Capt Joe Huckemeyer and the crew of the Hyannis,touches on maintenance as they prepare to take the boat to Montauk, NY for the months of January, February and March.
The move will put the Helen H within easy reach of a solid cod bite on the grounds south of Block Island, RI. Capt Joe explained that he’s been in close communication with Capt Mike Danon of the Freeport, NY based Capt Lou Fleet, who worked the wide-open bite through last winter. The Capt. Lou was docked in Montauk from January on. After much discussion, the two have decided to join forces for, if all goes as expected, this winter’s repeat performance.
“The last couple of winters, the cod fishing out on Georges Bank—what we’ve traditionally worked on—has been very good in November and December but slowed right up in Mid January,” commented Capt Joe. “You compound that with the weather further offshore, and you wind up losing an awful lot of days, too. The bottom line is you’ve gotta go where the fish are biting. Block Island’s been hot the last bunch of winters. In fact, it’s gotten hot right around when the bite’s been dropping off on the Bank.”
Aside from the outstanding fishing, Huckemeyer and crew have always drawn a significant following from the tri-state area, making Montauk a logical winter base of operations: “In this type of economy, we’ll be glad we can accommodate our regular guys from Jersey, New York and Connecticut and save them quite a bit of driving time and expense.”
Weather is no small consideration, either. “The steam from Montauk to Block Island is going to be a lot easier on the boat and a lot easier on the guys,” he said. “We’ll also be able to get in a lot more days. When it’s windy, it’s a much shorter ride, and the grounds are way more forgiving than Georges Bank in the dead of winter on multiple levels.”
From the beginning of January through late March, the Helen H will be sailing daily at 3 a.m. for Block Island winter codfish. The boat will be berthed at Liar’s Saloon in Montauk (401 West Lake Drive). Advance reservations—which are required for these limited-load trips—may be made by calling either the Helen H office (508-790-0660) or the Capt. Lou Fleet at 516-623-5823. Cost per person will be $120. Trips on the 100-foot Helen H will be limited to 50 passengers to give the anglers plenty of elbow room. To get further details, visit the Helen H or the Capt Lou Fleet.
Northeast Angling Filming Excursion
Northeast Angling will be filming a two part show on the Helen H sometime during January or February. A date has not been set yet, so keep checking the Northeast Angling website be sure to sign up for the newsletter so that you can get on that trip and have a great time.
Kyle OndreySenior Writer/Director of Marketing - Northeast Angling
