Written by: Andrew Jett
Star Island Grill is a restaurant located in the Montauk Marina. It is one of a number of restaurants on Long Island that will prepare your catch of the day.
Fishing is a huge part of Long Island culture from fishing competitions, fishing businesses, and recreational activities. Long Island is known for its excellent saltwater fishing, and freshwater fishing. One of the biggest fishing spots in Long Island is the Long Island Sound, it has saltwater from the Atlantic Ocean and is ninety percent freshwater from three major rivers. The Long Island sound is 1,300 square miles and includes numerous bays and inlets when combined amasses over 600 miles of shoreline. The Long Island Sound is accessed on the Northside of Long Island and the landmass opposite is Connecticut. Someone fishing in Long Island Sound would likely catch striped bass, bluefish, summer flounder and black sea bass.
Other fishing spots in Long Island are on the South Shore. The South Shore is known for its famous beaches along the Atlantic such as Jones beach and Robert Moses and its bay areas. Hundreds of boats go fishing in these waters during summer time and even during the winter. The most popular fish being caught in the South Shore of Long Island are bluefish, fluke, striped bass, herring, porgy, and white perch.
One of the best vacation fishing spots on Long Island is Montauk also known as the “End.” You can book a fishing trip on one of the Viking charters that go out during the day and at night. Whatever you catch they will cook it for you at a local restuarant in the marina. This makes fishing a rewarding and fun experience any body can enjoy.
The Long Island Sound, the Atlantic ocean and over 500 lakes and ponds with an additional 30 miles of streams Long Island offers many opportunities to fish. With all these fishing opportunities there are some strict fishing laws on Long Island. According to the New York State Department of environmental conservation these laws include anglers, who are individuals who fish using a rod and line, being required to use non-offset circle hooks when fishing for striped bass with bait. This rule does not apply to artificial lures. Specific size and possession limits are set for different types of fish; this includes a slot size of 18-28 inches for striped bass in the Hudson River and 28-31 inches with an amount of one fish from marine waters. Seasonal restrictions are also strictly put in place. An example of this is the open season for winter flounder which starts from April 1 to May 30 and varies seasons for blackfish depending on the region. Fish such as summer flounder have to be brought to shore to be tested for size verification. Anglers who are aged 16 and older have to register for saltwater and freshwater fishing in New York. This process is free of charge and can be completed at local long Island bait shops or online. Fishing in Long Island is a form of family and community bonding, economic importance benefiting seafood restaurants, and tourism, conservation and sustainability, and historical and cultural significance. Going back in time to the early settlement Long island communities have deep connections that make fishing a cultural recreational activity.
To experience more of what Long Island fishing is all about I went fishing in Seaford Long Island with two fishermen brothers Michael Belsito (23) and his younger brother Christian Belsito (20). Michael and Christian have been fishing on Long Island for years and have very good experience with these waters. I asked both brothers a few questions about their experience in fishing and how big fishing is in Long Island. Captain Michael Belsito responded saying “Recreational fishing here has blown up since the last 50 years I've worked in fisherman magazines, worked on charter and commercial boats and at bait shops. It's been an amazing experience for me. Fishing is not just part of our culture, it is a necessity and has been since the 1700s.” Michael explained to me how he and his brother started fishing when they were both in elementary school after that this new hobby took off. I interviewed Michaels brother Christaian and he responded to my questions saying “Fishing has brought me and my brother closer and is our favorite thing to do giving us something to really bond over. Fishing culture is very important to Long Island not just because it brings family and friends closer together but because we as Long Islanders have such easy access to water. Having easy access to water and bringing in many types of fish helps many Long Island businesses and restaurants make money. Like my brother said, fishing here is not just a fun recreational activity, it's an important necessity with so much history behind it."
Back in my childhood, fishing has also brought me closer to my family friends . Fishing is one of my favorite recreational activities to do during the summer. My friend takes me fishing a lot in Montauk and the fishing culture and community dynamic is very strong. One of my favorite people to go fishing with is my Uncle John every my family gets together and we have a fishing trip on my Uncle John's boat I asked my Uncle about what he thought about fishing on Long Island living in the Hamptons with such a beautiful atmosphere my Uncle responded saying “Fishing here is great way to enjoy the beauty of being outdoors and bond with your family and friends even if you go fishing alone its a fun productive way to use up your free time plays you never know what your going to catch which is one of the things that makes fishing so exciting.” Yes I agree fishing can be very exciting and adrenaline can be involved while fishing in Montauk on my friend Colin Bradleys (20) boat I once caught a sand shark and thought the creature would eat me alive if I wheeled it in on the boat I ended up letting it go. I asked Colin about his experiences fishing. Colin responded saying “Fishing is my favorite thing to do with my Dad. We catch everything from Porgy’s to Tuna. My favorite place to fish is Montauk. If you're looking for Long Island fishing culture I believe it is strongest in Montauk. The best place to fish in my opinion is the ocean. You never know what you're going to catch and like what Robert Shaw said in the movie Jaws “You’re gonna need a bigger boat” it's a great day if you need one!” Like the people I interviewed, fishing has been a great part of my life. Fishing is so grounded in Long Island culture and it's a wonderful recreational activity that can be enjoyed by all. If you visit Long Island or live in Long Island and want to take up fishing there are so many places to do so and if you feel you don't catch anything it's not likely there's plenty of fish in the sea!
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