The Tight Lines Fishing Report is brought to you by Corey and Cam Gammill via Bill Fisher Tackle and Bill Fisher Outfitters. Visit their website, their shop at 127 Orange Street, or give them a call at (508) 228-2261.
Dear Fisherman and Friends,
We are so close we can taste it. Literally… When you walk the south shore beaches, you can see the Gannets crashing the water focused on bigger herring. On the calm days, you can even see schools of herring 100 yards off the beach. Closer to the beach, cormorants, (yes, there are a ton!) are picking at the water as are the seagulls. The ecosystem is all coming alive, and all of your senses are activated.
In walking the south shore beaches, I have seen countless crabs awaken from their winter slumber. I’ve never seen this before, so in my unscientific research (google) I found out that the crabs bury themselves in the sand. As the water temps hit a certain temp their relatively lifeless bodies emerge and are often washed ashore, where they bake in the sun until they are mobile. I’ve held several crabs watching them wake from their winter slumber and then walk into the ocean. If these crabs were doing this a few weeks from now, they would be Striper Candy.
In walking the beach, I also found thousands of tiny baitfish washed up on the beach. Someone in the know, identified these as Rainbow Smelt, which I though was cool, and I am sure what the birds were eating.
While no one has caught a fish, we are only days away. We generally believe May 1 is the date, give or take a few days… The fishery is setting up perfectly for it. The fish are generally aggressive and will eats smaller jigs or metals. The first fish, generally come from Madaket, but on several occasions, I’ve caught my first fish around Cisco. So long as you are putting time in, these early fish will reward you.
Speaking of first fish, please participate in the Spring Sea Run Opener. This is a fun early season Striped Bass and Bluefish tournament that encourages participation, and all proceeds go to awesome local non-profits! https://www.
Two administrative details… We are looking for one more awesome employee. Dave Policansky moved off Island unfortunately. He was our resident biologist and fly-fisherman. If you are looking for part time work and love fishing, please be in touch! Also, our next communication will come slowly as Corey and Cam are headed to Cuba to fish for a week, before our season fully kicks into gear! It should be awesome.
Go catch that first fish and tight lines!
Sincerely,
Captain Corey Gammill: 203-962-8867
Captain Cam Gammill: 508-332-9149
Captain Mike Ruby: 508-221-7144
Captain Nat Reeder