1970's No Fish Story: Armonk’s Tred Barta may have world light tackle record

No Fish Story: Armonk’s Tred Barta may have world light tackle record
(Special to Patent Trader)

MONTAUK- Using a two-pound test line (that’s right, just a two-pound test line) on a spinning rig, Tred Barta of Armonk boated a number of codfish here last weekend. The largest, weighing in Sunday at the Montauk Marine basin’s official scale at 11 pounds, 1 ounce, has been submitted for certification as a world’s record by the International Spinfish Association.
The ISP, based in California, maintains a wider range of records than does the International Gamefish Association (IGFA) in Florida, which does not certify catches on lines less than a 6 pound test line.
Captain Carl Darenberg, owner of the Montauk Marine Basin, was at the helm of Barta’s 31-foot ‘Makaira’ for last Sunday’s outing where they were fishing in 80 feet of water, south of Block Island. Darenberg said: “With the dexterity and light touch required in handling fish on the fragile gear, it took more than an hour to bring the 11-pounder to the gaff.”
Two weeks ago, Barta took the ‘Makaira’ on an exploratory fishing expedition to the Hudson Canyon where he reported water temperatures still too cold for any action. Tred started out with inshore temperatures of 47 degrees. The readings went to 51 degrees when he reached 500 fathoms of water and then peaked out at 54 in the Canyon’s 1,000-fathom plateau, about 100 miles offshore. “Only one unidentified blind strike occurred in the deeper waters,” according to Tred.
Captain Darenberg reports that fishing for codfish and snowshoe flounder has held steady now for nearly a month. While codfish have been small, averaging 6-12 pounds, they are popular with the anglers because they are easy to filet and prepare for delectable dining.
Ed Beneduci of Yonkers, fishing aboard his boat, the PePe, has boated the largest codfish-a 63 ½-pounder-this season at Montauk. Caught earlier this month off Block Island, Beneduci was using skimmer clam bait.
Anglers at Montauk are whetting their appetites and getting gear ready for the first striped bass and bluefish to show, and for the weakfish to complete their spawning and start feeding. The bluefish, usually following the mackerel run, are expected to move in by the end of the month.

-MELANCON