Fishing Report: August 16, 2010

Rachel Keith is going into 8th grade. As of last week she had never caught a fish from the shore. After 3 hours of fishing Great Point she had landed 20 fish on her own. Long and Short parents, If you have ever wanted to get your kids into fishing right now is the time!

For the last few weeks I have been talking about beach fishermen buying their sticker and heading to the point. This is exactly the reason. Great point is filled with gorgeous sunsets, automatic smiles once you drive onto the beach and it is a fisherman’s heaven. There are more terns working the bait around the point than I have ever seen and plenty of fish under the terns. As to where/when to fish: The inside has been the most productive, but I love stopping to fish the outside when you see the terns working. The old expression “don’t leave fish to find fish” exists here. The fish on the outside are bigger than the inside as well. There is also the occasional bass mixed in…. As for WHEN to fish, the evening/mornings are still the most consistent with occasional fish caught during the day. A variety of lures have been working, but most consistent has been shiny lures with smaller hooks. A Hopkins for example has a smaller hook than a Ballistic. One final promotion to make is that these are not the biggest fish in the world. To optimize the experience, invest in a seven foot rod. They will make the bluefish feel like 10 pounders and the rod will pay for itself after the first fish. Please use the appropriate equipment for the appropriate fish!
Other Beach fishing that has been good has been Esther’s Beach out in Madaket as well as Low Beach in Sconset. I know this is the same old story, but the Madaket beaches have been holding fish as a result of all the bait at the bonito bar and Low Beach has an offshoot of the little squiddos from Old Man and the other South Eastern Rips.
**While I have yet to hear many Bass reports from the eastern beaches, I can tell you that the water temps have dropped considerably along the East from all of this East Wind. My guess is that the Bass are pushing up and becoming more aggressive. I know that some Bass with this East Wind have pushed into Great Point. This is usually expected with a consistent blow like this.
Boat
Everyone is waiting for the Bonito Bar to explode. Looks like it might just be a year of picking. Perhaps it will be like two years ago when you go out and expect to work for 2-3 and September will reward those who last…. There is a consistent argument as to whether the beginning or end of the tide is fishing better, but what has been true is that the fish are coming in for short bursts, with lots of tight lines than leaving… Be Patient. The upside of the Bar is that there are tons of little bluefish in the opening, so there is plenty of catching to be had if the goal is a bent rod.
Great Point is obviously producing bluefish. What was fun last night though, was that I caught Bass on the West Tide (North Flowing.) As mentioned above, this is typical with a good East wind and these cold nights we are having. The Bass tend to thicken up during the East tide more than the West, so if your goal is Bass, I would consider a trip to the point.
Offshore:
South of the island has been very productive for Sharks (lots of Makos reported…) as well as Mahi Mahi. I talked about August Exotics a few weeks back, and these exotics have been caught off of highfliers less than 15 miles South of the island. The Eastern Tuna grounds have provided spectacular Whale shows, but the Tuna Fishing has slowed dramatically. South of the island there are a lot of Tuna to be seen, but not many have been caught.
In Summary….Get out there and Fish! The island is a Kid’s fishing paradise right now. If you have ever had a child who has shown a remote interest in Fish, Get them on the water in some way as there are the right size fish to be caught.

Tight Lines,
Capt. Corey

Fishing Map - Click on the blue markers below to view the location names for each fishing spot.


This map is intended to help you orient yourself around the island. Below are 20 of the standard access points that people use to fish the shores of the island. It is important to know that the beauty of an island though, is that there are fish all around, should you be willing to look. We also believe that while there is a great camaraderie to be surrounded by 10 of your best friends, all with rods bent, that there is a subtle joy to catching a fish in a spot all your own.

I always recommend to people to find a beach they like and pick a direction to walk casting the whole way down. If you are fishing for Bluefish, cast as far as you can perpendicular to the beach, if you are casting for Striped Bass, cast 45 degrees in the direction you are walking as Bass are closer to shore. If you get to a point in the beach, a break in the surf, or water that just looks different, this is likely where fish are residing. Stop and cast ten times to test the water. Tight lines!