ALBIES ACROSS THE BOARD!, BUT MORE FOOLISHNESS WITH BASS…
Wow…  What a week!   Was in Montauk for the first part of it.  Sick bass blitzes and false albacore pretty much everywhere.  And then I got back home to Lower New York Harbor, dropped the boat back in the water, and I’m into solid albies and bass again.  Awesome!  A pretty darn good week despite the early rain and wind.  I’m stoked!  Yet, while I hate to bring it up, there are more shenanigans going on with bass. 

Maryland has recently proposed extending their recreational fishing season for an additional 15 days through to December 31.  Currently the regulations have a recreational season closure of December 15.  If you are thinking that this is not such a big deal, you are right.  The truth is that the impact will probably be relatively minor.  However, when all of the minor impacts of this proposal, Delaware and Pennsylvania’s proposals etc. are added up, fishing mortality will undoubtedly go up as well. 

If you read this report regularly, you know that the new stock assessment review resulted in a lower fishing mortality threshold for corrective action.  That means any increase in mortality will likely put us over that threshold and into the “overfishing” realm.  Right now we’re quite close to it.  And of course, there are lots of complaints about poor fishing in some regions and a general concern over the amount of recreational harvest we’re seeing.  Indeed more anglers are entering the fishery each year.   One would think we’d be thinking of ways we could cut back, not increase striped bass fishing mortality. 

Yet, despite all of this, there does seem to be a lack of precaution  from a recreational fishing industry that seems to be looking to kill as many bass as it possibly can, and that’s a bummer for those of us that want more striped bass in the water.  My guess is that the Maryland proposal will pass handily, just as Delaware and Pennsylvania’s proposal to kill small male bass did.  But, you can be sure that on the Advisory Committee conference call this week, I’ll voice my objection.   Undoubtedly I’ll be a minority.  But let’s get on to better things.  Like the fishing.     

The fall run is on!   South and Central Jersey are beginning to score some good bass fishing in the back country.  On the ocean side there are some albies but not as many as one would expect for this time of the year.  Offshore they are still enjoying a pretty good bluefin bite, but most of that action is on the troll.  In the New York Bite area, after things settled down from the easterly  blow, the albies were right back where we left them, working bait in the Sandy Hook and Breezy Point areas.  There were bass blitzes in these areas as well this week.  Loads and loads of bay anchovies are what’s fueling all this action.  Jamaica Bay and Raritan are surprisingly slow for this time of the year, but I expect that to change shortly.   Across the Island, there was more of the same, but as you got farther east, the action undoubtedly was better.  Montauk has been insane with big bass blitzes and excellent albie fishing.  Rhode Island and Connecticut have had their fair share of albies as well.  In Mass, there are still not many signs of a fall run yet, but folks are still picking away at the bass, and there are some albies in the Cape region. 

New Jersey Saltwater Fishing Reports
From Southern New Jersey, Capt. Bryan DeLio from Iowa Fortune Guide Service checks in with this report:
"Well that NE blow last week did just what I had hoped for and that really shook things up. The pieces of the Autumn run are falling into place with the 1st of the ocean run Bass slipping into the backcountry. The recipe was really pretty simple, we had several ingredients, NE blow dropping the water temps, new moon giving us massive hatches of grass shrimp, and big tides. Put them all together and what do you have? Bass pushing into the backcountry moving with the tides looking to feed on the newly hatched dinner that is trying to hide in the grass as was the case nearly every trip last week. This was the best sight fishing this season especially because of the locations where we were catching these Bass and the tactical challenges and patience it required to close the deal, as was the case on Tuesday with our 30 minute pursuit of a lone 29" migrator. This Bass offered us a shot at him about every 5 minutes or so as he made his way through the grass and offering us small windows of opportunity to present the fly when and only when he passed through a 6" opening in the tall grass. This is the same weak at the knees type of excitement as fishing for Permit and Bonefish and thanks to countless hours of my client casting at dandelion targets in his back yard he laid that fly right in there to close the deal. This style of action is just the 1st week of what lies ahead for the remainder of the fall as the numbers of migrating Bass will begin to slip into the SJ backcountry on a daily basis in the weeks ahead offering us shots at larger schools and bigger fish in the shallowest waters. On the oceanside of the island things have been rough and quiet but be prepared, the Albie bite should be right around the corner on the heels of our 1st good NW blow so for those clients on my short list start planning your sick days, your phone could be ringing soon. My Fall openings for October are becoming very thin with a handful of days still available so unless you jump on them you should be planning to start zeroing in on the November bite."

New York Saltwater Fishing Reports
Capt. David Azar from One More Cast Charters checks in with this Lower New York Harbor report.  Check it out:
"There are a massive number of "cookie-cutter" striped bass in the Breezy Point area with all fish measuring between 23 to 27 inches.  These fish, along with bluefish anywhere from 3 to 9 pounds are feasting on abundant finger mullet and peanut bunker making for some very consistent fishing.  They are taking tins, poppers, swimming plugs, soft plastics and flies.  Bigger bass should start to show within the next few weeks if not sooner.   As I reported last week the first albies of the year were spotted on Sunday, 9/14.  Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday they were caught by other captains.  I fished  Friday, 9/19, but it was very windy so Dr. Ron Mizrahi and I stayed close to home due to the rough conditions and caught and released bass and blues until our legs were aching from trying to stay upright in heavy seas, but had no signs of the albies.  Sunday, 9/21,  was beautiful and I did find the albies but they were too few and far between to get a shot at, so Steve Cohen had to settle for 6 stripers and 1 blue in between the 5 hours we spent searching for albies.  Then finally on Monday, 9/22, the crew of Dr's Steve Slobotski and Ralph Mosery and yours truly boated the first albies of the 2008 season!  In heavy seas we stuck with the spinning rods in the hopes of getting everybody to score.  Dr. Ralph did not connect with an albie but got plenty of "albie practice" with big, bait crashing bluefish up to 9 pounds.  He also caught a striper.  Numerous bluefish were caught by all.  Dr. Steve landed 1 albie but no stripers.  I  got 2 albies, 1 striper to complete my slam.   After this period of rough weather I have every reason to believe things will bounce back strong."

A bit farther east, Bob Giordano checks in with this report from the North Shore: 
"Hey John, this past Sunday five boats made it out for the second outing of the North Shore Flyrodders. Left Lloyd Harbor at first light and overall the action was slow to say the least. At first light I had repetitive takes on a large gurgler, one bite off from a large blue. Switched to a popper on spinning and lost a nice fish when the hook straightened out a bit opening the gap. It was that kind of morning, not much action and when I had fish  on found umpteen reasons how to drop them. This morning in and around Huntington Harbor took some schoolies off shallow points on Chartreuse clousers but then hit a nice bass again on a Metallic Yozuri Hydro Popper. Taped out at 34.5" and a bit over 15 pounds. The spinning has been getting the nod but some fish are taking gurglers once in a while, just waiting for the big ones who seem to  really prefer the larger poppers. Still no noise on any albies, etc. Will try to at least fish the lee inside the harbors over the weekend."

Salty Flyrodder Joel Filner checks in with this report:
"Weather or not to go to the beach is the key activity of the fall season. So far my success at Shinnecock is less than stellar, with overall complaints of fish at odd hours and overnight successes, and first light successes and no joy even from a boat. Normally at this time the bait is making its tidal rush on both sides and when the fish come in the catching is  great. It seems that if you are shore bound and fishing in back of the bay your chances are not so great.  If you are on the  jetty from 9 pm to 4 am your chances are terrific.  But otherwise no joy. Only rumours and facts of a few albacore from the shore at Shinnecock make the day. Montauk, that mecca for fall fishing is having a true feast day from both shore and boat. Over the last two weeks the shore guys on the south and north sides are catching bass and blues, mostly nice sized, 26 inches plus, from again first light to 0830 and on the north side from similar times.
On the south side from 430 PM onwards the fish are in to the shore and will work themselves around the point to the northside depending on the tide. Both spin and fly guys are doing well. But its like fishing on 42nd street with nary a nook and cranny. Fishing from a boat is almost as large a challenge. I fished Sunday with David Blinken, the first day of clear weather since Thursday and there were at least 100 boats of varying sizes out along the rip off the point. The run and gun method of fishing for Albies and for that matter for stripers made for some interesting casting opportunities.  One could catch a Mako, Whaler, Stetiger, SeaCraft, Parker, and a Grady with no difficulties, and with varying degrees of seamanship, watch them broach on the swells, note the size of the their props as they popped out of the water, share a coke or water with them as they crashed along side. If you managed to get your fly in the water a good chance of catching a bass of keeper size was possible. Getting it to the boat without the line being cut was also a matter of luck. We managed to miss the melee, fishing on the south side with great success. Again we are blessed with nice sized albacore, 12 lbs plus as well as the normal sized 6 to 8 lb fish mixed in the pod. Big Blues up to 36 inches we on the line as well, running into the backing with the head shaking pressure as they ran for the deep water. Along with Rain bait, there were snapper blues, tinker mackerel, butter fish, and large sand eels for bait. I hooked a large albie on a 6 inch bunker fly  and a 60 lbe mono shock tippet, much to my surprise, and at one time during the day Mikkelson's epoxy minnows were the bait of choice. Floating lines were more successful but we caught a steady run of fish through the day, well out of the melee at the point. Only missed the Bass as we chose not to run into the run and gun club near shore, however it was a wonderful day. Other Salties went out on Monday and Tuesday, having a traditional fall day with big fish of all the species. Thank goodness for work days as at least the boats were somewhat reduced and the weather held for the two days."

Capt. David Blinken from North Flats Guiding checks in with this Montauk Report:
"The blitz can live up to its name for 2008. While we have been enduring a long stretch of unusual north east wind for this time of year, as long as the bait sticks around we are in great shape for an epic close to the season, which was less than stellar earlier this year. The bait is still bay anchovies and very little else. Where did all the peanut bunker go will be the bait question for this fall, Unfortunately, we are looking at a stretch of bad weather Thursday - Sunday which will keep many of us all off the water for a while. I'm sure when we return the fish will be there just like they were last week after the winds of last Friday\ and Saturday. Get out there while you can and use the resource don't abuse it."

Also reporting from out east is Capt.  Ken Rafferty from Fishing East Hampton:
"SEPT 16th…Morning…John Wolfer…Fly-fishing.
At 7:00 am we were under the lighthouse at Montauk. Striper blitzs all around us but no Albies anywhere.
John landed 16 Stripers, all were in the 7 to 8 lb. class. He also landed 5 Bluefish one of which weighed 10 lbs.
SEPT 16th …Night fishing at Plum Gut aboard John Barton’s new 25 ft Grady White center console.
Along with John and I were my sons Ken Jr. And Ron.
We started fishing at 12:00 am (midnight) and were back at the dock in Sag Harbor by 5:00 am. All three anglers landed Stripers all night long but there was nothing worth taking a photo of. Every fish was just about 28 inches long.
SEPT 17th…Afternoon…Sean Patrick and Jeremy Cole…Fly-fishing at Montauk Point.
Big blitzes, everywhere you looked. Some of these schools of Stripers surrounded my boat. They were so close you could hear them slamming the hull. If you had a gaff and were inclined to you could have filled the interior of the boat in 15 minutes. Both Sean and Jeremy had never seen blitzes like this and landed more fish then they ever had in their lives.
Once again………no Albies but there were plenty of larger Bluefish to eat your flies.
THURSDAY, FRIDAY and SATURDAY were blowouts with heavy winds….no fishing.
SEPT 21st…Morning…Ed Shugrue…Fly-fishing at Montauk Pt.
We found lots of fish breaking water out at the elbow but none were Albies…..just 8 lb. Bluefish and Ed landed plenty of them. He also hooked up with a few Stripers and landed a nice 30 incher.
We left Montauk at about 2:30 pm and headed back to East Hampton. I was told by two good sources that the Albies were back at the point and they were so thick you could walk on them.
SEPT 22nd…East North/east winds…No fishing
SEPT 23rd…East North/east winds…No fishing
SEPT 24th…East North/east winds…No fishing
SEPT 25th and 26th the Redbone Fishing Tournament was scheduled at Montauk Point. We had 38 boats with 76 anglers ready to go but the weather blew us out and it was canceled as Thursday produced East North/east winds of 25 mpg with 20 to 25 foot seas at the point and Friday was even worse.
Now we have this unnamed tropical storm hitting us and tropical storm Kyle down in the Atlantic which will most likely head up into Maine….hopefully."

Connecticut and Rhode Island Saltwater Fishing Reports
From Eastern Connecticut, Capt. Mike Duclos from Tiderunner Guide Service checks in with this report:
"Tropical Storm Hannah put a swift halt to the 30 fish days that were the norm before her arrival. The past week saw less surface activity, so we have been covering a lot more water to find fish. Had a charter with a really nice guy, Jim from Alaska, he was a good fly fisherman and had a great attitude, we fished long and hard for 8 fish, 4 stripers and 4 bluefish. Some days are more difficult than others but we can usually find the fish even when they are not showing. The next few weeks should get better by the day as long as the weather holds out, looking forward to some big bass days as well as albie encounters."

Capt. Sandy Noyes from Rumrunner Guide Service checks in with this Eastern Connecticut report:
"This has been one of the best weeks we have had in a long time. When the weather co-operated the fish did too. The bass bite has been excellent with fish well into the teens. The blues seem to always be around. The albies finally made an appearance in our area. Now if the bait holds we should have a great Fall. Our trips to Montauk have either been very good or a struggle. The albies are usually willing but at times they just don't want to eat."

From Rhode Island, Capt. Ray Stachelek from Cast-a-Fly Charters checks in with this report:
"Today is officially the first full day of the fall fishing season and the outdoor temperatures reflect that. Our clients have been working extremely hard each trip to put a few fish in the boat. Fishing conditions remain stale; very slow and slow to change. The high surf has many shores blanketed with weeds and dirty water. Looks like it might take  awhile to clean up with another storm on the horizon this weekend.

We’ve covered a lot of square miles this week searching for baitfish and fishing activity. We ventured the entire south shore of RI and Block Island.  There are some larger bass on the humps of southern Block Island willing to take an eel. Just watch your depth finder for good marks. Most of this activity is in forty or more feet of water.  That’s the most consistent bass fishing right now.

Our clients have been fishing closer to shore over structure with fly equipment and some spinning gear. Much of the water we have been drifting remains 15-20 feet deep. We have not witnessed any sand eel activity whatsoever out at the island. There hasn't been any signs of birds. Our fishing has been blind casting in current over structure.  On some trips we would hit a few pockets with a small number of stripers searching the flats. The currents of North Rip have produced stripers and bluefish with more regularity.  

There are some signs of improvement ahead. New Harbor, BI is loaded with silversides now. The Coast Guard channel will yield some good fishing once the baitfish starts to drop out of the pond. Lower Narragansett Bay has shown improvement with the increase in the amount of baitfish sighted. Nothing has happen just yet. They haven't been attacked.  Along the break walls of Galilee there has been an occasional pod of anchovies. Not in the usual amounts we are use to, hence the lack of albie sightings.    

Glen & June Quattromani were vacationing last week from New Jersey. They just love visiting the RI shoreline with its rugged coastline especially around Westerly and Watch Hill. Their trip to Block Island produced a few stripers under calm and warm conditions. The views are just majestic along the southern end of the island as sand cliff raise up one hundred feet above the ocean floor.

Pete Laviolette’s yearly return to RI was a pleasant stay. The fishing was slower as compared to his previous visits but it was nice to see the Flying Frenchmen again. Back home in Calgary, Pete is known as “French Creek” to most of us on the internet. We have our usual Canadian jokes that run the stay… ayah!   

Pete usually makes the news… somehow! …someway! This year was my wife’s 60ish birthday. He helped scheme up a total surprise party. That guy is smooth as 20 year old scotch.  My wife catches on quick like some bluefish in frenzy. This time she was totally in the dark. Thanks Pete from both of us!

Pete experiences the total nature of any outdoor event. It’s not just the catching but the journey that matters most to him.  You will find Pete usually fishing or hunting back home with his many friends and canine companion. The outdoors is the outlet to his soul that stirs passion within.

Pete is a genuinely outgoing and friendly guy, gracious to share his experience. This year he invited some local legends onboard. On Sunday his guest was Sean Murphy from Cape Cod. Those of us familiar to Sean also know his as “Sean Juan” on a few of the fishing boards. Sean is a colorful character bordering on insanity with his active imagination and humor. Imagine being the editorial director of Hatches Magazine with that resume.  It’s true. He writes about practical and artistic fly tying methods. That’s if you can get by his monolog of one liner’s before the content.

On another day, Sean Ransom was on board. Sean is a recent transplant to the east coast. His roots go back to the rivers and streams of Washington State were steelhead fishing rein. Both he and Pete share a common interest is spey casting, so the conversations were interesting to say the least. Sean has developed a keen appreciation for our east coast striper fishery. I think he has caught the bug that many of us suffer from. 

Mike and his dad, Ron Maniscalco was on board with friend Bob Dirienzo on Wednesday morning. Striper and blue fishing was extremely slow so the trio bailed out on some scup and sea bass fishing. All had a good time despite the scarcity of sport fish. Getting the three together is a major task since Ron lives in Florida, Mike in Massachusetts, and Bob lives locally in North Kingston.  Even with the slow fishing, they had plenty to celebrate. It seems that Ron and Mike can’t get good native fried clams in their neck of the woods. Bon Appetite!"

Massachusetts Saltwater Fishing Reports
Capt. Dave Rimmer checks in with a Newburyport-Plum Island Area Report:
"In my last report I expressed hope that the fall run of striped bass was "just around the corner". Up here in northern Massachusetts, we are still waiting and wondering if it is going to happen at all. This is not to say fishing has been terrible because there have been some days in the past week when I was able to find schoolie bass for my clients, and even a few bluefish. Fish were still feeding primarily on silversides although we actually had some big squid up this way one day last week which is unusual. But the volume of small to medium stripers is well below normal. On the flip side, big fish are being caught by surf casters and bait fishermen. A few days ago I saw several 20+ pound stripers hauled in by guys slow trolling dead pogies. So those anglers might say the fishing is good but my barometer is the volume of 3-8 year old fish that should be generating surface feeding frenzies along our coastline and it just has not happened in 2008. But it ain't over until it is over, so I have hope a big push of fish will still arrive here north of Boston but based on all the reports I am hearing, my expectations are realistic."

Wow!  On that note, I’m gonna sign off.  See ya on the water…

Capt. John McMurray
Tidal Fish Northeast Fishing Correspondent

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NORTHEAST SALTWATER FLY FISHING AND LIGHT TACKLE FISHING GUIDES

Connecticut Fly Fishing and
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Capt. Mike Warecke
Southeastern Connecticut Fishing Charters

Capt. Mike Delucas
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Capt. Sandy Noyes
Rum Runner Guide Service
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Maine Fly Fishing and
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Capt. Eric Wallace
Coastal Fly Angler
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Capt. John Medelson
Boston Fishstix Guide Service
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Capt. Brian DiLio
Iowa Fortune Guide Service

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New Hampshire Fly Fishing
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Capt. Dave Azar
Live to Fish Charters

Capt. David Blinken
North Flats Guide Service

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Capt. John McMurray
One More Cast Fishing Charters

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Capt. Greg Snow
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