Back for a Breather

[venture]

Got back from Chatham yesterday. Spent a week and a half up there. Spent most of my time at the docks due to weather, but had a chance to explore the cape with my wife and friends. Man it's beautiful up there.

The fishing has been pretty tough with sparadic bites. The Venture has hung five giants so far, with the biggest being around 600#. Fish are being taken by drifting fresh mackeral rigged as though they are swimming, with the leader coming straight out the back of the bait, and a small egg sinker sewn into the mouth. The baits are placed at different depths with 80 feet down being the most successful.

A week ago, last Monday, we drifted upon a pod of huge giants cruising the surface very slowly lookin like they were just bathing in the sun. Their huge sickle aft dorsel and tails were stickin up high, showing how big they were. They were on the wrong side of our drift, so we waited for them to pass until we started the engines, but when we turned, with ballyhoos draggin, we lost them in the sun. But I will never forget the site of those big fins stickin high out of the water.
Some of them looked like they were granders. We did get a small one that day, around 75 inches. Paid for the fuel.

The guys are still up there, waiting for things to explode. Hope it happens. I hope to meet them up there later in the month.

On another note, if you have never been up there, you should take a trip there when ever you can. The Nauset inlet is a site to behold. Meandering marshes, leading to a cut on the ocean side with the outer bar will make you druel. So many inshore spots that are so, so beautiful. What a place.

Howie

[martinatpw]

Hey Howie, missed you up there. I made it out with the crew one day. Believe it or not, the working bait that day was a live seabass. not striped bass, sea bass, about two pounds. Go figure.. Unfortunately, we lost the fish at the boat after missing several opportunities to get it in. A couple missed dart attempts and letting the fish go too far under the boat were our mistakes. Live and learn, but it was a costly one for us, more mental than financial. We did have those mackeral just as you said, but those did not work for us for some reason, just the seabass. I think it was down pretty deep. It seems the live blue is quite the bait too. Don't know if the weather will let us out again, but we might go again. The day we were out there, a lot of fish were caught. The radio was abuzz with fights, lost fish etc.

[martinatpw]

By the way, you have any decent information south of Montauk? Thick schoolies or anything. or how bout over in the dump? Would it be worth it or only if you are going all the way south? If you know, it would help, we might go out on Wed.

[venture]

Hey Sean,

Glad you got out with the crew. Sorry I missed ya. By the way, we got a Mac-Daddy on the Venture the other day. It was Ryan's birthday that day, and the fish was a real fattie. Pushed the scales close to 700#s. We're up to 9 Giants landed.....Howie

P.S. Hope the season lasts into November.

[venture]

Sean,

Forgot to anwser you regarding Montauk. Sorry but I have no reports from there for the last month due to being up north. I know they caught some very large Giants a few weeks ago about 30 miles SE of the point. But haven't heard anything since. Every year in Montauk there are a few Giants landed, but they don't stick around there like the real old days due to the lack of bait. The draggers have done a job on the ground fish over the past 20 years, and there's nothing to keep the big guys there. They stay for a few days and then move on.

The irony of it all is that the Giants are usually caught behind a dragger when they bail their by-catch. So they get a free meal from the guys who decimated their turf. Too bad.

The schoolies hang for a while because they don't need the same amount of food to sustain them. So if your lucky in Montauk, and have the tackle and are ready for that occational fish, and are at the right place and the right time, you may catch one.

Anyway, how has the fishing been south of the point this year. Did a schoolie blitz materialize??? If you know, please pass the word on. I am curious.....The Venture will be staying up in Chatham until the season is over, so I will not be getting into that action, but I am curious.......THanks Howie

[BIGE]

Howie, congrats on the giants. Sounds like you got the right guys on the Venture.

There is no consistent bite off Montauk. Mudhole (BI) has seen some decent schoolie action. I'm hoping the chunk will pick up off Montauk as I still want to hook one on the fly this year.

[venture]

Hey Sean and BigE,

The bite really heated up prior to this big blow. The Venture had five hookups on the thursday, with only one landed. The day prior the Venture also got another good one. So we are up to eleven landed so far, but still gunnin for that grander.

But the reason I'm posting, is that the National Marine Fisheries just announced yesterday that they are extending the commercial and recreational Giant season right through the end of this month, and maybe even longer (I hope). They do this because the quotas are far from being filled. They also uped the commercial daily take back to two Giants per boat per day.

As soon as this blow calms, hopefully the fish will still be there and the hot bite will continue. You may want to make it back to Chatham and get in on the bite. Last year the bite went right into November.......

Howie

[martinatpw]

I heard some people bailed on the fishing because the price of bluefin was so cheap? I heard 1-3$ a pound. I guess if you get some real fatties, you are in good shape, but thats the exception not the norm. What are you finding? You might be getting some decent action with 11 fish, but gas ain't cheap.
Continued success. Doubt I'll fish again. This weather is just awful, and another blow coming on Wed. They don't give you too many windows..