It’s hard to believe that we’re already only a few days away from the Fourth of July. Despite the persistent heat and steadily increasing water temperatures though, strong fishing is still prevalent across the bulk of New York State. The bunker pods remain plentiful off Long Island’s south, and the porgy and sea bass fishing continue to be productive just about everywhere, while the offshore bite is just starting to get interesting. No matter what your plans include for the upcoming holiday, I would definitely advise keeping a two-piece surfcasting rod and a box of plugs in the trunk just in case.
East End
As the weather is heating up, so is the fishing off the east end of Long Island, and anglers are enjoying a good bite on just about all fronts right now. In the Hampton Bays area, anglers are finding themselves with a variety of fish on the table, both from shore and out on the water. The word from Steve at East End Bait & Tackle is that porgy fishing remains good in the Shinnecock Canal, providing a good option for shore-bound anglers. Although you should definitely get some action on small pieces of cut clam, the hot bait for the moment has been sand worms. A quarter of a worm on a high-low rig anchored with a 2-ounce sinker should do the trick to put some fish in the bucket. Just make sure you bring some extra lead and hooks for when your rig inevitably finds one of the hang-ups on the bottom of the canal. Over at the Ponquogue Bridge, the striped bass fishing remains productive. The go-to bait at the moment is clam bellies. Evening, overnight, and early morning hours are your best bet to tie into a nice keeper-size fish for your Fourth of July barbecue, so consider giving up a few hours of rack time if you’re determined to supply the party with fresh fish. Some decent bass have been taken around the inlet, so consider heading over there if things are slow at the bridge. If you’re planning on gassing up the boat this weekend or heading out on one of the local headboats, fluke fishing has also been picking up. The traditional squid-spearing combo has been producing a decent amount of keeper fish, as long as a decent drift is found. One thing to keep in mind is that most of the bigger flatfish are being caught in slightly deeper water than usual, in the neighborhood of 80 feet. Sea bass fishing on the inshore wrecks has also been good lately, making a fluke/sea bass combo trip a tempting option.
South Shore
Fishing the bunker schools is still the hot ticket for most south shore anglers right now. Some 30-pound-class fish have set-up on the schools, and these bass seem pretty locked-in on the large, high-caloric baitfish. Although chunking with fresh bunker from your local bait shop will do the trick on most days and tides, snagging a livewell full in the back bays before running outside the inlet is still your best bet for getting into some of these larger fish. If you can’t locate any bunker to snag inside the harbor, there’s still a chance to run into some outside the inlet. Just make sure your drag is locked down in case a thirty-pound bass decides to grab one while it’s still on the snag. It’s a good idea to use some heavier tackle if you’re catch-and-release fishing in this warmer water, as it reduces the mortality rate on these larger breeding-size bass.
North Shore
Fishing has been good up on the north shore of Long Island, and should continue right through the upcoming holiday. The striped bass and bluefish are still putting on the feed bag just about every night, and the bottom fishing has been impressing even the most jaded Long Island Sound anglers. There has been a lot of sea bass hanging around in the sound this season, including some really impressive “biscuits” of up to 4 pounds. Fluke fishing has also settled into a nice consistency, with enough keepers around to justify targeting them. Packing along some 1- to 2-ounce Spro bucktails is a good idea if you’re targeting the larger flatfish, especially when the drifting conditions are less than ideal. I usually carry Spros in a few colors, but my two favorites for fluking have always been white and “crazy” chartreuse.
Metro New York
The Island Current Fleet out of City Island has been sending happy anglers home with nice bags of filets on just about every trip. Nighttime bass and bluefish trips have consistently produced good results, with plenty of linesiders in the mix to keep things interesting. Bass have been on the larger side, with some fish tipping the scales at over 30 pounds. Fresh bunker chunks have been the ticket, and this bite should continue well into the month of July. The Current has been doing well on their daily bottom fishing trips. Captain Chris commented that there has been more sea bass around the Long Island Sound this year than he has ever seen. This is a great sign for the overall health of the fishery. Fluke fishing has been productive, with good numbers of keeper fish and even a few legitimate doormats caught in 40 feet of water. If you’re looking for an interesting way to watch the fireworks this week, the Island Current will be running their annual trip to watch the display. This trip departs at 6pm on the Fourth.
Upstate
There’s almost an unlimited amount of sweetwater angling options to be found upstate right now. From deepwater trolling for salmon and brown trout on Lake Ontario, to trout fishing for big holdover rainbows on the Upper Delaware River System, to great northern pike fishing, and just about everywhere in between, it is definitely a great time of year to be an avid angler in the northern parts of the state. Word from the crew at Narby’s Station in Kent is that the best bite has been found in 100 to 200 feet of water trolling anywhere from 50 to 100 feet down. Although the lake conditions were less than ideal over recent days, the bite has been good when the fleet has been able to get off the dock. The large brown trout that have been around for a while are still making up most of the day’s catch, although recently, more chinook salmon have been striking at a variety of trolling spoons.
Best Bets
It’s another tough call this week, simply due to the sheer volume of quality angling options to be found around the state. I think we can all agree however, that this is a good problem. This weekend, I’d try connecting your angling plans with your Fourth of July plans. If your family is counting on you to put some fish on the table, I’d consider getting on your local half-day boat this weekend for some local bottom fishing. Between the jumbo porgies and the good number of large sea bass hanging around, you shouldn’t have much of a problem providing most of the protein for even a large get-together. Striper fishing outside the western south shore inlets remains a great option, and even the party boats have been doing well with their nighttime bass and bluefish trips. If you’re planning on doing some surfcasting over the weekend, it’s definitely the time of year to focus your energy on the nighttime session. There are some nice fish still working their way into the wash to feed, but you’re much more likely to run into a handful of them after dark. It’s also the time of year when I start throwing darters at night almost exclusively and retrieving them so slow that it could be considered comical. No matter what your plans are this weekend, the most important thing is to be safe. Tight lines everyone and enjoy the holiday.
Nice catch!