The race to fall is on. The days are getting shorter, and slowly but surely, the water temperatures are falling off their seasonal highs. Some larger stripers have finally started to move west, and have already set up pretty thick in places like Moriches Inlet. Ocean fluking continues to be productive, and there’s been a good amount of double-digit doormats caught off the east end and western south shore this week. We’re in a transitional phase of the season, when fisheries turn on-and-off like a light switch, and anglers need to be prepared for just about anything when they hit the water. Here’s the breakdown
East End
Scott from Star Island Yacht Club reports that conditions have been a little on the “rollie” side in Montauk over the the past several days, causing most of the fleet to fish on the north side of the Lighthouse to stay out of the large groundswell. Fortunately, the bass have remained cooperative. Although the average size fish is down compared to out in the rips off the point, there’s been a good number of stripers caught weighing in the mid-teens alongside the ever present 8- to 10-pound bluefish. Earlier in the week, some big fluke were caught out in the Frisbees area including one doormat which tipped the scales at over 13 pounds. Offshore, there’s the usual smattering of 30- to 50-pound yellowfins being caught as well as a decent amount of bigeyes including some that have weighed in at over 200 pounds.
The report from the surf is that “there’s definitely some fish around” according to Paulie at Paulie’s Tackle of Montauk. Nothing huge to speak of yet, but there’s been good numbers of teen-sized fish showing up in surf on the north side and directly under the Lighthouse. Darters and needlefish are the way to go during the overnight session according to Paulie, and white bucktails with a red-and-while pork rind remains the preferred option during the daytime. The surf’s been kicked up a little due to Hurricane Leslie to the south, so be careful if you’re planning on making a trip to the Lighthouse this weekend.
In Sag Harbor, the word from Ken at Tight Lines Bait and Tackle is that fishing has been a little on the slow side overall in the Peconic, most likely due to water temperatures in still holding just south of 80 degrees. There has been some glimmers of hope in recent days, however, and with plenty of bait in the area there’s a good chance the region will see a good run of fish before the end of the month. Weakfish have been one of the main highlights recently, and the Peconic is “loaded up” right now according to Ken. Although most of the fish are cookie-cutter 1- to 2- pounders, there’s also been some nicer specimens in the mix including a few reaching double digits on the scale.
South Shore
The bite off the eastern south shore has picked up steam over the past few weeks, as water temperatures dropped into the low 70s. “Moriches Inlet is loaded up with bass right now,” was the word from Frank at Chasing Tails Bait and Tackle in Oakdale. Ocean fluking has remained strong out in the deeper water, and anglers are doing best in the neighborhood of 75 to 80 feet. Inshore, sea bass fishing is still holding on with the occasional 4-pound-class knothead mixing in with the smaller keepers, there’s also been a good amount of triggers and northern pufferfish still showing up in the area. Inside the bay, there’s been a good amount of large blue claw crabs inside the estuaries this year, a good opportunity for shore-bound anglers looking to put something different on the table. In Babylon, the crew at Trophy Bait & Tackle reports that the fluke and weakfish are still holding in the area although few people have made it out in recent days do to the weather. However, some of the offshore trips that got out early in the week and over the past weekend caught some nice bigeye tuna in the 180- to low 200-pound class. The stripers are still far-and-few between in the area, and will likely start showing up when water temperatures fall another five or six degrees in the area.
North Shore
Water temperatures are still sitting in the mid 70s throughout most of Long Island Sound, but the fishing has already started to take a turn for the better. Mark at Cow Harbor Bait and Tackle in Northport reports that it was a good weekend for fishing in the area overall, and things look to get even better as we move into the middle of September. The area is loaded with peanut bunker for the first time in several seasons and the bass and bluefish are starting to key in on them. Stripers are being caught in the neighborhood of 40 feet with chunks of fresh bunker, along with some larger bluefish. Porgies have also been plentiful lately, and some big fish are being caught on the local rock piles and even from local jetties. Out in Mattituck, the crew at Jamesport Bait and Tackle reports that porgy fishing in the sound remains strong, and that the blue and striper fishing is picking up now that the water is beginning to cool off. Fishing deeper water structure with cut bait remains the best way to hook up with a few linesider, but the fish should also start responding to diamond jigs over the coming weeks. Some of the shops regulars have also been doing well on weakfish in the Peconic in the Roes’s Grove and also fishing deeper water in the neighborhood of 60 feet. There’s also been a good amount of large porgies around the south side of Robin’s Island, near buoy 22 and cocktails blues have been thick by buoy 17 off Jessip’s Neck.
Metro
It’s the time of year when it seems like any species can show up in the New York Bight, and this seems to be the year of the shark. Stories of a great white being caught off a Manhattan pier surfaced this week, and the crew at Bernies Fishing Tackle in Brooklyn pointed me to a YouTube video of a dozen sharks feeding on a bunker pod 50 yards off Island Beach State Park. Fishing’s been pretty good overall according to the crew at Bernie’s, porgies are being caught just about everywhere and there’s been some huge gator blues running through the area chasing them. One angler, Victor Pasquin, landed a 20-pound 4-ounce bluefish this week while fishing on the local headboat flamingo – a truly impressive catch. If you’re looking for linesiders around the city this weekend, your best bet is to fish chunks of fresh bunker during the overnight hours — just be prepared to fish a few hours or tides to get a bite.
Upstate
There’s still some decent fishing opportunities to be found right now across the upstate region, and it won’t be long before fall patterns begin to take hold. In the foothills of the southern Adirondacks, Bill from Jim’s Bait & Tackle reports the walleye, pike and smallmouth fishing remains decent on Lake Sacandaga. The key right now is fishing deep, over 15 feet of water, and fishing with live bait. Shiners have been producing some fish but nightcrawlers have also been producing when drifted just off the bottom on a small jig head. Largemouth fishing has been slow over recent weeks although it should pick up quickly once water temperatures in the lake fall into the high 60s.
Best Bets
Although the action has started to spread west, the east end of Long Island remains the best bet if you’re chasing striped bass this weekend. You won’t have to worry about excessive holiday traffic, and the fishing in the rips should be good this weekend especially after a few days of minimal fishing pressure due to the recent bad weather. Hurricane Leslie will continue to throw some swells our way, so make sure to check out the latest marine forecast before heading out. Moriches Inlet is also a good option for stripers this weekend. Drifting eels at night has been consistently producing keeper-size bass over the past week and the bite should continue to improve as we head toward the new moon this month. Moriches and Montauk are also the two best options for hooking a few nice doormats this weekend. If you can get out east this weekend, consider jumping on a local headboat for a day of bottom fishing. Sea bass fishing remains strong along the entire south shore, and there’s a solid mix of ling, triggerfish and porgies to round out the day’s catch. Tight lines.