New York Fishing Report 10-11-2012

Classic fall run conditions can be found across Long Island right now as cooler nights and shorter days jumpstart coastal fisheries. Bass remain in full-on blitz mode out at Montauk, with big numbers of 28- to 36-inch fish pushing through the rips and into the wash under the lighthouse. Tog fishing is off to a good start in shallow water, and the bite should get better as we head toward the end of the month. Sea bass and porgy fishing remains strong off the South Shore’s artificial reefs, and there’s even a few knotheads still showing up in the Long Island Sound alongside good numbers of jumbo porgies. The October new moon tides begin in just a few days, and fishing should go from good-to-great by this Sunday and continue through the middle of next week. Here’s the breakdown.

Long Island East End Fishing Report
Montauk continues to see big numbers of keeper-size bass out in the rips and feeding between the rocks under the Lighthouse. “Fishing has picked back up” reports Nick from Paulie’s Tackle of Montauk, adding that the overnight session and first light have been producing best. Fishing had slowed down for a few days following two solid weeks of red-hot fishing, but has quickly regained its momentum. Bucktails have been producing best at first light with big numbers of 10- to 20-pound class fish being caught, and Nick commented that the south side has been very productive during overnight sessions recently for anglers throwing needlefish when the conditions are right. Nick is banking on the new moon tides this month to bring some real cow bass back into the wash.

The word from Scott at Star Island Yacht Club is that fishing has remained phenomenal over the past week despite the windy conditions. The bass have been all over the north side of the lighthouse, and both boat and surf anglers have been cashing in on the action. The charter fleet at Star Island has been producing plenty of linesiders for customers trolling parachute jigs on wire setups as well as drifting live eels, spots and croakers on three way rigs through the rips or over structure. Scott also mentioned that blackfishing has been hot in 15 to 25 feet of water.

Winds are forecasted to swing from the west to the north on Friday, making the north side of the Lighthouse a good surfcasting option for the pre-dawn hours on Saturday. False albacore also continue popping up on the north side and may be pushed toward the beach. The blitzing bass have also pushed west into the Shinnecock area in bigger numbers, and at times are spilling inside the inlet in big numbers. False albacore also continue to make an occasional appearance. The upcoming new moon tides should provide some of the best fishing for linesiders in the area since spring. Live eels drifted on a three-way swivel remain the go-to option at night, at white bucktails and topwater plugs have been producing good numbers of fish at first light.

Long Island South Shore Fishing Report
There’s lots of activity along Long Island’s south shore as the migration begins to spread west. Migratory bass have started showing up as far west as Jones Inlet in big numbers, and the Captree Fleet has been having some banner nighttime trips recently. The crew at Trophy Tackle in Babylon reports an increasing amount of bass in the inlets, though only a few anglers have been cashing in. Most diehard surf rats in the area have been keyed-in on Montauk, and ignoring the increasingly productive local haunts for the time being. Offshore has been a similar situation, bigeye longfin and yellowfin tuna are out in the canyons in good numbers, along with a few swordfish, but fewer boats are heading out to target them.

Long Island North Shore Fishing Report
Water temperatures are dropping in the Long Island Sound, though they’re still a few degrees warmer than the south shore. However, the north shore fisheries are also coming to life. John from Terminal Tackle in Kings Park reports hot porgy fishing just about everywhere along the north shore, and fishing are being caught in single-digit depths all the way up to 60 feet. Large keeper porgies are still being caught off the beach, John mentioned, a little unusual for this late in the season. Cocktail bluefish have also been a common sight along the north shore beaches, and more than willing to strike at small metals and topwater plugs. Larger blues are being caught on diamond jigs and on the chunk out in the mid-sound with an increasing amount of linesiders mixing in according to John. Diamond jigging over structure in the way to go while the tide is running, then considering anchoring up and chunking fresh bunker when it begins slacking out. Mark at Cow Harbor Bait & Tackle in Northport has seen some nice bass come into the shop in recent days, including two that checked in at just under 40 pounds. False albacore action has also been hot out in the mid sound, with lots of fish up on top and willing to hit an assortment of flies, small metals and un-weighted soft plastics. Blackfish season is off to a decent start, and the Cow Harbor crew has been finding some keeper tog in shallow water, in the neighborhood of 15 to 25 feet.

Metro New York Fishing Report
Bottom fishing has been great recently for the headboats out Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn. Big sea bass are still around on the local pieces in good numbers, as well as plenty of scup and even a few tog and triggerfish. Recent trips on the Marilyn Jean IV have seen good numbers of large black sea bass and the crew reports this has been some of the best action they’ve seen all year. Water temperatures in the New York Bight have fallen significantly and are now more-or-less in line with temperatures along the entire south shore. The Island Current Fleet up in City Island has also seen the overall quality of the bite increase significantly on recent trips. Quality porgy fishing continues in the western sound, and the nighttime chunking trips have have been great recently and should get even better during the upcoming new moon tides.

Upstate New York Fishing Report
Trout fishing remains solid up in the Catskills region according to Matt at Beaverkill Angler in Roscoe. Hatches are becoming a little more sporadic, though that’s to be expected at this stage of the season. The regulars at Beaverkill are still running into hatches of olives and caddis flies, and fish are feeding on them aggressively. Nymphs and streams have also been producing well as fish look in bulk up in anticipation of the lean winter months. Matt commented that anglers shouldn’t be afraid to toss large stream patterns at this time in the season, as the larger fish in the rivers are on the hunt for big meals. Beaverkill’s Troutoberfest was a big hit last weekend, and will become an annual Columbus Day weekend event.

Up on Lake Ontario, salmon, steelhead and even a few brown trout are being caught on a daily basis according to the crew up at Narby’s Station in Kent. Fish are pushing into the creeks despite the low water conditions, and still being caught at night from the local piers. Swimming plugs like those made by Rapala and Bomber fished slowly have been drawing strikes most constantly. Egg sacs have been producing best during the day, and even a few walleye are being caught on shiners. In the streams, those fishing nymphs and Egg-Sucking Leech patterns have been doing well despite ongoing low-water conditions.

New York Fishing Forecast
Although the October new moon tides won’t really start cranking until the end of the weekend, fisheries should become increasingly more through the end of this week. It’s a particularly important mood phase for surfcasters, as the October new moon tides generally offer one of the best shots at landing a cow bass from the surf of the entire season. Blackfishing on your local headboat is a good second option if surfcasting isn’t in the cards. The bite is just getting going, and the new moon should help bring some large tog onto the shallow water pieces. Upstate, it’s a great time of year to throw big streamers in the Catskills region for huge native-born rainbow trout. Tight lines.