Great Fishing Between Storms

Some bouts of extreme weather the last couple weeks have disrupted the fishing scene quite a bit, but in the calm interim between storms, fishing has been outstanding across the South Fork.

It’s been a bit frustrating that every time things calm down and the fall run gets back on its feet, another big blow comes along and scatters the dominoes for a couple days again.

Before last week’s howling winds, and again just before Monday’s arrival of the Hurricane Delta remnants, the fishing in Montauk had been outstanding.

Whether you call them blitzes, foamers, boils or bust-ups, the schools of striped bass feeding on tiny bay anchovies is the trademark of the fall run in the Northeast and especially Montauk. And for the second year in a row, after a long hiatus, the awe inspiring phenomenon has been in full swing again this year, when the seas are settled enough to allow bass to bunch the tiny minnows often referred to as “rain bait” into the dense clouds that fuel the blitzing behavior by bass.

The Montauk blitzes of late have mostly been a North Side affair, from Clarks Cove to Gin Beach. This past Sunday, a large blitz even churned up inside the inlet to Montauk Harbor.

Before the weekend’s blitzes along the Block Island Sound shores, the biggest displays of frenzied foraging this year had mostly taken place out of reach of surfcasters, so the change in pattern was a welcome one.

The rips off Montauk have been the best bet for catching trophy stripers in the 30 and 40 pound class, with some 50 pounders mixed in here and there. Diamond jigs have been the enticement of choice the last couple weeks and most anglers are finding their slot keeper fish along with the big ones that have to go back.

There has also been some outstanding fishing along the beaches to the west as well. Wainscott, Bridgehampton and Southampton Village have all seen scattered mini-blitzes of striped bass on schools of peanut bunker and less obvious feeding on sandeels. The fish along the sand have ranged from just 12 inches to over 40 pounds for the lucky angler throwing the right lure choice in the right place at the right time.

The downside to the good fishing is definitely that the fish in the surf on the sand are striped bass that have begun to migrate and will be spurred to move further west by the tumult of each passing storm. By the time the waters clear following the Delta deluge on Monday and Tuesday, it’s very likely that the fish that had been in Southampton for the last couple weeks will have relocated. That could mean good fishing on the beaches of Hampton Bays, East Quogue and Westhampton, of course, and there are certainly plenty of fish to the east still to take their place.

The offshore scene has been equally disrupted by the stormy early fall we’ve had thus far. A weather window last week revealed that there are still some bigeyes and nice yellowfin in the local canyons, though nobody seemed to find a mother lode of tuna anywhere. There was a mother lode of swordfish however — several of them, apparently. Catches of two, three or even five swords on a single trip have not been uncommon, both on the daytime deep-drop and the overnight bite.

If you are in search of fillets for the freezer, the black seabass and porgy fishing has been outstanding with a good amount of ling and an occasional cod or pollock to be had. And blackfish season starts this week, so the anchor davits of local party and charter boats will be getting a workout.

Lots to look forward to from the fall fishing, and hopefully some more stable weather in the future.

Catch ’em up. See you out there.