Fish Outside of 120 Feet of Water
Volume 49, Issue 5
By Captain Al

Fishing for the period of June 28 to July 4 has been very good. Fluke fishing is at it’s best and striped bass fishing is still solid.

The best action for the past week has been fluke fishing. A big body of keeper sized fluke has moved into the inlet and bay areas. West Channel has been the hot spot with many fish in the four to six pound range. There are also many undersized fluke and so the action is non-stop. Squid and spearing combos have been working best. The fishing for fluke in the ocean is also good but there are many dogfish in the deeper water where the doormats reside. If you stick it out and put up with the dogfish, you can score with a double-digit size fluke.

Striped bass fishing is still steady. Lots of fish are being taken on clams while chumming the Moses Bridge and the West Bar. Live bait is still catching lots of big fish but the bait has become a little tough to come by. The bunker schools in the ocean have thinned out and are not showing as good as in the past. I think this is due to the large swell that was kicked up by the east winds. Once the ocean settles down, the bait should show again and the bass and blues should be on them hot and heavy. Live bait is also catching lots of keepers bass in the inlet area and some Back Bay spots. It looks like this is going to be another banner year for bass fishing.

Bottom fishing is now pretty good with lots of porgies. Most are below the minimum keeper size of 10.5 inches but they are still fun to catch and a real treat for young kids. A few kingfish and triggerfish are also beginning to show. This fishing should get better in the coming weeks.

The ocean fishing is also excellent. There are lots of “football” size bluefin tuna running around the ocean chasing bait. These fish may be found from 60 feet of water on out, southeast of the inlet. Most are small averaging about 18 pounds but a few larger fish to 50 pounds have also been caught. Trolling small feathers and spoons is working best. Also working well and a very exciting way to catch these tough fighting fish is casting small tins into the feeding schools.

Shark fishing is also very good with lots of blue sharks, threshers and makos being taken on a daily basis. Fishing inside of 120 feet of water is tough ,however because the dogfish are eating all the chum, chunks and baits. The spiny dogfish is becoming a real problem. The numbers of this fish have rebounded to an all time high and they are consuming everything in the ocean.

FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK

All tuna species and their mackerel like cousins have extremely keen eyesight and are therefore very leader shy. I have expounded about this issue before in this column, but with the appearance of school bluefin in near-shore waters and the expected arrival of bonito, I thought it necessary to mention this again. When casting for any of these species I use fluorocarbon leaders tied directly to a “Crippled Herring” jig. About 1.5 feet of leader of no more than #15 and attached to the line with a small “Spro” #50 barrel swivel. A .75 oz., up to 1.5 oz. jig is used depending upon the size of the fish and the tackle used. Cast into or just ahead of a moving school, put the tip of the rod in the water and reel very rapidly on the retrieve. This method will put fish in the box.

FISHING FACTS OF THE WEEK

The U.S. commercial quota for dogfish in 2003 = 4 million pounds.

Estimated commercial discard of dogfish annually = 13.1 million pounds.

Good Luck and Good Fishing!

Captain Al Lorenzetti

Skimmer Fishing Charters

631-661-2112

www.skimmeroutdoors.com