"You should see the porgies we're catching right now," said Mike Boccio, skipper of the Orient Point open boat, Prime Time III. "As we speak, I'm watching a 3-pounder come over the rail!"
In case you missed it, the daily limit of porgies for anglers fishing aboard open or charter boats increased from 10 to 45 per day back on September 1st. All other anglers can creel only 10 per day. The size limit on charter and open boats is 11 inches while 10.5 inches is the minimum size for other anglers.
Since the new regulations took effect, The Prime III in Orient, Peconic Star in Greenport, and other East End boats have been having plenty of success while carrying light crowds. The action has gotten better just about every day with most trips seeing some anglers limit out, but every day ends with plenty of fillets packed into angler's coolers. Mixed in with the scup are some very respectable-sized black sea bass.
"You'd be crazy not to come out now and give the porgies a try," added Boccio. The season will reach its peak over the next few weeks and this is the kind of action you don't want to miss. It's very good fishing, with true jumbos making up a lot of the catch."
Porgy season for open and charter boat anglers ends on October 15. For everyone else, it ends on September 26. Get your trips in now.
Porgy Regulations:
Anglers aboard licensed party/charter boats:
11" minimum size
45 possession limit
Season ends on Oct 15
All other anglers:
10.5" minimum size
10 possession limit
Seson ends on Sept 26
To check saltwater fishing regulations for other species, visit:
http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/7894.html