East Moriches LI

[Joe Crabs]

Hey Old Bay, if you don't mind traveling too far out of the city, I have a few decent spots on the island I can give you if your interested. Maybe you can save a few bucks on them crabs and leave them females alone.

[crabeater]

wow.. would you please give us the location? thanks in advance!

[Joe Crabs]

Do a search on the web for Silly Lily Fishing station. You want to go around Ford's River. Check his reports or call them. Always been decent there though another few weeks they should be bigger. I think he has a map on his website.

[Joe Crabs]

No current reports, but it's the Forge River. There is a map under East Moriches on his website.

www.sillylily.com

[belteshazzar]

Hi! Bear with me for I am new here.
Today I had the chance to leave the city and head towards East Moriches and go crabbing. Unfortuately I was told by the people at Silly Lily to go to some pier. I don't recall the street name or anything like that but I do remember I had to drive down on Airedale Ave. Turn right on Montauk Hwy until I reach a lot full of cheese buses then I should turn right. We came to some pier where it seemed to be crabbed out. I couldn't catch anything the crabs just weren't biting (FYI I was using Bunker). To add to that, most of the crabs that where caught were thrown back in because they were just too small or females. After three hours and only 2 medium size crabs, a Bay Constable came and told us that we needed lisences to go crabbing. I am very upset!  Any tips and hints for crabbing? Any sweet spots? Any suggestions? I came back home sunburned and empty handed.  

[Joe Crabs]

Hey Belts that sounds depressing considering I am looking to make a trip there in 2 weeks. But it sounds like you weren't looking to rent a boat. I know there are a lot of areas around Sily Lily that stink because there are so many sand bars around there. I havn't gone there in 4 years, but the crabbing usually is decent if not good. The lagoon at Sily Lily yields crabs but he traps them out. I normally rent out of there and go a good 2 miles west towards crab island and the forge river, anywhere between there and Smithpoint Bridge is usully great. I spoke to a friend in LI today who told me the only decent crabbing was out by East Moriches. He is going to get me more specific reports. I only crabbed the shore in Mastic Beach and all the piers are gone. It sounds like you could have been in a bad spot. NY  regulations are 50 crabs per, no license. You may have been on a private area. I don't know what to tell you.

[kingcrabber]

Hey Belts that sounds depressing considering I am looking to make a trip there in 2 weeks. But it sounds like you weren't looking to rent a boat. I know there are a lot of areas around Sily Lily that stink because there are so many sand bars around there. I havn't gone there in 4 years, but the crabbing usually is decent if not good. The lagoon at Sily Lily yields crabs but he traps them out. I normally rent out of there and go a good 2 miles west towards crab island and the forge river, anywhere between there and Smithpoint Bridge is usully great. I spoke to a friend in LI today who told me the only decent crabbing was out by East Moriches. He is going to get me more specific reports. I only crabbed the shore in Mastic Beach and all the piers are gone. It sounds like you could have been in a bad spot. NY  regulations are 50 crabs per, no license. You may have been on a private area. I don't know what to tell you.

wait a minute..is this the spot you're gonna show us in 2 weeks?....are you an enemy of the state? ...no crabs,and my reputation at stake? .....I'd rather start towards Lake Mattamuskeet now

[belteshazzar]

Yea but the strange thing is we only caught two crabs and we had to throw it back because the constable said we needed licenses. I mean what? Common!

Besides I plan to go back there and rent a boat. My folks were quite sad I didn't bring anything to eat! Oooh well.
After leaving East Moriches in dispair I went to Amityville. I must say I didn't catch much compared to my usual amount. I use to catch ~30-50 on a given day, but today only three! : Do you know any pier or place where I don't have to rent a boat but catch a decent amount of crabs?

Going to East Moriches was a first time for me. I hope I will fair better in the future.

Thanks in advance,
Dan

[Joe Crabs]

No piers, Belt sorry. Keep in mind they may be in a shed. As I said big boys always showed up last week of Aug first two of Sept. I believe thay come in from the ocean through the inlet that is right there to mate. You get a lot of doublers at that time. And again you could have been is a terrible spot. What did the guy say about how crabbing was, did you ask. Go to sillylily.com and click under Moriches, you will see a map of the local bay, to the right is the forge river, but that is no where near where you were. Most of the are bewteen SL and that river sucks its all sand.

Check the NY regulations you will see what I am talking about. I belive the next moon is the EOM, I would wait till then. As I said I have a friend who will check the local reports for me, can;t find anything on the web. Good Luck.

KC, I crabbed there for over 30 years, don't know how this year is doing, but I know what the [Sam Hill] I am talking about, bro.   Listen and learn.

[kingcrabber]

No piers, Belt sorry. Keep in mind they may be in a shed. As I said big boys always showed up last week of Aug first two of Sept. I believe thay come in from the ocean through the inlet that is right there to mate. You get a lot of doublers at that time. And again you could have been is a terrible spot. What did the guy say about how crabbing was, did you ask. Go to sillylily.com and click under Moriches, you will see a map of the local bay, to the right is the forge river, but that is no where near where you were. Most of the are bewteen SL and that river sucks its all sand.

Check the NY regulations you will see what I am talking about. I belive the next moon is the EOM, I would wait till then. As I said I have a friend who will check the local reports for me, can;t find anything on the web. Good Luck.

KC, I crabbed there for over 30 years, don't know how this year is doing, but I know what the [Sam Hill] I am talking about, bro.   Listen and learn.

JC..if you say its good...i'm there wit ya buddy..never a doubt wit my buddy...

[Joe Crabs]

Believe me I will make sure they are catching crabs there before we go. It's along ride, but there is great fishing there too. Fluke is big. On a low tide we can go scalping. Softies. Got a nice 6 1/2 male there once.

[Joe Crabs]

 Moriches
Volume 15 Number 20  -  August 18, 2004  
  Week of August 9 through August 15
Bob at Bob's B&T in Amity Harbor reported fluke were snapping at squid and spearing combos in 70 to 80 feet outside the inlet. Bunker pods appeared on and off all week along between the water tower and the Lighthouse. "Some 20- to 30-pound bass were caught under those pods, plus mixed sizes of bluefish, too," Bob said. The Sore Thumb area continues to produce porgies and triggerfish on clams and sand worms.
Kurt from Willie K B&T in Bay Shore said the Fire Island Reef produced fluke to 5.5 pounds and sea bass to 3 pounds early in the week. There were various year-classes of bluefish scattered around outside, as well. However, strong winds and choppy seas created difficult conditions from mid-week on. August patterns prevailed along the surf. Still, Nick, a shop regular, duped a 12-pound bass with skimmer clams from Robert Moses #5 on Thursday. Short fluke and an occasional keeper were caught in West Channel. Snapper fishing at the docks is getting better all the time.
Bob from Babylon Fishing Station described fishing this week as generally "tough" due to the poor weather. One bright spot, however, was the large bass and bluefish that were lurking underneath the bunker schools off Cedar Beach.
Smokey at Lindenhurst B&T told me George and Jimmy bailed a load of porgies and snappers, plus a couple of tasty northern kingfish from the Sore Thumb on Thursday. Clams, sand worms and bunker chunks were all on the menu. Outside the inlet, east of the Lighthouse and towards the Oak Beach Tower, Chris found bunker pods close to shore. "He live-lined bunkers and caught two bass over 35 pounds," Smokey said. Shorebound anglers are enjoying a phenomenal year of blue claw crabbing along the docks and bulkheads. Fresh bunker is working best. Snapper fishing has been very good, too.
Capt. Neil from the Laura Lee told me bluefish staged a strong comeback this week. "We've been jigging between 100 and 200 fish during our evening trips," Neil said. During the day, the Fire Island Reef has been providing steady action on sea bass and porgies. "Some days are better than others," he said, and added, "But we always try to real hard to put a decent catch together." Steve Goldsen bagged a hefty 4.5-pound sea biscuit on Saturday. Neil mentioned a lot of nice porgies came up during the week, too.
Jerry from Capt. T's B&T in Bayport reported Alex Schwartz, age 6, clicked with his first-ever keeper bass while fishing with his dad and Uncle Dave the previous Sunday. Alex tricked the linesider with a Spro shad-tail plastic lure. On Thursday, Ted Steffensen soaked clams in Moriches Inlet and duped a 12-pound striper of his own. Weakfish have started to make a mid-summer rally based upon the reports coming from Moriches and Great South bays. Jerry heard the West Sayville dock surrendered some small yellowfins around mid-week. Weekend anglers scored weaks, too, but farther east in the Narrows Bay area. "They're catching plenty of snappers and blue claws from the docks," Jerry said.
Capt. Joe Gorman from the Dixie II said the latest upward revision on the fluke regs is a "tough blow" to the recreational community. "It means we just have to work a little harder,"' he said. As expected, the keeper ratio was better outside near the Reef, but the bay is holding some legal fish, too. The Dixie is Captree's largest capacity charter boat and can accommodate up to 150 passengers. Capt. Joe is currently booking fall trips - reached him at 631-859-5195.
Mike at Augie's Custom Tackle in Babylon said the local fishing scene changed little from the week prior. "There was a bit more wind this week, but its still August and the fish are in summer mode," he said. Reports of a few nice bass taken underneath the bunker schools outside Fire Island filtered into the shop. Mike also heard a few weakfish appeared in the bay. "The crabbing is just phenomenal at the local docks," Mike said, "And they're catching plenty of snappers, too."
 Hey Belts this is a report from the Northeast Fisherman 8/18. According to the is report the crabs are all over the area I sent you to, A phenomenol, year. I think you need to be schooled by the King Crabber.

[Joe Crabs]

KC we need to find out if Belt is related to Big Al.

[kingcrabber]

we're there JC..lets do it...never thought NY was in mysights ..but the King knows no boundries

[Joe Crabs]

And you never thought you would be making runs to NC either.

[D Crabster]

Guys, East Moriches is my spot.  I launch my Whaler from Silly's almost every weekend.  JC was right about a molt, they just got done.  This past weekend I caught alot of whitey's.  However, I still managed to come home with 30 keepers.  I would recommend going in the Hart's cove area.  Look for a nice size creek with water about 5 feet and set up shop.  The fluke fishing has been off we only got two keepers this weekend.  But there are choppers everywhere.  The guys out of Silly's are awesome.  The guy to talk to is Gary the others are just kids, he knows his stuff.  If you see a 17ft Boston Whaler with a bald guy driving say hi,  I will be checking out Silly Lilly's boats so maybe we will bump into each other.

[Joe Crabs]

Good to hear it D Crabster, going out on the 1st, any size.

[D Crabster]

JC, they were keepers but nothing to brag about.  Fluke action is solid.  Check out WWW.Noreast.com some guy from a tackle shop says he has been seeing crabs up to 10 inches point to point.  I think he is hitting the hash pipe,  but whatever.

[Joe Crabs]

I think he needs a new eyeglass perscription. Some of these guys don't know what point to point is? I think they measure from the fat base of the claw when his claws are pulled in. Still like tom get out there, it's where I grew up on the water. Love the place.