Captain Craig Cantelmo of Van Staal reels says this week saw the striped bass and bluefish in search of cooler temps with many of the ocean inlets holding fish in the mid-twenties. Try the night tides and use bucktails with pork rind fished very slowly on both the incoming and outgoing tides. The flats fishing has been excellent inside the bays closest to the inlets with fish still feeding on fin fish. Pretty soon the fish will move to crustaceans. Flyrodders should start tying some crab patterns.
Ken Morse at Tight Lines Tackle in Sag Harbor reports that the big happening of the week was the opening of the cut at Mecox Bay in Bridgehampton. Anglers have been pounding fish pushing 40 pounds on topwater lures. The fluking slowed this week in Sag Harbor and the big Porgies are still biting west of Jessups. Bass fishing has been excellent at night at Plum Gut.
Further west, Captain John McMurray of One More Cast Charters says strange things are afoot. You can deny it, knock it, call it a conspiracy by the alarmists, but it's a fact that the earth is warming. And, well, while it certainly isn't a good thing, he’s been enjoying the effects these last few days. For the last week he has been catching Black Drum, usually an inhabitant of more southern climates. They aren't unheard of here, but they are indeed very rare. Every other year or so, someone will catch one or two on clam-bellies. But he has never heard of them in any substantial numbers, much less great schools of them finning on the surface like permit. These were big fish. In the 60- to 70-pound range and they were eating plugs and soft plastics! And there are still plenty of bass around. They are mostly schoolies, but definitely a few bigger fish in the mix. The water is getting warm and John expects to see some pelagics soon. If this year is anything like last year, the bonito could show any day now.
Check back every Wednesday for a new report.
–Tee Clarkson
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