Fall Bonanza on the East End

Fall fishing on the East End in the triangle from Montauk, to Orient Point and Fishers Island is a special time. The bass and bluefish begin to put on their feedbag to fatten up for their long southern migration. They are strong, mean and very aggressive.

Initially the bass and bluefish will remain in their normal feeding areas, like The Race, Plum Gut, The Sluiceway, Pigeon Rip, the North Rips and Cartwright off Montauk. Later in the fall the bait will move into the beaches and the surfcasters will experience the "Fall Blitz."

I will be focusing on diamond jigging from a boat. It can be a private, party or charter boat. The techniques are the same. The only difference is that on a charter or party boat you have a professional crew fishing on a daily basis with the knowledge and skill to put their customers on fish. On a private boat you are the captain, and your knowledge and experience will determine your success.

Like I said, these fish are big, mean and aggressive. Proper tackle and technique is essential. The tackle requirements for this kind of fishing is a medium heavy boat rod of 6.5 - 7 feet rated for 30-50 lb. test and a medium speed reel with a 4 to 1 retrieve loaded with 30-50 lb. mono line. I like a Newell 338, Penn 3/0 Special Senator or equivalent. I then attach a 20 foot shock leader of 80 lb. test with a double uni-knot and then an 8 ounces diamond, slab or crippled herring jig. Do not put on a teaser above the jig.

The technique is simple. The captain will pass over likely structure and read the bottom to see where the fish are taking up station. When the fish are marked the captain will run the boat uptide several hundred yards and stop. At this point you will drop your jig to the bottom. When you hit the bottom immediately engage the reel, lift up the tip of the rod and start reeling fast. This immediate lifting of the jig off the bottom and reeling is essential. It will prevent you from becoming snagged in the structure and will result in more hits.

Reel up the jig about 10-15 turns and drop back down and repeat until you get a hit. The fish are usually hugging the bottom, but they can be anywhere in the water column. Also, thumb your spool as your jig falls to the bottom and be aware of any slack line. If the line suddenly goes slack, and you did not feel it hit the bottom, then you had a fish hit the jig. Lift the tip of the rod smartly and you may hook the fish.

The fish are very strong at this time of year. Take your time in bringing the fish to the boat. They will make several runs and dives, so let your reel drag tire him out. You don't want a "green fish" in the boat. While the bass have no teeth, gorilla bluefish are quite nasty. Also, fall fishing is usually in much cooler weather with lots of wind and salt spray. Deck boots and bib foul weather pants are appropriate.

I really love this kind of fishing and I'm sure you will too. Remember to practice conservation and release the bluefish you will not use. The current limit is ten bluefish a man. What someone will do with ten gorillas from 12-15 lbs. or bigger is beyond me. Please practice conservation since the bluefish have been in significant decline.