Home Living Outdoors Fishing ReportJumbo scup aplenty in the bays

Fishing Report
Jumbo scup aplenty in the bays

A jumbo porgy caught last Saturday aboard Brooklyn Girl. Photo: Ken Holmes

I’m not a writer. In fact, I’m a sheet metal worker by trade. So it can be challenging, week in and week out, trying to gather information — from fishermen, of all people! — and then distinguish fact 2015_brian_nigro_hed_badgefrom fiction and deliver it to you, the reader. Oy vey!

Captain Ken Holmes and his wife Barbara from the “Brooklyn Girl” in Orient Point have helped make this job a little easier, always getting me reports and pictures, without a lot of reminders. Additionally, we found out that we shared some of our fishing roots in Huntington.

Sometime last year, Ken extended an invitation for me to get out fishing. Our schedules didn’t jibe last season so I was determined to get right out this year. We set the date for May 14.

I finally convinced my friend, Wes, to come out fishing with me. We’ve talked about going fishing since probably ’07. But actually getting Wes out was no easy task. Wes is from the city and he has a bona fide fear of both Long Island and water. However, promise of giant Peconic porgies sealed the deal.

The Brooklyn Girl leaving “Orient by the Sea” Marina last Saturday. Photo: Barbara Holmes
The Brooklyn Girl leaving “Orient by the Sea” Marina last Saturday.
Photo: Barbara Holmes

The Brooklyn Girl is an immaculately kept, wooden 48×15 Chesapeake Bay deadrise hull, USCG rated for one to 34 passengers. Wes and I boarded the boat at Orient by the Sea Marina and found we had the entire front half of the boat to fish. There were maybe 15 passengers on the boat, plus two crew and the captain. There were miles of room to fish.

That's me in my element, after catching a 3-pound-plus porgy. Photo: Ken Holmes
That’s me in my element, after catching a 3-pound-plus porgy. Photo: Ken Holmes

Wes was a little nervous, as the last boat he fished on was a 100-footer out of Hyannis, Massachusetts.

“This boat seems close to the water.”

Any trepidation melted away as we turned west out of the inlet, on a virtually windless morning, into Peconic Bay.

First drop of the day was in the area of Jessups Neck. Captain Ken Holmes warned us right away that the fish were biting “softly” and hook sets needed to be more gentle. I got burned right away. It took some getting used to, but then we settled right in. These were the jumbo size scup to 4 pounds.

The bite was all day long. As soon as things slowed, we would just move to find another pile of fish. Towards the end of the day, the wind turned south and picked up quite a bit. This worked like a dinner bell for porgies. The bite ramped up to lights out status. My friend, anxious about both water and Long Island, told me to make sure we get out on this boat again! I certainly look forward to putting together another trip.

Brooklyn Girl will continue to run open boat and chartered trips for porgy, striped bass, sea bass and fluke (in season). Click here to check the website  for schedule and rates.

A fluke caught and release last Saturday. Fluke season opened Tuesday. Photo: Ken Holmes
A fluke caught and release last Saturday. Fluke season opened Tuesday. Photo: Ken Holmes

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Brian Nigro is a lifelong avid fisherman and former charter boat captain. He’s fished from Alaska to Mexico and lots of places in between, but his favorite place to fish is right here on the East End.
Questions, comments, tips and boasts? Write to Brian:

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