Beautiful Gulf Stream Water is Here
Volume 49, Issue 7
Captain Al Lorenzetti

Fishing for the period from July 11 to 17 has been excellent. Offshore fishing has broken wide open and big fluke are now in the ocean.

Beautiful Gulf Stream water has moved into our area and there are plenty of tuna, sharks and fluke that are having a great time chasing the numerous schools of baitfish. On July 12 I ran a 28-foot Pursuit with twin Mercury 225 hp Verado engines to a weed line that is in about 125 feet of water between 20 and 25 miles from the inlet. We trolled two small bluefin tuna and set up for shark fishing. We had some bluefish in the slick so we used bluefish fillets for baits. The sharks came into the slick and we had a ball catching and releasing six big blue sharks. We then hooked up a 200-pound thresher shark and boated it in about 20 minutes. At the end of the day we hooked a mako that got its tail wrapped and broke off near the boat. It was a good day of fishing only 20 miles from the inlet.

Small bluefin tuna are chasing bait schools right outside Fire Island Inlet. Casting to the schools is producing fish. Billy Turnbull of Bay Shore had fifteen tuna on spinning tackle on July 12. He also got spooled two times so there are a few bigger tuna mixed in with the small ones.

South of Ocean Beach is Hot

Fluke fishing is solid in the ocean with most fish in the three to six-pound range. Squid and spearing or fluke belly strips and spearing are catching well. Power drifting is a must when the winds are calm. Morning seems to be best with the fishing slowing down in the afternoon. I fished two days in 60 to 65 feet of water southeast of the inlet and had good catches of fish up to six pounds. South of Ocean Beach seems to be the hot spot right now.

Striped bass fishing improved somewhat this week. I found a supply of live bunker in the Back Bay areas and have been live-lining them for big striped bass. There are loads of bluefish to contend with but there are bass mixed in with the blues. On July 13 I fished with Boyd Ridell and his buddy Joe and we had a bunch of big blues and five bass up to 25 pounds. Two days later I fished with Jim Woltmann and his dad Gene and we had big blues and four bass to 20 pounds, then later fluke to five pounds.

Bottom fishing is good with lots of porgies but only a handful of keepers. Triggerfish are now present in good numbers where there is good bottom structure.

Bluefish are just about everywhere and in all sizes. Just look for the terns working over the schools of bait.

FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK

Mako sharks love to feed on bluefish and squid. When targeting mako sharks, bluefish and squid make the best hook baits. If I set up a chum slick and don’t get any bluefish in the slick and there is no shark action I will move until I find some bluefish. I catch the blues and fillet them to use as hook bait. On the way out to the inlet, if small bluefish schools are showing, I will catch a bunch to use as shark bait later in the day. I always bring some large squid for hook bait and often will use a combination of bluefish fillet and whole squid on the hook.

FISHING FACTS OF THE WEEK

Maximum age and size of Atlantic halibut = 50 years and 500+ pounds.

Percent of Atlantic halibut remaining of unfished population = two percent.

Current management plan to rebuild population = none.

Good Luck and Good Fishing!

Captain Al Lorenzetti

Skimmer Fishing Charters

631-661-2112

www.skimmeroutdoors.com

Good Luck and Good Fishing!