North Shore Long Island Fishing Report
The porgy bite continues to get better this week with catches being a little more consistent. Phil at Cow Harbor Bait & Tackle in Northport said that the larger spawning scup have been found at the Brush Pile and Target Rock. John from Terminal Tackle in Kings Park also reported porgy off the beaches at Sunken Meadow and Callahan’s.
The fluke season started off pretty nicely on the North Shore with keepers being landed outside Asharoken, the LIPA power plant, Sand City, and Lloyd Harbor, according to Robert from Hi Hook Bait and Tackle in Huntington. Phil at Cow Harbor said that the guys who are trying out their summer spots haven’t had much luck since the water is still too cold at those depths. Instead, focus on water that is 20 feet or less, which has accounted for 23 to 24 inch fluke. John at Terminal Tackle also said fish to 25 inches have been found in front of the Nissequoge, and it seems like different schools with larger fish move into the area every few days.
While many of the bass in the area are still schoolie size, Robert at Hi Hook said a few keepers have been coming from Buoy 15, Cold Spring Harbor, and Eatons Neck. Phil from Cow Harbor added that many of the North Shore harbors and inlets are holding fish in about 20 feet of water and are being caught on chunks.
South Shore Long Island Fishing Report
Peconic Bay is lighting up right now. The giant porgy and bluefish bites are phenomenal, according to Bryce from White Water Outfitters in Hampton Bays, and weakfish of 6 to 10 pounds have also been caught this week. The fluking has been a bit tougher since anglers are having a hard time getting their bait past the scup and blues, but there is enough going on to warrant a trip.
The fluke bite is a bit better toward the western South Shore. John at Trophy Tackle in West Babylon said both fluke and weakfish have been caught in good numbers in Fire Island Inlet, and Joe from Causeway Bait and Tackle in Wantagh added that Merrick Bay is holding a good amount of flatties. Bay Park Fishing Station in Oceanside reported that there are keepers up to 5.5 pounds coming from Reynolds Channel on bucktails tipped with spearing.
Bryce at White Water said bass can still be found in the tidal areas, but they are spreading out more each week, and the Ponquogue Bridge and Shinnecock Inlet have been very productive. Further to the west, Jamaica Bay has been responsible for bass to 24 pounds and blue to 15 pounds all on live bunker or chunks, according to Bay Park. A few fish have also been landed around the Atlantic Beach Bridge and south of Debs Inlet.
Metro Long Island Fishing Report
The porgy action is slow as most of the schools are still to the east, but John at Hudson Park Bait and Tackle in New Rochelle reported that the fluke bite started off pretty well with limits of keepers off the shores of Bayville. Vinny from Bernie’s Fishing Tackle in Brooklyn said the Rockaways and Floyd Bennett Field have been producing some nice catches as well.
Stripers continue to be the big news in western Long Island. John at Jack’s Bait and Tackle in the Bronx reported some nice keepers on chunks at the Throgs Neck Bridge, and John at Hudson Park added that bass up to 36 inches have been found around Captains Island. Stretch from Stella Maris Bait and Tackle in Brooklyn said there are bluefish everywhere, and large concentrations of fish can be found off Manhattan Beach, Canarsie Pier, Coney Island, Floyd Bennett Field, and Great Kills with some bass mixed in.
East End Long Island Fishing Report
The fluke bite didn’t start out incredible on the East End, but there was a pick of fish in 50 to 60 feet of water at the Radar Tower, according to Paulie from Paulie’s Bait and Tackle in Montauk. He also said a few scup can be found in Cherry Harbor.
On the bass front, Harry at Star Island Marina in Montauk said most of the stripers are small, but a few keepers and bluefish have mixed in on the south side. Bill from Jamesport Bait and Tackle in Mattituck also said bass can found in the Peconic around the Route 105 Bridge and Indian Island.
Best Bets for the Weekend
If you want to catch a little bit of everything, head east the Peconic. Jumbo porgy and blues have taken over and will keep you busy, but you can also find big weakfish, bass, and fluke in the mix.
The fluke season opened up pretty nicely in a lot of locations. If you don’t want to deal with porgy competing for your bait, western Long Island is the place to be. The Rockaways, Floyd Bennett Field, and Reynolds Channel have all been doing well on the fluke front, but you can also try some shallow North Shore areas outside of the harbors or the South Shore inlets.
For nice size keeper bass, bigger fish are flooding out of the Hudson, and you have a chance right now to hit them before they all move east. Smaller bass can be found just about everywhere around the Island, but since the bluefish moved in, you most likely will be catching more of those for a while.