We’re nearly a week into October, and there’s been a lot of movement in the fall fisheries. The blackfish season got off to a decent start this week and should only get better as the water temperatures continue to fall. The extended porgy season has been a good opportunity for many anglers on Long Island, and limits are being caught from one end of the Island to the other. The striped bass have been a little more difficult to find in most places, and less accessible from shore in general. However, those jigging or drifting eels by boat in places like Montauk or Moriches are finding near constant action from a mix of bass and blues. False albacore are still popping up in a variety of places, and the double-digit variety has been showing up pretty consistently in Montauk. We’re coming up on a nice stretch of weather, so it’s not a bad idea to start planning a fishing trip for the weekend.
East End
Montauk is still the place to be, for a variety of reasons, unless you’re a truly dedicated surf rat. Things have been tough from the wash around the Point recently, and unless you’re hoping tonight’s north wind will entice a few fish into the suds along the north side, I’d consider sticking with your local haunts for the time being. After tomorrow, the wind’s forecasted to blow west for the next 5 days, likely keeping the bass well out of casting range. If you plan on fishing by boat, it’s a completely different story. There’s a lot of big fish being caught out in the rips, and it’s still the best option on the Island if you’re chasing the elusive “grand slam.”
The Viking Fleet’s half-day diamond jigging trip had a “grand slam” this week that consisted of a 28-pound striper, 8-pound bluefish and a 12-pound false albacore — not bad. Other daytime jigging trips have seen bass well into the 30-pound-class hit the deck of the Stariper. The nighttime eeling trips aboard the Viking Fleet have also continued to impress. Every trip in the last week has had good action, and landed multiple bass into the 30-pound-class. Bottom fishing continues to be productive over at Block Island, and an increasing variety of species are showing up in the coolers. This week, along with keeper cod, bluefish and striped bass, a 6-pound green bonito won the “largest edible” pool last Saturday aboard the Viking Star.
It’s proving to be one the best offshore seasons in recent memory, and the Viking Fleet has been the thick of it since the beginning on the season. This week was no exception. The three-day tuna charter which returned mid-week probably should have been called the “three day swordfishing extravaganza” because the trip took a limit of big swords including one double-marker (over 200 pounds). Captains Carl and Steven Jr both reported this trip as the most intense swordfishing they’ve ever seen in their careers. By the way, this trip also landed good-numbers of yellowfin tuna up to 75 pounds.
South Shore
Moriches isn’t a bad place to be right now. There’s a nice batch of small keeper-size striped bass actively feeding outside the inlet. A quick look at a current sea-surface temperature chart will make it pretty clear why they’re stacked-up there: A significant temperature break sitting right on the area, as the cooler water moving west from Montauk slowly replaces the warmer waters in the New York Bight. Temperature breaks, even when only a few degrees in difference, are major collection points for predatory fish.
If you’re having trouble locating the bass, consider switching over to blackfish. A freshly split green crab, some structure and a high-low rig is just about all you’ll need right now to find some keeper blackfish. There’s a good weather-window coming up, and the seas should be calm all week, making it much easier to stay anchored over a piece of structure. There’s been some nice size togs caught along the south shore over the past week. Jumbo porgies also continue to be a near-constant presence out on the artificial reefs. And just a reminder if you’re going bottom fishing, the black sea bass season is closed for the month of October.
North Shore
The blackfish season had a decent start up on the north shore as well. I talked to Richard from Camp-Site in Huntington Station who reports that, “they are getting a few fish out on the wrecks, but most of them are short.” Richard also commented that there’s fewer boats out on the wrecks than usual because many people have kept their boats dry-docked since the hurricane. Anglers have also found a few blackfish in the shallow-water boulder fields along the Island. The blackfish bite should improve throughout the week as water temperatures in the Sound begin to drop back into the 60s. The reduced fishing pressure should also help improve the fishing for those still on the water. The porgy fishing has been good just about everywhere in the Sound, and in some places the fish are holding shallow enough to be targeted from shore. Sand worms will work better if the fish are far-and-few between, but cut-clams on a high-low rig should be a good enough bait to catch a limit.
Upstate
We’re getting into one of my favorite seasons to fish the sweetwater, as the falling water temperatures trigger increased feeding in many freshwater gamefish. I talked to Sharon at Narby’s Superette and Tackle in Kent to hear the latest from Lake Ontario. “They’re still getting fish,” Sharon said, adding that “the fishing in the rivers and creeks is still being affected by the low water conditions,” but fishing out on the lake itself remains strong. Boats trolling inshore with swimming plugs continue to land a variety of salmonoids, and Sharon told me that anglers casting small metals from shore have hooked some nice steelhead in the last few days. It’s also a good time of year to fish along the shore with bait like shiners or egg sacs.
Best Bets
It’s a bit of a tough call this week, because no one place really stands out above the rest. Montauk still remains the best option if you’re planning to fish by boat. There seems to be more fish stacked-up on the rips every day, and the possibility of a “Montauk grand slam” is as good as it’s been all year. If your ideal Montauk adventure is more surfcasting-oriented, I’d consider waiting-out these upcoming west winds. The bad wind combined with clear skies and a big moon will likely make it another slow week for the surf rats.
If you’re planning on fishing the Sound this weekend, definitely consider a blackish/porgy combo trip. Anglers have been hooking a few nice tog in shallow water, so it’s a good opportunity to try a little “blackfish bucktailing” if you’ve never done it before. The extended porgy season also presents a good opportunity for shore-bound anglers along the north shore. The surfcasting is probably not going to get great anywhere for the better part of next week, so I’d consider fishing a south-shore beach that’s close to home. Normally I’d recommend fishing at night during this time of the season, but the clear skies and big moon this week will likely make the daytime tides just as productive. It’s also the time of year where I start almost exclusively throwing an A27 with a green tube during the day along the south shore. We’re in a little bit of a transition period right now, but if you put in your time you should be able to find some fish.