Vacation/Staycation - Do it on the South Shore

Author's Note: I wrote this piece for Newsday a couple of years ago, but in this year of staycations, it's still as timely as ever.

Here on Long Island’s South Shore we are lucky enough to have our own professional all-star team – with no prima donas, no one’s wife sneaking off to France to be with Lenny Kravitz, and a team that works extremely hard, sometimes three times a day, to please fans.

I’m talking about the fleet at Captree State Park – where every captain is an all-star manager, and the crews work as a team to please every customer. 

From the Laura Lee and Captain Gregory in left, to the Captain Rod holding steady at center, and the Island Princess , Captain Gillen, and Captain Bob-O in right, and others, too many to name, but just as equally important – the roster has fans all over the Island, and they come from Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Jersey too, to join the frenzy with their favorite captain. 

Cheaper than a Yankees game, where good tickets are $45 and more, and sodas average $5, most of the half-day boats charge about $40, sodas are a buck, and the drive to Captree is way cheaper than driving to the Bronx, or even CitiField, for those that are not Yankees fans.

I have been fishing at Captree for over 40 years, and will hopefully be able to do so for another 40.  My son has been fishing since he’s four years old, and at 22, it is still his passion; a passion that keeps this mother/son relationship unique and special.  But if we all don’t join together and support our home team, our favorite players might have to leave, and that would be a shame.

The fleet at Captree State Park is New York State’s largest, and though you've heard the negatives such as gas prices and fish limits, a day or a half-day of fluke fishing is still a great value for family fun.  Plus, it’s not like everyone has to be there at 1:05 p.m. for the first pitch.  Early birds can board a boat at 6 a.m. or 7 a.m., or almost every hour throughout the day.  What other sports teams make it so easy to join in.

So pack a cooler, grab the sunscreen, put on some jeans and a t-shirt, and head to Captree for family fun – with the All-Star team that is there to serve you every day.  Maybe you’ll start your own family tradition right in your own backyard.