Why are there no fish in Montauk right now?

[RJC]

Yes, There are no fish to be caught in the Montauk Surf. Last weekend! But Columbus Day Weekend - According to everyone I spoke to last weekend, the crowds fishing the beaches clobbered a ton of fish. Paulies girls said they almost ran out of everything in the store. The girl at the Montauk Bake Shop said the whole town smelled like fish. My weekend was a blur of wind, rain, and a ripping tide aong the southern beaches that took any lure, any weight EAST almost faster than you could turn towards the Point.

Mike O, a visiting Brit with 15 years of fishing Montauk in two and three week bites, is the only one I know who caught a keeper (31" Striper). He's one of those wet suit craizies who thinks standing on a rock out front is the only way to catch fish. The other four Brits, myself and Mick and his wife all found no joy in the surf at MP last weekend.

I hope they will connect before they head back across the pond in early November. You too Mick. I'm back "Down the Shore" and will be giving the North End Beaches (Sandy Hook to Asbury Park) and the Shrewsbury and Navesink Rivers my best shot. We are hearing about a little bass action
and the water is turning cooler.

We have had mullet pods schooling south along the beaches for more than a month with very little predation evident. The cooler nights should move other bait species out of the tribs and on around the tip of Sandy Hook. November has always been the best month to connect with fish inside and outside, from Sandy Hook and then along the Jersey Shore beaches.

Montauk is the East End and its beaches face South. Sandy Hook is the North End and its beaches face East. Montauk responds well to N and NE winds, and the Jersey Shore responds best to West and Southwest winds. The East End and the North End are just short of 200 miles apart. Four hours in the dark of night, using Staten Island, the Brooklyn Beltway and Sunrise highway.

I did it last weekend on 25.3 gallons round trip. Atlantic Highlands to Montauk and back without a fill up. My 5.3 L, GMC pick up has a 26 gallon tank and the fill up in NJ cost 83.20 at 3.25 a gallon when I got home on Monday. Add the GSP, OBC and VN road &bridge tolls and your looking at a $100.00 bill to roll either way. My low fuel light came on as I entered NJ on the Outer Bridge Crossing from SI.

Mick I'll call you when the large ones arrive. We have a sandwich shop here in Highland, NJ, that has a breakfast burrito for $4.00 that will make you knees go weak and put your weight loss program on hold.

You East Enders have my condollences on the $4.00 a gallon gas prices.