North Shore Long Island Fishing Report

Striped bass are still the main game in town, and the key to connecting with them is finding the schools of bunker. John at Terminal Tackle in King’s Park reported that there was no consistency to finding the bigger fish, as the bunker schools have been moving around in the Sound. He recommended fishing the drop-offs and points of the various harbors. If you cannot find the bunker, he mentioned that anglers trolling spoons and parachutes are still finding some decent fish. Cow Harbor Bait and Tackle in Northport reported that there was a cinder worm hatch in the back of the harbor this week and the bass made their way back there to feed on them.

Anglers targeting fluke are seeing a lot of action with mainly shorts, but if you put in your time, you will find the keepers. I witnessed this action first hand while fishing aboard the Osprey V out of Port Jefferson earlier this week. There were a few keepers caught, but we had a lot of action with shorts in the 16- to 18-inch range. The pool winner of the day was a 4-pound fluke landed by non other than my Dad (I still can’t seem to out-fish him!). Robert at Hi Hook Bait and Tackle in Huntington mentioned areas to the west, such as Smithtown Bay and LIPA have also been producing excellent action, with shallow waters (less than 30 feet) producing bets catches.

Porgy catches are still increasing throughout the area as large schools of sand eels have entered the area. No one place seems to be hotter than the other as all the normal rock piles and mussel beds are holding fish. Chum is the key to keeping the fish around the boat once you locate them.

 

Metro New York Fishing Report

Bass and bluefish are keeping anglers in the metro area very happy. Louie at Island Bait and Tackle in the Bronx has had some amazing bass fishing this week. On his last outing, he and his crew landed 21 keepers to 40 pounds on bunker chunks. He said the best time has been sunrise/sunset, especially when those times coincides with the outgoing tide. John at Jack’s Bait and Tackle in City Island reported that cocktail bluefish have invaded the local area, while John at Hudson Park Bait and Tackle in New Rochelle said anglers have been trolling up gorillas to 16 pounds in the northern side of the Sound. On the south side of the city, Bernie’s Fishing Tackle in Brooklyn reported anglers trolling spoons and parachutes around Romer Shoals and Norton Point have been doing very well with bass. Bass fishing has also been good inside Jamaica Bay for those anglers live-lining or chunking bunker.

Fluke fishing has also been very good throughout the area. Even though most of the catch is made up of shorts, anglers are still able to fill their limits. John at Hudson Park Bait and Tackle recommended spreading out and trying areas other than the same old spots to find some schools of larger fish. Louie from Island Bait and Tackle said fluke fishing behind the shop, buoy 46, east of Heart Island, and the Throgs Neck Bridge has been excellent. In Brooklyn, Stella Maris Bait and Tackle reported that the area around Norton Point and the Marine Park Bridge have been producing a good amount of fluke. Canarsie Pier has been a good location for fluke anglers fishing from shore. Bernie’s Fishing Tackle said several of their customers have been catching fluke from the pier to 23 inches. For the boat angler, Rockaway Reef and the channels of Jamaica Bay have been holding a good amount of fluke.

 

South Shore Long Island Fishing Report

The big news along the South Shore comes in the way of the offshore scene with many of the season’s first sharks being caught. Several anglers out of Bay Park Fishing Station in Oceanside have caught many blue sharks, weighed in or released makos to 262 pounds, and even had a catch and release of a thresher. Trophy Tackle in West Babylon also had some offshore news of makos and bluefin at the Chicken Canyon.

Closer to port, Bay Park Fishing Center reported that bass still continue to fall for bunker spoons being trolled in 50 feet of water west of Debs Inlet. While Causeway Bait and Tackle Shop in Wantagh reported that there was consistent bass action for anglers using clam chum and drifting bellies in the inlet and all the area bridges.

The Great South Bay is still seeing good action with bass, blues, weakfish and kingfish at all the local docks. Weakfish have made an exceptional appearance this year and Chasing Tails Bait and Tackle in Oakdale suggests using jelly worms, sand worms or kastmasters to catch some of these weaks. They also reported that fluke fishing in the ocean in approximately 60 feet of water has really heated up, with the Head Buoy being the hot spot.

Shinnecock Bay has had a decent bass bite from the inlet to the bridge for those anglers using clams according to White Water Outfitters in Hampton Bays. Inside the bay has had a better fluke bite than in the ocean, but weather conditions could be accounting for this. Ken at Tight Lines in Sag Harbor also said the weather lately has not been cooperating. Before last weekends rain and wind, anglers were catching bass to 47 pounds on eels at both the north and south ferry slips. After the storm the action dropped off due to dirty water, but should pick back up as it calms back down. He also mentioned that sinker bouncers have been very happy with the return of the blowfish again this year.

 

North Fork Fishing Report

Bill at Jamesport Bait and Tackle in Mattituck reported that the fluke bite in the Sound is good, but a lot of shorts for every one keeper. Anglers have also been catching some weakfish while fluke fishing in the area of the Motel. Porgy fishing has been very good from the Firing Range to the Motel.

 

Montauk Fishing Report

According to Star Island Marina in Montauk there has been a lot of bluefish along local beaches, with bass in the teens mixing in. Last weekends bad weather slowed the action a bit, but some fish were still there, as Ben McCarron took first place in Paulie’s Tackle of Montauk’s Surf Tournament this past weekend with 44.75-pound bass. This bass was caught under the light on a bucktail. Fluke fishing is still good in the ocean if the seas allow, with fish to 6 pounds being caught in the North Rips. Inside the bay, porgies and loads of blowfish are being caught around Gardiners Island.

 

 

 

Best Bets for the Weekend

Fishing is very good, when the weather cooperates. As of now, the upcoming weekend’s forecast looks very promising. If sea conditions allow, I would try to target fluke in the ocean in the 40- to 60-foot depths. With all the small fish in the bay, getting outside might be the key to landing a doormat. Try using large baits in order to weed through the shorts.

Finding bunker is still the key to finding the larger bass. If you are looking for more action rather than actual size, I would hit the beach in the early morning or late evening and toss plugs or rubber lures.

With a diversity of fish such as porgies, blowfish, and kingfish, bottom fishing can be a lot of fun. Anchoring over a rock pile or wreck, and sending down a couple sleeves of clam chum is a recipe for an action packed trip.