Chapter 16 - Weakfish And Sea Trout Fishing

One day I was casting from a big breakwater on Long Island, New York, using a fairly large double-jointed plug. Suddenly I got a hard rap and hooked into a fish which tore off 40 or 50 ft. of line against the fairly tight drag before it was stopped. When I had gained back a few yards it took another run and took off the line I had recovered and a few feet extra. This seesaw battle continued until the fish had made several runs. Finally I worked it close to the rocks and when I saw the fish lying on the surface I realized I had hooked a weakfish. The fish was gaffed and landed and when I weighed it later it went exactly 7 lbs. All during the fight I had been certain I had a striped bass weighting at least 10 or 12 lbs. That's how hard the fish fought. And all this occurred on regular surf tackle, normally used for fish up to 50 lbs. or so.

This has happened to me on several occasions and I know many other anglers who have mistaken the bulldog tactics of the common weakfish for the fight of a striper. In fact, most anglers who have caught both stripers and "weeks" will readily admit that the big weakfish has plenty of endurance. It will usually make several long runs while the striper is noted for only one or two long runs, which are followed by periods of sulking, thrashing around near the surface or short surges. So while the striper is still the most popular fish along the Atlantic Coast, the common northern weakfish runs close behind.

Unfortunately, for a long time the common or northern weakfish has been scarce in many areas from Cape Cod to the Carolinas. They run in cycles, having periods of abundance followed by periods of scarcity. However, even though recently they haven't been as numerous as in the past, they still provide good fishing in many areas from time to time. They are liable to show up anywhere along their range, but the most dependable spots are Narragansett Bay, Long Island Sound along the Connecticut and Long Island shores, Gardiner's Bay, Peconic Bay, Great South Bay, Fire Island Inlet and Jamaica Bay. The numerous inlets and bays in back of Jones Beach and Long Beach, New York, and Barne-gat Bay and many other bays and inlets found in New Jersey are also fished for weakfish. And although the common weakfish ranges at times as far south as Florida they are rarely plentiful farther south than Chesapeake Bay.

Although weak fishing is often done from party or charter boats most anglers seeking these fish are the "do-it-yourself" type and go out in their own private boats or rented skiffs. When it comes to tackle they use four kinds of outfits. First, there's the conventional light salt-water rod and reel, such as the so-called weakfish and flounder outfits. Then there's the bait-casting rod and reel of the sort used in freshwater black-bass fishing. Next there's a light salt-water or fresh-water spinning outfit. And finally, for those who want top sport, there's the fly rod.

All these outfits have their advantages and disadvantages and each is preferred according to the tastes and whims of the angler. Personally, I find a light salt-water spinning rod with a small fresh-water or salt-water reel filled with 6- or 8-lb.-test mono line ideal. With such an outfit you can fish on top or bottom.

The lower fish is the common or northern weakfish. The porgy above was caught in the same waters: Peconic Bay on Long Island, N. Y.} a well-known weakfish hot spot.

For top fishing you'll need some small hooks, such as sizes No. 1, 2 and 4 in Sproat or Eagle Claw patterns. These are tied directly to a 3- or 4-ft. nylon leader at the end of the line. That's the most sporting way to take the weakies— on top with no sinker or other weight. It's also the most productive way—when weakfish are in the mood.

For this type of fishing you need some grass shrimp for chum. This presents another problem: getting enough shrimp when you need it. Shrimp have been pretty scarce on many occasions in many areas. Some tackle dealers, bait dealers and boat liveries carry them in season. Or you can try to catch small shrimp with a fine-mesh net or seine in the shallow water of bays. They are most plentiful around eelgrass growth, shorelines of tidal creeks and around pier pilings.

A minimum of two or three quarts of shrimp are required if one or two persons are fishing. If larger groups are fishing then you'll need 4, 5, 6 or more quarts. But because shrimp have been scarce and are expensive, many weakfish anglers resort to substitutes for chum such as boiled rice mixed with sardines, rolled oats, cracked egg shells, clam shells and diced pieces of various kinds of fish. Squid bait and the soft meat of clams can also be cut up into tiny pieces and used. These substitutes work on many occasions, but you can't beat live grass shrimp.

If you rent a boat the livery owner or operator will usually direct you to the best weakfish spots in his area. Or if you have your own boat you can try in the vicinity of other anglers. Don't get too close to them or in their chum line but line up your boat alongside the other craft, about 30 or 40 feet away. The boat shouldn't be allowed to swing with the wind or current, and you may need two anchors to prevent this.

When chumming with grass shrimp you can be liberal in the beginning and throw over a few handfuls. Then, after a few minutes or when the first fish appear, you can cut down and dribble out a few shrimp at a time. This should be done at regular intervals without a break. If the current is fast toss the shrimp upstream or on the side of the boat opposite  the  direction  in which  the  current  is  flowing.

Shrimp can be used alive and kicking in a fast current. But if the current is slow, pinch or cripple the shrimp so that they don't scatter too widely or cling to the bottom of the boat.

Besides shrimp you should bring along a few dozen sand-worms for bait. These should be hooked through the head and allowed to drift in the chum streak with the tide. Sand-worms usually make the best bait in New York and New Jersey waters but you can also use the small grass shrimp themselves. At least two or three of these should be placed on the hook.

To fish the baits properly you must allow them to drift naturally with the tide, at times as far as 150 or 200 feet behind the boat. Then you can reel the bait in and repeat the process. If weakfish are in the chum streak they will face the boat to grab the small shrimp as they drift down. Your bait should appear as simply another tidbit to be inhaled along with the shrimp.

Most of the time when chum fishing for weeks you can get away without using any sinker or weight, but there will be times when the current is too strong and it will be necessary to place a clincher sinker or a couple of split-shot on the leader ahead of the hook. If, on the other hand, the tide is slow or almost slack, a float can be added 3 feet or so above the hook to keep the bait from sinking under the boat.

If chumming doesn't produce or if you have no chum along, you can often catch weakfish on the bottom. In this case you use a high-hook rig, which consists of a hook, about size 1/0 or 2/0, tied on a 3-ft. leader. This in turn is tied to the fishing line about 2 or 3 feet above the sinker. (See Chapter 4 on rigs.) For bait you can use sandworms, bloodworms or strips of squid. When doing such bottom fishing it's a good idea to use a sinker just heavy enough to hold bottom but light enough to move when the rod is lifted. In this way you can let the rig bounce on the bottom so that it moves away from the boat with the tide.

The only bad feature about bottom fishing for weeks is that you also catch porgies, sea robins, blackfish, kingfish and pests such as dogfish and crabs. However, with the weakfish scarce or not biting on some days, other fish, like porgies, blackfish or kingfish, can often save the day by providing some sport and fun. Big, grand pappy porgies running up to 2 and 3 lbs. are common in Peconic Bay on Long Island, New York, during May and June and they put up a good scrap on light tackle. Many anglers fish for them with hooks tied low or use a combination rig with one high hook for weeks and one low for porgies. Porgies like sea-worms best, but they will also take clams and squid.

For weakfish on the bottom if anchoring doesn't pay off you can lift the anchor and try drifting with the tide or wind. This way you cover more ground and often locate the weeks. When you do locate a spot you can drift over it several times or anchor and fish it.

Weakfish can also be caught from the surf in many areas along their range from Cape Cod to the Carolinas. I recall many wonderful mornings in late May, June and July when we used to take some big weakfish off the breakwaters at Breezy Point (Rockaway Pt.) and at Atlantic Beach (Silver Point) on Long Island, New York. We'd go out in the evening or early morning and catch the last of the outgoing tide or the start of the incoming. We'd cast light metal squids with long strips of pork rind or various kinds of small underwater plugs. Sometimes the weakfish could be seen breaking on top, but most of the time they didn't show. Every so often one of the surf rods would dip and an angler would be tied into a fish. After the fish was subdued, one of us would grab a long-handled gaff and bring the fish up on the rocks. It would usually be a good-sized tide-running weak going anywhere from 4 to 10 or 11 lbs.

On moonlit nights we would often fish most of the night, casting small underwater plugs for big weeks. The deeper water around the ends of jetties and breakwaters usually produced best, but there were times when the fish ran along the beach and we'd hook them while casting for striped bass in the white water. Some of the boys would bait fish on the bottom from the beach using squid or sandworms for bait. Shedder crabs and pieces of cut fish such as mullet, menhaden and mackerel were also used. Surf fishing for weakfish is usually best from May to October. The change of tide at high or low water is a good time to fish for them.

A metal squid with pork rind and treble hook, used to catch northern weakfish in the surf.

In the old days we used to break our backs casting small fresh-water plugs for big weeks in the surf. Nowadays, with spinning tackle it's much easier to cast such light lures. And, of course, light lines and limber rods make it more sporting. Not only that, but you actually lose fewer fish with the more limber rods.

When it comes to fighting Mr. Weakfish is far from weak, and if he's got any size his runs will equal those of any fish found in the surf. The "weakness" lies in his jaws or mouth structure and a hook tears out very easily. So don't forget to use a net or gaff on any weakfish over a pound in weight.

The other weakfish which is popular in southern waters is the spotted weakfish, better known as the sea trout and also called the speckled weakfish. Although they sometimes stray as far north as New York, spotted weakfish are most common from Virginia to Texas. They are very plentiful in Florida waters and along the Gulf Coast as far south as Mexico. In these southern waters they are often caught the year round, although the spring and fall months offer peak fishing. In North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia sea trout are often taken during the winter months from November to January.

These southern weakfish are most plentiful in rivers, inlets, bays and flats. They are also found in the surf along the sand beaches. Anglers fishing from the shore and piers or bridges often take them in large numbers.

For sea trout you can use the same tackle that is used for the northern weakfish: a light salt-water spinning rod and reel, a bait-casting rod and reel or a fly-fishing outfit. Anglers in the Gulf of Mexico, especially off Texas, use the "pop-ping"-type bait-casting rod with reel to match. On the other hand, most Florida anglers prefer the light salt-water spinning rod and reel. This is usually filled with 8- or l0-lb.-test monofilament line and can be used to cast lures or bait.

One of the best ways to catch sea trout is to wade the flats or shallow waters of rivers, inlets and tidal creeks and cast lures. This is often done in the Indian River in Florida and in other shallow waters in that state. The best lures for this type of fishing are usually surface plugs such as poppers, wounded minnows and torpedo types. These surface lures are usually worked fairly fast with plenty of noise, splash and commotion. On many occasions, you can also use underwater plugs, jigs and spoons. These are most productive at daybreak, dusk or during the night. Surface plugs on the other hand work best when the water is fairly calm and there isn't too strong a wind. On rough, windy days when the water is roiled the fishing is often poor. Likewise, a cold snap which is severe and long-lasting may send the sea trout to deeper water and holes.

These Florida anglers hold a string of southern weakfish or sea trout. They are very plentiful on both coasts of that state as well as in the Gulf of Mexico.

If you don't care for wading you can still have a lot of fun fishing for sea trout from a boat. Here the best method usually is to drift with the wind or tide over flats and sand bars. As you move along you cast a plug, spoon or jig and work it back toward the boat.

When sea trout come into the surf along beaches they can also be caught by casting artificial lures such as plugs, spoons, metal squids and jigs.

If artificial lures fail to do the trick you can often catch spotted weakfish on natural baits. One of the top baits for sea trout is a live shrimp hooked through the head or tail and cast out so that it will swim around a few feet below the surface. A cork float or bobber can be used a short distance above the hook. This can often be "popped" or jerked so that it throws a splash which attracts fish to the scene. Anglers often fish at night for sea trout from bridges and piers, using live shrimp and other baits.

Sea trout will also take dead shrimp, shedder or soft crabs, live or dead mullet and pieces of fish such as grunt or snappers cut into sections or strips.

Spotted weakfish usually run in large schools consisting of fish ranging from 1 to 3 lb. in weight. The older and larger weakfish travel in small groups or singly. In some areas most of the weakfish are small, while in other spots some big fish are taken regularly. One big sea-trout spot is Cocoa, Florida, where fish up to 10 or 12 lb. are often caught. The heaviest weakfish ever caught was a 15 lb. 3 oz. fish taken by C. W. Hubbard at Fort Pierce, Florida, on January 13, 1949.

Spotted weakfish make good eating, but they should be cleaned and prepared soon after being caught, especially in hot tropical climes. Like the northern weakfish, sea trout are also tough fighters on the end of a line. The big ones, especially, will make long runs and surges which will provide plenty of thrills for the light-tackle angler.

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