Fill Your Cooler On A Late Fall Wreck Trip
Tasty knob-headed sea bass are the star player on most late-season offshore wreck trips. OutdoorTom.com photo.
It’s cold out, your friends watching late-season football at home think you’re crazy – and you wouldn’t have it any other way! After all, your fishing rod is doubled-over, the cooler is half-filled with tasty porgies and black sea bass, and you’ve still got three hours left to top things off with a pool-winning codfish, pollack or another denizen of the deep.
“Who’s crazy now?” you think to yourself with a smile while lifting another sweet and tasty knob-headed sea bass over the rail. “It doesn’t get any better than this on a fine December day.”
Indeed, late fall wreck fishing can be both super-productive and tons of fun, but it’s also a totally different beast when compared to the shorter, shallower and warmer late summer wreck trips with which most long island bottom-fishing fans are familiar. These freezer filling excursions generally take place 30 to 80 miles offshore over the skeletal remains of sunken boats in depths of 160 to over 200 feet of water. Many of these hot spots were casualties of vicious seas or boating accidents, and a few were torpedoed by German U-boats during World War II. Slowly disintegrating on the bottom, these once proud ships now provide haven for baitfish, ambush points for predators, and plenty of fodder in the way of shellfish and crabs for scavenger species.
While most long-range or extended trips target porgy and sea bass, some will creel a few cod (if the season is open) and pollack while others will aim for hake and ling, so there are several options to consider. New trips are also sometimes added to the schedule if the action is building while others may be deleted if catches aren’t panning out, so be sure to make some calls or check the websites of the vessels you’d like to board to ensure everything is still on schedule. Prices do vary based on port and how far the fleet has to cruise to reach different wrecks but expect to pay between $90 and $200 per person. Make reservations as early as some trips do sell out.
Although rarely abundant these days, codfish are always a possibility on holiday season deep-water wreck trips. OutdoorTom.com photo.
As for specific fishing tips, it’s best to keep things simple on these voyages. You’ll be prospecting in deep water with sometimes strong currents, so be sure to gear-up appropriately. A stiff six- to seven-foot rod and strong conventional reel filled with 40-pound- test braided line is pretty much standard for working with the 8- to 12-ounce sinkers that see service on most trips. If you don’t have the gear to get the job done, most vessels running these trips have appropriate rod and reel combos for rent.
Of course, if you would like to pick up a new combo to add to your deep-water arsenal, a Jigging World Black Demon Conventional Rod matched to a Daiwa Saltist LW conventional reel covers all the bases and will do fine if you plan to fish with bait. If you prefer to jig, A 7-foot Jigging World Black Widow Casting Rod teamed to an Accurate Valiant Single-Speed Slow Pitch Jigging Reel is what you’ll want as it can easily handle the 200 to 300g jigs such as the Nomad Gypsea or JYG Semy that are popular on these trips.
Be aware that it can get a little nautical on deep water excursions. Be sure to dress appropriately. OutdoorTom.com photo.
While some sharpies favor the jigs, especially on slower tidal stages, a simple hi-low sea bass/cod rig with size 4/0 or 6/0 hooks and a glow bead or two is the choice of most anglers. On particularly “sticky” wrecks you instead opt for a single hook tied into the leader thigh high to reduce the chances of snagging bottom. Keeping in mind the deep water and that you’ll be fishing around substantial structure, leaving the extra bells, whistles and hook adornments at home should help keep snags to a minimum.
Baiting up on these trips is simple enough. Just as you would on an inshore wreck, choose a fresh-looking strip of cut squid or piece of skimmer clam with a stringy skirt and firm section of tougher lip flesh, and impale it securely making sure the hook’s barb is fully exposed. Now, send your line to the bottom at a quick but controlled speed to avoid tangles and you are set to go.
If the fishing is fully up to snuff on these trip, you won’t have to wait long for a bite. In fact, many hits come as soon as the sinker hits the sea floor. To take advantage of these quick hits, engage your reel immediately, crank up three turns of the reel handle, and set the hook right away if you suspect there is extra weight at the end of the line. If there’s no extra weight, lower your bait back to the bottom and simply wait for that tell-tale thump from a sea bass, the peck, peck, peck of a scup, or a more substantial tug that might signal a codfish, pollack or really large sea bass has grabbed your bait..
Sea bass come big on most offshore wreck trips and it doesn’t take long to put together a nice pile of tasty fillets. OutdoorTom.com photo.
Before we let you go, a word about preparing for the elements is in order. While it is possible to catch a 40-degree day on these trips, plan for a winter scenario and dress in layers, wear insulated boots, bring along some water-proof gloves, and top this all off with a warm knit hat. If you can swing it, adding a CX Fishing Bib and CX Fishing Jacket to your arsenal is a great way to ensure you’ll stay dry and toasty throughout the day. Both are top-shelf and designed for passionate anglers with a tendency to test their limits time and again.
Heading into the holiday season, the following vessels plan to fish at least through mid-December, and a few will continue heading out until the end of the year. There may be other boats along Long Island’s South Shore that will also fish until the end of the 2025 porgy and sea bass seasons, so be sure to check the websites of your favorite skippers to catch the latest schedules. Good luck!
• King Cod, Center Moriches; 631-475-1060
• Captree Princess, Captree: 631-404-6817
• Laura Lee Express, Captree: 631-661-1867
• Capt. Lou Fleet, Freeport: 516-623-5823
• Super Hawk, Point Lookout: www.superhawkfishing.com; 516-607-3004
• Hampton Lady, Shinnecock: 631-521-3366
- Bryce Poyer
