Fishing Report: Sharks, Bass On The Hot List

Taking a small step back, it was an eventful Fourth of July on land and on the water. Not surprisingly, four fish dominated the long holiday weekend and their action has only gotten better since then. I'm talking about fluke, striped bass, sea bass and porgies. But surprises have appeared in local waters, such as triggerfish and cobia. The has taken off at jet speed, especially in deed water off Montauk. This past Saturday on board the charter boat Montauk loads of blue sharks were hooked, along with some big and small makos.

A very large cobia approached the boat in the chum slick, as did a white marlin. On board the Ebb Tide, which is docked at Salivars on West Lake Drive in Montauk, Sunday's trip for fluke had a 7.5-pound monster doormat fluke. The best action took place on Saturday with almost everyone taking their limits including two fluke weighing just over seven pounds.

Fifteen-year-old Daniela Duseyic had pool honors recently with her first-ever fluke.

On Sunday, aboard Halfback Charters, Dr. Tino and family were involved in hot striper action with four huge striped bass from 30 to 36 pounds out of Shinnecock.

The first evening of the Shinnecock Star Skinny Water Fluke Tournament saw some amazing action with Jason Rock reeling in a 5.6-pound summer flatfish. Tuesday evening will prove him the winner unless a bigger fish is taken.

On board the Shinnecock Star, Monday's trip was excellent for sea bass and a dozen large triggerfish came over the rails.

This past Sunday aboard the Hampton Lady was a banner day for both fluke and sea bass. Capt. Jim put his customers onto some really fat  fluke and large sea bass. The Joseph Gunnar group grabbed a nice pick of fish and the fishing was as solid as the weather conditions.

Out of Orient Capt. John Sinning and his son Jack Nugent of Mattituck took 19-year-old Matt Carroll and his dad Mark to introduce them to a typical East End striped bassing experience. The Nugents have been summer hosts to Matt who is on the North Fork Ospreys of the Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League. At San Jose State in California, he regularly plays for them. Thus did the Nugents and the Carrolls step aboard the Sundowner II with the well-experienced Capt. Sinning to fish the deep water drifting bucktails. Matt was hitting fish as fast as he swings a bat and each angler had a striper between 30 to 34 inches. As the sun set and the tide changed, the bait became live eels to produce fish to about 30 pounds.

Scott Jeffrey of East End Bait & Tackle in Hampton Bays reported that the fluke bite in Shinnecock Bay has finally started producing some keepers. "I now hear the ratio has improved to 15:1, and we weighed in a 5-and-a-half-pound fluke caught by the youngster, Jackson Eckart, fishing with his grandfather Bill Horan on July Fourth. From the east cut an 8-and-a-half pound fluke was caught by Bill Brewer this week of Rampasture Point on a live Jumbo killie." Jeffrey also noted that the bass bite, "is still good in the inlet on both live and clam baits, but not as good as it was. Blues are still ravaging the baits in the inlet and bay. Trigger fish are coming out of the inlet, also on clam baits. The reef outside the inlet continues to produce some quality sea bass, porgies and a few fluke."