capt gene kelly

August 18, 2003

Thank God for the mahi!. If it wasn't for them, the most of the boats
chasing tuna would be
coming home empty. The offshore water is seventy-five degrees or better just
about anywhere
you go, which may be why very few tuna are being caught. The few that are
being taken are way
out to the east in the vicinity of The Dump. There are occasional reports of
a boat catching a half
dozen or more, but when every boat within hearing gets there the next day,
the best they can do
is one or two fish. Making a pass on a high flyer though, will almost
guarantee you a mahi,
unless of course someone else beat you to the buoy. Don't head south though.
Lobster pot buoys
are hard to find that way.

Those going after the sharks have nothing to complain about. A short run
from The Point will
almost certainly guarantee you a mako or two, plus a couple of big blue
dogs. The makos aren't
giants, but there are enough keepers around. Most of the action continues to
be to the east of the
Butterfish Hole. There is also a possibility that a stray mahi will wander
into your slick as well.

Star Islands Mako Mania Tournament had winners this year, unlike last year.
They were the
FLORENCE in first place at 169 pounds, followed by the PROFESSIONAL CRYER
with a
mako weighing 168 pounds and the CAPT MARK in third at 153 pounds.

Inshore the bass fishing is excellent, with most of the fish being taken on
the umbrellas or the big
tubes. Chunking is starting to come back in vogue as well, with a handful of
boats anchored up
at Great Eastern every day. There's also a couple of boats anchored up off
of North Bar on the
outgoing tide, and they must be catching there as well, otherwise they
wouldn't be there every
day.

The fluke may finally beginning to show up on the south side. I know of a
couple of boats that
did well this past week, but I also heard of some that found only dogfish.
However, before I tell
you exactly where the good stuff was, I have to give those guys a week to
enjoy themselves first.

If you would like to have these reports sent to you directly, just drop me a
note at
CaptGene@MontaukSportfishing.com. And for more information about fishing in
Montauk, you
can give me a call at 800 280 5565 or check out
http://www.montauksportfishing.com.

Capt Gene Kelly
Montauk Sportfishing

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Capt Gene Kelly
Montauk Sportfishing - Tropical Fishing Adventures