weakfish

[fmw]

To keep up the recent spurt of activity on the board, here is my 2 cents for discussion. Speaking of when stripers will arrive, how about weakfish. More generally, what has this board's experience with weakfish been over the last several years. Obviously, through most of at least the last decade they were pretty scarce, but the last few years I have seen reports of phenomenal weakfishing in different times and places. Has anyone caught the Peconic weakfish run in recent years?? My only experience in the area was once, about 5 years ago, catching a bunch of really small weakfish around Sammy's Beach in late August.

Its funny to go back and read the Lou Tabory "Inshore Fly Fishing" book as it seems from that book that at the time, the highlight of the season for flyfishers was not the albie run or bass blitzes at the point, rather it was fishing the creeks of Shelter Island at night in spring/early summer for weakfish.

[Tuna]

I haven't caught a weakfish in years, but I've heard a lot of positive reports over the last few years generally and also specifically for Peconic and Shelter Island areas.

I think it was two seasons back I heard from guides that the end of the fall run had BIG weakfish close to shore feeding on the surface - sure would like to see that some day.

Same guide had some killer spring days with weakfish around Bostwicks.

There's a fly fisherman I always cross paths with in the spring (he comes from Sag Harbor to fish 3 mile harbor, and I am heading the opposite direction). Last spring he was having quite a number of good days with weakfish between Sag Harbor and Shelter Island.

I keep expecting to hear from Dan Duff that he's got a big one some spring, as he works some of the Shelter Island creeks in manners more likely to get one than what I generally am doing in the spring (scaring bass away from my boat on the flats, and sometimes getting the "gotcha" early morning bass with sinking line in 3 mile harbor);

I don't really target them, but I try half heartedly from time to time. They are on my short list of favorite fish to eat - can't wait till my next one.

[joshr]

Tuna is right. Either '98 or '99--can't remember which--during the late fall, there were lots of LARGE Weaks set up on the ocean side pretty far west of the Point--west of Ditch Plain near Hither Hills--for about 2 weeks. I caught a 7 lber on a 3/0 red and white whistler. A bunch of guys had 10 lbers that season.

Josh

[duff]

I have been finishing the Shelter Island Creeks at night the past two seasons, namely Crab Creek and Gardiner's Creek, both of which are descibed in Taboury's book. I have had good luck with bass between 20 - 28 inches on small black deceivers, but have not landed or seen a weakfish. At Gardiner's, the "popping" sounds suggest weakfish, but so far its been only schoolies hooked. However, one local told me that he witnessed a large school of weaks attacking what appeared to be spawning silversides one night last June. Maybe this year . . .

[venture]

What a mystery fish. I wonder why they disappear almost completely and then make speratic showings, sometimes in great numbers. Has there been any research done on this?

When I was a kid in the early 60s, the old surfcasters would talk about them, but no one could ever caught any. They would talk about them as if they were extinct.

When I lived on the Vineyard in the late 70s and early 80s they became neusance during some furious ocean beach bass blitzes. They averaged around nine pounds with the occasional 12 pounder. Then by 84 they completely disappeared again, and I haven't heard from my friends on the island of any further action with them.

Around 1990, an old friend of mine, Howard Guzzer (we called him Dow ), caught the world record fly caught weakfish while wading Comsett State Park on the north shore of Long Island. I think the fish was 14 or 15 pounds. He was fishing for bass. Haven't heard anything since then.

Wonder what's up with that species. They certainly are not harvested in any great numbers. The price was always as ow as bluefish. They are a mystery to me but a good topic of conversation. Howie

[ikarus47]

For additional winter amusement my weakfish encounter of last season: Caught my only weakfisk in September last year: Lazy point from shore, mid- outgoing tide forms a very fast rip. Unhappy with my casting reach I decided to pay out line into the rip, started retreiving after half my backing was out. Reeled in and released a ca 20" fish, they are really quite beautiful. Got an earful the next day at the Easthampton Fly Shop for not being more excited. It remained the only weakfish of the season, or ever, for that matter, and I am much more thrilled about it now than I was when I caught it...go figure.
Andreas.

[peteD]

I agree with Duff. I've caught small ones outside of Louse Point at night.

[jim1205]

I've caught a few weakfish in the last couple of years in
my home waters of Jamaica bay. I never target them.
They are always in the same spot in 30 feet of water
and are caught at night by worm fisherman. The party
boats target them and literally slaughter them, counting
them by the hundreds. Its really a shame. They were
gone for so long, and they have just started to come
back and those party boats don't give them a chance.
They truly are a beautiful fish. I caught a few during a
cinderworm hatch a two years ago.

[Chap]

Hello all,
I remembered this weakfish post and thought I would post/share this link to a report from a local guide here in NJ, Barnegat Bay. The spawning ritual is truely a spectacular sight.

http://www.shorecatch.com/reports.html

Thanks
Chap

[Orca]

A couple of nice weakfish were caught on the fly
this past weekend in the Peconics up to 27in. Taken
in the dead of night with bass being the predominate
game. I've seen a slow steady increase in the weakfish
population the last 3yrs. Venture by the way the fellow
who took that large weakfish go by the name of
Howard Guja? If it is he's a fine fisherman who always
had the knack to find fish. Thought he landed that
weakie on ultra light spin gear though.
Orca
note: believe it
was Halloween day in 99 when a large school of
large weakfish blitz the beach Fins. Believe this
action originated from East Hampton the day
before.