New York Metro &
New Jersey

September 17th, 2004

Apathy Sucks

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I hate to start this week’s fishwire out on the negative, especially since the fishing this week was pretty great… But hey, what would this column be if I didn’t call’em like I see’em… (Perhaps something you might actually want to read?) Anyway, I get bummed by all the apathy in this part of the world sometimes… Yea, I love the city but it can wear you down. The people here can be pretty lame. I guess indifference is native to New York (New Jersians are guilty of this as well.) It’s the sight effect of living in any big city. It’s the kind of stuff where no one helps the blind lady on the train… Or turning away when a mother is beating the crap out of her kid in the sporting-goods isle of Kmart… Or the guy falling down the elevator because he’s so bombed and people just walk over him… I could go on… Unfortunately this translates to our sport/passion also: Joey Brooklyn is poaching bass in broad view of 5 or 6 flyrodders and no one bothers to call the DEC… There’s a public hearing on striped bass, or the EEZ or even menhaden and there are 3 guys in the room. Only a handful of people write letters, a few people send emails… Certainly not compelling to managers and decision-makers. Again, I could go on… It really burns me up when people criticize my efforts and motives when they don’t lift a freaking finger… It’s all pretty pathetic. But what’s really startling is the incredibly small percentage of anglers who are actual dues paying members of conservation groups. Come on guys… We all utilize this resource… Act like you care about it and join an organization like CCA (Coastal Conservation Association www.joincca.org.) - a recreational fishing conservation organization. And if you’re not down with that join the Ocean Conservancy www.oceanconservancy.org . There are dozens of others, all of which fill a unique niche in the conservation world. While I have to admit I’ve had a few differences of opinion on some minor policy issues, CCA is without-a-doubt the best group out there for conservation minded anglers to be a part of. Their policy is to put the needs of the fish before that of any user group. And that’s real important if we want to see any sportfish around in the future. So if you’re not already a member… SHAME ON YOU! Redeem yourself and join today. Here it is again for you dummies who didn’t click it the link the first time: www.joincca.org.

Now let’s get on to the reports:

This week was the unofficial beginning of what we wait for all year: the amassing of bait, the gradually darkening cloud of birds in the distance as you go pounding in their direction, the slashing and darting, the wild casts, the visual strikes, the flyline jig and the screaming reel unique to a false albacore. And the toss of a popper on the ripwrap, only to have it smashed by a 30-inch bass before you even get a chance to strip it. And then those gator blues and the way they tear though a head-high swell and terrorize a school of flying mullet after the wave breaks. This was the week where all that came together in New York and New Jersey. The second week of September has always been the suspected break-open week. And this week was most certainly was a break-open one. Some wind during a few days this week, but good fishing across the board.

All along the Jersey Shore the albie fishing was good. The Northern New Jersey and the New York Metro area had a good number of hungry albies around as well, and flyrodders were hooking up all over the place. Over the weekend, all along Breezy, Jones, and Fire Island, albies and big blues pushed bait up on the beach, and blitzed in just a few feet of water. There were loads of bay anchovies everywhere and the peanut bunker were thick as well. And then mullet showed later in the week… And we all know that means big blues and the first fall run bass taking flies right in the wash. On the North Shore there are some bonito around but difficult to catch, but who really cares when you’ve got 15-pound blues willing to eat your fly! Out east it blew wide open this week with those trademark bass blitzes and albies galore. If you’ve never been out to Montauk, make sure you do it at least once before they bury you. It can be truly spectacular out there at times and you may never be able to close your mouth again after witnessing a Montauk bass blitz. Really…

Not sure what these hurricanes are going to do to us up here, but so far the weekend’s weather looks fishable. Go fish!

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

Tight Lines!

John McMurray

New Jersey

Lots of albies around according to Capt. Jim Freda from Shore Catch Guide Service.  Check it out:

Capt Jim has been working the inshore lumps and ridges from six to eight miles out and has been doing very well with the albies. This week Capt Jim had out Sean McGrath and his buddy Brett and they left the dock with albie fever on the brain and it got hot. Jim headed about six miles off the beach and anchored up with a chum slick spiced up with tossed spearing and put the albies right behind the boat. Sean an avid freshwater fly fisher got his first taste of saltwater fly fishing with as he hooked into 8 albies all on surf candies. It was a fantastic site as usual to see the albies flash right behind the boat and to be able to watch them hit the fly. Capt Jim also had out Jay Smith, his daughter Melissa, and son-in-law Tony who were up on vacation from Florida who also wanted to try for their first shot ever at false albacore on the fly. Once again chum spiked with spearing was set up on an inshore lump and it didn't take long before Tony and Melissa both hooked up. After that Jay had his turn. All in all they ended up with 7 albies and 1 bluefish in and hour and a half on surf candies.

Albies in all the traditional places…  But this weekend they came up pretty close to the beach, certainly within reach of a skilled wading flycaster.  Inside was where the real action was though as lots of bass in the high 20’s low 30’s (that’s in inches) as well as some pretty large blues were taking poppers in some really shallow stuff.  I really love when the mullet arrive!  We had not one but two grand slams this week!

Captain Joe Mattioli from One the Bite Charters reports similar action on his side.  Check it out:

Hi John
 
False Albacore fishing  has been top notch. Pods of fish up to 7lbs  are providing great sight fishing with many opportunities to hook up. they have been very eager to take epoxy flies , olive or chartreuse They are blitzing bay anchovies and peanut bunker. Don't miss Out!  I have choice dates Available .
 
Reel-Timer Luyen Chan fished last Friday and hooked his first albie of the year, but alas failed to land him.  They were chasing blues around Breezy and Coney Island, and got under some swirls that the thought were more blues.  All of a sudden, a pod of albies busted right in front of the boat and porpoised along the port side.  Luyen hooked one on his first cast, but he was so surprised, never got a quality hook set.  Did land some gator blues though....

Western Long Island

Reel-Timer Bob Giordano check in this week with a report of big blues on the North Shore:

Hey John,

Things up in on the North Shore have been great. For the past two weeks
we've had a good amount of large bunker in the area. Sunday morning on
the bottom of the tide, I worked a school in Lloyd Neck with large
blues busting from underneath. Took three to 11lbs. on Bunker Flies
fished on a full sink. Busted off twice as many with some fish that
must have been a few pounds bigger. Found out the hard way that 16lb.
flourocarbon may be too light to quickly take these brutes so will gear
up for bear next time around. A quick look for tunoids out in the Sound
came up empty. Did come across a huge crab hatch with a mix of spearing
around Eaton's Neck.

Monday evening took my 4 yr. old son out to do the same but came across
a huge school of larger snappers / cocktails immediately in the south
end of Huntington Harbor feeding on Peanut Bunker. He expertly worked a
small popper to take his largest blue at 3lbs. Snuck the boat into a
quiet cove at twilight to pick up two schoolie bass to 24". Left them
biting as Tuesday AM was his first day of school. My wife gave me a
look when we walked in all stinky at 8:30, Burger King in hand....Worth
it's price in gold.

Tight Lines to all,
Bob

Reel-Timer Frank Mizzo fished the north shore, Shoreham jetty, west side at top of the high.  He had lots of snappers, 10-12" around.  Fished for about 2 hours, caught about 2 doz., but the school was sporadic and there were lulls of about 15 min. before school would swing around.  Nothing else sighted.

Heard from Capt. Robin Calitri as well.  He had this to say about the week’s action:

The North Shore is a fun place to get out and fish now.  I had Jeff and Sam Friedman out and they caught  stripers on light tackle in Huntington.  The blues, of all sizes are abounding.  I chased Bonito all over the Sound. 

Emory Butts and Jim DelGrosso joined me on 9/14 in Gardiner's.  We had bass to 27 inches and ended the day with blues to 9 pounds in skinny water.   I even landed two blues on one popper.

When the wind isn't up, there are albies, blues and bass off Montauk.

Eastern Long Island

Things really blew up this week in Montauk…  Captain David Blinken from North Flats Guiding claims that things are just starting to get good.  Lots of peanut bunker around and lots of bay anchovies.  According to David there were some very good bass blitzes this week.  Inside David has been doing well on the flats also.

Shore Guide James Wu reports that the rocky beaches around Montauk Point are crowding up with stripers.  He’s been taking keepers with a striper spey rod, though as usual, when they're taking, they're close.  James says that september is often the best month for fly fishing, depending on the weather.  The only thing you have to do is be there.

Master Angler Ken Hawkins also reports a definite upswing in the Montauk scene:

Fall run has begun. Sat very windy and rough for the first 4 hours but got a bunch of schollie bass and 2 Albies and a big blue fish. Albies coming up in sporadic three's and fours, Ryan got +5 on spinning rod on a swimming plug and one real nice bass.

Sunday absolutely perfect day weather wise very light wind minimal swell and clear as it can get, started a little later to try the incoming tide. Got a couple bass one decent one +30 inches, a bunch of blues from rat size to 8lbs. Albies were busting most of the afternoon not massive acre blitzes but 5's and 10's at times, they however  were incredibly finicky. Ended up with +7 in the boat with more shots than you could imagine(if they had been eating flies well could have been a +20 fish day) saw some real big ones in the blitz's and landed a couple decent ones +8lbs. Saw on nice Montauk bass blitz with some jumbo's in it just under the light house hooked up but dropped it. 

From the Gardiners Island area, Captain Josh Gruss send us this report:

After a very busy August doing my two weeks of Coast Guard duty for the RNC and moving to a new home, I finally had some time to take a few people fishing. Saturday started out windy out at Montauk. There were albies on the surface by Shagwong. On the south side people were catching albies and bass while blindcasting using sinking lines and larger size flies. Made it out to Gardiners during a break in the Montauk action. Saw hundreds of large blues finning on the surface by the ruins. Made it back to the point for some nice bass right off the point.the wind had died considerably. Sunday was absolutely gorgeous weather wise. Not a cloud, no wind. Morning was slow. Sporadic albie busting, here and there. Amanda Switzer's boat was hooking up consistently thanks to a magical fly she had tied which she showed me later. Brendan Mcarthy and “hawk” also seemed to be hooking up. For the mortals out there it was a tough day with the albies. Even when they were blitzing in full force, it was very hard to hook up. There were large balls of bait that took all attention away from the flies in the water. It was great to see all the guides doing their thing out there. Very communal atmosphere in Montauk when the sun is shining and the fish are everywhere.

Reel-Timer Mark Wallace also reports from this area.  Check it out:

Between engine problems and the weather, I haven't fished very often over the past few weeks. I got out Sunday for a few hours before heading home to attend an open house at school for my daughter. The fishing has finally turned around in the Gardiners Island area. I fished the rips at the Ruins and the incoming tide brought blues, about 5-8 lbs., working under the birds. The albies finally showed up late during the incoming tide and then things quieted down. Well into the outgoing the albies reappeared in sporadic schools slashing small bay anchovies about 1/2 inch long. The blues continued to invade the area, but did so in a slow deliberate fashion, just slurping the anchovies near the surface in a very nonchalant manner. There were other reports of albies being taken west and north of the island. Just hope the weather holds for the weekend as things out east are beginning to show fall promise.

Farther west, Salty Flyrodder Joel Filner finally got into some good albies:

The tug came like a freight train. And it was just the thing to cure
a long awaited urge for fish. Shinnecock is now up to its reputed
albie feeding area, with fish caught all last week and over the
weekend, the only exception being Thursday when the wind was not
conducive to casting in any direction near to the fish. Friday it was
blowing also out of the noreast but switched and calmed late in the
afternoon to manageable levels. Saturday was spotty but the early
hours showed fish and the action ended about 9, then on the incoming,
about 4, the albies all came back. Mouths sewn shut but back with
quite a few showing and only a few taking. Sunday morning fishing the
outgoing brought scattered pods but fish taken along the wall out to
the jetty. About 8:30 everyone moved to the inside where the land
based fly guys outfished the boat based fly guys, fishing to feeding
fish showing on the surface. All within reasonable casting distance.
The fish were in the 6 to 8 pound class, healthy and taking
Mikkelson's epoxy minnow in white, sand eel, skeeters, and
Timmerman's White Wolf Anchovy fly. Others used peanut bunker
patterns, crease fly, and bay anchovy patterns, and one spin guy
caught one on a large green popping plug. Theories abound on the
jetty with the thought that if the peanut bunker are in then any fly
works, if the small bait is in than they become too picky. Great
weather on Sunday with the afternoon being as productive with shots
at fish as in the morning up to slack tide at 7:15PM. I even have my
novice finger cuts from the backing to bear the memory of the first
fish on a fly in over a month. Lets hope the weather holds.

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