Good spots?

scuba kid · #1 10/09/2007, 04:48 PM

I know its a bit late in the year, but just wondering where most people go collecting for tropicals. What are some good spots for seining and snorkeling?

teen · #2 10/09/2007, 06:18 PM

i go at or near moriches inlet. usually a bit west, but no further than smith point bridge. it does help that my boat is docked right there, otherwise you have to 4x4 down there.

billsreef · #3 10/09/2007, 06:48 PM

Any of the south shore bays are good. Where are you located? Might be some good spots close to home that we could steer you too.

scuba kid · #4 10/09/2007, 07:31 PM

Actually, I'm in Rhode Island. Plently of good spots around here and collecting has been a family hobby for about 4 or 5 years now. But recently my family and I were interested in taking a trip down to LI, possibly next year as it will most likely not be possible this year. We were just interested in taking a few days in the summer as our family trip. Was just hoping to hear from some of the locals about favorite spots and ones that may make the trip worth while.

Thanks.

billsreef · #5 10/09/2007, 07:38 PM

I've heard of tropicals being found in Rhode Island, might be worth finding some good spots to seine locally. I'd recommend any place with good eel grass growth as ideal. Also Jetties can be good for snorkeling. Tropicals typically don't start showing up till late August/September in any numbers. As for visiting Long Island, I'd recommend the east end of the island with Shinnecock Bay in Southampton as really good spot to go collecting.

scuba kid · #6 10/09/2007, 08:56 PM

Thank you.
We know Rhode Island spots as we have been collecting for a few years now, both snorkeling and seining, and go every year. We do come back with quite a variety, but this year basically sucked for RI. We only ended up getting a red grouper, a few trunkfish, some spotfin butterflies, a planehead file, a beaugregory, a bicolor damsel, a cornetfish, a flyring gurnard, and a bandtail puffer. It doesn't seem that bad, but tropicals have been much more abundant in past years.
I was only asking because we were interested in taking a little trip down there just to see if we could come up with things that are harder to find in RI. For example, there were no lionfish collected in RI that I've heard of (this year), but a couple hundred in Long Island as far as I know. See what I mean? :P

fishome25 · #7 10/09/2007, 09:07 PM

last year was good for lionfish. but not this year.
my best catches this year were blue angels and doctorfish tangs.

teen · #8 10/09/2007, 09:11 PM

about 4 years ago i was getting lookdowns like crazy. havent seen any in a few years though. i only got out seining once this year. it was mid june and it was still too early.

scuba kid · #9 10/10/2007, 06:17 AM

Yeah, mid june is early. Best time is early fall. This year was especially late though.
fishome25: We'd especially like to find some angels and tangs. Where do you go collecting usually? Do you go seining?