We’re halfway through September, and the striped bass fishing is on the upswing through most of the state. Fish are starting to push west along the south shore in bigger numbers, and getting tighter to the beach, a welcome sign for surfcasters who are finally getting back in on the action after a long summer. As a dedicated surf rat myself, it’s very exciting news and with an east wind in the forecast, I’ll definitely be in the suds come Sunday with my new surfcasting protégé (I hope you’re ready, Jackie).
The water temperature is falling back into the 60s on the south shore, and it’s not too far behind on the Sound. The cold front pushing through the area Thursday will bring more wind and rain, and nighttime temperatures dipping into the high 40s that will help speed-up our approach to the fall-run. It’s an exciting time of year, the anticipation among anglers is palpable, and the fish are beginning to chew. Let’s get into it.
East End
Montauk is dependable fishery to say the least, and drifting through the rips for striped bass can sometimes feel more like harvesting than fishing. When the phrase “great daytime eel bite” starts getting tossed around, you know that’s the case. The bass are definitely starting to feed in anticipation of their coming migration. The nighttime bass fishing also continues to improve. Captain Steven Sr. from the Viking Fleet reports that bass fishing on Monday’s “Full Moon Special” trip was, “very good from start to finish,” and they had fish to 32 pounds “coming over the rail all night long.” A great sign for the new moon tides coming up at the end of the month.
Bottom fishing also remains great-to-excellent for the Fleet. On Tuesday’s trip, Captain Dave reported the best morning bite he’s seen all year. Porgies to 3 pounds are a daily occurrence, and they’ve also been getting some big sea bass up to the 5-pound mark. As I mentioned last week, it’s also “tuna time” for the Viking right now, and the three-day tuna/tilefish combo trip that got back Sunday was labeled as “Fantastic” by Captain Steven Jr. Along with swordfish to 100 pounds, the trip also saw great numbers of yellowfin tuna in the 30- to 50-pound class on both the troll and chunk, tilefish into the high 20-pound-class and an assortment of other deepwater fish including: cod, pollock, wreckfish, hake and cusk.
At Paulie’s Tackle of Montauk, I talked to Sue to get the latest on the surf-fishing under the Lighthouse, and she mentioned one of the best things a surf-rat can hear, “the blitzing has started.” Awesome. And to be honest, I felt a wave of adrenaline begin working through my system after that statement. Most of the fish being caught are in the low 20-pound-class, though the shop has heard rumors of bigger fish. I pried for a little more information, and asked if all the action was on bucktails. I heard Sue echo the question to the collection of sharpies waiting on the next tide, I heard a collected rumbling, then “No, they’re getting them on darters and pencils, too.” Great news to say the least, and with good wind in the forecast, that makes Montauk a pretty attractive option.
I got a hold of Steve from East End Bait & Tackle to check on the latest conditions in the Shinnecock area. “Things are still a little quiet,” Steve said, “but there’s a lot of bait on the beach,” mostly spearing and sand eels. I asked him how long he thought it would be until things broke open, “should be any day now,” he said. There’s going to be a good rolling surf this weekend as tropical storm Maria passes by us to the east, and that should entice some bass into the wash to feed.
South Shore
Cooler water has convinced some stripers to begin moving west along the south shore, a good sign of things to come. Most of the fish are still on the small side, but those putting in the time are scratching-out some keeper-size bass, even from the surf. Walking the beaches at night and casting darters or needlefish still remains your best option for hooking into something decent, but it won’t be long before keeper-bass begin hitting the usual assortment of tins during daylight hours. Definitely a good time to made sure you’re stocked up on 007 and A-17 diamond jigs with green and white tubes before the local shops start selling out. It’s also a good idea to make sure you’ve some some sand eel imitation teasers ready to go.
The bluefish are already making their presence known in the Moriches area and places further to the west, as some large bunker school have shown up once again in the area. It won’t be long before there’s a bunch of cow linesiders feeding alongside them. It’s going to be a little snotty on the ocean for the at least next few days, but some bass are beginning to work their way inside some of the south-shore inlets. If you’re itchy to get on the boat but can’t venture outside, consider anchoring up inside and doing some clam-chumming. If you bring enough clam bellies and chum, you’ve got a decent shot at attracting at least one keeper-size bass underneath the boat.
All the way to the west, in Jamaica Bay, they’re still waiting for the linesiders to show up, but in the meantime, anglers are finding good numbers (yes, you read that correctly) of weakfish. A lot of people believe the tiderunner population naturally fluctuates in 25-year cycles, and hopefully we’re back on our way toward numbers that were last seen in the late 70s.
North Shore
Though still a week or so behind the south shore, the bass bite on the Sound is also starting to heat up and slowly spread west. Places to the east like Orient have been productive all season long, but things there are getting even better, as more and bigger fish start moving in from the northeast. Those throwing swimming plugs at night on the north shore are finding bass with more regularity, though the bulk are still schoolie-size. Things are still quite on the bass front in the western sound, and I talked to Richard from Camp-Site in Huntington Station who didn’t have any good reports to speak of, and we ended up talking more about our future plans for Montauk than anything else. But, if you’re determined to fish for striped bass in the Sound this weekend, get as far east as you can manage. Your odds at finding some bass will increase dramatically if you can get to places like West Cedar Beach in Miller Place, Wildwood in Wading River or points further east. If you’re looking for bluefish or porgies, traveling will be less of a concern as they’re still being found in abundance in the western sound.
Best Bets
Well, if you’re addicted to the surf like me, this weekend presents a great opportunity to kick-start your fall run. Getting all the way out to Montauk would definitely be my first choice, especially with an east wind in the forecast for Sunday. The surface-blitzes have started, and there’s few things in this world I love more than watching big striped bass destroy a pencil popper. However, if you can’t make the trip all the way out to the east end, there a good chance you’ll be able to find some life in the wash along the south shore. Working the nighttime tides is still your best bet regardless of where you end up fishing, and, keep in mind that this leading edge of bass pushing west is foraging predominately on small bait, so pairing your swimming plug with a teaser is a good idea.