North Shore Long Island Fishing Report

Striper fishing hasn’t picked up on the North Shore yet, although you can find some fish hanging around in The Triangle. Phil at Cow Harbor Bait & Tackle in Northport said that anglers are still catching some schoolies and fish up to 15 pounds on chunks and the early morning is the best time. John at Terminal Tackle Inc in Kings Park also reported some fish are showing up at the back of the Nissequogue River at night, and guys are have been catching them using popping plugs or by trolling sandworms.

Small blues have been popping up here and there chasing bait in the area. Phil at Cow Harbor said larger fish of 5-7 pounds have been caught using diamond jigs in the inlets. The snapper front is still producing some fun for the younger anglers; however it looks like they are on their way out, according to John from Terminal Tackle.

It is a good thing that the fluke season is almost over since keeper fluke are virtually nonexistent on the North Shore. Most of the reports just talk about the shorts being caught.

Porgy seem to be “the only game in town”, according to John, since they are the only fish you can really count on right now. The scup are still all over the beaches, in the harbors, and on the piles, but Phil at said it looks like they are getting smaller. Because the bigger fish are moving out, it leaves room for some bigger sea bass than we have seen lately to move in. There are some nice sea bass in The Triangle that have been caught using clams and squid. Robert at Hi Hook Bait & Tackle in Huntington said that anglers who have been porgy fishing at Eatons Neck have been hooking up with some nice sized weakfish on clams and squid.

South Shore Long Island Fishing Report

More and more bass are showing up off the South Shore beaches every week. Morning and night are the best times and using bait, diamond jigs, and poppers have worked well if the fish are there. John from Trophy Tackle in West Babylon also said that there are some small keepers being caught in the Great South Bay and Fire Island Inlet on live baits.

There are a lot of bluefish schools all over the South Shore, especially from Jones Inlet to the Rockaways, according to Greg from Causeway Bait and Tackle in Wantagh. The guys on the boats have been having a better go at them as they are able to chase the birds. However, we were at Smith Point beach a few nights this week, and the blues were coming close enough for the surf. Bay Park Fishing Station in Oceanside also reported huge blues over 18 pounds caught around Buoy 4. Diamond jigs, poppers, and bait are all working right now. Snappers are still in the bays.

The fluke bite in the bays has been slowing down, although Greg from Causeway said that there have been keepers mixing in from the 3rd Wantagh Bridge to the Meadowbrook Bridge. He also reported that Hempstead Reef and Cholera Banks in 50 to 90 feet of water are doing well. According to Bay Park, the AB Reef continues to produce a nice amount of keepers on KO rigs with clam, and there are also reports that 3 miles south of Rockaway Reef has been good using spearing/squid combos.

The AB Reef, as well as the area to the south and west of it, has also been holding plenty of keeper porgy and sea bass in the 3- to 5-pound range. Bay Park also reported weakfish of 22 to 26 inches being caught in Reynold’s Channel on sandworms, with kingfish mixing in.

Metro Long Island Fishing Report

The Metro striper fishing has been sporadic with some shorts caught around Orchard Beach Section 1 and off the jetties, according to Louie from Island Bait and Tackle in the Bronx. There also have been reports of bigger fish over 25 pounds mixing in though, while using fresh bunker.

There are blues all over the area. John from Jack’s Bait and Tackle in the Bronx said blues of 10-13 pounds have been caught around Hart, Pea, and Huckleberry Islands. Fish up to 16 pounds have also been reported around the Stepping Stone Lighthouse and in 50 to 55 feet of water from Mattinecock to Rye. The snappers are still hanging out off the beaches and docks.

The fluke has slowed down drastically, but John from Hudson Park Bait and Tackle in New Rochelle said there is a steady stream of shorts caught while anglers are porgy fishing.

Louie from Island Bait said the islands, including Huckleberry and Davis, are stacked with porgy from 13-15 inches in 10 to 25 feet of water. Sandworms are working very well, but using clams while heavy chumming are getting the job done as well. Frank from Bernie’s Fishing Tackle in Brooklyn said weakfish from 7 to 8 pounds are hanging in Jamaica Bay and anglers have been using sandworms and live and filleted spot to catch them.

East End Long Island Fishing Report

Mike from Star Island Marina in Montauk said it seems there are good and bad days of striper fishing right now. If you happen to be there on a good day, the fish are in the usual spots, including The Elbow, Pollock Rip, and the North Rip. Bill at Jamesport Bait & Tackle in Mattituck also said the fish are still at Horton’s, and Ken from Tight Lines Tackle in Sag Harbor reported that there are stripers hanging out in the back of Shinnecock. Jigging, chunking, trolling, and eels have all been working.

The blues are bothering the anglers at all the bass grounds, as it is hard to get your bait past them. They are also cruising through Shinnecock Inlet, and it seems the sizes change with the tide. Anglers are catching cocktails to chopper sized fish.

The fluking has held steady this week, with fish in the 5 to 6 pound range being caught in about 60 feet of water in The Rips, at Frisbees, and off Amagansett using squid and spearing, according to Mike from Star Island.

The porgy bite has also held up with fish still throughout the Peconic and off of Horton’s and the Firing Range. Bill from Jamesport said you’ll also find weakfish, blowfish, small sea bass, and some great crabbing in the Bay as well. Ken from Tight Lines reported that the albies are popping up all over Montauk, mostly on the south side. There have also been some bonito mixed in.

Best Bets for the Weekend

The bass bite is still slow for now, unless you head out to Montauk, but it is even iffy there. The fishing will be picking up pretty soon with this cooler weather we have been having. In the meantime, the blues will keep your rods bent until the bass really start showing up.

The fluke season is almost over, so if you haven’t gotten your fill of them yet, now is your last chance to do so. Heading to the reefs east or west is the best bet for a last minute fluke fillet.

You should have no problem catching buckets of porgy, although they will be heading out pretty soon as it looks like the bigger ones might be leaving already. In their place will be some nice sized sea bass. The North Shore sea bass fishing is taking off, especially at The Triangle. Snappers are still abundant, although they will move off the shores soon as well.

And Montauk albies are finally here! That should get a lot of you anglers excited who have been patiently awaiting their arrival.