Destination Northeast – Summer Fishing Adventures On Your Sportfish
Summer is in full swing and that means chasing good times and giant pelagics on beauties such as this gorgeous 2017 62' Viking Sportfish. One of the hottest summer travel destinations, both for its splendor and its adrenaline-pumping fishing, is the beautiful Northeast.
Inshore or offshore, there’s plenty of fishing to appease everyone. HMY broker Mike McCarthy grew up in the area and knows a thing or two about the Northeast fishing scene—by age 12 he was operating commercial clam boats on the south shore of Long Island, and after stints on commercial long liners, Mike relocated to Montauk at age 19 to work on private sportfishing boats. During this time, he worked on the famed Sneaky Pete and chased giant tuna from Montauk to Maine during the summer. Needless to say, he has a firm grasp on the hottest fishing spots in the area.
Now based out of HMY’s Stuart office, Mike still summers in Montauk, where he spends time with his family, fishes on his 1974 23’ SeaCraft with the Potter hull that he refurbished in 2014, and re-connects with HMY customers for quality time on the water and at the marina.
THE CANYONS
The northeast canyons dozens of miles offshore in the continental shelf offer some of the best fishing in the world, with an abundance of yellowfin, bluefin, big eye, and albacore tuna, and white and blue marlin.
The sheer massiveness of the canyons (Hudson Canyon, the largest northeastern canyon, is approximately 60 miles long, 7 miles wide, and 3,600 feet deep – roughly half the depth and a quarter the size of the Grand Canyon) provides several terrific locations to chase these beasts, as well as experience the beauty of being surrounded by dolphins, whales, porpoises, sea turtles, and manta rays.
Even better, the canyons are accessible to more fishermen these days due to the emergence of larger, higher-end center consoles, as Yachting magazine notes. “Today’s CCs are bigger, faster and rugged, and when combined with improved offshore weather forecasting have given rise to a new generation of canyon hunters. What used to be a multiday affair can now be as simple as leaving before sunrise and getting home by dark. Call it a commuter trip to big fish and bluewater adventure!”
THE SEASON
It was a late break this summer season, Mike said, but well worth the wait — “This is the best season inshore and offshore I’ve seen in 35 years.” He credits that to a huge concentration of bait.
The bait surplus has led to one of the most epic tuna bites, with Mike already seeing more than a dozen big eyes reeled in. And the striped bass bite, which started slow early in the season, is cranking now, with 40 pounders being caught within a couple miles of shore.
THE SPOTS
Here are a few favorite canyon spots Mike likes to take clients for heavy deep-water action:
- Coxes Ledge: You’ll find lots of giant blue fin at this spot about 30 miles east of Montauk, along with tons of bait, plentiful mackerel, and even squid.
- Eastern Canyons—Atlantis, West Atlantis, Veatch: Mike calls this area roughly 75 miles south of Nantucket one of the most underrated blue marlin spots.
- The Coimbra: Known for excellent shark and bottom fishing, this shipwreck 30 miles southeast of Moriches Inlet also teems with blue fin tuna.
Mike says now is the perfect time to hit the canyons and experience some of the best fishing in the world. Have your rod harness or fighting chair ready and bring a camera—you may just nab the catch of a lifetime.
