08/01/2007 - Daybreaker Friend Featured in Crime Story- He's the Good Guy
Hi- Good Friend Bob Addolorato is featured as the homocide detective who believed in the innocence of two accused killers when no one else would. This is their story. Sunday Night at 8pm PEACOCK PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS ITS FIRST FEATURE LENGTH DOCUMENTARY 'IN THE SHADOW OF JUSTICE' ON SUNDAY, AUG. 5 Published: July 26, 2007 NEW YORK - July 26, 2007 - As a controversial retrial looms for David Lemus, a man who served 15 years in prison before having his murder conviction overturned in 2005, NBC News' Peacock Productions presents its first feature length documentary film about his case, "In the Shadow of Justice." The two-hour broadcast, airing on Sunday, Aug. 5 (7:00 p.m. ET), advances Dateline's groundbreaking 2005 investigative report on the 1990 murder of Palladium nightclub bouncer, Marcus Peterson, and immerses viewers in a case that made headlines as it unfolded. While The Manhattan District Attorney's office insists Lemus is guilty of the murder, and is retrying him, they declined to comment on the film. However, the 23-year veteran Assistant District Attorney Daniel Bibb who argued at a hearing to keep Lemus and Olmedo Hidalgo (the other man convicted in the murder) in prison is now speaking out for the first time in the film. He says as he led a re-investigation of the case, he became convinced the men were innocent. He has since left the DA's office, saying he was tortured by the fact that his superiors, in his account, forced him to argue to keep two innocent men in prison. Bibb says, "The people making the decisions (within the DAs office) wanted to go to the hearing." When pressed specifically about District Attorney Morganthau's involvement in the decision-making process, Bibb replies, "...He was aware of what was going on." NBC's interest in the case began in 2002 when Dateline producers were granted rare access to Bronx homicide detectives Bobby Addolorato and John Schwartz as they re-investigated the case. Our cameras were rolling as the detectives discovered astonishing new evidence suggesting that Lemus and Hidalgo might actually be innocent. The detectives also believe they uncovered documents that suggest the DA's office buried evidence that proved Lemus and Hidalgo were innocent. After the Dateline report aired, not only were the two men exonerated and able to go home to live with their families for the first time in 15 years, but weeks later a man who many believed to be the real shooter was arrested. The man, Thomas "Spanky" Morales, had appeared in the broadcast after NBC producers tracked him down. "Spanky," who spent nearly 18 months in jail awaiting trial for this murder, is now a free man after a judge threw out his case saying law enforcement had the obligation to arrest him years ago based on the ample evidence it possessed pointing to him as the shooter. In the end, "In the Shadow of Justice" documents how the case changed many lives forever. For detectives Addolorato and Schwartz, it was a journey of conscience and confrontation that they say ended their careers. The film includes exclusive interviews with defendants Lemus and Hildago, eyewitnesses to the crime, family members, attorneys, the foreperson of the jury, Carol Kramer, who voted to convict the men and then asked for their release, and Thomas "Spanky" Morales. David Corvo is the executive producer; Adam Gorfain is the senior producer; Daniel Slepian is the producer; Michael Nardi is the field producer; and Robert O. Allen is the editor. # # #

06/06/2007 - Thank-you and please book through me again
It was wonderful to see everyone who attended Mike's Memorial. So many friends and customers with stories about Mike, it did my heart good to hear them I wanted to let everyone know, they should feel free to call 631 668-5070 if they are still looking to go fishing. I am aware of who Mike would choose to recommend for a charter. I would be happy to do this and it would provide a small commission that I could use right now. The price remains the same to charter customer. This year the charter prices have increased, a half-day inshore is $550, a full-day is $950. And, offshore is $1300. I can book boats that take up to sixteeen people. So please do not book a strange boat, call me instead.

03/02/2007 - Memorial for Mike - Friday, May 18, 2007
Dear Friends - We have picked a date to remember and honor the life of Captain Mike Brumm. we will meet at one o'clock at our former boat slip at Westlake Fishing Lodge, and then have an informal lunch and service before heading out to one of Mike's favorite spots to spread his ashes. If you are coming could you you email me at mike@fishdaybreaker.com so I can get a head count. Currently some of Mike's friends are planning on putting a brass placque honoring Mike somewhere on the dock at Westlake if you would like to participate in purchasing the placque please contact Bob Addolorato at bobaddolorato@aol.com. One last thing, there is a group of very kind people in Montauk who have sent out a fundraising appeal for myself and other families who are paying the bills for catastrophic illnesses. They asked me to write the following letter, and instead of giving them our customers addresses I decided to email instead. To Whom It May Concern, My husband, Captain Mike Brumm, never missed a day at work. Each and every morning, he powered up his charter boat, Daybreaker, and headed out on the ocean to provide his customers a day of fishing and a break from their daily grind. This was the only job Mike ever really had for the past thirty years. He loved what he did and he loved his clients. Together, Mike and I enjoyed a great life and we were very happy. But when Mike was diagnosed with lung cancer two years ago, things quickly began to change. Mike had to undergo aggressive chemotherapy and he had a lung removed. We thought he could beat his disease so throughout the treatments we kept closed –mouthed about Mike’s illness in an attempt to salvage his beloved charter business. In Montauk that is a hard thing to do - nearly impossible – because so many customers believe it’s the skipper, not the boat name, that puts them on the fish. For as long as possible, we ran our vessel with substitute captains but our customers always had one question in mind: “When is Mike coming back?” At one point, we had four blessed months of being “cancer free." During that period, Mike was able to fish commercially for stripped bass for a while and things were starting to look up again- but then the cancer metasisized to his brain. Over the next year he had two brain surgeries and one laser surgery to remove tumors. Mike said he really didn’t have any physical pain. But, I could tell he had a different type of pain; a pain that comes from not being able to walk, later compounded by not being able to find the right words to speak and then loosing use of both arms. His deepest pain, however, came from not being out on the ocean every day and the realization that he would not see his son or grandson grow older. In the two years since Mike’s illness was first diagnosed, we were not able to work steadily. As with many small business owners, we had no life insurance or emergency fund. When Mike passed on January 11th, I was left with the medical and boat bills. As I’m sure you know, people who rely solely upon charter fishing for a living do not make a lot of money; they do it for their love of it. An engine failure, like the one we had shortly after Mike’s lung surgery, can easily wipe out a year’s profit. Between rebuilding our diesel engine and Mike’s cancer we were slammed twice and I am now overwhelmed, broken-hearted and drowning in the bills. In the past, Mike and I had always managed to find a way to make it to next season. This year, however, the future is especially bleak. Quite simply, I could use some help. Thank you for your thoughts and consideration. Any assistance you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Sincerely, Julie Brumm PO Box 1264 Montauk, NY 11954

01/14/2007 - Captain Mike Brumm, Loved and Never Forgotten
My heart wishes this message could say that Captain Mike Brumm is knee deep in sailfish in the Florida Keys, but sadly I must tell you that after fighting his cancer for almost two years Mike has passed on. He loved his customers, as he loved his own family, and nothing pleased him more than putting them onto fish. For those who fished with him longest please remember him with a kind thought and a small prayer on January 15, 2007 a monday afternoon, when many of his friends and family will be doing so. A formal memorial service will be held in Long Island in the spring. All are invited. A blog will be posted with the date and time. Instead of flowers, contributions to Fighting Chance, a cancer support organization located in Sag Harbor is requested. Their number is 631 725-4646. Captain Julie Brumm

08/12/2006 - Almost To The Edge, Tuna Fish Blitz
Last week-end Tony Cahan and his surgeon buddies went almost to the edge in search of tuna and shark. They were not disappointed. The night bite began with a surprise blue shark bite. Surprise for the crew to find so many blue sharks so far offshore. Fish up to two hundred pounds pounded the lines breaking through the blue blanket of water beaneath a half-full moon. In between the blue sharks,three makos took over the largest was lost at the boat, and the smaller ones let go. As the sun rose last Sunday morning the Daybreaker moved through waters churned by feeding fish as the tuna bite turned on. In the end of a tuna blitz they boated six yellow up to sixty pounds and several mahi-mahi. Rumors of a very very large mako patroling Montauk waters will be investigated shortly and we will post a full report.

05/15/2006 - Catching Lots of Fish in Islamorada
I have not submitted a "blog" in ages.And,it is not that I have not been fishing. It is the opposite - too much fishing and not enough time. With the arrival of a hot tarpon bite the days often go past "dark thirty" hopefully finding the Daybreaker tethered to a silver king. On our last two dolphin trips we caught the majority of our fish in 1100 to 1200 feet of water. That is twenty-seven to twenty-eight nautical miles from shore. Expert angler Richard Stone experienced mahi maddness; hooking fish on the troll, reeling to the stern then casting to the fan club of green hornets that followed behind the boat. Stone also fished the reef, putting a few dozen, including a few large, bonito in the boat all were caught on the fly. He also caught king macs, and yellowtails on lite spinning tackle. Ray Becce and crew accounted for some of the largest dolphin of the spring season on the Daybreaker with fish from thirty to forty-five pounds. The forty-five pounder was caught by crew member Mike Moro For the past few weeks the reef in sixty to ninety feet of water, produced steady limits of yelllowtail snapper plus a few mutton snapper. That is as long as there is some current and the water is not crystal blue otherwise packs of cero mackeral and kingfish will make getting past them to the snappers a challenge. There are permit on a few of the popular wrecks but between the divers and recreational boaters you will need a little luck to hook up to one of these magnificent fish. Big amberjacks are around however not in the numbers seen in the past. Quite a few have been eaten by tiger sharks as they were on route to be boated.

05/15/2006 - Memorial Reminder
This message is to remind all that are attending Captain Mike Brumm's Memorial Service that it will start betwen one o'clock and two o'clock in the afternoon on Friday, May 18th. Lunch will be served By four o'clock pm we will be on boats headed towards one of Mike's spots to return his remains to the sea.

04/13/2006 - Windy Day Alternative
Some times even in "Paradise" the wind can blow east-north-east at twenty to twenty-five knots. Luckily, we have a reliable alternative to the reef in the waters of the Gulf side of Islamorada. Not all of the Florida Keys can count on the productive fisheries found on the Gulf side. But in Islamorada we can turn to plan G when necessary. For the past three half-day charters the Daybreaker/Daylight has relied on the backside to the satisfaction of the charter crews. All three crews had a blast dueling leaping ladyfish (tarpon wanna bes), rocketing ceros, spanish mackeral, pompano plus a multitude of blue runners. Some of blue runners met their demise suspended from a kite line when lemon, silky and black tip sharks were teased into attacking. On the way back to the dock on one trip good buddy and guide Jeff Pfister and I found ourselves in the same spot. Pfister had spent the night there and had jumped thirteen tarpon in the dark

04/05/2006 - Early Dolphin Bite, Nightime Tarpon Are On
Warmer than normal offshore water has triggered an early dolphin season. Recent offshore trips aboard the Daybreaker/Daylight yielded consistently big fish. On Monday, April 3rd, the Messenger Family from Long Island, New York caught dolphin up to forty-two pounds and were also suprised by a one hundred pound Blue Marlin. The fish was fought and released on light tackle. The warm offshore waters has also stimulated a night time tarpon bite on blue crabs.

03/07/2006 - Attack of the Golaith Grouper
Yesterday was an exceptional day on the water. The kingfish weighed fifteen to twenty-five pounds and just would not stop coming. And then, to the amazement of the three anglers aboard the DAYLIGHT, a Golaith Grouper came up from below the boat and cut the big king one of the anglers was fighting in half, swallowing the bigger half. The big fish gave us a show of its broad back and large girth before disappearing below.

03/06/2006 - Deep Water Yeilds Big Fish
The DAYLIGHT has a new boat record. From a deep ledge Randy Wong plucked a twenty-three pound mutton snapper.Also on the same trip last week, the Wong Crew of two had black and red grouper up to twenty-four pounds. Most days we are seeing swarms of King Macs in seventy to ninety feet along the reef. Little Tunny and huge Jack Crevalle are in the mix. On another recent charter the biggest Hog Fish I ever saw was caught.

02/04/2006 - Reef and Bay Fishing Great, Sails Still Here
We fished the edge of the reef in about seventy-five feet of water on the last three trips. That puts the Daylight about seven miles from World Wide Sportsman Marina or five miles offshore. On the first trip it took some coaxing with chum and freebies tossed behind the boat before the Kingfish made their appearance. However, by the third trip we would have all lines engaged with rocketing kings before the anchor line went tight. Kingfish are ranging eight to twenty-five pounds. And in between the Kingfish blasts we are catching a couple dozen large yellowtail snappers, plus two good sized groupers on each trip. Normally we also try a patch in twenty-four feet of water and have some fun with schools of jack Cravalle who eat anything you throw at them. Over in the Gulf it is still limit out Spanish Mackeral fishing with trout, bluefish, snappers and ladyfish mixed in. Sailfish are still a definite option for those afficionados.

12/06/2005 - I Think I Hear Palm Trees Swaying
Warm sunny weather, diving gannets, forty and more striped bass weighing ten to thirty pounds in the boat per tide, all made me wonder why I was stressed-out trying to pack for southern waters of the Florida Keys? Why would I want to be any where else but Montauk, with fishing like this? Early this morning the six inches of snow on the lawn and a cold north wind told me it is time to move south. I can hear the palm trees rustling now. Fishing starts in Islamorada at World Wide Sportsman the day after Christmas. Wishing all a Happy Holiday and a Healthy New Year.

11/27/2005 - Herring Are Here, Big Bass Bite
Herring right outside the inlet provide a bounty for striped bass to feed on for the past two days. The Daybreaker limited out on bass in a half-hour under the Montauk Light and spent the rest of the day fishing for black fish that ranged up to eight pounds. A cod fish also found it's way into the catch.

11/19/2005 - Water Still Warm, Gannets and Stripers
The present schools of striped bass and bluefish are packing their bags and are on the move. We look to the diving birds more and more now, to show us the way to an exciting day. What may start out as a very slow day in the rips, can quickly escalate into bedlam when eighty or a hundred gannets appear and crash into the ocean's surface only to rise up and repeat their manuvers again and again. November 17th presented the gannet scenario in the last two hours before sunset. The result ws a multitude of bluefish and twenty-five striped bass weighing up to twenty-five pounds. The Montauk waters are still warm for this time of year and if I had to guess I would say there is still a lot of New England bass on their way.

10/26/2005 - Montauk Full Moon Grand Slam
This past week Montauk waters provided a typical fall fishing scenario. Full moon on the down side was quite exciting with gulls, terns and the first show of dive bombing opportunistic gannets targeting frantic anchovies as they were pushed to the surface by a mixture of striped bass, blues and little tunny. The lure of choice on the Daybreaker is the diamond jig. It resembles the anchovy in look and movement. As we moved further off the moon, tides weakened, and the bait seemed to disperse. Eels are now accounting for bass up to thirty-five pounds. Block Island bottom fishing is ok, most days a few sea bass, but plenty of hub-cap sized porgies. We thanked many people in our last log but left out some important ones out. We would like to correct this. Mark & Sherry Alhaddeff are the people that make this web site possible and besides doing great web work they were the people we leaned on in the first days of being dianosed with lung cancer when the future was uncertain. We will always be gratefull for their help. And the help of our mate Eric Ruff who and did a great job will I was absent and will always be known as "the old mate."

10/13/2005 - Back in the Action
I know it has been a while since I made an entry in our ship’s log, but for those of you who do not know I had been battling lung cancer since April. First chemotherapy and then surgery, and I am now cancer free and coming back strong, so say the excellent doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. And, yes, I gave up smoking last spring when I got the news in Islamorada. I have been very lucky to have exceptional people supporting me including Dr. Tony Cahan, the Addolorado Family, the Corbelli’s, Richard Stone, Glen & Cassinnee Koenigsberg, my family especially Uncle Charlie and Capt. John Wilson, but most of all my wife Julie and son Tim. I have worked my fishing charters through most of my illness, however the surgery required me to get another captain to pilot the boat for my August charters. As of late the stripe bass fishing is excellent using live porgies as bait, most days our biggest fish weigh in the thirties. On our last offshore trip we battled an estimated 250-pound blue marlin, the angler Marilyn Zahn’s first. I will keep you informed of sportfishing on the Daybreaker via this log through November. In December we will once again, migrate to the Florida Keys. In the hope herring return once again to Montauk this year, Captain Mike Brumm

07/19/2005 - When General Chow Rose Out of the Water
Abundance of thresher sharks made a memorable day for Bob Adolorado's Family charter last Saturday which included my son Tim, wife Julie and Grandson Sebastian. We landed a 272-pound thresher the kids immediately named General Chow. We were treated to out of the water spirals by the fiesty fish to the oohs and aahs of those who fought and those who stepped aside of the rod and reel that was in play for over an hour. The day before we had lost a mako weighing at least 300-pounds and then later on lost another big thresher so I was stoked on taking this fish back to the dock at Westlake Fishing Lodge. Big blue sharks filled in the lulls between the behemoths. Super sharks fishing continues on the Daybreaker.

06/21/2005 - First Shark Trip Bags Big Thresher
First shark charter last Saturday yielded a 268-pound thresher that whipped the boys from Staten island, James McCaig and crew who did a great job moving this monster sized shark. The Daybreaker was not in the Star Island Tournament. However we are in the Brits vs the Yanks Catch and Release starting Tuesday for three days. We used the Mustad shark attractant which might have made the difference. Keep you posted

05/23/2005 - Back Home and Making Ready
It is the time of year when we trade the eighty-five degree warmth of the Islamorada sun for the sixty degree Montauk fog. We left behind summersaulting tarpon, bulldogging amberjacks, lots of tasty yellowtail and mutton snapper and the first good showing of mahi-mahi. For the next few weeks Todd and myself will be in the bilge , so to speak, making the DAYBREAKER shipshape for the coming Montauk season. Hopefully we will splash the first week in June. Please note there is a three day charity catch and release shark tournament coming up June 21,22 and 23. It is called the Yanks vs. the Brits and there are a few openings left for yanks. Last year we tagged and releaaed over 800 sharks over the three days. Accommodations are at the Montauk Yacht Club and meals are included. This is a qualifing event for other International Game Fish Association and Rolex Tournaments The late Stephen Sloan was the force behind this tournament. For those of us who had the opportunity to work with Steve Sloan on past environmental and fishing issues, the continuation of The Yanks vs, The Brits will serve to honor his memory. And, all those released sharks will truly be the winners of this tournament.

04/04/2005 - Fish, Eat, Sleep, Fish, Eat, Sleep
It is deja vu (all over again) fish, eat, sleep and as a result I have gotten behind on my fishing log. My partner, wife, and email manager the good Captain Julie came down with the Islamorada flu so we will post a general review of the past few weeks. We witnessed a slow period on the reefs and wrecks caused by a lack of current running through crystal blue water. It sort of went like this, you look down only to see the fish you are targeting looking up at you. Around the same time a southeast wind picked up, and pushed in a big group of wahoo mixed with smoker kingfish that saved the day. They patroled in 120-150-feet of water, at which time many speedos baits met their end. Then for two days schools of mahi-mahi pushed through. and, just as the Gulf Stream edged up toward the reef, (which is only five-miles from shore), a cold front moved in from the west and the scenario changed. The past full moon brought with it some excellent mutton snapper catches on jigs and "live-ies". Mutton snapper were mixed with packs of king mackeral and bonita. During trips fishing for yellowtail and grouper on the reef and amberjacks on the deep wrecks, we had encounters of the "Golaith Grouper" kind. Mega-sized jewfish over two hundred pounds were lost due to parted spider wire and pulled hooks. At this point night time tarpon fishing is a guarantee, but the daytime tarpon fishing is slow. Another fish you can count on are amberjacks (AJs as they are called here), in the thirty to seventy-five pound class. Catch them over wrecks and sea mounts in deep water on live blue runners. And for those of you who like to work a 12 oz jig hard and fast mid-water, you can expect a shoulder dislocating strike from an AJ. In the coming weeks, yellowtail and AJ will be a winning combo. the barracuda will school up in shallow water making for excellent sight casting. Daytime tarpon fishing should improve. And we wait for Mahi-mahi ???

04/01/2005 - Apologies...
Sorry I have not been keeping everyone up to date on the super fishing that continues in Islamorada. I have been going daily since February and am a little burnt by the end of the day. But as things loosen up a little I will find time to re-cap the season, fifty-pound king macs, big tails and a shark or two to shake things up. Also the sailfish we caught on a lure with a shrimp attached, was a new first on the charterboat Daylight. We have started to book up on the Daybreaker for the Montauk season. Anyone with interest in week-ends should think about reserving dates now 631 668-5070. Tight Lines from the land of bright skies and warm breezes, Mike

02/03/2005 - Bonita Blast
One angler aboard the Daybreaker Lite at the edge of the reef of clear blue water and a predominant northeast current. Wind blew at five to ten knots. We were surrounded by schools of speedos and blue runners. After catching a few for bait, we moved off to deeper water where bonita boiled behind the boat blasting small jigs. Large kingfish moved in to destroy our speedos. Also in the mix, yellowtail and mutton snapper, gag grouper and cero mackeral.

02/02/2005 - Big Beautiful Groupers
A full day with two anglers aboard started slowly, a ten knot wind out of the northeast. No current at the edge. Conditions improved in a move towards the 135-foot ledge. Anglers had a pick of kingfish to thirty-pounds. And landed four black grouper, releasing the two smaller ones. We iced two beauties weighing twenty-five to thirty-pounds. We then moved ino the patches for a dozen "snaps".

01/28/2005 - Slow Start to a Good Finish
Half-day with two anglers aboard the Daybreaker Lite in Islamorada. Finished with eight kingfish fifteen to twenty-eight pounds, a twelve-pound grouper plus two large gray snappers, one of them a new Daybreaker record at eight -pounds.

01/27/2005 - Most Memorable Fish Gets Away
Flat calm, no current on Alligator Reef in Islamorada made for what I thought would be tough fishing conditions on this half day with two anglers aboard the Daybreaker Lite. But the four black groupers, mutton snappers and triggerfish we caught must have found the feeding conditions to their liking. Trying a wreck in 138-feet of water led to quite an arguement with a smoker -sized kingfish that took angler Phil Munvez's fourteen-pound outfit down to the spool when along side the boat. A gaffing attempt on this fifty-pounder literally lifted me off my heels, shattering the gaff when he (or probably she) dove for cover. Some of the most memorable fish are the ones that got away!

01/26/2005 - A Catch to Remember
Great full day of fishing with two anglers aboard. We fished three spots in ninety-three feet, seventy-feet and twenty-feet of water. Our catch included fifteen kingfish to twnenty-five pounds, two red grouper twelve and fifteen-pounds, two gray snapper six and seven-pounds and an eight -pound ocean triggerfish. Plus in the shallows we took our limit of mangrove snapper plus two barracuda that ate the bluerunners we caught on the reef's edge.

01/16/2005 - Non-stop Kingfish plus grouper
Another half-day trip yielded non-stop kingfish action with kings from snake sized to smoker sized. And the big ones really sizzled providing heavy rod bending. No yellowtail bite, but did land a 12-pound red grouper. Last week-ends sailfish tournament resulted in lots of hook ups. First and second place boats had six sails released And several boats had five sails and a few boats released four.

01/15/2005 - Kings Rule
Started out in the shallows looking for ballyhoo but a limited current made conditions tough. So I turned the Daylight to the edge of the reef, and in sixty-eight feet of water the anglers hooked up as their baits hit the water. Kings weighing eighteen to twenty-five pounds ripped through the chum slick creating havoc of the finest kind. We limited out on kingfish and released as many. We switched over to snapper and grouper and caught a dozen tellowtail snappers and landed four out of eight grouper up to fifteen pounds.

01/12/2005 - Patch Reef Smorgasbord
Because of a continuous east wind my crew opted to fish some of the shallow patch reefs in 18 to 25-feet of water. The hope was to puta snapper/grouper catch together The results-a smorgasbord of "scaly wags", including 36 yellowtail and mangrove snapper, several hogfish, bar-jacks and cero mackeral to seven-pounds and a multitude of blue runners, porgies and grunts plus a one-hundred pound golden pollywog. Returning to Gulf side, we casted jigs and caught spanish mackeral, ladyfish, bluefish, blacktip and lemon sharks.

01/11/2005 - Islamorada Mackeral and Sailfish
For the past two weeks a steady wind out of the eastern quadrant has created tough conditions off the reef and into the Gulfstream. My crews have opted to fish the gulf side and no has been disappointed. Spanish mackeral 2-7 pounds provided non-stop action on light tackle. In the mix were ladyfish, bluefish and pompano. A number of macs met their demise when some big sharks moved in to take the macs as they were on the way to the boat. We have tried but have not yet gotten even with one of these apex preditors. On the ocean side most boats are concentrating on the sailfish action, with good but day to day results. Zig when you should have zagged and you might only catch one. Get lucky, right place right time and you might find that wolf pack of sails covering up your live baits. Tomorrow we are scheduled to go reef and wreck fishing and will post results.

12/12/2004 - Heading South For the Winter
Once again loads of herring half-mile from the jetty, but other than a very brief showing of bass at slack water it appears the party is over for the season. But the party is just starting in the Florida Keys. Our first scheduled trip aboard the Daybreaker Lite is January 5th. a day of reef and wreck fishing. Hopefully, the snappers, groupers and kings will be awaiting our arrival. Two days later our first charter for sailfish takes place. So Happy Holidays to all friends and fellow "fish heads". For Florida Keys Fishing Reports sign up at our web site fishdaybreaker.com and get reports and forecasts.

12/11/2004 - It's Not Easy Being a Herring
Half-mile east of the jetty loaded with herring- go a further half-mile due east to Shagwong and almost as many bass await the herring as they are swept to the waiting bass on the falling tide.

11/28/2004 - Bass Bedlum
Up to four eight to ten-pound striped bass on at a time around the point among swarms of birds for four anglers on saturday. Adam Japko and his young sons thrilled to the constant action. Bigger bass in the rips, but no birds to be seen.

11/26/2004 - Black Fish Bonus & Daybreaker Bass A Winner
On our last few trips we have spent a few hours blackfishing with good success. The results were forty fish (the Limit)for four anglers and on another trip we had ten fish for two anglers. Richard Nydegger won the Montauk Boatman's & Captain's Weekly Stripped Bass Tournament for a bass he caught while on a charter aboard the Daybreaker during the week of November 17th. His bass weighed 28.9-pounds.

11/25/2004 - Bluefin Mix With the Bucket Mouths
Since our last report, multy tons of herring, peanut bunker, bay anchovies and small squid have rounded the point and moved west. The majority of the time these schools of bait are in the swim for their lives because from below there are swirling bucket mouthed bass and charging bluefish and from above terns, gulls and gannets are waiting, watching ready for an ambush. And just to keep things really interesting bluefin tuna forty to eighty pounds have been seen daily blasting bait on the surface.

11/24/2004 - Happy Bass Tails & Herring Are Here
This week big numbers of blueback herring arrived at the harbor entrance. Hot on their tails is a body of bigger striped bass in the twenty to thirty pound range. Congradulations to Daybreaker angler Rick Peck who won the Montauk Boatan's & Captain's Weekly Striped Bass Tournament with a 29.7 pounder during the week of November 10th. We are now using multiple hook sabinki rigs to quickly catch a small cooler full of herring and an occasional mackeral. Then it is off to the point. At times Shagwong (only one mile away)has been loaded with fish.

11/13/2004 - Stronger Tides Bring Bigger Bass
Striped bass fishing using eels and bait tail lures improved this week because ofstronger tides attributed to the new moon. A new group of larger bass appear to be filtering into the inshore waters. On the the two days when the wind laid down enough to get out, we had a 29-pound bass as our largest fish.

11/13/2004 - Herring Haved Arrived?
Winds 25 to 35 mph have kept the fleet ashore today. We took our charter Dr. Randy Wong and crew from the Cheasapeake Bay area for a land tour. Upon reaching the lighthouse we saw miles of churning white water and above the water a field soaring gannets stretching for miles. In pockets accross the seascape a dozen or so of the gannets would suddenly fold their white wings and drop like arrow heads crashing into the ocean. Could the herring have arrived? Tomorrow we hope to find out.

10/27/2004 - Biggies May Be Gone, But Bluefish Hold On
It appears the big bass of the summer of '04 may have gone down wind, but the bluefish have held their ground. On an afternoon half-day trip with four anglers and four dozen eels we had six bass to about eighteen pounds. Trolling with parachutes proving better. Full moon and clear skies may make the night bite or maybe not? Porgy fishing remains closed until Monday when it re-opens until then it is illegal to take porgies.

10/26/2004 - After the Blow
Finally able to get out after eight days of northeast winds up to thirty knots, morning trip resulted in limit twelve stripers eigh to twenty-two pounds using eels on the flood tide. In the afternoon we ran down east in the hopes of finding bigger fish. Instead we found a whole lotta blues who had extremely angry attitudes. Four dozen eels later we had six bass up to sixteen pounds.

10/15/2004 - Crew Catches Big Bass
Today we took our limit once again and released many striped bass to the sea. Big fish for the day 40 and 43-pounds. A personal best for the charter crew.

10/14/2004 - Look to Eels, Diamond Jigs and Baittails
Bottom fishing has been decent-a fair amount of seabass and lots of porgies, most of the porgies are being delivered to waiting striped bass and bluefish. As bait and fish move out of Long Island Sound and the local bays in the coming weeks our lures of choice will also move to eels, diamond jigs and bait tails. And as the waters cool we look forward to a repeat of last years limit out blackfishing.

10/13/2004 - Big Bass Still Inshore, Offshore NoTuna Surprise
Over the past few weeks we have gotten behind on our fishing reports. We have had great weather. No blow out days and an ocean conference in New York City. Our fall Tuna Fishing proved to be a disappointing puzzle. We still have clean warm water circulating offshore, but there appears to be very little life accompanying it. Normally at this time of year a commercial dragger fleet will assemble in the local offshore waters to fish for ling, whitting or squid. The absence of a commercial fishing fleet gives us a pretty clear picture of the general state of our local offshore waters.The only decent catches have been made by boats taking it to the edge (70 nautical miles or better)on an overnight trip. Inshore fishing has proved the opposite to be true. Striped bass fishing is so good that it is mind boggling. Big bass have proved to be a daily occurence, with some days fish are up into the forties and some days the weight is limited to the thirty pound range. However the past weeks have seen the limit taken on every trip, with porgies still the favored bait. As of 10/14/2004, the MBCA Striped Bass Tournament leaders were bass weighing 54,45 and 44.8 pounds.The tounament runs through November and your fish automatically entered when you charter a participating charter boat.

09/22/2004 - Sometimes You Have To REEL REEL REEL
Sailed with Capt Mario Melito today on the Lady Grace, no Tuna but had good sharking with blue sharks over three hundred pounds. I handled one very aggressive mako who first hooked up on a far bait. The mako realizing he was hooked did a sommersault jump out of the water and then steamrolled parallel to the boat. And with the jolting action of his head expelled the bait and hook. The angler suddenly left with a dead line looked at me as I started to scream REEL, REEL REEL The mako suffering a short term memory loss or was it ADD (I can't remember!) charged after the filet again. The mako caught up with the bait again as the wire leadeer hit the rod tip. Then off we go again. End Game a one hundred sixty pound mako hit the deck.

09/21/2004 - No Coke, Pepsi
Deparately seeking sushi but found jaws instead. Changed tactics and caught five blue sharks, three in the three hundred pound range. Plus two makos twenty to forty pounds were tagged and released to fight another day

09/20/2004 - Ditto Last Time
Ditto the last report except the bass were bigger -up to thirty-four pounds and there were many bluefish

09/18/2004 - Before the Storm
In between the wind and rain brought by Hurricane Ivan we managed a half-day of inshore bass fishingOnce again the preferred bait was live. Limited out on bass up to twenty-five pounds.

09/15/2004 - Chunking and Chumming Tuna and Sharks
Headed thirty-miles offshore to some nice looking blue-green water and immediately caught a thirty-eight pound bluefin, now the 2004 Westlake Fishing Lodge Dock Record. Sharks moved in to eat out bait and we ended up chumming up bluesharks until we lost count. All when big into the three hundred pound range and all were released.

09/15/2004 - Chunking and Chumming Tuna and Sharks
Headed thirty-miles offshore to some nice looking blue-green water and immediately caught a thirty-eight pound bluefin, now the 2004 Westlake Fishing Lodge Dock Record. Sharks moved in to eat our bait and we ended up chumming up bluesharks until we lost count. All were big, into the three hundred pound range and all were released.

09/12/2004 - Bass To Shark
Everything came together very quickly this morning. we caught fifty or so porgies in two drifts then ran a mile and feed them to eager striped bass and voracious bluefish-limiting out in five drifts with fish thirty-five pounds plus. Then we ran fifteen miles offshore, had good drift, four mile slick, but only one blueshark, a hundred fifty pounds

09/11/2004 - Tuna or Shark?
Northeast wind dominated the area, we opted to fish for shark rather than the planned tuna trip. Proved productive with seven blue sharks to 300 plus pounds and a one hundred pound mako shark

09/10/2004 - Big Striped Bass Keep Coming
Limited out once again on the flood tide usuing live bait and assorted porgie parts. Several bass close to forty pounds.

09/06/2004 - Released the Big One
The Ocean 11 Fishing Team included Web Master Mark, Steve the Alligator Bakur, Bob The Boat Dreger and Sawzall Sven. The Team bravely headed out to the point riding a ten-foot swell looking for that elusive monster striped bass. One by one they reached their limit of bass until a partial porgy head drew an estimated thirty-nine pounder, a personal best for Alligator Steve. However he released the beast to fight another day.

09/04/2004 - Salty Lures Attract Tuna
On an extended trip sixty-miles offshore to the southeast with the Old Salt Tackle Crew and Artie we landed four out of ten longfin tuna plus one yellowfin. Lots of hook-ups on OLD SALT'S new jet head lure. However I am begining to feel left out. Blue marlin have been turning up daily. We are very ready for our offshore encounterwith one. Big bass still on the menu inshore however we have not got one over fifty pounds yet. Our largest remains at 47-pounds.

09/03/2004 - Canyon Mako Jumps Over the Moon
NOAA proved correct and we headed to the canyon in what started off to be questionable weather with Dr. Tony Cahan and his doctor buddies from Westchester General. It turned out out to be a beautiful full moon night. A swordfish bait set deep, light stick attached, attracted something that rocketed to the surface. The hook pulled when we applied pressure. As everyone napped a mako leaped up out of the water, trying to shake off the his hook. From where we were anchored it appeared as if the mako was trying to jump over the moon in his attempt to be free. More time in the air than in the water led to the wire breaking as we were about to boat the fish. A little later on a school of mahi-mahi swam up to the transom ate a handful of butterfish chunks like a pack of friendly dogs and then vanished in the night. Trolling produced a catch of longfin tuna but no yellow fins

08/31/2004 - All InThe Timing
It is possible to limit-out on striped bass in two drifts, if you are in the right place at the right time. Striped bass fishing still very strong I have found the bass down east at the spot unmentionable. Bluefish sometimes provide obstacles Here is a tip- When you get that chomp, chomp, yank from an obvious bluefish, let your live bait remains drop back. You might be surprised by a lazy cow. Diamond jigs are also proving productive. Seabass fishing is picking up around Block Island. Today the Daybreaker should be fishing overnight in the canyon. Had to cancel Winds inshore are "diminishing" but eighty miles offshore "demolishing" We try again thurs & Fri

08/25/2004 - Tough Girl Anglers Fight Big Sharks
Don Dietrich and his daughters 10-year old Elise and 12-year old Marina were offshore on a shark fishing trip of non-stop action they will not soon forget. While Elise fought a 150-pound blue shark, a highly aggresive 300-pounder moved into the slick and struck, biting the head off of the 150-pounder to the surprise of captain and crew. Elise continued to catch and release big blue sharks despite the decapitation by jaws. Meanwhile her sister twelve year old Marina has the Westlake Fishing Lodge kids dock record for a 200-pound blue shark. These girls are tough anglers. The grown-ups fought the three-hundred pound sharks. A mako pup was also released in these waters southeast of Montauk Point.

08/24/2004 - Big Kahuna Catches Big Bass
Big bass up to 45-pounds continue to eat live porgies presented by Daybreaker anglers right on hard bottom off Montauk Point. Captain Jeff Everson of the charter boat Big Kahuna docked at the Daylight's(our Islamorada charter boat) southern dock at World Wide Sportsman Bass Pro Shop in Islamorada brought his teenage daughter to Montauk to see what the big deal is with striped bass. Young Julie Everson caught a forty-pounder last Tuesday on live bait. Her Dad, who also worked his way through several large fish, seemed impressed with the size of Montauk's stripers. GA-zillions of bluefish for the taking on diamond jigs near the point.

08/21/2004
We quickly limited out on stripers once again. Catching the bait proved more difficult. Once down to six live baits we made a drift over Mario's Mountain. Immediately five bluefish slashed our bait in half. But, on the sixth bait a forty-four and one-half pound stiped bass came up to suck down the final bait. Our limit filled we headed home early.

08/15/2004
Flood tide provided the slow beginning to a full-day inshore charter with Captain Bill Martini out of Boyton Beach Florida riding out Hurricane Charlie in Montauk. However the trip ended up with some fast and furious fishing action as the tide ebbed using live bait the crew of four limited out on striped bass ranging from twenty-five to forty-four pounds while also releasing many others

08/14/2004
Limited out on striped bass on a full-day trip with E&J Ironworks out of the Bronx New York. Took ten bass on live bait, weighing twenty-five to forty-one-pounds - plus had to let several bass go. It was plain to see additional bass following hooked-up bass as the the fish were reeled in by the crew. Also had fifteen seabass at Frisbees with only a few bothersome dogfish. Fluke on the slow side for most. Tropical Storms caused cancellation of Mako Mania Tournament

08/11/2004
Out with the Moroney Boys and their friends on a half day trip in the morning, we fished live bait over hard bottom close to the point and caught six out of eight striped bass weighing between twenty and thirty pounds. Looking ahead to Friday and Saturday I am scheduled to run with a 53-foot Buddy Davis called the Canyon Express entered in the Star Island Marina Mako Mania. I will keep you posted

08/02/2004
A morning half-day trip with Captain Harry Gjertson of the Norsman and Rudy Miestro of the Lady L produced seven stripers between 32 and 37-pounds. The Daybreaker drifted with live bait on various hard bottom spots around Montauk Point. Captain Rudy Miestro's daughter Heather beat the pros on board by catching the largest sriped bass - a 37-pounder.