With the kids back in school and a slight drop in nightly temperatures signaling that the fall blitz of surface feeding stripers, blues and false albacore is but a few weeks away, it’s easy to overlook the massing of bottom fish that builds around submerged structure, humps and mussel beds even before the true fall push gets underway. Nowhere is this more evident than in the super porgy fishing anglers experience during September – a pursuit that’s ideally situated to the open boat angler.
LIBERAL LIMITS, BIG TIME ACTION
As September sees water temperatures begin to steadily drop from summer highs, scup, as porgies are also known, go on a serious feeding binge. When you consider that these feisty bottom feeders tend to be hungry even during the heat of summer you can imagine the mayhem that abounds along the rails as this intensified porgy bite gets underway over mussel beds, around humps and near just about any submerged structure in deep bay or near shore ocean and Long Island Sound waters. As the porgy schools continue to tighten with each passing day, the fish grow more and more competitive, which equates to no waiting when it comes to dropping your baited hooks to the bottom.
Photo courtesy of Capt. James Joseph, II, Huntington, NY
Adding the excitement and allure of fast-paced porgy action at this point is a relaxing of the scup restrictions from September 1 through October 31. Whereas the standard creel limit for porgies throughout the season stands at 30 per day with a minimum size limit of 10 inches, the party and charter boat regulations are relaxed through this two month stretch to allow 45 per day (the size limit remains at 10 inches.)
Being that this year has seen an incredible run already of huge porgies often measuring between 14 and 18 inches – with a few serving plate sized jumbos actually breaking the 20-inch barrier – it stands to reason that 2015 is going to be one banner fall for open boat scup fans. Toss in a bunch of sea bass, a couple of triggerfish, bluefish and perhaps a stray doormat fluke (still in season through September 21) and you’ve got the makings of some serious fish dinners looming ahead.
Shared via Coastal Angler Magazine – continue reading.
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