Imagine what Montauk Once Was . . .

While it has changed for the worse (IMHO) Montauk is and will always be a one of a kind place.

Agreed. But it's not what it once was. Not near. I think we're too close to this to actually realize that we are slowly loosing it all.

Forget about what we lost. There isn't one specie left that isn't overfished. OK maybe sea bass, otherwise fishing today pales from the time I was a child. And when I was a child I too heard about "the good old days."

Its' staring us right in the face, yet we all deny the obvious. We lost it all in one generation. You think sonar had a bad effect, well AI will have the ability too out you on every fish down to the last one.

Our gold rush mentality in fisheries management will never allow for fisheries to rebuild. Politics and greed are our biggest enemies in this country and when you're dealing with something underwater you can make up whatever rules that will help get you elected.

The photo here include an average day at Montauk in the summer of 1952. The crowds are headed to "Fishgrala" the greatest fishing grounds in the noreast US. Fort Pond Bay where the head boats were berthed was a madhouse.

It's not the Montauk I remember. Not even close.

I had the privilege of sitting in on a card game with several Montauk legends many years ago. Late 80s. I just sat and listened all night. Stories of fishing, boats, people. Who found what spot, when.......who was the best Bass, cod, tuna fisherman........and on and on.

That was the Pinnacle of my Montauk education!

Many of those great captains are no longer with us but underneath those hardened exteriors "most" were good guys. Each guy had his own loyal following. They hated outsiders but new they paid the bills. Characters who all made Montauk what it was!

Isn't that everything tho?

The Tragedy of the Commons.

Once upon a time, in the days of wooden boats without fish-finders, and Loran you had to be dedicated. Maintaining a wood boat, keeping tabs on the schools, knowing how to plot a course and navigate your way back, all required a significant amount of time and effort. Today, anybody can trailer a Grady to Montauk, get a report from wherever to start, drop it in, plug the waypoint into the GPS, buzz out there, catch stuff, and buzz back, and the next day be out on a jet-ski or racing dirtbikes.

Industrialization and scientific advances have brought us many great things. It has made a lifestyle accessible to the common man that was once the purview of the wealthy, or the focused, passionate and dedicated. Unfortunately it has also brought the masses to the things that used to require a lot more investment.

Since there's no way to manufacture fish to keep up with demand, it creates a supply issue. And as long as business interests have more influence over regulators than science, I have to agree, there will be very little left.

BUT! The bright spot on the horizon is, that same technology is robbing the future generations of the will to go outdoors and brave the wilderness to catch a fish. They'd rather play iFish. Witness Bombardier divesting itself of their powersports brands. Changing world.

So eventually things may stabilize again. It will be interesting to see if I live long enough for it all to play out.

Surf fishing late 80’s - early 90’s.

In my memory forever. Some of the best fishing of my life. EVA

@Avenger, you raise some solid points. If only the theory held up in the real world. The truth is, the scarcer they get, the more valuable they become. And the more they're worth, the harder we chase them.