I spoke with Captain James Schneider of the Huntington open boat, Captain James Joseph (www.jamesjosephfishing.com,) while he was on the water Wednesday afternoon. To prove his point that the fluke were biting fast and running large, he put nine-year old Thomas Gritthart on the phone. The excited youngster had just taken the lead in the daily pool with a 28”, 9-1/2- pound doormat caught at Target Rock. “I love party boat fishing,” Gritthart told me, “my dad and I go out at least once every week.”
Gritthart’s fish topped the 8.9-pounder that Bill Mazer drilled just seven minutes into the trip. Schnieder’s fared pulled 60 keepers on Monday, 50 on Tuesday, and 27 on Wednesday with just 10 anglers aboard. Over 20 keepers were already in the box by 1 p.m. on Thursday.
The big fluke, explained Schneider, have been around the Northport/Huntington area for more than a week - but they are steadily sliding into deeper water. “We first found them in 12- to 15-foot depths, tight to the beach,” he revealed. “Today, the best action and biggest fish came from 17 to 33 feet of water.”
The skinny: Get on these fluke now before they slip away.
More to come. Check back later today.