TIN CAN GROUNDS
Some say it may have been an earthquake. Whatever the cause may have been, it still remains a mystery today. On January 3, 1944 the Bristle Class destroyer the USS Turner met its fate as a series of explosions scattered the ship along the bottom approximately 5 miles southeast of Rockaway (Debs) Inlet. Since “Tin Can” has been a slang used by the US Navy Fleet for decades when referring to a navy destroyer, hence its name for this wreck.
According to Frank Ruperto over at Bernie’s Bait and Tackle in Sheepshead Bay, the Tin Can Grounds is an area of broken wreckage scattered within a two mile radius between 50 and 60-feet of water that belongs to the USS Turner. Although much of the wreck is covered over with silt, the structure rich bottom is a condominium community to a slew of bottom feeders, gamesters and speedsters.
Starting with the area closest to the actual wreck site, porgies and sea bass keep rods bending by late June, which can last until the start of November. As the November chill starts dropping water temps, blackfish will dominate the areas of rough terrain. Although there are a few high spots that remain, your sonar will primarily show bumps along the bottom and depending on the quality of the machine, it will record fish magnetized to the scattered rubble.
Those who enjoy trolling will have plenty of company as bluefish, stripers, bonito, little tunny and weakfish are frequent visitors during the spring through fall. Kastmasters, Deadly Dicks and AVA 007 diamond jigs are top choices to toss around, especially when the birds are wheeling overhead or diving. For stripers and weakfish, you’ll want to fish along the bottom primarily.
With the Coney Island Flats just a hop, skip and a jump away. Fluke and porgies are the mainstay during the summer. Frank recommends 1 to 2-ounce bucktails tipped off with a spearing or a Gulp 4-inch Swimming Mullet in either white or chartreuse. Pink Gulps are also a must have in the box as there are days when all the fluke want is pink plastics. Standard bottom rigs baited with clam strips will work just fine for the porgies. If your pocketbook allows, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have some sandworms available for the scup, especially when the winds are from the northwest and high barometric pressure as the porgies will wallop the worms when those conditions exist.
Despite the flounder shortage, the Tin Can Grounds along with the Coney Island Flats are the go to place for big spring flounder. A word of caution; however, this is ocean fishing which during the month of April and into May will produce strong winds that can kick up at any time which can make the ride back to the inlet a challenging one. Therefore choose your days wisely, particularly for crafts under 23-foot.
For the latest happenings at the Tin Can Grounds or any area around the NY Bight, stop on over at Bernie’s located at 3035 Emmons Ave in Brooklyn where Frank and the boys can help with all your bait and tackle needs.
