Rent a boat for the day at Ted's Fishing Station in Point Lookout

A rainbow of painted clamshells hang above the counter and line the back wall of the Shell Shack at Ted's Fishing Station in Point Lookout, no two alike. Some bear just a first name or two in handwritten letters, like "Leo" and "Lisa."  Others are elaborate, decked out in rhinestones, pink and yellow sunsets, cartoon fish, nicknames only locals know. A few are long-standing and sun-bleached, others freshly repainted.

Each one marks a regular's tab, slid across the bar with cash tucked underneath when it's time to pay for the round. And while the Shell Shack is the gathering spot at Ted’s, the action is down at the dock. That’s where Ted’s rents out its fishing boats, giving visitors a chance to captain their own skiff for the day.  

No boat license or experience is required. Visitors can rent a 16-foot skiff for two hours ($115), a half-day ($175) or a full day ($205), with boats available daily through early October. Each boat holds up to four people, giving you plenty of time to cruise Reynolds Channel, fish for fluke or simply take in views of wildlife and marshes from Point Lookout to Lido Beach. 

Learning the ropes

No boating experience is required to rent and drive one of Ted's skiffs, but no one gets handed the keys without a driver's license (must be 21 years of age or older) and a lesson dockside first.

The steering of the small, open boat takes some getting used to, especially the reverse logic of it: push the handle away to turn right, pull it toward you to turn left. It's not intuitive at first, but according to Joe Staudt, manager at Ted's, "within two minutes, you'll feel like an expert."

"It's a zippy, fun engine for back here on the bay," Staudt says, with boats generally cruising between seven and 12 miles per hour, plenty to get around the channel without overwhelming a first-timer.

You cannot anchor the boat at any point, and boats must be back by 4 p.m. Every rental comes with a full tank of gas, life jackets and cushions. Kids 12 and under must wear life jackets, and federal law requires the driver to wear an engine cut-off switch lanyard at all times to instantly shut down the motor if thrown from the helm.

Not everyone who rents a boat is after fish. According to Sean Stalteri, general manager at Ted's, plenty of customers just want a few hours on the water. "A lot of people just rent the boat to spend the day out there," Stalteri says. 

The catch

For those who do want to fish, a state saltwater fishing license must be obtained online for free before your excursion. Rent a fishing pole ($20) and purchase bait starting at $9 inside the bait and tackle shop next to the bar. Beginners will find the channel especially forgiving. "We're very fortunate here because we have sandy bottoms [on Reynolds Channel]," Staudt says, comparing the spot to the North Shore, "which allows the customers to get close to the slopes of the channel, where there's good fishing."

The "bread and butter" catch of the summer is fluke, a bottom feeder that hugs those slopes along the three-mile stretch west of Ted's toward the Lido Golf Club, the boundary of where renters can go. Cooler temperatures in the fall bring striped bass. The technique is about as simple as fishing gets: pick a side of the channel, put the boat in neutral, let it drift with the current and drop a line. "Anybody can do it," Staudt says.

For Staudt, the real payoff is watching beginners get hooked. "One of the best parts of the job for me is seeing parents come down. These boats give their kids access to the water where they might not otherwise have a boat. You see a lot of kids that get in these boats for the first time and they catch the bug, and they're down on our dock fishing every day."

If the boat comes back empty, that's fine too. The point is getting out there, then anchoring with the locals by the bar. Just don't expect a shell with your name on it yet. That, you've got to earn.

Ted's Fishing Station 143 Bayside Dr., Point Lookout, tedsfishingstation.com, 516-431-4193

What's nearby

• The Shell Shack bar and food truck (143 Bayside Dr.; tedsfishingstation.com, 516-431-4193): Located at the front of Ted's, this local favorite casual spot opens at 3 p.m. on weekdays and noon on weekends. Order a piña colada ($15) or a summa humma ($14) for a taste of summer. Cash only.

• Buoy Bar and Scotty's on the Bay (72 Bayside Dr.; buoybarli.com; 516-432-3975): A laid-back fixture on Reynolds Channel since 1999, pairing refined bites with a counter-service beach hangout next door. It overlooks Reynolds Channel, has live music and offers free boat docking every day until 6 p.m.

• Point Lookout Clam Bar (99 Bayside Dr.; pointlookoutclambar.com; 516-897-4024): A casual seafood spot with a raw bar, sushi and fried sandwiches, plus waterfront tables.
• Jones Beach Brewing Co. (101 Lido Blvd.; jonesbeachbrewing.com; 516-779-0478): Long Island's Inlet Brewery opened its flagship taproom in Point Lookout, pouring cans and pints just up the road from Ted's.

• J.A. Heneghan's (57 Lido Blvd.; heneghanstavern.com; 516-544-2777): Family-owned Irish tavern with modern farm-to-table fare plus local craft brews from Bright Eye Beer Co. of Long Beach.
• Skipperdee's (26 Lido Blvd.; skipperdees.com; 516-431-5000): An old-school ice cream parlor and bakery, known for its cupcakes, candy wall and nostalgic feel.

• The Beach Shop (40 Lido Blvd.): Point Lookout's newest boutique selling women's beach apparel, home decor and accessories, including a charm bar.