Well, that season, like all of them, went too fast. It’s not over yet though. November presents plenty of opportunities to go out with a bang. By choice or not depending on your marina manager, sadly a good number of boats are winterized and wrapped by now. For those still on the water striped bass, sea bass, blackfish, cod, porgies, possibly some albies, as well as catch and release ghost hunting for giant bluefin are on the table for November and December. Bundle up there’s fish to be caught!
It hasn’t been the best season for stripers depending on your locale. On the east end of the south shore to just west of Montauk, a modest spring showing with little to no bunker until July was disappointing. The epic fall run last year hasn’t repeated itself, but there’s been some solid fishing in between stretches of tough weather. A myriad of bait in our waters from bunker to mackerel, herring and squid can very easily fuel a late season surge of bass as the tail end of the migration passes. Even though water temps stayed in a high range through October, they’re going to drop off quick and in turn there most likely won’t be much surface action. The long swim ahead of these fish will have them expending as little energy as needed while they fuel up for the rest of their trip. That’s going to include them working structure that acts as an ambush point and stems the currents for them to fight, along with sticking close to the bottom and not chasing fast moving baits. Using a trolling motor or adjusting a power drift to slow your speed will definitely up the odds of a catch. Diamond jigs are a must if out there targeting bass. Spare some soft plastics, it is the best profile when vertically jigged or on a slow, lazy retrieve. Even with bunker around, bass will rarely say no to what they perceive as a sand eel.
Blackfish season starting out with a bang last month and as typical, fizzled out a bit as the usual wrecks and reefs get fished out. As temperatures drop so does the commitment of many fishermen, so November is a great time of year to chase the togzillas. A dozen or so years ago as blackfish jigs made their debut, they’ve proved their effectiveness. Not all scenarios allow for their use but when you can use them, do it. Aside from their presentation, they’re a lot less likely to get snagged and when they do there’s a better chance you won’t be tying up a new rig or replacing a sacrificed sinker. The feel for bites on a jig far exceeds traditional rigs. The patience and feel for what bites to swing on is more than half the fun and obsession with targeting blackfish. The bigger fish aren’t always an obvious hit. More times than not it doesn’t even feel like a hit as they “walk” away with a crab and then it’s game time to get a hook through those rubbery lips and get ready for a nice tug of war. Bait wise, if you’re not flipping rocks at low tide to fill a tote with Asian crabs, the go to greens cut in half will do. I, like most logical and sane anglers, cut the legs off. It’s a preference and a fun back and forth with the rest of the gang on board. The big advantage I see is hooking the crab through the leg sockets. No matter what your choice, embrace the Zen. Try as much as possible once you hit bottom or wherever on the piece you’re fishing to keep the bait stationary. Banging sinkers like on a fluke trip will spook the fish. Have the patience for the bite. “Building life” is one of the most important parts of limiting out with tog. Fishing the outskirts of a spread-out wreck or reef can have plenty of fishing grazing for something to eat. One peck or bite can lead to many more. If you’re multitasking, and the bite disappears in the blink of an eye there’s a pretty good chance some stripers looking for a snack in the form of juvenile tog. Don’t waste the opportunity and get a jig or bait down.
There’s more than just blackfish on the wrecks and reefs they call home. One of the rewards of braving the November elements or enjoying them on some of those spectacular bluebird days is the mixed bag cooler stuffer trips. Black sea bass, porgies and cods live in the same neighborhoods as tog do. While they won’t necessarily take a crab, bringing a few extra setups to fish cut up clams should round out the catch. Black sea bass and porgies will also go for a small diamond jig, like an A007 jigged vertically.
If you’re willing to roll the dice for a big reward, a small and fast-moving number of bluefin tuna pass through our waters throughout November and December. While the recreational fishery is still catch and release, getting a big tuna boatside after an epic fight is something real special. Jig and pop is the way to go as a lot of moves need to made and setting up a drift or anchoring won’t be an effective use of time.
No matter what species you’re going for to scratch the last of the season’s itch, being prepared is even more paramount this time of year. Less boats are out on the water to help if needed. Conditions can change quick and being bundled up for cold air temperatures are going to make it a slower and more arduous process to get lines up, gear stowed and head for the barn. There’s always next season and you want to be able to fish it.