In Long Island Sound, always a porgie party

In Long Island Sound, porgies continue to command attraction, especially for those fishing from party boats where the daily catch allowed is 45, versus the 30 daily limit for anglers fishing from shore or private boat. But that special bonus number ends October 31, when the 30 max limit applies to all anglers.

However, blackfishing continues to improve in the eastern end of the Sound, with smaller ones beginning to show in western Sound waters.

So, for example, one of the Island Current boats out of City Island will launch its special blackfishing trips on Oct. 24.

As for Long Island south shore fishing, anglers are in happy pursuit, both day and night, of nice size blues.

In addition to his nightly bluefishing and striped bass trips, Capt. Dave Paris has put a spin on his daytime schedule.

Like starting today he planned to be out — rain or shine — on his first longer blackfishing trip, departing his Sheepshead Bay dock at 6 a.m. and returning around 3 p.m. That schedule will be repeated Saturday and Sunday.

He dubs these his blackfishing mania trips.

Then on Monday the Capt. Dave III goes back to her regular 9 a.m. departures, also for blackfish..

Tomorrow — with the reopening of Federalwaters to blacksea bass fishing — skipper Tom Weiss will be motoring his Capt. Al customers out from his Point Lookout dock for a couple of hours to be past the three-mile Federal waters limit. Those longer trips means going after the bigger black sea bass that have moved from inshore reefs at about 50 foot depths to, say, fishing at up to 150 foot depths.

Always nice to salute positive ways of combining fishing and serving veterans…In this case specifically those veteran men and women suffering with PTSD. On Thursday night, for example, about 20 service men, women and family members attended a “Play HOOK-e From PTSD” event spearhead by Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 12 and the Jersey Coast Anglers Association (JCAA).

It was a social evening with speakers, rod and reel prizes, and angling tips for catching striped bass in inlets and the Point Pleasant Canal in New Jersey.

This was part of a series of monthly fishing oriented events organized by Gary Kucharewski, JCAA youth education chairperson.

A similar fly casting oriented evening, under the auspices of Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc., is set for Nov. 6 in Oakhurst, N.J.

For info, see www.jcaa.org or phone Gary “K” at (732) 785-9278. or budding and pro Garden State fly fishing folk it’s nice to know that the state’s extensive Fall trout stocking program has just been completed.

That state’s trout hotline is (609) 633-6765.

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