfish. A first for me. Using green crab bait we worked the
bottom and fished the bait like nymph fishing on the bottom.
Interesting as one needed to be in touch with the end of the line at
all times, sense the touch and then the take and set the hook faster
than the fish could dive and cut you off on the bottom holes. It only
reinforces my thoughts that experience and good guidance will make
you a better fisherman no matter what is on the end of your line. Or
how you get it there. Monday fish showed up again east of the
Shinnecock inlet with some keepers on lures, some shorts on flies.
Will go out in the morning if the wind stays down and then into the
kitchen for the holiday.

That’s all for this week.  See you on the water…