FISH THE SURF, PROTECT THE BEACH, AND NEVER LEAVE HUNGRY

Editor’s Note: Fall fishing, including the Striper Run, is upon us, and its Tackle Tuesday- when Joe Pellegrini shares his saltwater tips with us. Joe is an active member and part of the leadership team at the Long Island Beach Buggy Association (LIBBA) and he shares with us all the latest LIBBA activities that are aimed at keeping the beaches open for surfcasters, their buggies, and other for many uses beyond fishing.  Dive in below and consider becoming a member!

It is hard to believe we are getting ready to enter turn four on the 2024 oval. It has been a very productive year for LIBBA full of activities to improve fishing and the beach life on Long Island.

Back in January, we removed Striped Bass as an eligible species from all LIBBA fishing tournaments. Collectively we believe we all must strive to protect our coastal and marine resources, beyond just the beach. Long time members and other LI local fishermen have seen firsthand the decline in the Striped Bass stock. It sure isn’t like the old days. The scientific data released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission supports the need for action. It’s unfortunate, and many factors contribute to it, but that will be a topic for another day. LIBBA has always been proud of its conservation efforts, and we feel that this is the right thing to do for now. Hopefully through the collective efforts a lot of different organizations dedicated to it, the Striped Bass stocks will rebound, and we can then reassess our decision.

In February we undertook our first (and my favorite) project of the year- Operation Christmas Tree- our annual dune protection project held at Smith Point County Park. Long Island Residents dropped off over 1000 Christmas trees at the park. The County installs snow fences along the dune line, and we then transported the trees to designated beach locations. There’s always a huge turnout for this project which occurs at a time many coping with cabin fever welcome any opportunity to get outside. This year we were a well-oiled machine with people prepping the trees (removing all tinsel and plastic), others stacking them in preparation for others to load them on the trucks to be brought to the beach. The constant caravan of trucks was impressive. As at  all of our events, workers were rewarded with hot dogs. To say it was a huge success is an understatement.

In March we held the first beach cleanup of the year at Democrat Point at the western-most tip of Fire Island in Robert Moses State Park.. We were blessed with great weather, and a lot of trash was removed from the shoreline. We also installed quite a distance of fencing to help protect the Piping Plover from vehicle and foot traffic.

April is the month we hold our annual Beach Driving Clinic. By April, most of New York’s 4X4 beaches are open, so it’s the perfect time to learn some tips and tricks for beach driving. This is another event that always has a great turnout from old and new members eager to learn a thing or two to better prepare for the beach driving season. We go over equipment required to comply with local permits as well as additional things that we have learned from experience are best to have on/in your rig- just in case. Everything from airing down to recovery techniques are covered. After the class we all take a ride on the beach to test out the new skills. Afterwards we host a fishing clinic that includes going over how to read the beach, what conditions are favorable, and what lures/baits to use and when. As always, the hotdogs always taste better with your feet in the sand.

The month of May arrived to another beach cleanup and the first fishing tournament of the year. This annual combo is held at Shagwong Point’s Montauk County Park. LIBBA has officially adopted Shagwong Point beach which is enjoyed by many members all summer long. As a result, there is rarely any man-made plastic debris on this beach, but always a lot of driftwood, rope and lobster pots. The event affords a great opportunity to stay over on the beach, and most people come out Friday and stay until Sunday. Nobody leaves with an empty stomach.

Come June and July, things got into high gear. Fishing was pretty good, and a lot of “out of town guests” were landed on LI shores. Cobia, a species normally found in warmer, even tropical waters, are being taken more frequently in our local waters. It’s pretty cool in the grand scheme of things, but the elephant in the room is the question WHY? Sure, the Gulf Stream is close but in the summer weeks we also had recorded catches of African Pompano, Blue Angel and Lionfish caught locally. Why are our normally colder waters now in favor with more tropical species?

August is time for the LIBBA Jamboree- a fun-filled event with something for the whole family. This year we had a DJ, tons of raffle prizes, a lot of games for the kids, and plenty of food! There are two consistent themes at LIBBA- leave the beach cleaner than you found it, and never leave a LIBBA event hungry!

So September is here with October right around the corner. Summer is over, the grinds of school and work are in full swing, the roads are busier and the days are getting shorter. But LIBBA fun continues. We celebrated the service of local Veterans with our “Hooked on Vets” event where LIBBA does some fishing with many of Long Island’s proud military veterans. It was a great turn out with lots of laughs, smiles and- you guessed it- a big BBQ.

Now things will slow down a little but there are quite few things in the works. We’re hoping to have another Explore Tour, where a few of our directors lead a caravan out east to show members a few beaches that might be new to them. We also hope to have another beach cleanup when the weather is cooler and beaches less crowded. For now, it’s time to get the fishing gear ready, dust off the waders, and hope for a productive fall run. Even if the fish aren’t biting for you this fall there’s always the holiday party to look forward to, with raffles, logo items, and a canned/packaged food and coat drive. Remember, it’s LIBBA so please arrive with an empty stomach! Tight lines and Live the Passion!