Diehard anglers enjoying current marine bounty

A snap in the air, the crunching of leaves and those early retail displays are none too subtle signs that the busy holiday season is just around the corner. But only inclement weather such as last weekend’s remnants of Tropical Storm Noel, plus strong northwest winds, have distracted diehard anglers from enjoying our current marine bounty.

As usual, the bluefish are all over the place, ranging in size from cocktails to nice hungry big ones. The striped bass bite definitely has been improving as the waters have cooled, though – like in Jamaica Bay, striper fishing is still better at night. Use bunker chunks, poppers or swimmers.

However, the biggest new concentration is on blackfish. With New York’s porgy season closing, porgy-seeking party boats have switched to those taugs. They’re heading for the Jersey and Rockaway Reefs out of Sheepshead Bay. Surfers are even catching taug off the beach at Jones Beach and Robert Moses State Park.

To quote John DeCuffa of Jack’s Bait & Tackle on City Island, fishing for those good-tasting blackfish in his part of the Sound is “unbelievable,” with specimens up to 12pounds. That goes especially for setting lines at 20 to 30 feet (even deeper as water gets colder) off places such as New Rochelle, Larchmont, Mamaroneck and Rye but also right in his shop’s backyard, namely Orchard Beach, and Pea and Huckleberry Islands. Crabs definitely are the bait du jour, though sometimes clams work.

New York anglers can catch 10 blackfish a day. New Jersey anglers are allowed only one taug until Nov.15, when their maximum increases to eight. Fourteen inches is the minimum size in both states.

Speaking of New Jersey, anglers there can still fish for porgies until the end of the year. Regs allow for up to 50fish at nine inches.

By the way, DeCuffa was quick to interject that yesterday a surfcaster brought in a 29-pound striper reeled in on squid from under the Throgs Neck Bridge.

For those days when squalls discourage actual fishing, now’s the season to be on the prowl for anglers’ flea markets. Upcoming on Long Island, for instance, is one at the Lindenhurst Knights of Columbus building on Nov.24 and another the next day at the Polish Hall in Riverhead.

Freshwater enthusiasts can explore the first off-site show organized by the Catskills Fly Fishing Center. Its Arts of the Angler is tomorrow from 9:30 to 5 and Sunday closing at 4:30 at the Ethan Allen Inn off I-84 in Danbury, Conn. The $10 admission lets visitors see nearly 30 fly tyers at work, learn about building bamboo rods and hear about fishing, say, in New York’s Salmon River. A Saturday night buffet (additional charge) sports an auction whose wares are listed on the museum’s Web site: http://www.cffcm.net.

Another thing to ponder in the months ahead is the growing pressure on marinas and boaters to join the “going green” movement. Check out the Association of Marine Industries’ Ten Steps to Clean Boating on its Web site: http://www.boatli.org.

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