Montauk Madness!
Water temperatures have fallen into the 60s in most coastal areas, and many fisheries around the state are as active as they’ve been since spring. Migratory species are chewing hard as they prepare for the annual migration. Striper fishing in Montauk remains nothing short of phenomenal, and looks to stay that way for the foreseeable future. Some bass have started their push west along the south shore of the island, and places like Shinnecock and Moriches are holding good numbers of keeper bass. Blackfish season opens tomorrow and should be hot right from the start, giving anglers one another great fishing option to enjoy this fall. Here’s the breakdown.
East End
Montauk is in classic form right now. Full on blitzes are pushing bass right onto the beach at mid day, as baitfish in the area become increasing desperate for refuge. There’s a lot of small rainbait in the area, making the linesiders a little picky at times. However, there’s also some larger bait like mullet pushing through periodically. Smaller profile lures like tins and bucktails are a good option when the rainbait is thick but larger plugs like pencil poppers and bottle plugs will work when larger forage is pushing through. Captain Lou from Star Island Yacht Club reports another overall great week of fishing at The End. Bass fishing has been as consistent as ever, with swarms of 20- and 30-pound fish pushing bait up to the surface. A large variety of topwater plugs will work when the bass are blitzing, basically anything the roughly matches the profile of what they’re feeding on. When the fishing on feeding on the bottom, live eels drifted on a three-way rig have been producing fish around the clock. The albies have also been thick recently, and Captain Lou has been seeing pods of them on top from the Elbow all the way to Block Island on a recent trips. As usual, small tins like Deadly Dicks are getting the attention of the hardtails but small unweighted soft plastics worked erratically on top are also doing well. The sea bass are still thick south of Block Island, and Captin Lou is also hoping for a fast start to the 2012 tog season.
Shinnecock and Peconic Bay
Stripers are stacked up in Montauk to say the least, but some linesiders are already beginning their move west. Shinnecock has seen a marked increase in the number of keeper-size bass in the area over the past two weeks. “There’s plenty of bass in the inlet,” was the word from Bryce at White Water Outfitters in Hampton Bays. Drifting live eels at night through the inlet on a three-way rig is a good bet for getting into the bass. Casting them from the jetty on a three foot leader above a half ounce barrel sinker is a good option from the jetty. The ocean beaches are also producing some nice bass from the surf. Although it’s not out of the question to hook a teen-size bass from the suds on a metal at mid day, throwing darters and needlefish at night’s you’re best option for hearing the reel scream. The false albacore have been pushing inside the inlet occasionally. It’s not an every tide thing or even an everyday thing but Bryce reports it’s often enough to justify keeping an albie rod rigged and ready to go. Ken from Tight Lines Bait and Tackle in Sag Harbor reports most of his local sharpies are enjoying the incredible fishing out in Montauk. Blackfish should also get off to a good start in the Shinnecock area, and Bryce recommends fishing “as shallow as you feel comfortable” to start the season.
South Shore
Reef fishing is hot right now along the entire south shore, with big numbers of sea bass, porgies and triggerfish still being caught in 40 to 60 feet of water. Striped bass and bluefish are beginning to make their push west along the sand beaches of Long Island, providing a good opportunity for surfcasters. In general, there’s more bass to the east right now and getting out toward Moriches if the best bet for stripers. Small metals will work on these migrating fish, especially when they’re keyed-in on small bait. When there’s larger bait moving through your area like mullet or shad, wooden plugs like pencil poppers should raise some fish even at mid day. Ed from Jones Beach Fishing Station at field 10 reports a lot of bait in the area including rainbait, mullet, spearing, shad and adult bunker. There’s still some kingfish around, and even some nice weaks moving inside the bay. Some of Ed’s local crew has even been catching some nice northern puffers off the end of the pier. Offshore, the great action continues with an increasing amount of yellowfin and longfin tuna in the mix.
North Shore
Bass fishing has picked up significantly in the Long Island Sound. Mark from Cow Harbor Bait and Tackle in Northport reports a ton of adult bunker in the area and the bass are on them. Live lining a freshly snagged bunker below the large schools of bait is a good bet for attracting the attention of a few keeper linesiders. Just be prepared to loose a few baits and rigs to the marauding bluefish that are set up pretty thick in the area pretty thick. The porgies are also still holding off the north shore in pretty decent numbers, and holding in a variety of depths — anywhere from 15 to 45 feet.
Metro New York
Water temperatures are still holding in the low 70s in some parts of the New York Bight, but has already fallen into the high 60s in other areas. Jumbo porgies are thick on the local structure, and anglers fishing on headboats like the Marilyn Jean IV out of Sheepshead Bay have been cashing in. Captain Tony from many anglers have been reaching their limit by day’s end. There’s also some nice sea bass around, though it won’t be long before they begin their offshore migration.
Upstate
There’s a lot happening in the fisheries upstate right now as sweetwater species start making their preparations for late fall and winter. In the Catskills region, the crew at Beaverkill Angler in Roscoe reports that trout fishing continues to be strong on the east and west branches of the Delaware River. Small flying ants are hatching as well as olives, caddis, and even a few cahills. Most area rivers are very wadable right now. Just remember to stop into Beaverkill to pick up your new fishing license. Fishing for steelhead and salmon in the Lake Ontario region has been pretty good overall, and the only low-water levels all the streams is all that’s holding things up. However, the crew up at Narby’s Station reports that fish are coming in every day. Wooly Buggers, nymphs and egg sac patterns have all been producing fish. Nice salmon are being caught from the local piers at night, small swimming plugs like Rapalas retrieved slowly should do the trick.
Best Bets
Montauk. It’s hard to even suggest anything else. The only downside to The End this weekend is the inevitable monster crowds. Ken from Tight Lines Bait & Tackle warned anglers to be prepared for chaos if fishing under the Lighthouse this weekend. Consider targeting the sand beaches around Shinnecock if you’re looking for linesiders and solace this weekend – because the Point is going to be shoulder-to-shoulder and several deep. Another idea is waiting until Sunday to fish Montauk, the crowds will be lighter and the wind is forecasted to swing from southwest to north. Upstate, checking out Troutoberfest at up at Beaverkill Angler in Roscoe is a great idea for the weekend. They’ll be a ton of great demos and industry professionals on hand to help you catch more trout.