December is it! Look to Montauk and South Shore grounds for that last chance at fresh holiday fish.
Back in the 70s and 80s I never thought of catching porgies, sea bass and even weakfish at Christmas time right in our backyard. However, back in the day there weren’t many boats powered by double and triple motors powering sizable vessels, these were a good 30 years into the future. As for party and charter boats steaming 20 to 40-miles offshore to the fishing grounds, it was definitely out of the question, at least as far as a day trip was concerned. Most of the open boats and boats for hire cruised at a bustling 8 or 9 knots back then. Pushing forward to recent times and a day on the fishing grounds from Montauk Harbor will have you back at the dock or ramp before sunset. And should you decide to hit a head boat for the day, along the South Shore, you will find the Laura Lee Fleet in Captree State Park, the Super Hawk in Point Lookout, the Captain Lou Fleet in Freeport and several boats out of Sheepshead Bay, including the Captain Dave, all fishing the 25 to 50-mile wrecks during the winter months.
In addition to giant sea bass and porgies, bluefish, weakfish and a few codfish add a bit of spice to the fishing. Gladly open boats are not the only taxis in town reaping the rewards of solid winter fishing. These days there are more and more private vessels cashing in on the fun, especially anglers sailing from Montauk Harbor with the destination being the 175 to 200-foot depths south/southeast of Block Island where an aquarium of sea bass, porgies, weakfish, bluefish and a load of red and white hake awaits your offering.
A Winter’s Paradise
Sadly, unless there is a run of codfish during December, most of the open and charter boats sailing from Montauk Harbor will not make the 2 to 3-hour steam to the fertile hot spots such as The Highway, The Apple Tree, East Grounds, West Grounds, Southwest Ledge and Coxes Ledge. These are just a few of the productive locations that have surrendered their share of quality groundfish each season. During December, much of the fishing is done in 185 to 200 feet of water either on the wrecks or along the miles of rocky bottom. Depending on how cold the water becomes during December, you may find the bottom dwellers in 125 to 145 feet of water. You can usually count on a few market size cod from these waters, but rarely any blackfish, as tog rarely venture past the 150-foot depths.
Tides can be extreme at times with strong currents, especially during the new and full moon periods. If you are considering trailering any boat – under 26 foot – out of Montauk Harbor, you might want to reconsider as this is big water and it can turn treacherous in a hurry. Even if the day promises mild temperatures and calm seas, most will agree that jumping aboard a head boat along one of the South Shore ports to the west would be feasible with easy on and easy off without the worries of trailering and weather.
Tackle That Fits The Bill
Seven-foot conventional graphite rods equipped with a conventional reel in the 3/0 class filled with 30-pound braid will measure up to most conditions when dealing with the waters within sight of Block Island, or any of the deep water wrecks along the South Shore. When using braid, make sure you use an 8- to 10-foot shock leader of 40-pound fluorocarbon, which should be tied to the main line via an Albright Knot. Rigs are normally standard and I prefer to keep it simple consisting of super sharp 2/0 Gamakatsu octopus hooks set at 3 feet and 1 foot above the sinker, via a pair of loop knots. This allows the bait to lay in a natural manner with minimal twisting of the line. When using this style rig, please keep in mind to keep the bait on the smaller side, which will greatly assist in detecting even the lightest taps.
Sinkers round out the terminal end which depending where you fish will determine the proper weights. Along the South Shore wrecks 8 to 10 ounces will often fit most conditions on the anchor, however, during a new or full moon phase you may have to kick them up to 12 ounces. Along the East End, 6 to 20 ounces may be needed; therefore, be sure to carry a good supply of different sizes. All sinkers should be bank or diamond shaped.
Fresh Gooey Clams
Sea bass usually win in both size and quantity and end up in the cooler with fresh skimmer clams undoubtedly outfishing the frozen salted down versions. Granted the salted clam will hold the hooks better but when the fish are finicky, and they do become quite picky at times, the soft natural fresh clam will outfish all other baits available, hands down.
When the bite is lock and load and there are plenty of days that the bite is torrid then just about anything you send down there will make you look like an expert fisherman. Should the bite be picky, I strongly suggest applying as much of the gooey belly of the clam hanging over the hook while the tough portion (the tongue) is run through the shank of the hook. Although it is frozen, I find defrosting a log of clam chum and employing the goo outfishes all else. Besides the clam logs are always easy to obtain versus trying to find fresh skimmer clams this late in the season.
Jigs Instead Of Rigs
Many lures have come and gone over the years. Some are long forgotten, while some have stood the test of time and are as popular today as 50 years ago. Modifications and advanced innovations have balanced and cosmetically refined these lures to clone-like status. Some have unique features that may deviate from the norm, yet still grab the attention and curiosity of any predator, especially jumbo sea bass and scup. One of the more common and widely used, with incredible results, is the diamond jig. When conditions permit, such as a slow drift, 2- to 6-ounce diamond jigs along the bottom produce well and are cost effective should one or two succumb to the rocky bottom. If your pocketbook allows, the Marathon Diamond Jig by Bimini Bay Outfitters has a sleek aqua-dynamic design with durable triple chrome plating that results in a long-lasting, bright silver finish and are also available with a holographic finish. Top quality Mustad hooks round out the jigs, which range between 6 and 20 ounces. If you want some shake, rattle and roll included in your arsenal, then consider the Raging Rattler bucktail from S&S Bucktails. The Raging Rattler has a full glow head and skirt, as well as an internal rattle. Curiosity often gets the best of sea bass and the rattle draws their attention. Also in the S&S line are the Octopi and Flutter Jigs that are popular with those who take jigging sea bass seriously. If there is a Rolls Royce of jigs, that title belongs to Shimano’s Lucanus Jig. Unfortunately, for some reason, Shimano has discontinued making them. Fret not, as you can find many sources on eBay that still have them available. It may be a buck or two over retail, but they really are worth it. In fact all the jigs I mentioned can be found on eBay. A word of advice, don’t fish these jigs on sticky bottom as they are costly. Shimano’s Butterfly “Flat-Side” Jigs, round out the selection which have been innovatively designed to perform the best action while vertical jigging from a drifting boat. The rear/center weight balance design lets the Shimano Flat-Side Jigs fall to the bottom quickly with a swinging motion. The off-set eyeball position allows for the use of two different hooks for an overall better hook-up ratio. Both lures come in a variety of colors and sizes to 7 ounces. These jigs are specifically designed for deep water fishing on rocks, reefs and wrecks. They have proved repeatedly their effectiveness on jumbo sea bass and giant porgies, including many pool-winning fish.
Come Ready To Do Battle
First and foremost, dress warm. Be sure to dress in thin layers as you can always remove or add on as needed. Make sure to have foul weather gear, insulated boots, gloves, wool hat, sunblock, and prescription eyeglasses. Anglers who don’t dress accordingly can suffer from exposure or a very unpleasant day on the water. If you know that you are prone to sea sickness, you may want to take something to help with that before sailing. Otherwise, once you start getting sick, you’re pretty much out of luck. Lastly don’t forget your lunchbox and plenty of water, and your favorite soft drinks.
If you decide on sailing from an open boat, remember the crew. Mates earn much of their pay from tipping and the better the service, the better the tip. Keep in mind that throughout the day, mates are there to instruct novices and kids in the fundamentals, remove tangles, net and unhook, measure and keep your catch fresh, filleted and bagged. The mates keep your bait buckets replenished and the deck washed down, so no one slips and slides on fish slime. A tip of 20% or better should go to the first mate and at the end of the day he will divide it up with the crew. Certainly if you find a deckhand that was extra attentive to you, then a little extra for him or her is a nice gesture. Most party boats charge for cleaning fish nowadays. This should not be reflected on the customary 15 to 20% gratuity This holiday season why not treat yourself and some anglers you care about aboard one of the South Shore open boats instead of doing it yourself. Whatever route you choose to go, I’m sure you’ll have a Merry Yule Tide.
