Northeast Angling - Porgy Fishing

• Our guest Captain Joel Lizza of the Sea Otter Fleet was fixed on the fishfinder as we passed from one potential porgy spot to the next. He was looking for a patch of bottom in 20-30ft of water that was showing a little life. Finally, he found what he was looking for and we dropped anchor directly upwind of the spot. We let the boat drift back on top of the spot as we drove the anchor into the bottom.
  
• He broke out a block of frozen chum and dropped a chum pot off the bow as Rich and I prepared clam strip baits. By the time he got back to us, all three rods were baited and we dropped our rigs down to the bottom. It did not take long before the porgies were swarming all over baits and we were all catching these scrappy critters.
  
• The action was red hot throughout the entire tide and only slowed slightly when our chum ran low. A fresh block of chum got the fish started all over again. We quickly lost count of how many fish we caught. Many were over a pound with the biggest fish pushing the two pound mark.
• Go light Porgies may not be the biggest fish around, but they put up a tough fight. As with most fishes that have a large flat body type, they can exert an amazing amount of downward pressure for their size. Any porgy over a pound is a good fish and it is not unusual to catch a few that are two pounds. Occasionally a body of fish is located that has some real giants mixed in and these fish can even approach the four pound mark! Porgies are a blast on light tackle. Light spinning and conventional tackle in the 8-12lb class is best in the shallows. Heavier outfits are needed when fishing with larger sinkers in deeper water and stronger currents.
• Find the right bottom: Porgies can be found in good numbers from Cape Hatteras, NC north to Cape Cod, MA. Only occasionally can they be found North of Cape Ann, MA. They survive best in waters ranging in temp from 55 to 75 degrees. They usually make their appearance in late Spring when water temps get above the 60 degree mark. These fish tend to prefer sandy or broken bottom in depths from 6-120 feet. They will move with the tide along sandy beaches in search of food and are accessible from the beach in most sandy harbors and bays.
• For the boaters, some middle and nearly all high-end fishfinders will be able to locate schools of fish. Be sure to glance at the fishfinder when the bite is on to become familiar with how porgies appear on a specific machine. Your local tackle shop is always a good starting point when pursuing these fish. Keep that chum flowing Porgies are quick to respond to the scent of chum in the water.
  
• Use a chum pot big enough to fit at least a one gallon slab of frozen chum. The pot should be dropped to the bottom and tied off at the bow. Fishing is done from amidships or the stern. This way it is impossible to accidentally snag the chum pot and the baits are always presented down-tide of the chum slick. A few hard tugs on the chum pot line every few minutes will ensure that the chum keeps flowing. It is important to periodically check the pot and add a new block of chum before it runs out or the scent gets completely washed out. Any ground chum is effective but in most places clam chum is the best.
• Porgies are very aggressive and will often rip baits off the hook before the angler has a chance to hook them. Soft baits such as clams and worms are often torn off before the porgies ever inhale the hook.
  
• Multiple hook rigs greatly increase the chance of a hookup. Multiple baits will attract several fish and they become even more aggressive when competing for food. Most porgy fisherman use at least two hooks and some use even more. However, adding more hooks increases the chance of the rig tangling and adds a new level of difficulty when unhooking multiple fish.
  
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• Porgies have very sharp dorsal spines that can puncture nearly any fabric and create a nasty infection. Most anglers unhook porgies by grabbing them from the stomach. A simple dropper loop rig made from 30-50lb flourocarbon with a bank sinker on the bottom and 3-inch dropper loops tied 6 inches and 30 inches above the sinker can be very effective. Each dropper loop is threaded through the eye of a 1/0 or 2/0 bait holder style hook. The sinker should be heavy enough to easily hold the bottom. The rig is typically held steady but an occasional short lift can get the porgies attention. When a bite occurs, lift slowly. If weight is felt, strike sharply and hang on.
• Porgies will take a wide variety of baits. They tend to prefer clams, worms and squid. However, they will respond to nearly every other kind of bait provided it is cut into small enough pieces. Soft baits such as clams and worms should be cut into narrow strips no more than 2 inches in length. Clams should be threaded onto the hook multiple times. Worms should be threaded on so that a small piece of worm extends beyond the hook. Squid strips are a little tougher and only need to be threaded on once or twice. Leaving a bit of bait dangling beyond the hook will certainly entice more fish.
  
• When the bite is on, switch to progressively smaller pieces of bait and take advantage of the porgies increased aggressiveness.
• Mixed Bag: Depending upon the time of year and the locale many other species can be caught at the same time. Weakfish, Fluke, Flounder, Blackfish, Sea Bass and Striped Bass typically frequent the same patches of bottom. Often times larger Striped Bass and Weakfish will actively feed on the porgies. It is a good idea to hook a small legal size porgy just behind the dorsal with a 7/0-9/0 Ultrapoint Beak Bait style hook and let it settle to the bottom behind the boat. If there is a strong current, a fish-finder rig with the appropriate sinker may be needed. Leave the reel in free spool with the clicker engaged. Some anglers like to use a sharp scissor to trim the dorsal spines on the porgy, but this is usually not necessary.
• Friends and family: Porgies are not tough to catch and not particularly hard to find. Porgies are an excellent fish for the table and can be prepared in many ways. They are a great species to use to introduce kids and non-fishermen to the sport. Most non-fishermen don’t want to spend the entire day on the water in pursuit of two or three fish. The frantic action provided by a school of hungry porgies can be a lot of fun. Three or four hours of fishing with the generous bag limits is usually enough to satisfy nearly everyone. Porgies can salvage many a summer doldrums day when little else is biting. The fishery continues to improve each season and porgies have become one of the more important species in the region.