Hot Waters, Sluggish Fish
Volume 49, Issue 10
By Captain Al

Fishing for the period from August 7 to 21 has been good in the bay but best in the ocean.

The weather has remained very warm and as a result, the waters are still very warm bordering on hot. The fish are sluggish and the bite is best only during incoming water.

The bay is loaded with small fluke. It is fun fishing but with very few keepers. Using live snappers or peanut bunker for bait will increase the catch of keeper fluke.

Fluke fishing in the ocean is not great but the keeper ratio is about 50 percent. Big baits will catch big fish. Remember when fishing in the ocean that the bottom is not paved with fish. You have to be patient and you will be rewarded with some jumbo fluke. The best fishing seems to still be east of the inlet in 40 to 65 feet of water.

Small bluefin tuna, green bonito and false albacore are now abundant in the ocean almost right up to the surf line. I have been scoring consistently with these little torpedoes on spinning gear and fly-fishing tackle. Flocks of terns are following the fish waiting for them to push bait up to the surface. Keep your eyes opened for the working birds. When you see a bunch, work your boat in such a way that you get ahead of the moving school. Wait for them to approach the boat and have your spinning or fly rod ready to go. Cast right into the feeding pod of fish with a small jig or fly and you will surely get a hook-up.

On August 10, I fished in about 65 feet of water southwest of the inlet and had four bluefin of about 20-pounds each. Two were on spinning tackle and two were on fly tackle.

On August 18, I fished with Artie Ciporetti and his son Buddy on their 38-foot Fountain with triple Mercury 275 hp. Verado engines. We chased the bluefin around and connected with three. Buddy landed one on spinning tackle and Artie had two hooked up but straightened the hook on one and broke the line on a second.

Fishing live snappers near the inlet is producing large bluefish and an occasional large weakfish or fluke. Right now this is the best bet for some hot action in the bay and inlet areas.

The bay is now loaded with ìsnapperî blues and blue-claw crabs. The ìsnappersî are abundant near any of the docks. Crabs are also just about everywhere and you can load up by jacking them with a spotlight at night.

For the blue water angler, the waters near the Hudson Canyon are alive with big yellowfin, bigeye, longfin albacore, white marlin and blue marlin. There is also a good swordfish bite at night along with good tuna chunking. The hot ticket at night is to net passing flying fish as they fly through the lights of the boat and then use them as hook bait. It is a guaranteed hook up on yellowfin and bigeye tuna.

FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK

Since this is the last issue of the Fire Island News for the season my fishing tip is to log on to Skimmeroutdoors.com and check on the fishing reports that I will be posting during the remainder of the fishing season here on Long Island. The striped bass fishing should be excellent this October and November and I will post daily fishing reports of the action.

I will also be posting fishing reports from Marco Island in Southwest Florida during the winter season so check out the Web site for Florida fishing reports from January to April.

FISHING FACTS OF THE WEEK

Estimated number of threatened of endangered sea turtles caught in scallop dredges in New England in six months in 2003 = 630.

The average angler incurs $1,046 in fishing related expenses annually.

The price of gasoline at the local marina this past week = $3.35 per gallon.

Good Luck and Good Fishing!

Captain Al Lorenzetti

Skimmer Fishing Charters

631-661-2112

www.skimmeroutdoors.com