Montauk

[sidelock]

I'm thinking about trailering my 18SF down to Montauk to chase some albies. This will be my first time fishing there & I was wondering if there is anyone on this forum I can hook up with . I would also like to know when is the best time to be there & what moon phase is preferable.

[Sail Away]

Hi Sidelock,

I am not an expert, but I have fished Montauk several times in the Fall, mostly for striped bass. We always see false albacore - acres of them chasing spearing and other bait fish. Fly fishing is the best bet. I have never hooked one on a spinning reel/rod, even with the smallest metal lures. You will have no problem finding them. Just follow the birds and fly fishermen. I see most of activity from just off the south side of the light house to east about a mile or so and back North about a mile or so.

A word of caution. Pick your days with the 18 SF. I've fished my 21 CC and it gets punished by Montauk's combination of ocean swells and strong currents running over sea floor ledges - even on moderate days. Don't even think about exiting Montauk Harbor with a strong North or NE wind. Look for days with less then a 3 foot ocean (i.e., no storms within several hundred miles) and a 10 mph or less Southwest breeze to really enjoy your trip.

Use Gone Fishing Marina on East Lake Drive. They have a boat ramp (for a fee) and will help you with tackle selection and the latest fishing reports.

I hope this helps. Good luck and enjoy a safe trip.

[sidelock]

I should have mentioned in my original post that I intend to pursue them with fly rod. Thanks for the heads up on the sea conditions, that's one of the reasons I asked if there is any possibility of hooking up with someone from this forum with local knowledge . Does that mean I should also avoid full moon & new moon spring tides ?

[oldfielder]

It can be heaven or hell out there in the fall. I have fished it for many years and still love it, but in an 18, like the previous poster said, you really need to pick days carefully if running around the point. Even in that battle wagon of yours.
There are rips all over the place and the only way to get used to them is through experience, either on your own boat or others' . Their faces can completely change on a dime depending on moon phase and tide direction.
If you are limited to the weekend it will be a zoo in late Sept/Oct, so just bring a lot of patience. Between fly boats, big down east charter boats and sportfishers, and partyboats ( none of whom will be worried about your welfare), there is no shortage of obstacles. Try to steer clear of places where you see the charters doing their wire line conga line and you should be happy. The albies and some absolutely massive schools of bass will congregate in tight to the south and north sides and in the bay about 1/4-1/2 mile west of point on north side. You can have a great day in there and stay away from the mayhem at the point and fish much more protected water. Last year the albie bite was excellent back toward gardiners and nobody was on them.
Don't rely on the ocean side forecast solely. Block Island Sound is really helpful. Get on the NOAA buoy site and take a look at what the swell is doing, too, because that can change the whole game if there is a groundswell- like this coming weekend-grrr
This is just a little bit off the top of my head. If you don't need to lock in to days, just keep your eyes open for some nice settled high pressure and light nw winds and go out and have a blast.
FYI- I have seen three boats flip out there, all guys who misjudged a break as they chased albies and bass too close to the beach and got caught by a crest. One was a local guide, but the other two were from out of town and probably thought the break would be much more predictable than it was. I guess the moral is that the water out there can always surprise you.

[sidelock]

My intention is to fish week days monday to friday & stay away from the weekend crowd. I appreciate the advice/caution but i'm starting to have second thoughts .It would be a bummer to trailer the boat all the way down there & end up not being able to use it.

[oldfielder]

In a few weeks there will be fish running around on top everywhere( I don't know if you can make out my sig. Pic from last fall). If you get the weather window go for it. Feel free to pm me if you decide to go and need advice. Your caution is smart- I have been grounded by wind out there in the 23 plenty of times.
It really is a beautiful place. I fish from the beach and the yak out there too- all fun.

[mrobertson]

I have trailered up from Maryland the last 2 years. First year we only caught one albie. Last year was amazing albie fishing and we only landed a handful of stripers and blues. The albies are alot more fun.

Rod and Reel is no problem, what you want to do is get some deadly dicks. Cast them and reel as fast as possible skipping them across the surface. Albies will eat them up. Fact of it is, fly fishing will be very challenging unless you have someone to run the boat. The albies are so fast by the time you positioned and cast they are long gone. They are always on the move.

Be warned - that is big sloppy water up there. First year we went in a 20 SC, last year in my 23 SC. Last year, the only way we could fish was because the fish were VERY close to the jetty and we didn't have to go a mile. Wind against the tide i honestly think we rode up over 6' waves with a nasty NE blow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7_p0qH9LiQ


Video tells it all..........i recorded it on a go-pro from my 23 SC, october 2011.

BTW - not sure where you are coming from but i've heard that Harkers Island in november is some of the best albie fishing in the world. People have told me the albies are bigger and more plentiful down there.

-Mike

[sidelock]

mrobertson; sea conditions didn't look too bad on that particular day you shot the video. Was that an exceptionally calm day during your stay ? When was the video shot ? Are the sea conditions @ Harker's generally speaking calmer than Montauk? How would you compare the crowds between the two locations ?
I'm in Toronto about an hour north of Niagra Falls so Montauk is approx 600 miles. If the bite between Montauk & Harkers coincide within a few days of each other , I just might do both but if I have to choose between the two, I don't know which location would be best.

[mrobertson]

Well - Harkers Island is outside Moorehead City in NC. So that would probably be a 1000+ mile tow for you.

Sea Conditions - Montauk is like any other place. It can be glass flat. You are basically ocean fishing and with the rips and currents up there it can be brutal. The video was of our best days there. We were stuck on a N/NE blow a solid 20 - 25 and when the tide came around.........solid 4-5 foot tight seas. It was just miserable to get around even in a 23 SC. The best advice i can give you is to be flexible on your dates. I'm not a die hard, go in any conditions, fisherman. I like it to be enjoyable. We were never in danger of dying, but you would not have been out in an 18 seacraft, that i can promise you. Look on a map at montauk, you can always get on the leigh side of the point to stay out of the wind. If you have the time, i'd make that trip a week long and you'll be sure to get at least a couple of days of good weather unless you are extremely unlucky. As noted before, montauk is some of the best surf fishing on the east coast. So if you go, you want to take rods to fish off the beach with in case you get blown out.

I do not know much about the fishery, but albies in general are water temp and bait dependent. They can be there one day gone the next. The past 2 years, mid october has treated me well. That video was shot Oct 15th - 17th. I've heard columbus day weekend is a zoo up there for fishing, so i would not plan for that. Also, you need to be prepared for a run and gun style of fishing........almost bumper boats. If the birds get fired up and start working, everyone puts the hammer down to go after them........like i said, run and gun. Last year i had 4 on my 23 and we rotated drivers, its just easier that way. Those albies are so fast, when you pull up on a school that are busting the surface, you'll only get 1-2 casts to hook up and then they are out of casting range.

Here's me and you can see it's a little chunky on the water, not terrible but not glass either.





One thing is for sure..............you get a good dose of albie fishing on fly and light tackle, you won't want to do anything else. I wish i could get into them closer to MD but when they go by NJ and MD, they go far offshore. Very cool sight to see them smashing through the schools of bait. They are like little missles!!!!

[oldfielder]

Sure that's not a bonito?