5/18/09

I always put the boat that I run all summer in the water the week before Memorial Day. This weekend I was shocked to
realize that is this week, the earliest possible weekend for Memorial Day. And, it still feels like April.

Bass fishing is in fine shape, with the few (actually very few) charter boats that have been getting out catching their limits
of eight to fifteen pound fish, with an occasional twenty pounder. There are also plenty of bluefish, which on some days
were hard to avoid. On other days they stayed south of the Elbow, out of everyone’s way. I don’t like to hear about lots of
bluefish. I believe that our area can only support a certain amount of fish. When there are too many bluefish there will be
fewer bass, and vice versa.

The fluke action is hot, with lots of half inch shy fish being taken, but also a good supply of doormats, including one over
twelve pounds that was taken on the MARLIN PRINCESS this week. As is usually the case this time of year practically
all of the action is on the south side between the Point and the Radar Stand.

I was speaking to a charter guy who runs a dragger all winter about fluke. New York regs allowed a 300 pound per trip
limit on fluke all winter, now reduced to 50 pounds per trip. The boat he ran also had a permit to fish out of New Jersey,
which had a 5000 pound per week limit. He would steam sixteen hours to Barneget, leave to go fishing out of there and
run sixteen hours to a spot thirty miles south of the Point where he would fish for a couple of hours until he had his 5000
pounds and then run back to Barneget to pack out. Maybe that will give you an idea of how New York got screwed on
the recreational regs for fluke, which were based on commercial landings.

If you would like to get these reports sent to you directly, drop me a line at captaingene@montauksportfishing.com and
I’ll put you on the list.