[crabcake]

When the weather permits, The Hampton Lady has been getting out and the fishing has been very good, he's getting quality and quantity.

Today is the first day since December that the Captree Princess has sailed. I would've have been there if it wasn't for family obligations and I expect them to catch a few fish since many of their pieces haven't been touched.

Rule of thumb in both locations, try to get out after a stretch of weather has kept boats tied to the dock. After two to three days of nice weather, everything gets plucked off the pieces that they fish and need time to regenerate.

Both boats have their advantages and disadvantages. The Hampton Lady fishes an area that is usually more productive. His location is definitely "more fishy" and the boat has an excellent track record for putting together impressive catches. There's plenty of rail space for his passenger limit of 15, but the cabin is extremely tight for that many people so don't expect to get any sleep. With a 4am departure, that could equates to pulling an all-nighter, especially if you're leaving from NJ. Another option out of Shinnecock is the Shinnecock Star and they fish the same grounds as the Hampton Lady. It's a shorter trip with a 7am departure, but that boat is a wide open swith a very small cabin so pick your days if you decide to fish with them.

On the other hand, the Captree Princess is a very comfortable 80' vessel with plenty of creature comforts. The fishing in their area tends to be more inconsistent, but the last time we had a winter like this, there was some excellent fishing to be had off of Fire Island. I was actually laughing at people travelling to Montauk because I was catching more than enough fish, and the average sized fish was better than the Montauk fish. Best of all, I didn't have to leave the night before to get my baccala. Hence I'm really curious as to how things go today.

Finally, the last benefit of all these vessels is that they all have excellent crews, and the fare includes all terminal tackle. In other words, the only thing you need t bring is your lunch, a rod, and a couple of jigs if you'd like to give that a shot. I hope this info helps out and since there are no sponsors out of any of these ports I'm keeping my fingers crossed since I do feel that this is useful information for those considering to take a trip over here.