seasons

FISHING SEASONS

Shark fishing gets started in early June when the first blue sharks arrive. This is when you can expect to catch the most sharks, but not the largest. The early fish are usually met around thirty miles or so from the Lighthouse, but move in closer fairly quickly. By the middle of the month, the big threshers and makos usually arrive, along with the shark tournaments.

Early in July, the main body of the smaller blue sharks usually moves to the east, leaving the makos. threshers and larger blue sharks along with occasional exotics like hammerheads and tiger sharks. By that time of the year virtually all the shark fishing is done with 15 - 20 miles of shore, often within sight of land. This continues throughout the summer and into the fall.

The shark season usually ends in early October, but not because of a lack of sharks. Rather it is the fall winds that keep the boats from fishing offshore.

SHARK

Fluke fishing usually gets started early in May, with some of the best fishing both for big doormats and numbers of fish. Most of the action takes place in the deeper waters off the south shore from the lighthouse westward to as far as Hither Hills. By some point in June the fish have spread out and can be found just about anywhere, from just outside the inlet to halfway over to Block Island. Fluke can remain in the area well into September, with the end of the season fishing mainly for the bigger fish.

All of the fishing is done while drifting, with everybody on board able to fish at the same time. Bait is usually squid strips or a combo of squid and sand eels or spearing, but at times, especially in the fall live snapper blues can be used, depending on their availability.

Porgies and Seabass are usually available starting in early July, and fishing for them remains excellent well into November. In fact some of the best action takes place in the latter part of the season. Like fluke fishing, it is "all hands on deck", with everybody being able to fish at the same time.

All day inshore trips are commonly spent fishing half the day for striped bass and the other half bottom fishing.

FLUKE

SEABASS & PORGIES

FALL BLACKFISH

There are always some blackfish to be caught in the Spring, but their prime season is in the fall, starting on October 1, when the season opens up. This is at a time when the striped bass fishing is red hot, and many all day trips are scheduled with the first couple of hours devoted to catching a limit of stripers, followed by a run to a blackfish hot spot. At the start of the season, most of the fishing is done north of the Point at Fishers or Plum Island, and the latter part over at Block Island.

CODFISH

The fishing season usually starts out in early April and cod are the target. Much of the action takes place south of Block Island, and because of the distance, only full day trips are available. Codfish have been in decline for a number of years, but in 2008 we started to see an uptick in the quality of the fishing and 2009 has started out to be one of the best cod seasons on record. Spring weather can be the only drawback, as it can be breezy and cold, but hard core cod fishermen are usually willing to put up with it when the reward is a freezer full of cod.

School bluefin tuna, also known as "footballs" start to show up locally around the end of June or early July, and often they are within 10 - 15 miles of the Point. In fact, in past years, they have gotten so close to shore that they would occasionally get caught by boats fishing inshore for striped bass. They can stay around for as long as a month, or fly past in as little as a week, depending on the available forage.

Yellowfins, longfins, bigeyes and mahi-mahi will start to show up in the offshore canyons as early as mid July and then work their way slightly inshore. But in recent years most of action for these pelagics has been at least forty miles from the Point, making extended day trips the only choice to ensure a good trip.

Giant tuna are caught in Montauk every year, but it's impossible to state with any certainty when the best time period is to target them. Rather it is a matter of being ready when the opportunity for as giant presents itself. And, the Hurry Up is always ready.

Like shark fishing, tuna fishing can be excellent well into October and it is more often poor weather conditions that ends the season.

OFFSHORE - TUNA

The most consistent fishing we have in Montauk is for striped bass. They generally arrive in early May and remain in the area until early December. The first fish are usually caught by trolling with wire line (to get the lures deep) and parachute lures or umbrella rigs, or occasionally, when the fish are thick enough with diamond jigs. During the height of the summer large single tubes or large spoons can also be used.

As the season progresses, other methods can be used, such as live baiting with porgies, eels and late in the year with herring that arrive around mid November. At times bunker chunking also works well. But, the key to catching bass in any numbers is to use the method that has been producing best rather than insisting on a specific type of fishing. Your captain knows best.

All day or half day trips are available for stripers since you will usually be fishing only minutes away from the dock.