SHARKS OF NEW YORK BIGHT
Catch Big Makos and Threshers Just Minutes From The Hudson River Mouth.
By Gary Caputi Saltwater Sportsman Posted April 13, 2016 _
With the sun finally shinning and temperatures fast on the rise, droves of beachgoers head to the Hamptons, Long Island and the Jersey Shore. But not far from the beaches, apex predators, many of them giants weighing hundreds of pounds, cruise, looking for a meal. Starting in late spring, sharks, including makos and threshers of impressive proportions, invade New York Bight, affording anglers an edgier type of big-game action: one where the target species are not only endowed with formidable strength and endurance but also powerful jaws with rows of razor-sharp teeth.
THE THOROUGHFARE
New York Bight hosts a variety of pelagics that use the massive channel to come and go across the continental shelf with the seasons. An abundance of sharks and the forage they pursue travel that ancient submarine highway scoured by the Hudson River at the end of the last ice age, turning the area into a world-class shark-fishing destination.
“Makos and threshers show up the first week of June,” says Glen Kapoosuzian, perennial shark tournament winner and skipper of Reel Games, a charter boat out of Freeport, New York. “Early fishing centers around Chicken Canyon, Glory Hole, Mudhole and nearby wrecks. It all begins when the water hits 57 degrees, and things get better as the temperature rises. I’ve caught many of my biggest sharks in early June, including a 591-pound thresher and a 594-pound mako.”
DANGEROUS QUARRY: Makos, the fastest shark species, known for its high-speed runs and amazing somersaults, and threshers, aggressive, bullish and almost as acrobatic, are headliners in the Bight. Threshers have become more prevalent over the past 10 or 15 years, yet makos, once the mainstay of the New York Bight fishery, remain plentiful.
Both track down prey from long distances by picking up scent dispersed by the water, so chumming is equally productive for either species. But their hunting tactics couldn’t be more different. While makos rely on their speed and daggerlike chompers to kill or severely injure during the initial attack, threshers use their long tail fins to incapacitate prey with powerful blows before circling back to devour the stunned victims.
ESSENTIAL FACTORS: Water temperature plays a key role in the arrival of early-season sharks. The larger ones, which have the greatest temperature tolerance, are usually first on the scene, and some stick around until November. “Temperature is the most important thing,” Kapoosuzian claims. “I use SST charts to find spots with water at least 57 degrees. Nearby temp breaks and structure peak my interest, but it’s a home run when you find bluefish. My best days have always come when there’s bluefish around the boat.” Both the whiptails and makos arrive at about the same time, trailing the early influx of bluefish, so it stands to reason that the best bait is fresh bluefish, especially small ones you can rig whole. Kapoosuzian works with local commercial fishermen and fish markets to get the freshest and carries plenty on each trip because there are times when you go through scads of ravenous blue sharks while waiting for a big mako or thresher to show.
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