Montauk Sportfishing report 4/14/08

April 13, 2008

Spring is finally in the air, and I'm back.

Cod fishing is still pretty good, best it's been in a number of years. Not
as good as it was earlier, when it was nothing short of fantastic, but good
enough that unless conditions just plain suck, you are going to be able to
catch enough cod to keep just about anyone happy, plus lots and lots of
ling. There are still only a couple of charter boats sailing, namely BLUEFIN
IV, CAPT MARK, SEA WIFE, LORI JAY & HURRY UP, but the boat yards are coming
to life and every day a couple more are going into the water. The VIKING,
MARLIN VI PRINCESS & SEA OTTER are also sailing on a limited schedule.
You'll
have to call them to find out when.

The federal government has come up with a new way to help you out. If you
are a licensed captain, as of September 25 you will have to have a TWIC.
That's not one of those chocolate covered wafer candy bars, but an official
identification card. It is going to be issued by the same folks that make
you take off your shoes at the airports. And, whether you think it's a good
idea (yeah right!) or a bad one, if you want to be a licensed captain you
are going to get it. The Coastie in charge of licensing in Manhattan was out
to the MBCA meeting on Saturday going over everything, and as he put it if
you don't have your TWIC on September 25, on September 26 you don't have
your captains license. That doesn't mean somebody is going to come out and
rip it off your wall, but it does mean that when you go to renew your
license, you will have to start all over with the tests, just like a first
time applicant.


It costs either $105 or $132, depending on whether you get one that
terminates in five years or one that terminates on your license renewal
date. And, it is a two stage process. Stage one you go in, get
fingerprinted, pay the $$$, and apply for it. Stage two you go in and get
it. Right now, there are two locations convenient? to us, the Battery or New
London. They are threatening to open one in Riverhead by mid July, but this
is the US government we are talking about, and I'll believe that when I see
it. Apparently it will take about a month to receive it after you have
applied, so it doesn't make much sense to wait for Riverhead, because if it
doesn't open on time you will have to make two trips to the city or
Connecticut during the heart of the season.

There is a website about the program at www.tsa.gov/twic and you can pre
enroll there as well. But that doesn't save you a trip. Rather, you fill out
your information and then you will get an appointment to go in for Stage
One. You can just go in cold, but then you are on the end of the line. You
may be the next person waiting on line, but if a half dozen people show up
with appointments, you are going to have to wait until they are done.

The MBCA is looking into getting the TSA to make a special trip to Montauk
to sign everybody up, which they will do if the number of applicants is
sufficient. If that doesn't happen, the association will probably arrange
for a group trip to New London. I'll keep you informed.

The LAZYBONES going in the water is what usually prompts me to send out the
first report of the year, and that usually is around the time that some
flounders start getting caught. But not this year. Bones won't be in until
around May 1. They're passing up on the flounders because of lack of fish.
They only caught three fish in each of the past two years. That's not per
day. That's total for all the trips they sailed.

The road between Hampton Bays and Southampton is now two lanes in both
directions, which I'm sure sounds great to all you guys from up-island. Now
the logjam starts at the Seven-Eleven and runs up to Watermill.

Right now the boats are paying almost $4.50/gallon for diesel. I just looked
back through last years bills, and at the end of the year, I paid
$3.27/gallon. Last fall the association came up with suggested rates for
this season based on the fuel costs then. I don't see how they can stick
with those prices, so I expect to see them adding a fuel surcharge to the
cost of their trips. That way if the fuel prices come down, shortly after
pigs fly, they can drop the cost of the charters.

It looks like the SEA OTTER will be leaving Montauk for Connecticut sometime
around mid May, when the fluke fishing starts. There are rumors another boat
will be taking the slip over, but it's pretty vague right now. But for now
the boat is still sailing cod trips.

It looks like the fluke regs are going to be four fish per person at
20-1/2", starting May 15, but it isn't official yet. Last year it was four
fish at 19-1/2", and was supposed to be open all year, but was closed early
because we were too good at catching them. However, there can be a big
problem with these regs, because unless something changes in the basic fluke
regulations, we may be under a fluke moratorium in 2009. I don't think
anyone is under the impression that we won't catch too many fish again this
season again, and the Feds have indicated that if we can't stay within our
quota, they will close it all down.

There are always a couple of boats for sale out here, and if you are
interested the DAYBREAKER is still for sale. I thought that would've sold
fairly quickly, because it's bear of a boat. Capt Billy Campbell's CHASER is
also for sale, and if you talk real sweet to Capt Wayne King, he can
probably be convinced to sell the KING WAYNE. It's an over six wooden boat
that would make someone a great starter open boat.

I'll start posting weekly reports in a couple more weeks, after the fluke
and bass fishing get started. If you would like to receive these reports
directly, drop me a line.


--

Capt Gene Kelly
Tropical Fishing Adventures
http://www.tropicalfishing.com
800 280 5565
631 668 2019
fax 631 668 2040

On Mon, 14 Apr 2008 06:51:31 -0400, Gene Kelly wrote:

It looks like the SEA OTTER will be leaving Montauk for Connecticut sometime
around mid May, when the fluke fishing starts. There are rumors another boat
will be taking the slip over, but it's pretty vague right now. But for now
the boat is still sailing cod trips.

I thought the Fuke were outlawed.

Ruben

--
http://www.mrbrklyn.com - Interesting Stuff
http://www.nylxs.com - Leadership Development in Free Software

So many immigrant groups have swept through our town that Brooklyn, like Atlantis, reaches mythological proportions in the mind of the world - RI Safir 1998

http://fairuse.nylxs.com DRM is THEFT - We are the STAKEHOLDERS - RI Safir 2002

"Yeah - I write Free Software...so SUE ME"

"The tremendous problem we face is that we are becoming sharecroppers to our own cultural heritage -- we need the ability to participate in our own society."

" I'm an engineer. I choose the best tool for the job, politics be damned.
You must be a stupid engineer then, because politcs and technology have been attached at the hip since the 1st dynasty in Ancient Egypt. I guess you missed that one."

© Copyright for the Digital Millennium

I don't know what you mean by fluke being outlawed.
It is legal to catch them in New York as soon as the season opens

--

Capt Gene Kelly
Tropical Fishing Adventures
http://www.tropicalfishing.com
800 280 5565
631 668 2019
fax 631 668 2040
"Ruben" wrote in message
news
On Mon, 14 Apr 2008 06:51:31 -0400, Gene Kelly wrote:

It looks like the SEA OTTER will be leaving Montauk for Connecticut
sometime
around mid May, when the fluke fishing starts. There are rumors another
boat
will be taking the slip over, but it's pretty vague right now. But for
now
the boat is still sailing cod trips.

I thought the Fuke were outlawed.

Ruben

--
http://www.mrbrklyn.com - Interesting Stuff
http://www.nylxs.com - Leadership Development in Free Software

So many immigrant groups have swept through our town that Brooklyn, like
Atlantis, reaches mythological proportions in the mind of the world - RI
Safir 1998

http://fairuse.nylxs.com DRM is THEFT - We are the STAKEHOLDERS - RI
Safir 2002

"Yeah - I write Free Software...so SUE ME"

"The tremendous problem we face is that we are becoming sharecroppers to
our own cultural heritage -- we need the ability to participate in our own
society."

" I'm an engineer. I choose the best tool for the job, politics be
damned.
You must be a stupid engineer then, because politcs and technology have
been attached at the hip since the 1st dynasty in Ancient Egypt. I guess
you missed that one."

© Copyright for the Digital Millennium

On Sat, 19 Apr 2008 08:53:17 -0400, Gene Kelly wrote:

I don't know what you mean by fluke being outlawed.
It is legal to catch them in New York as soon as the season opens


According the state websites, there is no longer an allowed catch of Fluke.

Ruben

--
http://www.mrbrklyn.com - Interesting Stuff
http://www.nylxs.com - Leadership Development in Free Software

So many immigrant groups have swept through our town that Brooklyn, like Atlantis, reaches mythological proportions in the mind of the world - RI Safir 1998

http://fairuse.nylxs.com DRM is THEFT - We are the STAKEHOLDERS - RI Safir 2002

"Yeah - I write Free Software...so SUE ME"

"The tremendous problem we face is that we are becoming sharecroppers to our own cultural heritage -- we need the ability to participate in our own society."

" I'm an engineer. I choose the best tool for the job, politics be damned.
You must be a stupid engineer then, because politcs and technology have been attached at the hip since the 1st dynasty in Ancient Egypt. I guess you missed that one."

© Copyright for the Digital Millennium

That's because they are presently out of season. The new dates will be
announced shortly, probably May 15.

--

Capt Gene Kelly
Tropical Fishing Adventures
http://www.tropicalfishing.com
800 280 5565
631 668 2019
fax 631 668 2040
"Ruben" wrote in message
news
On Sat, 19 Apr 2008 08:53:17 -0400, Gene Kelly wrote:

I don't know what you mean by fluke being outlawed.
It is legal to catch them in New York as soon as the season opens


According the state websites, there is no longer an allowed catch of
Fluke.

Ruben

--
http://www.mrbrklyn.com - Interesting Stuff
http://www.nylxs.com - Leadership Development in Free Software

So many immigrant groups have swept through our town that Brooklyn, like
Atlantis, reaches mythological proportions in the mind of the world - RI
Safir 1998

http://fairuse.nylxs.com DRM is THEFT - We are the STAKEHOLDERS - RI
Safir 2002

"Yeah - I write Free Software...so SUE ME"

"The tremendous problem we face is that we are becoming sharecroppers to
our own cultural heritage -- we need the ability to participate in our own
society."

" I'm an engineer. I choose the best tool for the job, politics be
damned.
You must be a stupid engineer then, because politcs and technology have
been attached at the hip since the 1st dynasty in Ancient Egypt. I guess
you missed that one."

© Copyright for the Digital Millennium

I live in South Texas and my husband is a commercial shrimper/live
baiter. We have a bait stand where we sell live shrimp, atlantic
croaker, etc. The price of diesel here is currently $3.75 per
gallon. Any of out efforts to pass on this additional cost to our
consumers has backfired.

Rebecca








On Apr 14, 5:51*am, "Gene Kelly" wrote:
April 13, 2008

Spring is finally in the air, and I'm back.

Cod fishing is still pretty good, best it's been in a number of years. Not
as good as it was earlier, when it was nothing short of fantastic, but good
enough that unless conditions just plain suck, you are going to be able to
catch enough cod to keep just about anyone happy, plus lots and lots of
ling. There are still only a couple of charter boats sailing, namely BLUEFIN
IV, CAPT MARK, SEA WIFE, LORI JAY & HURRY UP, but the boat yards are coming
to life and every day a couple more are going into the water. The VIKING,
MARLIN VI PRINCESS & SEA OTTER are also sailing on a limited schedule.
You'll
have to call them to find out when.

The federal government has come up with a new way to help you out. If you
are a licensed captain, as of September 25 you will have to have a TWIC.
That's not one of those chocolate covered wafer candy bars, but an official
identification card. It is going to be issued by the same folks that make
you take off your shoes at the airports. And, whether you think it's a good
idea (yeah right!) or a bad one, if you want to be a licensed captain you
are going to get it. The Coastie in charge of licensing in Manhattan was out
to the MBCA meeting on Saturday going over everything, and as he put it if
you don't have your TWIC on September 25, on September 26 you don't have
your captains license. That doesn't mean somebody is going to come out and
rip it off your wall, but it does mean that when you go to renew your
license, you will have to start all over with the tests, just like a first
time applicant.

It costs either $105 or $132, depending on whether you get one that
terminates in five years or one that terminates on your license renewal
date. And, it is a two stage process. Stage one you go in, get
fingerprinted, pay the $$$, and apply for it. Stage two you go in and get
it. Right now, there are two locations convenient? to us, the Battery or New
London. They are threatening to open one in Riverhead by mid July, but this
is the US government we are talking about, and I'll believe that when I see
it. Apparently it will take about a month to receive it after you have
applied, so it doesn't make much sense to wait for Riverhead, because if it
doesn't open on time you will have to make two trips to the city or
Connecticut during the heart of the season.

There is a website about the program atwww.tsa.gov/twicand you can pre
enroll there as well. But that doesn't save you a trip. Rather, you fill out
your information and then you will get an appointment to go in for Stage
One. You can just go in cold, but then you are on the end of the line. You
may be the next person waiting on line, but if a half dozen people show up
with appointments, you are going to have to wait until they are done.

The MBCA is looking into getting the TSA to make a special trip to Montauk
to sign everybody up, which they will do if the number of applicants is
sufficient. If that doesn't happen, the association will probably arrange
for a group trip to New London. I'll keep you informed.

The LAZYBONES going in the water is what usually prompts me to send out the
first report of the year, and that usually is around the time that some
flounders start getting caught. But not this year. Bones won't be in until
around May 1. They're passing up on the flounders because of lack of fish.
They only caught three fish in each of the past two years. That's not per
day. That's total for all the trips they sailed.

The road between Hampton Bays and Southampton is now two lanes in both
directions, which I'm sure sounds great to all you guys from up-island. Now
the logjam starts at the Seven-Eleven and runs up to Watermill.

Right now the boats are paying almost $4.50/gallon for diesel. I just looked
back through last years bills, and at the end of the year, I paid
$3.27/gallon. Last fall the association came up with suggested rates for
this season based on the fuel costs then. I don't see how they can stick
with those prices, so I expect to see them adding a fuel surcharge to the
cost of their trips. That way if the fuel prices come down, shortly after
pigs fly, they can drop the cost of the charters.

It looks like the SEA OTTER will be leaving Montauk for Connecticut sometime
around mid May, when the fluke fishing starts. There are rumors another boat
will be taking the slip over, but it's pretty vague right now. But for now
the boat is still sailing cod trips.

It looks like the fluke regs are going to be four fish per person at
20-1/2", starting May 15, but it isn't official yet. Last year it was four
fish at 19-1/2", and was supposed to be open all year, but was closed early
because we were too good at catching them. However, there can be a big
problem with these regs, because unless something changes in the basic fluke
regulations, we may be under a fluke moratorium in 2009. I don't think
anyone is under the impression that we won't catch too many fish again this
season again, and the Feds have indicated that if we can't stay within our
quota, they will close it all down.

There are always a couple of boats for sale out here, and if you are
interested the DAYBREAKER is still for sale. I thought that would've sold
fairly quickly, because it's bear of a boat. Capt Billy Campbell's CHASER is
also for sale, and if you talk real sweet to Capt Wayne King, he can
probably be convinced to sell the KING WAYNE. It's an over six wooden boat
that would make someone a great starter open boat.

I'll start posting weekly reports in a couple more weeks, after the fluke
and bass fishing get started. If you would like to receive these reports
directly, drop me a line.

--

Capt Gene Kelly
Tropical Fishing Adventureshttp://www.tropicalfishing.com
800 280 5565
631 668 2019
fax 631 668 2040