Hamptons Fishing Report: Waters Look Blue This Past Week

While the word "blue" was a major part of last week's report, it has expanded this week in a variety of ways.

"Blues" as in bluefish are simply more prolific and anglers have been expecting this usual occurrence. Blue claw crabs, those tasty crustaceans which sometimes dominate our shallows, docks and piers, have been a reason for trappers and scoopers alike to give this season a thumbs up. Just for information purposes, the male, sometimes called a "jimmy", has a long, inverted T -shaped apron on the underside and blue-tipped claws.

The female "she crab" has an inverted V or triangular apron and pink or reddish tips on her claws. However, a mature female ("sook") has an inverted U or what we might perceive as a bell-shaped apron where she eventually carries her eggs. Good advice? Leave the females alone and take only the males. This aids in carrying on the future life cycles which allow our local waters to produce future generations of blue claw crabs.

The Hamptons Offshore Invitational Tournament, hosted by the Shinnecock Marlin and Tuna Club, had an entry boat at the Dip which trolled for mahi and tuna, weighing in an albacore at 41.5 lbs. One boat had 20 mahi to 13-pounds., yet those on board spoke frequently of the numerous rays, dolphins and whale pods which radiated the horizons on many occasions during the tournament.

A surf angler last Saturday took a ton of nice-sized snappers and fluke while fishing the closing locks of the Shinnecock Canal at dusk. Best noted were the scores of kids lined up along the docks and bridge as they reeled in snappers. I tried my best to locate the photo of the angler who fished 32 miles offshore of the canal and had a 40-inch, 200-pound mako shark.Having caught only one in my lifetime, I would have liked to have seen the picture.

Scott Jeffrey of East End Bait & Tackle in Hampton Bays had a great report this week. “The fluke have finally begun to cooperate and the scale has gotten some use this week. Anglers are catching keeper size fish in both the bay and ocean regularly and in some instances believe it or not, limiting out. The bay bite seems more productive in the skinny water with either live bait or small jigged bucktails. The ocean fish definitelyprefer the larger live baits or whole large squid which are swimming all over outside, which explains the influx of larger fish in the area. Eight year old, Tara Brochu, weighed in two nice fluke this week while fishing with her dad in the bay, one was 5.5-pounds and the other 4.5-pounds, both caught on live killies .”

Scott also went on to add, "Don’t be fooled by the ever abundant rays being caught as of late, spooling many anglers. The bass fishing is extremely tough due to the warm water temps but the fish are still here. Target them in the dark for your best shot with live bait. Blues are around most often visible in the early mornings or evenings, tins are the best bet. The porgies and sea bass are still hanging around the reef and some in the inlet as well. Triggers are roaming around and structure, not in the numbers they were earlier in the season but they are around. Snappers are in the bay, the canal and just about around any local dock."

Out of Greenport, last Friday was a good day for the boat Captain's Charters, which described tough action in the Race when even bucktails could not reach the striped bass below due to the thickness of bluefish in the water.

Turning lemons into lemonade, Trish had the heaviest blue at a whopping 14-pounds. Those out east on the North Fork believe the Fall Run this season will be an incredible one, based upon the amount of bait and blues in our local waters.

In Montauk, the Marlin VI Princess had double-digit fluke catches in excess of 10 lbs. over the weekend. John Gredys hooked a 10-pounder, the second such monster of this season. Aboard the Halfback Charters, last Saturday's sunset trip started out with the Goldberg Family battling hungry, ferocious bluefish. Nothing would keep this group from finding the striped bass they had come for and Mrs. G. reeled in the largest striped, followed closely by her son and husband, who got their keepers. Another of Halfback Charter's vessels were out for sharks on Saturday, giving Glen Baillargen and friends the opportunity to hook up with three mako sharks and an estimated 200-pound hammerhead, which hung on for awhile and then broke free. All sharks were released safely.

So, anglers, as I said last week that the best is yet to come in our future. Get ready for the Fall Run. Keep fishing since there is a great variety of species to catch now.