September 25, 2016

Capt. Greg reports that extraordinary weather and just fantastic fishing sums up this past week. Tuesday and Wednesday full limits (45 a man) of jumbo scup and limits of sea bass besides. Thursday saw the closure of sea bass in Federal Waters, which put a little cramp on our program. Both Thursday and Friday we clobbered the scup, but unfortunately had to throw back countless numbers of jumbo sea bass. We went into state waters where the sea bass were biting heavy. Customers ended the trips with a sea bass bonanza, most easily getting their limits. Some nice cod to 20lbs and quite a few winter flounder rounded out these trips. Saturday we had to deal with stiff northeast winds. Captain Matt fished in state waters only, picking away all day on both scup and sea bass.

The bluefish scene remains hot; Diamond jigging again gives all you want. Good mix of stripers and a few jumbo sea bass. The weather might be cooling off, but the fishing is staying hot!!

We’re looking forward to some great fishing in the next three months for cod. With this much cod around, who knows, it might be another Baccala Bonanza like last year.

Heather from the office reminds everyone that we are still fishing every day leaving at 7am- although please take note that there is no trip this Friday, September 30.  As usual, stay tuned for updates on our website and Facebook page.

A special congrats to Capt Greg – he welcomed his fourth grandchild to the world on Friday.  Hunter Anthony, 8 lbs 15 oz makes 4 grandkids – all boys- for Captain Greg. Surely some will be working deck on the BlackHawk in the future!  Hunter and his family, Ryan, Cassie, and Jackson, are all doing well.  Congrats!

September 18, 2016

Heather from the Black Hawk reports that the diamond jigging has reached the fall peak- it just can’t get any better, period.  All the bluefish you could possibly want, you’ll wear yourself out fishing, with a good combo of jumbo seabass and striped bass mixed right in.  Thursday’s trip was indicative of what we’re saying.  The group fishing with us charters the boat 7-8 times a year.  On their trip last week, over 500 bluefish were caught in non-stop action until we switched over to seabassing.  Don’t fret, they get every fish filleted and utilize every one of them, icing ’em down properly in the coolers before heading back to upstate New York with their haul.

Bottom fishing remains consistent in the Montauk and Block Island areas.  Both limits of jumbo seabass and big scup continue to fill coolers and keep customers as happy as can be.  Even a few codfish are mixed in.

Our schedule continues to be one trip each day, leaving at 7:00 am.  Sundays and Mondays are for blues and bass, Tuesday through Saturday bottom fishing for porgies and seabass.  This schedule will continue right up through Columbus Day.  As always, you can check our website ( and our Facebook page for details and updates.

September 11, 2016

After a picture perfect summer, with just wonderful weather, it was tough to lose 4 full days to the tropical storm, but that’s what happened.  We were all concerned about how the fishing would be in Hermine’s aftermath, but things were back to normal starting on Thursday when we resumed.  Porgy and seabass fishing remains good- some days more of one than the other.  Saturday’s trip was excellent on the porgies, with the usual sharpies having no problem limiting out on the seabass.  Some bluefish, striped bass, and even a few codfish are coming over the rails as well.

Sunday was our first bluefishing trip since the storm.  We weren’t sure how it was going to be- the bluefishing was great before the storm, and we were hoping it would pick up where it left off.  We ended up being hampered by stiff southwesterly winds, which limited where we could go.  We started off fishing in Plum Gut, and stayed as long as we could.  We then headed over to Pigeon Rip.  The fish at Plum Gut were gigantic, the fish in Pigeon Rip were smaller- although there were more of ’em.  We will continue to bluefish on Sundays and Mondays.

Heather from the office reminds everyone of our schedule: Tuesday through Saturday we’re bottom fishing for the porgies and seabass, and Sundays and Mondays we’re diamond jigging for the blues and bass.  Take note there is no trip on Thursday, September 15 and Friday September 30.  Check our website for a full schedule.

In September, we’re collecting cleaning supplies for our Black Hawk and the Community Program, to be used by the MASH Shelter as they prepare housing for new families.  Our boxes of school supplies have been shipped down to Baton Rouge- thank you for your generous donations!  We hope to see everyone soon!

September 4, 2016

Heather from the Black Hawk office reports that the porgy and seabass fishing took a little turn this week for a few days-  maybe because of the impending storm, maybe because there were a couple of sharks seen around- but catches were a little off for a few days.  That all changed on Saturday, when it went right back to where it was.  Limits of seabass, limits of seabass, and even some 45 per person limits on the porgies for some of the regular customers.  Some good, solid fishing.

Bluefishing, on the other hand, has not slowed down at all and remained very, very good.  Diamond jigging has remained as good as it gets, with a good mix of seabass and some striped bass here and there too.

Unfortunately, we had to miss both Sunday and Monday due to the storm, but we’re looking forward to getting back out there as soon as we can.  As a reminder, we’re fishing 7 days a week at 7am.  Sundays and Mondays are for bass and blues, Tuesday through Saturday is bottom fishing.   As always, check our website for updates and details.

August 28, 2016

Heather from the Black Hawk reports another week of really solid fishing on the scup and nothing short of sensational catches on the seabass.  Customers are having no problem getting their limits with fish over 5 pounds consistently coming over the rails.  This past Friday’s trip started off a little slow, due to gusty southwest winds, forcing us to fish in the lee of Montauk for a few hours.  The weathermen hit it right, for once, and said it was going to drop out and it did mid-morning.  We left the “slow pick” grounds and went to the happy hunting grounds where we loaded up once again.  That being said, we went to the food bank again this week with a load of nearly 200 pounds of fish fillets.  We encourage our customers to take only what they need, and then release or donate the rest of it. Help us help others in our local community, though fillet donations and all of our other Black Hawk and the Community programs.

Capt. Greg and Capt. Matt keep switching trips between the bottom fishing and the bass and blues 4pm and weekend trips.  Although neither will admit it, I think there’s a little friendly rivalry between them!!  They’re always asking each other where they were, how it was, how many, how big, etc.  At times it’s comical, but I can’t question the results!

Our 4pm sailings all week have once again been excellent on the bass and blues, with a few jumbo sea bass.  Diamond jigging provides non-stop action, all you can ask for.  Quite a few short stripers, with always a few keepers mixed in.  The weekend’s 6am and 1pm trips provided beautiful weather, flat calm, and once again great fishing.

Don’t forget that September 1 starts the bonus porgy season, with the limit moving from 30 fish to 45 fish per person.  Our sailing schedule will be 7:00 am every day, with Sundays and Mondays being for bass and blues, and Tuesday through Saturday bottom fishing for the porgies and seabass.  We’ll be collecting school supplies for schools down in Baton Rouge for one more week, up until Labor Day, so bring some markers, notebooks, pencils, or any other supplies when you head out for your trip.  For the rest of September, we’ll be collecting cleaning supplies once again for MASH, as well as canned goods to drop off with our next donation of fish fillets.  As always, you can check our website for details, schedule updates and more.

August 21, 2016

Capt. Greg from the Black Hawk reports that bluefishing simply remains phenomenal. Drop that diamond jig anywhere near the bottom and you got ’em. Consistently all you could want, with some real nice sea bass and stripers mixed right in. A smorgasbord of fish, filling all the coolers and making for boatloads of happy customers. If you’re looking for a lot of action, now’s the time. We’re fishing on Thursday and Friday at 4pm by reservation, limited to 28 anglers- but only for a few more weeks, so book your spot now! Also, one more week of Saturday and Sunday open boat at 6am and 1pm, before our schedule changes on September 1. We’ve been sailing on private charters all summer long on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, charters with up to 60 people, leaving the dock at 4pm These are coming to an end over the next few weeks as summer draws to a close. We’ve already had some groups book their dates for next year!

Our midweek 7am seabass, porgy and fluke trips, fishing in the Montauk area again this week, remained excellent. Plenty of big fish, and most customers have no problem catching their limit and filling their coolers. We even had a few triggerfish and stripers to round out the mix. A lot of bait where we’ve been fishing, with sightings of porpoises, a few whales and even a thresher shark pup (75 pounds) chasing the bait around on top.

Heather from the office reminds everyone that our schedule remains the same for a bit longer- Saturdays and Sundays, 2 trips daily at 6am and 1pm, and Monday through Friday one trip at 7am. The schedule will change on September 1 with the opening of the bonus season for porgies (45 fish per person). Then we’ll be heading out every day at 7am- Sundays and Mondays will be for bass & blues, Tuesday through Saturday for porgies and seabass. Check our websitefor updates and more info. Our Black Hawk and the Community program continues to collect school supplies through August and the beginning of September. Heather has a friend down in Baton Rouge, and she’s been very involved in relief efforts after these devastating floods. She has told us that school supplies will be needed in the coming months- so our school supplies will be heading down south in mid September. Grab something the next time you’re shopping and bring it down the boat on your next trip. We hope to see you soon.

August 14, 2016

Capt. Greg from the Black Hawk reports that while the weather might be intolerably hot and sticky, the fishing is even hotter!

Another great week of bottom fishing with nice catches of jumbo seabass, monster porgies, and a good mix of fluke, striped bass, and even a few triggerfish rounding out customer’s coolers.  Both Capt. Matt and Capt. Greg are concentrating on the seabass first, then going to the porgy grounds to finish the day.

Bluefishing remained better than excellent all week with non-stop action diamond jigging.  Good mix of seabass and striped bass climbing on the jigs as well.  The tides have been running pretty slow this week so during the slack, when time allows, we’ve been breaking out the bottom rods and seaclams and clobbering the scup and seabass.  Customers seem to love the variety and are happy to go home with an additional bag of fillets.

Heather from the office reports that our schedule remains the same through August  31- fishing every day, leaving the dock at 7:00 am Monday through Friday and at 6:00 am and 1:00 pm on Saturdays and Sundays.  Please note there is no 7:00 am trip this Thursday, August 18.  We will also continue to  go out on Thursdays and Fridays at 4:00 pm for our After Work Special trips.   As part of the Black Hawk and the Community program,  in August , we’ll be collecting school supplies, so stock up when you’re shopping and bring them down to the boat.  We look forward to seeing everyone soon!

August 7, 2016

Capt. Greg from the Black Hawk reports that easterly winds earlier in the week hampered us a little, keeping us from a few seabass laden hot spots, but overall bottom fishing is still excellent.  Limits of both porgies and seabass remain the norm, with some nice fluke besides.  A bonus are some keeper stripers that are climbing on the sea clams too.

Bluefishing remains ridiculous.  If you’re looking to wear yourself out, well, now’s the time….it just doesn’t get any better, period!!! Our customers are going home arm weary and very happy. A good mix of jumbo seabass are chewing on the diamond jigs, along with some striped bass.  A lot of shorts, but quite a few keepers too. With only a few weeks left before school starts, get the kids rounded up and come down for some hot family fishing fun.

Saturday night we did one of our sunset cruises, this time with the folks from the WARM Center in Westerly, Rhode Island.  Although thunderstorms were predicted, we made it through without any rain at all! It was a great night, everyone had a blast, and raised a lot of money to support WARM’s great programs!

Heather from the office reports that our schedule continues to be  fishing every day, leaving the dock at 7:00 am Monday through Friday and at 6:00 am and 1:00 pm on Saturdays and Sundays.  Please note there is no 7:00 am trip on Thursday, August 18.  We will also continue to  go out on Thursdays and Fridays at 4:00 pm for our After Work Special trips.   As part of the Black Hawk and the Community program,  in August , we’ll be collecting school supplies, so stock up when you’re shopping and bring them down to the boat.  We look forward to seeing everyone soon!

July 31, 2016

The Black Hawk reports another week of just spectacular bottom fishing with some of the nicest, sunniest summer weather too.  Fishing remains excellent, with some days just very, very good and others nothing short of out of this world!  Huge porgies, monster seabass- some so big you’re afraid to put your hand  near ’em!  A good combination of fluke mixed right in there with them.  Tuesday’s weekly group of Bruce, Richie and Murphy, just clobbered them, to put it simply, getting their limits of big fish.

As always, the Black Hawk is committed to taking our valuable customers, either the once a year family or the guys that go every week, to the very best fishing areas….and the Montauk areas are it right now and have been all season long.  For quantity, quality, and variety, it’s Montauk or bust for us!  If you’re looking to fill your freezers or show the kids a great time, now is the time to go.

Capt. Greg’s best advice to the customers bringing their own tackle for these trips is to bring enough of a variety for not only the different species but also for the changing tide and weather conditions.  Bring some fluke rigs, a variety of sinkers, etc.  Braid line is always preferred.  Also, although we carry ice and try our best to wash all the fish down, nothing is better than bringing your own cooler with ice.  Add a little seawater to the ice just when we start fishing.  Bleed your fish and get ’em in this slush as you’re catching them.  The quality at the table goes up 1000% if you take care of them properly from the start.  These phenomenal trips leave the dock Monday through Friday at 7:00 am.

Our 4:00 pm evening trips all week have been knock-outs too, only different species, the blues and bass.  All the blues you could possibly want, too many, really- you’ll wear yourself out! No need to put anything in the water other than a Black Hawk hammered jig with a 7/0 Siwash hook attached.  Take to the bank, this combo is deadly! Drop it to the bottom and you got ’em. The latest trips, prior to this writing, were Saturday’s 1:00 pm trip and Sunday’s 6:00 am trip.  Both of these weekend trips were slam dunks- all you wanted.  Clean diamond jigging, no mess, no slime, no smell.  Drop the jig to the bottom and hang on. Miss the first bite, no problem.  Leave it right there and another will climb right on. Don’t be surprised if you get a couple of hump-head sea bass or a few stripers too, they’re all in the mix.  The bass and bluefish trips on Thursday and Friday evenings leave at 4:00 pm and are limited to 28 people- so make your reservations soon.  We also head out on the weekends at 6:00 am and 1:00 pm.

One final note, congratulations are in order to Capt. Matt Chamberlain and the J & B Tackle Crew.  They won the largest bluefin tuna category last week in the “Montauk Canyon Club Challenge” Tournament.  Matt loves his tuna fishing and this week he’s taking a 5 day vacation from running the boat to participate once again in J & B Tackle’s “Tri-State Shoot-out” over at Block Island.  Good luck Matt, we’re all waiting for a few fresh tuna or swordfish steaks.

Heather from the office reports that our schedule continues to be  fishing every day, leaving the dock at 7:00 am Monday through Friday and at 6:00 am and 1:00 pm on Saturdays and Sundays.  We will also continue to  go out on Thursdays and Fridays at 4:00 pm for our After Work Special trips.  We had a great time last week as part of the Channel 3 Kids Camp fishing tournament- we had the campers on board with us and had a great time fishing with them.  As part of the Black Hawk and the Community program,  in August , we’ll be collecting school supplies, so stock up when you’re shopping and bring them down to the boat.  We look forward to seeing everyone soon!

July 24, 2016

Capt. Greg from the Black Hawk reports that the bluefishing has really EXPLODED!   All you want, any method, all the time.  Diamond jigging is obviously the easiest and most productive – drop it to the bottom and you got ’em.  Good mix of striped bass too, a lot of shorts but with some nice keepers mixed in.  Bottom fishing has remained good all week. Friday’s trip was hampered by windy conditions. We couldn’t go where we wanted, and were fishing secondary spots.  Still was productive on porgies and seabass, although not the limits we’ve been used to. Saturday we had a charter with the Milford Striped Bass Fishing Club. Although there was still a big heave from Friday’s windy weather, we still had a productive trip with porgies and some nice seabass.  Fun was had by all.
Our Thursday and Friday After Work Special trips continue to be productive with great bluefishing, and some bass mixed in.  These trips will continue through August and the first part of September.
Heather from the office reports that our schedule continues to be  fishing every day, leaving the dock at 7:00 am Monday through Friday and at 6:00 am and 1:00 pm on Saturdays and Sundays.  On Tuesday, July 26 we will head out at 6am for a half-day trip so we can participate in the Channel 3 Kids Camp fishing tournament at 1:00 pm. This Saturday, July 30, we will not have a 6am trip, but will still have a trip at 1:00 pm.  We will also continue to  go out on Thursdays and Fridays at 4:00 pm for our After Work Special trips.  As part of the Black Hawk and the Community program,  in July, we’ll be collecting small personal care items- soap, toothbrushes, deodorant, etc.  In August we’ll be collecting school supplies, so stock up when you’re shopping and bring them down to the boat.  We look forward to seeing everyone soon!

July 17, 2016

Heather from the Black Hawk office reports that it was another week of good fishing.   We continued with the bottom fishing on our weekday trips, with the seabass bite continuing to improve.  On Friday, 11 year old Brieanne and her family joined us from the Catskills area of New York.  Brieanne caught loads of porgies and seabass and out caught her brothers, her cousin, and her dad- great job Brieanne!  Our After Work Special trips showed good bass and bluefishing, with plenty of blues and a good number of keeper bass, up to 40 inches.  On our weekend half day trips, the morning tides were better for the bass and blues than the afternoons this weekend.  There was lots of action, with keeper bass, lots of shorts, and plenty of bluefish!
Saturday evening, we headed out for the Celebrate East Lyme Day fireworks.  As usual, as part of our Black Hawk and the Community program, this trip was our “Christmas in July” trip, where we collected toys and books to be distributed to local children during the holiday season.  This year was our biggest yet, as we collected two car loads of toys, and hundreds of children’s books.  We can’t thank everyone enough for their support.  You’re helping make the holidays better for some local children!

Our schedule continues to be  fishing every day, leaving the dock at 7:00 am Monday through Friday and at 6:00 am and 1:00 pm on Saturdays and Sundays.  The exceptions are Saturday, July 23rd, and Saturday, July 30, when we will not have a 6am trip.  On Tuesday, July 26 we will head out at 6am for a half-day trip so we can participate in the Channel 3 Kids Camp fishing tournament at 1:00 pm.   We will continue to  go out on Thursdays and Fridays at 4:00 pm for our After Work Special trips.  As part of the Black Hawk and the Community program,  in July, we’ll be collecting small personal care items- soap, toothbrushes, deodorant, etc.  We look forward to seeing everyone soon!

July 10

Heather from the Black Hawk office reports another week of excellent fishing.  Monday’s Fourth of July holiday was a beautiful day with lots of porgies and a good number of seabass.  We’ve seen the seabass fishing continually improving over the course of the week.  Tuesday evening we had a special charter with a family birthday party.  The two birthday boys were celebrating their 7th and 70th birthdays, and had friends and family from across the country and even overseas join in the fun.  The kids caught lots of porgies and had a great time!  The rest of the week’s day trips continued to excellent porgy fishing, with good seabass and fluke mixed in too.   Saturday was the exception- and we don’t hold back any punches when it comes to telling you about the fishing. Good or bad, you’ll hear it from us. Although we’ve had some spectacular fishing 7 days a week for the last 6 weeks, Saturday was not one of those days. We were hampered by strong easterly winds and tough conditions and had to fish in secondary places to escape the rough conditions. We did catch some bluefish, we did catch some striped bass, and we did get some porgies and seabass but it was a struggle.   Sunday was better, with more action on the porgies and seabass.  It wasn’t how it’s been, after the wind kind of churned everything up a bit, but it wasn’t bad.  Sunday afternoon was calm and beautiful when the sun came out, and we had a good showing of porgies and seabass.

The After Work Specials on Thursday and Friday had lots of diamond jigging action with a lot of short bass, a few keepers, and monster bluefish.  These trips will continue to go out on Thursdays and Fridays by reservation for the rest of the summer.

Saturday evening had us out for the Sailfest fireworks display.  Although the weather seemed iffy, it was a beautiful night and we had a front row seat for the fireworks.  As usual, as part of our Black Hawk and the Community program, we collected diapers for our diaper drive.  Over 100 packages were collected. Thanks to everyone for their support!  We’re looking forward to our Christmas in July fireworks trip next weekend.

Our schedule continues to be  fishing every day, leaving the dock at 7:00 am Monday through Friday and at 6:00 am and 1:00 pm on Saturdays and Sundays.  The exceptions are Saturday, July 23rd, when we will not have a 6am trip.  On Tuesday, July 26 we will head out at 6am for a half-day trip so we can participate in the Channel 3 Kids Camp fishing tournament at 1:00 pm.  On Saturday, July 30, we also do not have a 6am trip.  We will continue to  go out on Thursdays and Fridays at 4:00 pm for our After Work Special trips.  As part of the Black Hawk and the Community program,  in July, we’ll be collecting small personal care items- soap, toothbrushes, deodorant, etc.  We look forward to seeing everyone soon!

July 3

Once again we’re reporting more of the same, reports Captain Greg of the Black Hawk. Great porgy fishing, beautiful sea bass, nice sized fluke, and even a few striped bass jumping on the clams.  On our weekday trips, we are trying to split up the days to get some in fluke fishing.   It’s been a week of beautiful weather and great fishing, leading to many happy, happy customers.  The holiday weekend was no exception, with beautiful weather and great fishing.   Now’s the time to join us for lots of action and some great eating fish to fill your freezer.
Locally, still not much in the way of blues in the Race area yet. We had a few night trips this week for the bass, which were ok- again with lots of shorts.  Our After Work Special trips mixed it up a bit and spent part of the time fishing for bass and blues, and the rest of the trip for the porgies and sea bass.  This combo seemed to work well and we’ll do it again this week based on the conditions.
Heather from the office wants to remind everyone that we are now fishing every day, leaving the dock at 7:00 am Monday through Friday and at 6:00 am and 1:00 pm on Saturdays and Sundays.  We are heading out on Thursdays and Fridays at 4:00 pm for our After Work Special trips.  Check our website for some special trip updates for July.  As part of the Black Hawk and the Community program,  in July, we’ll be collecting small personal care items- soap, toothbrushes, deodorant, etc.  We also have our annual diaper drive and Christmas in July as part of our two fireworks cruises on July 9 and July 16.  We have only a few open dates for charters left, so be sure to call the office to set up your trip.    We look forward to seeing everyone soon!

June 26

“It’s been one heck of a bite every day,” reports Captain Greg of the Black Hawk. In addition, quite a few sea bass, although we’re not targeting them yet until the opening June 27 in New York. When possible, we’ve been trying to split the day up with some really great fluke fishing. Fish to 8 pounds were caught during the week as a bonus.

Sharon S. came up all the way from Sanford, North Carolina, and, accompanied with a bunch of her NJ friends, limited out early. Although quite a distance from Niantic, she vowed to be back a few more times this season. Great job Sharon!

We’re looking forward to the opening of the NY sea bass season this week. We will be targeting all three species; porgies, sea bass and fluke in the days and weeks to come. If you’re looking for a lot of action and great eating fish to fill your freezers, now’s the time.

On the home front, not much in the way of blues in the Race area yet. Night trips on the bass have been okay, with good action and a lot of shorts. Friday’s 4 pm to 10 pm trip was the exception. Tough fishing; calm, bright, crowded and only a few fish….the worst we’ve had this season. Until it improves, all our day time trips will be centered around the Montauk area. As always, we’ll take you where the fish are!

Heather from the office wants to remind everyone that we are now fishing every day, leaving the dock at 7:00 am Monday through Friday and at 6:00 am and 1:00 pm on Saturdays and Sundays.  We are heading out on Thursdays and Fridays at 4:00 pm for our After Work Special trips.  As part of the Black Hawk and the Community program, we’d like to thank everyone who participated in our “Sock Month” for June.  In July, we’ll be collecting small personal care items- soap, toothbrushes, deodorant, etc.  We also have our annual diaper drive and Christmas in July as part of our two fireworks cruises on July 9 and July 16.  We look forward to seeing everyone soon!

June 19

Capt. Greg from the Black Hawk reports that the After Work Specials this week all saw keeper bass and a lot of shorts, plenty of action with a few bluefish mixed in.  A lot of bluefish over at Montauk, hopefully more will filter in to our area soon.  Our big bass night trips were all pretty darn productive, limits on most trips.  Nothing really huge, 30 pounds plus was the largest.  As usual, some customers are more proficient at night fishing than the others.  It can be a little frustrating if you’re not used to bucktailing on the rough bottom.
Porgy fishing remained excellent all week.  The holiday weekend weather was sunny and bright, not the best for blues and bass in the Race, so we spent all four trips over in the Montauk area, where we loaded up on the jumbo scup.  Full coolers and happy customers all around.  We caught a few blues and bass, with the largest being a 38 incher taken on a porgy hook and sea clam.  Good job Luis F from New Britain on getting such a nice fish!
Heather from the office reports that we are now fishing every day.  Monday through Friday we head out at 7:00 am, and Saturdays and Sundays we have two trips, leaving at 6:00 am and 1:00 pm.  We also have our After Work Special trips on Thursday and Friday evenings at 4:00 pm.  Reservations are required for the After Work Special trips, and they’re filling fast, so be sure to call the office to get your spot on board.  We are also taking reservations for our fireworks trips, on July 9 for Sailfest and July 16 for Celebrate East Lyme Day. Be sure to call the office to get a spot on one of these great trips before they’re sold out.  As always, you can check our website and Facebook page for details on upcoming trips, fishing reports and more.

June 12, 2016

Captain Greg from the Black Hawk reports another excellent week of porgy fishing.  Coolers were full and customers were happy; Friday was the only slow day. “I’ve been telling everyone that the fish are all spawned out and getting ready to depart the Gardner’s Island area. The end is now in sight. Friday was it, they were all but gone. All good things must come to an end.” Captain Matt shifted over to the Montauk area the very next day and found em’ piled up there. Saturday’s trip was great weather; flat, calm and all around good and steady fishing. Customer Henry D. from the Mt. Snow area of Vermont was there,  as he is every week, and as usual, he got his limit and then some,  throwing back a lot of scup.

Sunday had stiff westerly winds, but tucked up under the light, the water was calm and the porgies were biting even better than Saturday, Big Jumbo Scup.

We’ll be fishing the Montauk area on our all day trips from now on until fishing improves locally. Plenty of bluefish there too, so good diamond jigging with bass mixed in. We’ll be adding some bonus fluke fishing also on these trips when time allows.

On both Friday and Saturday night, we had bass trips with nice fish. Nothing like it was six or eight years ago, but much better than it’s been the last two years. Diamond jigging at dusk and bucktails when it got dark…both produced. Nothing huge, but action. More night bass trips scheduled for this week.  We’ll be heading out Monday and Tuesday night.  Then we’ll have our After Work Special trips on Thursday and Friday evenings.  The following week, we’ll head out for night bass trips on Tuesday the 21st and Wednesday the 22nd.  Reservations are required, so call the office to get your spot on board.

Heather from the office reports that our full schedule starts on Saturday, June 18.  We’ll have two trips on the weekends, leaving the dock at 6am and 1pm each Saturday & Sunday.  During the week, we’ll head out each day at 7am.  We’ll also continue to have our After Work Special trips on Thursday and Friday evenings.  We have a few private charter dates still available in July and August, so contact Heather to get your spot on board.  We are also now accepting reservations for our fireworks cruises.  Saturday, July 9 for the Sailfest fireworks and Saturday, July 16 for Celebrate East Lyme Day.  As usual, the East Lyme fireworks are part of our Black Hawk and the Community program and are free with a donation of a toy and a book, which will be distributed to local children.  Contact the office to get a spot on the boat.  As always, check our website and Facebook page for details and updates.

June 5, 2016

Capt. Greg reports another excellent week on the porgy grounds.  The fish are not spawned out yet and the catching is excellent.  Saturday’s trip was reflective of the whole week, with a full boat load of customers and full limits of porgies for everyone.  Some days it’s a one drop spot, other days you might have to re-anchor a few times.  As a bonus, we had some fluke this week too.  Nothing big, up to 3 1/2 pounds.  Capt. Matt ran Friday morning’s trip, had great weather and full coolers of porgies, and then clobbered the bass on that evening’s 4-10 After Work Special trip.  A lot of action with plenty of short bass, some bluefish, and the boat limit of keeper bass to 30 pounds.  Fish were caught on both diamond jigs and bucktails.  We’ll be running these trips each week, along with our “Captain’s Choice” Big Bass Night Trips.  Both of these trips are by reservation with a limited number of anglers, so check our website and get your reservation in.  No crowds, no tangles, just great fishing.  Come see the difference!

Heather from the office wants to remind everyone that we’re sailing weekends at 6:00 am right now.   We also have some trips during the week, check our website for details.  June is “sock month” for our Black Hawk and the Community program, where we’re collecting socks for the local homeless shelter.  Bring some socks with you when you come fishing and help us help the local community.  As always, check our website and facebook page for updates, photos, and reports.

May 29, 2016

Capt. Greg from the Black Hawk reports that the Memorial Day weekend, in fact the whole preceding week, can be called the great porgy slaughter of 2016.  The fishing has been excellent.  Non-stop action with hundreds of double headers.  Sunday, the 29th, was a one drop spot.  Capt. Matt anchored on a pile of ’em and 2 1/2 hours later the full boat had their full limit.  Keeping in Black Hawk tradition, Matt left the fishing grounds and went over to Connecticut waters to look for seabass.  Sunday was nowhere near as good as during the week, but we still managed a few.  We never back off from a little extra time of fuel to give our customers a solid day of great fishing.  We’ll go the distance every time.  Some of the days, instead of the extra seabass, we’d go pick up some nice fluke, up to 7 1/2 pounds.  In addition, at times there was a shot of bluefish here and there with a few weakfish mixed in.  Great weather, great fishing, what could be better?
Heather from the office reports that we’ve got some of our After Work Specials coming up, starting this week on Friday.  As usual, reservations are required for these trips.  We also have some weekday trips heading out, again by reservation.  We have a few days still open for charters, but they’re filling fast, so contact us soon to get your date.
We had two special trips last week.  On Monday, May 23, we were thrilled to once again have the Berlin Lions Club and their VIP (visually impaired persons) fishing tournament on board the boat today. We couldn’t have had better weather, the fishing was excellent, and everyone had a great time.  Thanks to the Berlin Lions Club for all you do in putting together such a great day!
Then on Thursday, we had another great day as the staff from Lillie B Haynes school in Niantic celebrated the retirement of their principal by chartering the boat for a sunset cruise.  We couldn’t have asked for better weather or a more beautiful night.  Congrats and best wishes for a happy retirement, Dr. Miko!
As usual, stay tuned to our website or Facebook page for details on upcoming trips, photos and reports.  We appreciate all the feedback from all of our customers- you’re the best!

May 22, 2016

Capt. Greg from the Black Hawk reports that we had a week of excellent porgy fishing.  The weather has been beautiful and the fishing has been fantastic.  We’ve had a lot of porgies, and a lot of seabass, which we unfortunately had to throw back because the New York season isn’t open yet. When the tide conditions permitted, we split the trips because the porgy fishing was so good, and we caught some beautiful fluke- 3-5 pounds, some real nice stuff!  We hope to do to the same this week.  Bluefishing has been sporadic.  We’re not really targeting them right now, but some days we’re getting a bunch, others not as much.

In news from the Black Hawk family, we’d like to offer a special congratulations to you Jodi, one of our mates.  She was married last Saturday in a beautiful ceremony right on the water.  We wish Jodi and her husband Ryan nothing but happiness and good fishing in their future!
Heather from the office would like to remind everyone that our schedule is now Saturdays and Sundays, one trip each day, leaving the dock at 6:00 am.  We’ll also be heading out on Memorial Day Monday at 6:00 am.  We have some special weekday trips as well, by reservation only- so be sure to call the office to get a spot on one of those.  Our private charter calendar is filling up quickly as well, so be sure to contact Heather to get your date scheduled now.  As always, you can check our website and Facebook page for details and schedule updates.

MAY 15, 2016

fishing reports

Capt. Greg from the Black Hawk reports that the spring porgy run has certainly begun. Friday’s trip showed some good fishing, with a lot of people getting their limits. Some striped bass, bluefish and weakfish mixed in with them. A lot of seabass, but they unfortunately had to be thrown back. Saturday’s trip they didn’t bite so well, it was a pick all day long. Flat calm, bright sunshine and very crowded conditions made it tougher than Friday. Sunday proved to be a lot better, and despite strong westerly winds, the fishing was very, very good. A lot of people easily got their limits, and everybody had plenty of fish. We’re fishing in the Greenport area, and the wind, although it is in many other places, isn’t really a concern up there. Sunday, even though it blew a gale, had the conditions comfortable and the fishing good. We’d like to recognize a special fisherman we had on the boat this weekend. Eleven year old Kenneth Morales, who is the Defending Junior Olympic National Champion in boxing, joined us over the weekend. He had a great time fishing, and we had a great time getting to know him. We wish him the best of luck in is boxing career and hope that many of our Facebook and website followers will follow him as his career progresses.

Heather from the office wants to remind everyone about our current schedule. We’re fishing Saturdays and Sundays at 6:00 am (with the exception of this Saturday, May 21, when we do not have an open trip). We also have some limited space available-reservation only trips heading out during the week, so be sure to check our website and Facebook page for those. We will also have a trip on Memorial Day Monday, heading out at 6:00 am. As always, visit our website, Facebook page, or call the office for more info.