In 2012, we had a very early start to the season with lots of small fish taken in April from ditch plains east along the south side rocks.  Unfortunately, the big fish never really showed up in numbers although there was plenty of action with keeper sized fish.   Last years MTK Surfmaster’s spring shootout yielded the smallest Spring winning fish to date with just 28lbs taken by Mike Coppola.   Although 2011 had all three spots in the adult division with 40lb+ fish including Ben McCarron’s 43.12lb winner the signs of a downturn in the spring run were starting to show.

2013 Spring Shootout Dates Are Set – Friday May 10th – Saturday June 29th

This year ‘s tournament dates have been set and as always all past members are invited to participate.  This is a 6 week tournament with both an Adult as well as a Youth Division where members will compete for 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes.

The competition should be strong with the anticipation of a better spring run then 2012.  Every year is different in MTK and this Spring coming off a very cold winter is typically a recipe for a good spring run if the weather cooperates.   Let’s hope for big bait and some decent weather to hold some larger bass this spring.

Montauk Blitz Fishing - Northside Point

Montauk’s Fall Blitz Action

Each year anglers from all over the east coast find themselves in awe of the classic Montauk Blitz.  We have almost been conditioned to “expect” the action as the fish begin to feed aggressively on the abundance of baitfish in Montauk’s local waters.  Snappers, Mullet, peanut bunker, baby weakfish and various whitebait, with the later often dominating the attention of feeding bass which can make them a little finicky.  One word…Bucktails!

Not every year sees the consistent action like we have in the last few years but you can always count on a few solid days of daytime activity in  September for this pattern.  The size varies year to year, but typically fish in the 6-12lb range make up a majority of the action, with some years much larger.  This year the fish are a little larger ranging from 8-15lb on average.

The blitzes almost always start at the lighthouse on the northside and spread over the first few points on the southside as we head into fall run for a few weeks.  Browns is usually the first southside hot spot to fish for the blites in the early fall.  A good late afternoon outgoing tide headed into dusk is a good recipe for blitz activity.  As the fall moves on the fish spread out all over Montauk’s waters and “getting away from the crowds” is the best way to enjoy this activity.  Remember, the fish will come to you so stop running down the beach!

This year’s run is starting a little later then the last few years, but typically by the 3rd week of September we are seeing some more consistent action.  When the blitzes start and weather remains fairly consistent this can last a solid 1-2 weeks or more.

Surfcaster's Catch by Atilla Ozturk

Weekend Fishing was Red Hot – Northside Still Loaded With Bait

Over this past weekend, a record number of surfcasters seem to be in the surf who and they were treated to some classic Montauk Fall Blitz action on both sides of the point.  Up until the weekend, the action seemed to be primarily on the northside with fish now in the daytime rounding the point into turtle cove and points west.

Sunday seemed to be the best day with blitzes stretched from stepping stones all the way to Kings on various parts of the tide.  Sunday evening the northside from the lighthouse to False Bar were thick with bass feeding on small whitebait and snappers among other fair.  Bucktails seemed to produce a lot more consistently (no surprise) while the fish can sometimes be finicky with the large amounts of whitebait in the wash.  Danny style plugs and large pencil poppers did cull some bigger fish from the action up to about 20lbs, but most fish were all keeper size into the mid teens.

The nighttime bite is really solid as well with fish favoring darters over other plugs on the northside.  This may calm down over the next few days on the northside, but some quality fish still should be taken.  The southside is still remaining quiet although rumors have a few bass being picked from the all night efforts.  The largest fish of the weekend were still taken from the northside and under the light.

Montauk SurfMasters Weigh In’s – Wetsuit 40lb Leader, Women, Youth Battling for The Top

John Bruno 40.3lb NorthSide MTK

JB does it again! But this time he can thank Mike Coppola for letting him fish his eel next to him on the same rock!  After MC dropped a nice fish on a yellow super strike darter next to him, John Bruno switched up his plug and fed an eel to a 40.3lb bass to take the lead in the Wetsuit division Friday night.  He also grab the largest September fish award.  The “power of the eel” as he said after an all night session throwing darters on the northside, it took only two casts of an eel to land a cow!  If it was only that easy…congrats JB on a great fish.

The Women’s division is turning into a real shootout, as Cheryl Lackner and Christine Schnell have bumped off Joan Naso Federman in the last two days to take over the leaderboard.  Cheryl Lackner put an 11.8lb fish on the scales at Star Island this morning to take the lead in the Women’s division, while Christine Schnell’s 10.7lb fish still holds on to claim the September heaviest fish in the women’s division.

Meanwhile in the Youth division, Dylan Lackner put up a 13.5lb striper to just best Phillip

James D'Amico - Youth Division

Schnell to take over the lead in the division.  These are two impressive fish to start the youth division with a lot of hard working young anglers hitting the surf hard this fall season.

Brian Damm - 10.3lb - Kids Division

The best fish fell to Bait fished on the northside of the point, with a lot of action on mid-teen sized bass and smaller blues for casters working plugs and bucktails on the northside as well.

The results of The Fisherman’s 2012 Fall Classic

NorthSide Action - Sept 22nd

Septembers Mullet Run in Montauk

Each year we hope to see a shot of mullet in the surf which will draw in some larger bass from the rips.  So far, this is one of the best mullet runs we have seen in years which should keep things interesting for the next few weeks.  Some veteran’s of the Montauk surf are feeling optimistic after a really poor spring run that this could be a Fall to remember.  If the fish typically have the bait pinned in close to the beach on the northside like they did the past few days, they will often keep them close to the beach as they head to the south side and run along the sand beaches.  Weather can change everything, but things are looking good!

White and Blue/White poppers during the day and darters at night work great when the mullet are around.  Also, small metal lips and danny plugs worked slowly in close to shore can produce very well in the late night tides.

The northside was the place to be this week as the southside rocks have been very slow despite some solid efforts from wetsuiters during week when the surf was fishable. Just a few schoolies came from all night efforts in the southside rocks.

The northside saw fantastic blitzes on both Thursday and Friday with fish into the high teens for daytime action following the storm.  Pencil poppers and bucktails took most of the fish with the new SuperStrike heavy little neck popper in white being the goto lure for a few casters.  This lure casts a mile if you have not had a chance to cast it yet.  Both Paulies and Star Island have them in stock.

The nighttime bite heated up on Thursday night, with solid action for a few casters working the bars with fish in the 10-18lb class.  There was also a 33.5lb fish checked in at Paulies by Rob Heffert and rumors of a few other 20lb class fish taken.  The action continued Friday early AM with a colossal blitz from Stepping Stones to False Bar with solid action on the whole outgoing tide.

Who's That?

43lb Fish Takes First in The Fisherman’s Montauk Fall Classic

Chunkers working the northside had some much larger fish including a 43 and 36lb fish which took 1st and 2nd place in The Fisherman Magazine’s Fall Classic which was held over the weekend.  Many casters opted to throw back high teens and 20lb class fish on Friday during the tournament expecting to see a repeat on Saturday which was to no avail.  Can anyone say “Gary Krist”!

The action died down on Saturday and Sunday with just a few fish for the hundreds of anglers that were out for the weekend who concentrated almost exclusively on the north side of the light.  False Bar and Jones Reef were shoulder to shoulder for the AM time.  The incoming and outgoing saw just a pick of fish, with the best action coming from the bluffs up front and Scotts hole on the incoming while casters were packed under the light.

The sand beaches did yield some action with some keeper bass on Sunday morning despite only a few anglers giving it a shot.  The sand should start producing more this week for those looking to give it a shot.

Paulies Tackle also held a Fall Blitz weekend tournament with cash prizes going to the three largest striped bass.  Allen Vollmer took first with a 43.6lb cow, Billy Fisher 2nd with a 37.17lb fish and Gary Krist rounding out third with a 14.56lb fish.  As a reminder, they will be holding their Van Staal Fall Bash on Oct 12-14th.

Montauk SurfMaster’s Leaderboard Changes

Attila Ozturk took the early lead in the wader division with a 20.6lb Bass taken Thursday morning from under the light.  The fish fell to a white bucktail fished in the sweeping surf.  The lead did not last long, as last years winner Klever Oleas took a 26lb fish Friday night to bump Atilla into second place.  A few other fish were taken but not entered into the tournament with the hope of some larger bass falling with this mullet run.

Some more great photos by Atilla Ozturk!

Where is this?

Radar Tower Montauk Point

Since the striped bass migration has moved earlier in recent years, the SurfMasters committee based on feedback from our members have decided to start and end the tournament one week earlier. The tournament begins at 12:01 PM Saturday, September 15th  and will end at noontime Sunday, November 25th, 2012.

For members, the cut-off date for applications is 10:00 AM Saturday, September 15, 2012.  A copy of this years tournament rules can be downloaded on the 2012 Fall Classic page of the website.

We will be sending more regular updates throughout the fall on the fishing in Montauk and tournament happenings so check back soon.  Good luck!

Sand MTK - Photo by Mark Foschi

Paulies Tackle Spring Tournament 2012 Results

The weather was great and mood was high going into the weekend but the top spots barely broke the 20lb mark.  The fishing was difficult on the south side with only a few keepers caught in the suds.  The north side and lighthouse seemed to produce better numbers of fish with more bait around and fish into the teens were common.  The results were as follows, with our own Gary Krist coming in 2nd place:

Montauk SurfMasters Spring To Date

We have had a few anglers taking fish into the mid twenties but nobody going to the scales.  With the coming week and the 31st approaching we should see someone make a move to get on the leaderboard.  Outside of a 50lb fish on a bunker chunk a few weeks back by someone outside the tournament the big fish have yet to move into the surf in MTK.  The last few days, some diehards have been working hard with just a few fish for their efforts.

Montauk Light - Photo by Atilla

The Montauk SurfMasters Spring Shootout is officially underway and the next few weeks should put some decent fish on the boards to kick off the tournament.  All the usual suspects are back to compete in this spring’s tournament which is an invitation only tournament for the die hard Montauk Surf Rats which runs from May 11th – June 30th.

What to Expect This Spring in Montauk’s Surf?

Wes O'Donnell 39.56 from the sand

This spring should be full of surprises with all the changes in weather patterns we have seen in the off season.  For the few anglers who have been hitting the surf there was an early run of schoolies in the beginning of April which we have not seen in many years. Depending on the weather, we might see a good run of fish on the sand this year, although last years sand bit was poor there were still a few nice fish taken including Wes O’Donnell 39.56 that just got bumped off the leaderboard.

Montauk Fishing Report -May 15th

Last week, some keepers were picked from the surf with fish in the mid teens for a few anglers on both sides of the point.  There are really not that many casters putting in the effort which should change within the next few weeks.  The boats have been hammering bass in the 8-12lb range which are feeding on squid and sandeels in the rips just off the light.

Montauk Rocks Needs Some Love

As most of you know, Rich Siberry has been working hard on his film “Montauk Rocks” which features a lot of our members and tells the story of three seasons in Montauk, “The Surfcasting Capital of the World”. It is just about ready for release but Rich needs some love in supporting this project to get it out the door.  Rich has set up a Kickstarter to back the release of Montauk Rocks this fall.  Please show your support and passion for Montauk Surfcasting by making a pledge on his KickStarter page.  KickStarter is a great way to raise funds for start ups, the arts and passion projects. His page can be found here:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/richsib/release-montauk-rocks

The fishing picked up yesterday out in Montauk with a lot more fish in the surf.  Last night most of the outgoing night time spots on the northside had a fish or two but nothing big enough to hit the scales.  Most of the fish were in the 24-26 inch class with a few keepers mixed in. 

November Surfcasting in Montauk

Over the last few years, November Surfcasting in Montauk usually ends with a showing of small fish with a body of 20lb class fish right on their heels so this could be a good sign of a solid few days of fishing for those taking advantage of some mild weather.  Water temperatures have dropped to around 50 degrees but there are still plenty of fish around. 

Plenty of School Size Fish Up Front

This morning there was a flurry of action up front where some casters scored 10 or more fish.  Mike Larsen took about 15 fish on white bucktails while working the top of the tide with a few keepers mixed in.  White bucktails with red pork rinds were the ticket so make sure your well stocked before heading out.  

Look to the Sand for Larger Bass

Also, the sand west of town has rumored to yeild a couple of larger bass for those few casters working the cleaner water.  Yesterday haul seiners working the beaches closer to East Hampton were seen dragging up fish into the 30lb class.

Today and tmrw might be the days to run the beach in search of fish.  It aint over yet!

Montauk Lighthouse Low Tide - Nov 20

In the old days, the last few days of November were prime time for “Sea Turkey hunting”as our good friend Paul Melnyk  calls these cows of November.

Remember, one of the largest stripers to come out of the MTK surf was taken right before Thanksgiving under the light so don’t let these few days slip by without wetting a line for a chance to catch a fish of a lifetime….you never know!

Finally A November Fish Hits The Boards – Richie Michelsen 14.75lb

This morning, Richie Michelsen put a fish on the board to take the lead for the November award.  Congrats Richie on a great fish in what might be the toughest month of fall fishing in the last decade.

Fishing Looking Up – Herring Pods & A Few Bass

The last few days, have seen a pick of small fish on the northside with a few keeper bass mixed in.  Herring has been spotted in small pods mostly on the North Side with a few Gannets working over them.  The herring are not as concentrated as in years past but a  larger pod pod spotted outside of Ft Pond Bay could make for an interesting shot over the next few days if the bass get on them.

This morning there was only a few casters in the water and some  day trippers ( not paying attention to the reports) did well with bass on bucktails on the northside putting in the effort. I think it is time to get out and fish!

With a few days left in the tournament anything can happen.  Have a great Thanksgiving and catch a sea turkey for the table.

Montauk Rocks - Where am I?

Fishing Kinda Blue by Atilla Ozturk

A Few Fish Taken Up Front

Bill G - South Side Rocks

A few small fish were taken yesterday morning up at the light and in the bluffs for a few anglers working the top of the tide.  Rumors of a few larger fish picked on bait at Shagwong as well as some herring spotted on the northside are circling.

The south side has beendifficult to say the least with the heavy winds over the last few days so not much to report from that front.

Gulls Working The Beach But No Fishermen

Yesterday, Freddy The Eel said there was plenty of gulls working the shoreline in Amagansett.  The birds were working on bait that was pinned between the sandbar and the beach only about 15 feet off the shore.  So there was birds, bait but NO fisherman.  This is a great time of year for a beach drive as quality fish will almost always be had on the sand as the last of the fish head west.  With a few more casters, a few fish will sure come up on the sand over the next week.