Montauk Point, Fishing Haven

At the tip of Long Island, New York lies Montauk Point. I have read it is a hot spot for striped bass, when they swim between Block Island and this jutting landform. The water is crystal clear of any effluents that turn southern waters brackish. Cold and rainy, I was in this part of New York for a wedding and did not have gear or time to fish. So what is the point of this post? You need only look at the commercial fishing trawlers docked in the harbor. Seagulls the size of Bay retrievers picking apart the remains of the catch entwined in the rolled nets of the empty, rocking boats. This is a place where fishing is not only a way of life, but it is part of the culture. I will need to return one day.

Cool Water and Hot Fishing

The water temperatures in the Choptank River, below Oxford Maryland, are dipping below 75F. The number of fish on your line is inversely relative to the water temp. As the temperature has been dropping, the fishing is spiking. Striped bass, or rockfish, and 'slammer' bluefish are gorging on smaller baitfish as they make their way toward the Bay and out to sea. This is not the time to be writing about it, but out on the boat with tight lines, This is my first season in these waters and I look forward to many to come. Though I may come home empty handed some days, I will still be smiling spending time on the Eastern Shore Outdoors.