It's no secret among Long Island's bottom-fishing faithful
that codfish catches have improved significantly over the past few years. While this past winter saw the best scores in a decade along the South Shore, spring cod remain a Montauk staple.
Thus, it was with hopeful anticipation that Captain Michael Potts steered the 41-foot charter boat, Blue Fin IV, south of Block Island late last week. As able mate Huey Chancey III, readied the rigs, Paul Davis, Gene McHugh, Gus Skopas and Barry Goudoras reminisced about a trip with Potts last spring when they limited-out with codfish and were headed home before lunch.
"We had 50 keepers on Monday, and 30 or so on Wednesday," called Potts from the helm in reference to the current action, as we pulled up to our first stop in 123 feet of water." Hopefully, they'll chew today."
Well, you know the saying about best laid plans. Drifting clam-baited high-low rigs across the bottom at the edge of the small, tightly-packed charter fleet, we managed just a couple of shorts. It didn't take Potts long to start exploring. He pointed the bow east by northeast and chugged away from the pack. The next several hours would provide lessons in patience and persistence.
"Finding fish isn't just a guessing game," said Potts, as we stopped to sample a slight ridge on the bottom. "Dues are paid with trial and error. Spend enough time on the water and you'll gain a sense of where the fish might bite best under various conditions."
We proceeded to hit several spots, checking for signs of life, but enticed only a few shorts and a trio of ling. While heading toward a new set of coordinates, Potts noticed some gulls floating placidly on the surface. Suspecting they might have been attracted by baitfish, he set anchor on a high piece nearby. Within minutes two nice cod, plus a 9.5-pound bulldog blackfish decked by Davis, were in the boat.
"Most anglers look for diving birds to reveal feeding fish, but sometimes the flock settles down after losing the baitfish schools," Potts said. "If the bait is still nearby, there's a good chance predators are, too."
One last move, just a few minutes away, provided a second flurry of action and ensured a bag of tasty fillets for each angler. By then it was time to head home. The next day, Potts would try yet another piece, and his fares would ice 25 keepers. "You just have to keep looking," he said, "and realize the bite sometimes resumes in a spot that's gone cold - so be sure to back-track once in a while."
The Montauk fleet will continue to focus on codfish and ling until either the stripers arrive or fluke season opens in May (date to be announced). Winter flounder remain the target at most other ports. Raritan and Jamaica bay anglers continue to average three to five fish apiece. Bluefish arrived off Jones Inlet this week, while Great South Bay has offered a few flatties off Amityville and Bay Shore. Moriches Bay flatties are awakening near buoy 15.
On the North Shore, Eastchester Bay and Duck Harbor hold a few flatties. Blackfish, fair game through the end of April, have taken green crabs outside Port Jefferson and Huntington harbors.
Hot spots
Raritan Bay (flounder)
Jamaica Bay (flounder)
Eastchester Bay (flounder)
Duck Harbor (flounder)
Huntington (blackfish)
Port Jefferson (blackfish)
Jones Inlet (bluefish)
Amityville Cut (flounder)
Moriches Bay / Buoy 15 (flounder)
Montauk (codfish/blackfish)
