Tropical Storm Hanna certainly pinched local fishing
efforts last weekend as it sped across Long Island and let loose with dramatic downpours. To be sure, the winds proved less intense than forecast. Although offshore wave heights topped 20 feet, inshore waters remained fairly calm, save for a slight heave, until just before the storm arrived.
While some anglers lamented the down time, others got out and made the best of things by casting close to home. I found myself in the latter camp, trekking down to prospect near a small, submerged rock pile in the eastern Long Island Sound. At my back, a tall bluff buffeted the wind while spearing and small snappers played chase-and-evade between the mussel-encrusted boulders and pebbled shoreline.
It didn't take long to record my first strike. A large sea robin inhaled the small white jig, spread its winglike fins and put a nice bend in the light spinning rod. A 19.5-inch fluke, a few days late and an inch shy of keeper status, soon followed, and was gently released. Next came a pair of cocktail blues, which shredded my soft plastic grub beyond recognition.
As I slid a new grub onto the jig head, things grew more interesting. A pod of porgy-shaped fish were now cruising the edge of the rock pile and I hooked one on the next cast. Its body was a silvery color, with dark, vertical bars extending from the back to the belly. Later research would reveal it to be a sheepshead, a once common species in our waters now primarily caught south of New Jersey. In some areas, they are known as "convict" fish in recognition of the stripes. I released the chunky 12-incher, plus three more, before the pack dispersed.
The air was damp and heavy now as the wind shifted to the southwest and I felt another tap at the end of the line. A pilot fish was the result. Often associated with sharks, from which they pick parasites with seeming impunity, small schools occasionally visit our shores in late summer. Back in the drink it went.
With the winds beginning to stiffen, one last cast seemed in order and another sea robin quickly obliged. As I was working the hook free, a 20-pound striper eased up to within a few yards of the shore, gave a curious glance, and then turned and eased back out into the depths as the clouds finally burst open and the rain poured down.
My late-afternoon adventure cut short, I hiked back to the car, soaked, satisfied and hoping Mother Nature would deal me another winning hand after reshuffling the cards.
Get schooled on fishing
There is no better way to learn about fishing than hearing the details firsthand from expert anglers. You'll get that opportunity by attending the 10-session Sportfishing On Long Island class, offered by the Suffolk County Department of Parks. With Captain Jerry McGrath at the helm, you can't go wrong. The class, to be held at the Dennison Building in Hauppauge, costs $130. Call 631-854-4947 for details.
You'll also learn plenty from expert surf-caster Frank Daignault's guest appearance on The Fishing Line radio show Sept. 20 at 4:30 p.m. (WGBB, 1240) Visit www.thefishingline.com for additional information and check out the new, 24-hour fishing report telephone hotline.
E-mail: outdoortom@optonline.net
Hot spots
Jamaica Bay (weakfish)
Sheepshead Bay (bluefish)
Cranes Neck (porgy, bluefish)
Huntington (bluefish, porgy, snapper)
Fire Island Inlet (striped bass, bluefish)
Long Island Sound Middle Grounds (porgy, bluefish)
Moriches Inlet (bluefish, striped bass)
Rocky Point (striped bass, bluefish)
Orient Point (porgy, bluefish, striped bass)
Montauk (striped bass, bluefish, sea bass)
