On the Water: Crab King and Big Stripers | The East Hampton Star

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the Godzilla-like blue-claw crab that Marc Zaluski of Water Mill captured in one of his traps in Southampton. The enormous crustacean seemed to be a record breaker, and indeed it was.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has formally recognized Zaluski’s blue-claw -- caught in a pot he set in Peconic Bay on May 25 -- as a new state record.

The crab measured 8 and 3/16 inches, spine-to-spine, when it was measured by Ken Morse at Tight Lines Tackle in Southampton. The application and measurements were verified by biologists at the D.E.C.’s division of marine resources. This record replaces the previous blue-crab champion, which was captured in 2023 in Moriches Bay and measured 7 3/16 inches.

Hail to the new crab king!

There seem to be a great number of large blue-claws being landed lately, so get those traps out and bait them up; you might find the next Crabzilla. If you don’t have any fish to bait the traps, blue-claws have a penchant for chicken backs and lesser cuts of the popular poultry.

As for another popular and tasty crustacean, the lobster, I trapped 15 on July 8. That was the good news. The bad was that the Yanmar diesel engine on my Rock Water experienced some rather serious issues on the return trip to Sag Harbor from the lobster grounds off to the east.

Black oil spilled on the water that was spewed from my bilge. Despite the wealth of lobster that day, the Rock Water was in poor health and needed a full and proper diagnosis.

“We located the oil leak on the engine,” Rick Pickering texted me two mornings later. Pickering and his son Adrian run Ship Ashore Marina in Sag Harbor Cove, where I’ve berthed my Rock Water for many decades. “It is coming from a small crack in the oil cooler. I tried to silver solder it, but there is too much contamination coming out of the cooler to get a good repair. I have ordered new one. The price is very Yanmar, unfortunately. The cost will be in the neighborhood of $2,000.” Ouch!

The hits just keep on coming this season, but I’m used to it and it’s expected. Ask anyone who’s owned a boat; it’s part of the game. I had the Rock Water built on the rocky coast of Arichat, Nova Scotia, 25 years ago. How many cars have you driven that have lasted that long?

While I may shiver about the bill of services I will soon receive, I cannot complain. Having a boat is not for the faint of heart. Still, I won’t trade it for anything. My lobster dinner that night was just fine, thank you, albeit a bit more expensive than usual.

Elsewhere, the fishing remains strong out at Montauk, especially for striped bass that have run up to and over 50 pounds in weight. The bass are big and sassy for anglers that hold rod and reel in hand. Many are very happy. If you want to catch and release the largest one of your life, now is the time.

As well, the fishing offshore for tuna, including bluefin, yellowfin, and bigeyes, has been consistently strong. Closer to shore, fluke, porgies, and black sea bass have made many anglers smile.

Elsewhere, over at Mrs. Sam’s Bait and Tackle in East Hampton, the owner, Sebastian Gorgone, praised the current run of porgies. “Yeah, porgies and blowfish are running really well near the shore,” he said. “Bluefish are also thick at Montauk along with striped bass. Fluke are doing well in the deeper water on the east side of Gardiner’s Island.”

From the most humble blue-claw crab to the mighty fine tuna, summer is in full swing.

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Fishing tips, observations, and photographs can be sent to [email protected].