NEW YORK — The rotten, abandoned posts that used to hold up Pier 59 on the East River in Manhattan have given way to
new floating docks, and on Friday, more than 50 fishing boats lining up for the 11th annual Fisherman’s Conservation Association’s Manhattan Cup. Even FCA chairman and tournament director Frank Crescitelli admitted that there wasn’t much about New York City that said fishing. It’s an island, so there’s obviously plenty of water, but it functions more as a funnel for traffic than a fishing paradise. “The words fishing tournament and Manhattan, as far as we know, were never used before in the same sentence before we started this event 11 years ago,” Crescitelli said. “There’s no more stark contrast in the world than live animals swimming in the East River. It’s known more for being polluted, or dead bodies, or tires and cars.” With that in mind, Capt. Joe Blanda was on the water at 1:30 a.m. Friday morning looking for Atlantic Menhaden, the baitfish he planned on winning the tournament with. The only problem is the baitfish, which used to be common around NYC, is no longer so common. “Most of these boats today came out with 20 to 30 dead bunker to cut up as chunk bait,” Blanda said. “I have 100 live ones swimming in my livewell, which means we constantly had live bait. Even the guys who went out and caught them this morning, they’re still fishing with dead bait and it just can’t compare.” “I knew when I got a bite on the demonstration cast that it was on,” Blanda said.
What followed was a flurry of bass and bluefish that often had all four participants hooked up, ducking and weaving their way throughout each other, trying not to cross lines.