Around the Sound: Snappers have arrived on N. Shore

The Island Now

BY JIMMY KALLENBERG

Yes! Snappers (the offspring of bluefish) have arrived in all the bay areas of the Western Sound.

They can be easily caught as long as you are where they are.

They’ve been showing up at the piers and docks of the North Shore.

Pictured is Gene from Manhasset with his son Lenny holding two small snappers caught this past Sunday at the Port Washington Town Dock.

Lenny was using frozen spearing on a single hook to catch these fish.

There are many other methods used to catch snappers. Some of them are, any small shiny lures, small pieces of sandworm, or a styrofoam popper with a small tube and hook trailing a couple of feet behind.

If you’re unfamiliar, or not quite sure which method you’d like to use, just go down to any of the local piers and watch the different methods fishermen are using.

The tiny baby bluefish grow to about 10 inches in one year and 24 inches plus in 5 years.

By then they will typically weigh about seven pounds. At 10 years, they average 32 inches and weigh up to 15 pounds. At 14 years they can weigh close to 20 pounds. That’s a big bluefish!

According to Blaze at Duffy’s Bait and Tackle, the big monster choppers (big bluefish) were in Hempstead Harbor one day this past week, but have apparently moved on.

Blaze also reported that smaller bluefish have been around and stripers up to 15 pounds are being caught in the shallows at night.

Fluking has been a bit quiet, but bigger fish up to six pounds have been caught further east in Oyster Bay and Cold Spring Harbor. Porgies have been caught all around.

The boys of Port Washington’s Atlantic Outfitters reported excellent porgie fishing at all the points from Manhasset Bay to Hempstead Harbor as well as some nice keeper fluke in the same area.

Moris at East Coast Fishing of Little Neck reports a pretty quiet week, but did say cocktail blues (about 24 inches) were in Little Neck Bay and that some fluke keepers were being caught in deeper waters.

I personally have received consistent reports of nice sea bass being caught well east and north of Hempstead Harbor.

Next week I’ll be writing about using snappers to catch big fluke and providing a bit more info about sea bass.

Remember: the possession limit per day for snappers is 10 per person.

Reminder to all: when out on the water, always practice safe boating.

Sponsored by Long Island Boat Rentals

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