Member Testimonies

Vito Orlando - July 2003

With all these big fish being caught it reminds me of  the late 70's when we caught a huge amount of big fish especially at the Cape & Nantucket.  There were fewer smaller fish to compete for the bait so the big fish had a shot at it.  During 1977 on, we were able to stand on the south side bluffs of Montauk & not see the bass breaking water and chasing bait like we could in years past. No smalle fish.  We thought it was a fluke, a bad year.  Then in 1978 the same thing happened.  During this time, up at Nantucket, while fishing Warrens Landing a spot where there were zillions & zillions of sand eels suddenly there were no bass on them.  At this spot we could easily catch decent bass almost each night if the tide was right.  The same for Jetties Beach, at the Harbor.  Now in late 70's nothing or maybe one bass for the entire night.  We were getting big fish though.  The 1977 Nantucket trip produced 17 fish over 40lbs between 8 of us.  But where were all the smaller bass?  In 1978 another year of big fish, but fewer of them.  My personal total for the year was 92 bass. Had over 300 in each of 1976 & 1977. Keep in mind we also had loads & loads of Weakfish & bluefish to keep us busy in those days.  In early June 1980, a Cape Trip produced only 28 bass between two of us.  Montauk had a few bass but nothing out of the ordinalry. Nothing could be seen breaking water from the South Side Bluffs. Again, no small fish. In the early 80's you all know what happened.  Block Island was the only place that had fish. They were mostly 12-20 lbs with some Larger bass mixed in.  No really small bass. Trips to the Cape produced only a fish or two. Hard to believe, but true. My point is this, I hope that History is not repeating itself again.  Yes, we kept almost everything we caught, but today there is much more pressure on the bass then in past years.  All the head boats fish for them. The charter boats fish for them. Two trips daily, 2 fish per customer. Also so called sportsmen, keeping over their limit. Two years ago at Montauk, so called regulars throwing their EXTRA over the limit bass into the weeds behind the Weed Bowl when they heard the Conservation Dept was around.  Is this the beginning of the end.  I hope not.

Tony Lombardo 

Eighteen years ago I had been fishing chunks for big blues the type that have those Darth Vader helmet heads, the ones that can crush bombers. Any way, one day I am walking back to my car when an old timer comes up to me and says "How many of those fish will it take to make you happy?". I thought the question odd and didn't have a reply. He then told me I was catching the fish on the fishes terms, not mine. What was the point of catching fish on the fishes terms if you aren't making money off of it. Then he made a deal with me, he gave me three lures a pencil popper, a bottle plug, and a red fin, if I fished and used only the three lures he gave me and caught more fish then I had that day he would give me his whole bucket of lures. I had caught at least 150# of blues that evening, and there must have been about 50 lures in the bucket. Fifty lures for fishing hard sounded like a good deal to me, I said yes and he gave me a month. I came close several times but was always one or two fish short and eventually didn't make it, but at the end of the month I never went back to fishing chunks, unless it was social or someone wanted to get started fishing. I learned the hunt was the art and thrill to fishing, learning the bass's habits and rhythms was and still is a thrill, I don't believe you can get that from bait no matter how good at it you get. Latter about three years later I was in contact with that old timer again, he had refined his method to fishing one style lure for the whole season. The next season he was using any lure but only in white or all black, this season I beach a 55# Bass in the rear of Jones on a late November night, (white Gibbs darter, outgoing tide, three days after the moon, wind Northwest 5-10mph, sky clear).

Dave Haase

 I just wanted to pass along an experience I had last night. Since the season began, I've been kind of trying to target big fish in the name of the tournament and although I know I enjoy that aspect of it, the competition and the striving to make myself a better and more productive fishermen, point wise. Well anyway, last night, I went out to Nisse figuring Id try to live line a shad and catch a cow. After 45 minutes trying to catch a shad, I gave up, totally frustrated, I was pissed that I wasn't catching BIG fish... so, I decided to leave. I got to my car, opened the trunk, saw my 7wt fly rod sitting there, and I said "mm, might be fun to play with the shad". so I did.. I went on to have one of the most rewarding nights fishing I've had in years. light tackle, small flies, 1-2 lb shad, jumping, flying around, jumping out of the water after flies, I lost count at around 15-17, there were more. but it wasn't the amount of fish or the size it was catching. Felt like a little kid again!!! it was great, I'm refreshed and ready, I have a new perspective.

John Papciak

My Testimony Montauk Fishing - In Shorts and Flip Flops Thanks to all who went the distance on the south side the other night. My family came out so it was tough to get motivated for another all-nighter. BUT... I still wanted to catch a fish or two, and wanted to take a fish home for my in-laws. I figured it was not gonna happen. Lo and behold I woke at 3am yesterday. I couldn't sleep. I was thinking of putting the wetsuit on, but nah. My personal observation is that the more comfortable you are in Montauk, the less you fish, the more you rough it, the harder you fish. So, me, being well fed and rested, I had little interest in sweating off another 20 lbs walking in my wetsuit. So I decided to settle for a walk along the lighted docks close by. You thinking the same thing? So I get to the first light. There's fry all over the place. Sure enough out of the shadows comes a bass. Hmmm, not too small, maybe 8 lbs. Hmm. So I go out to the second light on the dock. Wow, those fish aint too small. There's some teen fish roaming around in there for sure. Ok, Ok, this is too good to just watch. I gotta catch one. I run back to the truck thinking of what I can use on these critters. Luckily I had my rod in the truck. But what could I fool them with? Bingo, I look on the dashboard at a wallet full of flies. So I rig up my 10 foot Kennedy and VS 300 to fish it like when I was a kid - bamboo style. I'll have to make due with a 40 lb leader tied to a small yellow fly. I'm off. I go to the first light. I jiggle the fly next to the shadow line. I see one shadow, maybe 25 inches, moving toward the fly. But before he gets there, two fish come zooming from under the dock. I'm hooked up before I know what hit me! The fish is crashing all over the place. My rod is bent over and I actually have to give the fish a little drag. But the fight is over quick. I wrap the line around my hand and pull up a fat 32 incher onto the dock - about 12 lbs. I didn't know how big it was, but each boat had a cooler on the dock, and they all have rulers on the coolers. Easy enough. Dinner. I feel my leader is frayed, maybe from running against a piling. But this is 40 lb test, and the fish aren't THAT big. I go to the next light. I jiggle the fly. A fish of about the same size as I just caught comes out of the shadow and gives in a look. He passes it twice. Then from another direction zooms a shadow looking MUCH LARGER. No hesitation with this guy. I'm in!!!!!! Oh my god, this fish is HUGE!!!! His tail is crashing all over the surfcase, and water is going everywhere. Oh no, I'm gonna wake up half the marina! The fish is going left, then right, and taking serious drag! My god, If I can just hang onto him! Never mind chartering a boat and fishing the rips! Who would have thought there would be fish like this under the boats in the marina? Then he runs straight down under the dock, but before i can loosen the drag, he breaks me off. Wow, I'm thinking I walked all over the south side, and I could of had my fill 30 seconds from the car, fishing in shorts and flip flops! I re-tie and move to the next light. All told - 1 hr work, 6 fish in low teens on "flies" , one big fish broke off, all before it got too light out. I'll never think of "Lake" Montauk quite the same way again.