We’re transitioning into October, and this month will usher-in several important changes for the saltwater fishing regulations in New York. The fluke and black sea bass seasons come to an end (sea bass does reopen on November 1), the blackfish season starts Saturday and the DEC has decided to extend the porgy season until December 25. If you don’t already know, the blackfish regulations for this season are 4 fish per angler at 14 inches, and the early reports suggest there’s good numbers of “white chins” sitting on the South Shore wrecks. More striped bass are being caught in the surf along the south shore, and Montauk continues living up to its vaunted reputation.
East End
Things are buzzing down at the Viking dock in Montauk right now, because fishing is red-hot on several fronts. The bottom fishing continues to be extremely productive, as Captain Dave has found huge numbers of jumbo porgies south of Block Island. Recent trips have even seen keeper-cod up to 15 pounds, a great sign for a rebounding fishery. On the striper front, Captain Anthony reports that the Viking Starship “Whacked the moo cows” on their most recent trip, and had striped bass up to 38 pounds hit the deck. They also saw good numbers of keeper-bass during the trip. Captain Anthony commented in his report, “We had a bass on practically every drift with the exception of the slack tide slow down.” Definitely a good sign of things to come. The Viking Fleet’s offshore season also continues to impress. The latest trip got back to the dock earlier this week with some interesting developments. The albacore tuna were out there waiting in the Canyons, and Captain Steven Jr. Reports that, “It was like lock and load mayhem, the bite was absolutely incredible and our one ton tuna box overflowed.” The tuna were hitting anything that was offered by the anglers on board. When they finally decided they had enough and started to troll home, “The problem was that we couldn’t go anywhere because as soon as we put the boat in gear the albacores climbed on the lures…two, three and four at a time.” That’s definitely what I’d call a “good problem.”
Over in Hampton Bays, I talked to Steve from East End Bait & Tackle to get the latest from the Shinnecock area. The last few weeks have been slow on the striper front, but Steve mentioned that “some small ones are starting to come through.” A good sign that the fish are starting to push west. He also mentioned that fish are being taken during the day with more consistency, a good sign that the bass are transitioning into their fall feeding pattern and starting the migration. Tins and white bucktails have produced the bulk of the daytime action. Porgy fishing continues to be hot on the artificial reefs as well.
South Shore
The fish are moving west, but we’ve yet to see the big numbers of bass pushing along the sand beaches like we did last year. The news from Shinnecock seems to suggest they’re on their way. However, those putting in the time are scratching out a few bass from the surf, although most are still short of keeper-size, and anglers are casting for hours to get just one or two bites. If you’re determined to find some bass in the wash, getting out there at night is still your best bet and I’d definitely recommend pairing any offering with a teaser. The fishing out of the reefs, however, has been much more productive. I’ve seen more trigger fish caught this year than any other time in my life, not to mention the sudden abundance of other species like lizard fish. The big porgies are still hanging off the reefs, and so are the blackfish. A decent amount have been caught (and released) alongside the sea bass, porgies and triggers in the last few weeks. Once the season opens Saturday, and anglers are armed with crabs instead of clams, I’m guessing there will be some big togs coming off those wrecks.
Long Island Sound
I talked with Captain Chris of the Island Current Fleet this morning who reported a bluefish bite that is “absolutely insane right now” in the western sound. Anglers are bailing bluefish of all sizes on both jigs and bait, and Captain Chris mentioned that most trips are returning to the dock with “full boat limits” of chopper-blues. Bottom fishing has also remained good, and the Fleet continues to find big porgies in the deep-water structure of the western Sound. With the blackfish season quickly approaching, I also asked Captain Chris if he had any thoughts about the opener. “The water’s still a little warm,” he said, “but I still think they’ll catch some fish because things have been good overall.” The striped bass fishing is still slow in the western sound, but things are picking up a little to the east.
Upstate
We’re coming up on one of the best months of the year for fishing in the Lake Ontario region, so I called Sharon up at Narby’s Superette and Tackle to get the latest on how things are shaping up. “They’re catching every species know to man right now from the piers,” Sharon said. Some anglers are now switching to egg sacs for bait to target the salmonoids. The fish are also spreading into the streams and creeks. “We did get some rain,” she said, which is a positive sign for the fishing in their area. Sharon also noted that, “They are going to turn the dam on Saturday,” which will help the low-water levels and push more fish into the backwaters.
I talked to get Ken this morning from Baxter House Outfitters in Roscoe to hear how the fishing’s been in the upper Delaware river system. The fishing has been good for the most part, but recent rains “have all the rivers blown out right now,” according to Ken. They should be back to fishable conditions in two days. I also asked Ken what’s been the hot ticket for the big rainbows he’s famous for putting his clients on, “midges, dry flies and streamers are all working right now,” he said. Ken also noted that there’s active hatches of cahills and blue-wing olives happening right now on the river.
Best Bets
Montauk is definitely still the place to be right now, from the surf or on the boat. The 6-pack charter guys are absolutely slaying the bass out in the rips, and the “Montauk Slam” is still a real possibility. Bluefish, striped bass and false albacore are all actively feeding on the assortment of baitfish pushing through the area. Catching an albie will definitely be the toughest part of the Slam, but if you keep your eyes peeled while drifting the rips for bass, there’s a decent chance you’ll see a few busting through the surface chasing spearing. From the wash, the wind over the next few day won’t be perfect, but it should be good enough to keep a few decent bass within casting-range. If you can’t make it to the east end this weekend, consider heading up to the western sound to take part in the savage bluefish bite that’s been going on. I know people love to hate on these “yellow-eyed” devils, but to me they’re one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the ocean. Also, if bled and iced right away, the 2- to 6-pound variety make excellent table-fare. If your plans for Saturday include an opening-day tog fishing trip, I think sailing out of Montauk or Shinnecock will be your best bet due to the cooler water — tight lines.