New York Metro &
New Jersey

July 30th, 2004

Ocean Conservation is Non-Partisan

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Okay, last week I took a few shots at George Bush about his environmental record and his selling out of our resources to industry. This week I’m going to take a stab at presidential hopeful John Kerry. After all, protecting and conserving our oceans and our fisheries is non-partisan.

Those of you out there who have read Stephen Sloan’s book Ocean Bankruptcy know of the fact that the Heinz family (maker of Heinz 57 Catsup) owned Starkist Tuna for quite some time. Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the last 6-months you know that John Kerry is married to Teresa Heinz Kerry, heiress to the Heinz fortune. Mr. Sloan maintains that John Kerry had financial reasons for helping to create and maintain laws that allowed industrial scale purse-seine boats kill as many tuna as possible. Conspiracy theory, yes… But not so unbelievable.

You might also remember Mr. Sloan’s claim that Kerry had never written a letter or made a vote on the side of less dead fish. In doing a web-search of Kerry, it appears that Mr. Sloan is pretty much right about that. The most current case-in-point is Sen. Kerry’s working to delay the implementation of Amendment 13 to the Ground Fish Management Plan. The amendment will force the ground fish industry in the Northeast to make the painful but necessary sacrifices to insure that cod, haddock, flounder etc. won’t be fished to extinction. As typical of the commercial fishing lobby, they were arguing that the stock assessments were flawed because the sampling nets were dragged at an angle. Even after experts claimed it wouldn’t have made much a difference in the sampling, Kerry lobbied for an extension so commercials could continue to over-fish in lieu of getting “better data.” After all, a large chunk of John Kerry’s voting base is the huge commercial fishing fleet in his state of Massachusetts.

Regardless of the fact that John Kerry has supported his commercial fishing constituency he has done some pretty solid things on behalf of clean water, the ocean and the environment as the ranking member of the Oceans and Fisheries subcommittee. For example, he authored the Marine Mammal Protection Act amendments in 1990 that banned the use of drift nets. Kerry has an exceptional lifetime score of 96 percent on the League of Conservation Voters National Environmental Scorecard. He has undoubtedly been a champion of clean air, safe drinking water, and open space issues. But he sure isn’t perfect.

If he gets elected, it will be interesting to see if his proclivity to support commercial fishing interests carries over. I suspect it will not, as he doesn’t have that specific constituency to answer to. It’s pretty obvious at this point that our current administration, with very few exceptions has done nothing more than sell out our resources to the highest bidder. Those industries, (timber, mining, farming, the power industry etc...) who were big campaign contributors in 2000 have been allowed to run rampant. Bush has turned back 30-years of environmental steps forward, all for a few bucks, and at our’s and our children’s expense. That really infuriates me. Kerry’s pandering to the commercial industry makes me angry also, but with-out-a-doubt, Kerry is much stronger on environmental protection, without which anglers would have little fish to pursue.

Just my two cents… But the choice is obviously yours…

Now let’s get on to the reports:

In New Jersey, things have been on the slow side inshore, although the crew at Shore Catch have been getting into a number of weakfish this week as well as some Spanish mackerel and bonito. Still, however, the place to be is offshore as pods of school bluefin as well as some medium sized fish are becoming more and more abundant. Some schoolies can be had in the New York Bight during those golden AM hours and hordes of 1 to 3-pound bluefish are everywhere throughout the day. Blitzing schoolies as well as small bluefish are appearing along the North Shore while the South Shore, with the exception of cocktail blues, was slow. In East Hampton more and more peanut bunker continue to be mobilizing for their annual migration and most are anticipating a spectacular fall. Out in Montauk the fishing never seems to have let up as quite a few large fish were taken this week…

A good bit of south wind this weekend, but it doesn’t look to bad… Go fishing!!!

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

Tight Lines!

John McMurray

New Jersey

From the Ocean City/Atlantic City - Southern New Jersey area, Captain Bryan DiLeo checks in with this report:

The water temperatures jumped substantially midweek to a very warm 81/83 degrees slowing things down a bit in comparison to the past few weeks. The heated waters throughout the back country made the Bass very sluggish and lethargic and this resulted in us raising a lot of Bass on top water each trip but most Bass were very non committal on the take giving us a low hooking ratio, but very exciting non-the-less.  Small schools of Bass continue to pop up on the flats for about a 30 second feeding frenzy with the trick being in the right place at the right time to get of a couple shots before they shoot off to the deeper water. With the approaching low-pressure systems and the cooler air temps things should adjust quit well. As a general rule of thumb the Bass, once adjusted to the warmer waters, will turn on the feed aggressively with the first westerly wind and should be more than willing to take a well placed popper with commitment. Look for things to heat-up this next week with the approach of the full moon offering good tides for both low light and night time action.

From Central New Jersey Captain Gene Quigley and the guys at Shore Catch Guide Service report a pick up on the inshore scene and continued good bluewater opportunities:

The inshore Bluefin bite is still on fire, it is most likely the best season we have had since the early eighties. The fish are set up from 17 to 40 miles out and when we can get to them it is non stop action. The only problem this week has been the weather. Just doesn't seem to want to clean up.
 
Inshore things are definitely picking up. Our wade guides have been scoring with clients with 5 to 7 pound weakies (Yea that right - Weakfish!!) in the rivers and back bays, and inshore there is a host of chub mackerel, bonito, and Spanish mackerel along the beaches. This action has been sporadic, again due to the weather. Hopefully things will clean up after the weekend.

Not much going on in Jamaica Bay, with the exception of some early morning schoolies along the sod banks and the occasional bluefish here and there…  If you like fluking, I hear it’s been real good in the Bay.  On the outside it’s been cocktail central.  Small bluefish everywhere.  Hey, it’s better than nothing. 

From Raritan Bay and offshore, Captain Frank Crescitelli from Fin Chaser Charters reports good fishing…  Check it out:

Hey John, I have been chasing Tuna in the offshore grounds with good success, except the flyfishing has been tough. David Dibenedetto author of "On The Run" (RT editors note: if you haven't read it, get it here...a great read) and brother Steven were out on Thursday, and experienced the frustration of finicky spooky Tuna fish. Busting pods were all over but very tough to catch. Joe Maz managed a 7 pound Mahi on the fly and we took many casts at 20 plus pound bull Dolphin and even a very large Cobia (my first sighting this far north) with limited success. I have been offshore every week, trying to figure out the big Tuna, hopefully photo's will be along soon....  As for inshore the Bass and Blues have been eating flies like candy and fighting like Rocky Balboa. I don't know what it is lately but the schoolie Bass we have been catching lately are fighting pound for pound like Blues! Maybe it's because theyr'e NYC Bass and they have attitude! At any rate 11 Madison Park Executive chef Kerry Heffernan was on board yesterday for a "Today" show shoot and experienced the inshore action. The show will air August 9 or 10th. Herb Millers chartreuse deceivers although much bigger that the bait have been producing well inshore. Later for now, see you in the canyons!

Western Long Island

Nothing to report from the South Shore other than tons of cocktail blues.  From the North Shore, Reel-Timer Bob Giordano checks in with this report:

Friday's early morning outgoing witnessed fish busting the surface in Lloyd Harbor. Thinking they were cocktail blues that have flooded the area, I casted a Chartreuse Crease fly with apprehension thinking I might be kissing it goodbye as I didn't have any shock or wire attached. Much to my delight the first cast took a schoolie bass around 24". From that point on it was nothing but stripers including the largest at 29". Took ten fish in total. Great morning, nice to see the fish still hanging in the bays and harbors deep into July. Dime size peanut bunker have flooded Huntington Bay...looks good through the summer.

Eastern Long Island

Still plenty of peanut bunker and plenty of bluefish on them in East Hampton.  When September rolls around and this bait starts pouring out, it’s going to be mayhem at the point. 

From the South Side, Captain Jim Hull from Light Tackle Challenge checks in with this report:

Sitting out a thunderstorm waiting for a fog to roll in to get out on the grounds. Looks like another GPS day. Cool, clear water, lots of bait and plenty of fish is keeping us in a prolonged spring pattern this year at the end of July and no so called doldrums in sight. It happened 5 years ago, when spring went straight into fall in Montauk because of cool water all summer. Bad for sun lovers, great for bass fishing. Fishing this week has swung from Nirvana to mediocrity and back with 10 fish over 25lbs. landed on fly and light tackle. Dusty Mormand came back after a slow first trip and hit the jumbo bass big time. He and buddy Neal had over 30 fish with 6 of them over 25lbs. Next day Paul came out with Mighty V for 8 fish, both having fish on fly with a 38" coming boatside. Then Jonathan Brush and brother Steve braved a choppy northeaster for 10 crazy bass on top with a 25lb and 30lb. topping the catch(all released of course) and 2 small blues kept as groceries. Hawk and John used sinking lines and topwater for ten fish with two 25lbers coming boatside and John's personal best. Ron Wolf and Rich braved a big swell with a 36" bass topping the day. I hope for cloudy days and bent rods for all reel-timers.      

From the Shore, Reel-Timer John Papciak checks in with this report:

East is least - at least this time. A steady blow out of eastern quarters meant the fly rod stayed put. I did get out early Sat before it shifted and increased. I launched the yak and threw bucktails and storm wildeyes on the drop. Around 7:30 am I found myself about 150 yds S of the lighthouse and within easy paddle distance of some working terns. Within the next hour and a half I landed about 20 bass and one blue, however none of the bass were greater than 28 inches. On Sunday night I fished under the lighthouse, where I thought a classic fall-like pattern was setting up - East winds, building waves, incoming tide and plenty of white water. The fish did not share my prediction. On my second cast using a 2 oz darter I had a nice fish peel off line, but then I dropped her. The next 2 hours I recorded only a few bumps and then finally landed a fish of about 25 inches. At the change of tide I switched to Shagwong and had a 30 inch fish on the first cast, and then nothing.  Now I'll wait for the wind to shift and see where to go from here.

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