North Shore Long Island Fishing Report
The wind this week made conditions a little tough to get out, but it was well worth it for those that were able to hit the water for porgy. John at Terminal Tackle in Kings Park said the scup bite is very good on clams and squid off the beach and out to 50 feet of water on rock piles and from Cranes Neck to Eatons Neck. Captain Mark of the Celtic Quest out of Port Jefferson reported very good bottom fishing with plenty of porgy filling buckets around the boat in all depths, and a good showing of sea bass and blues were also in the mix.
Mark at Cow Harbor Bait & Tackle in Northport said it is the same old story with bluefish. They moved around a bit with the new moon this week, but if you just do a little searching, you are likely to run into some. Bunker are still stacked on the North Shore, but it seems now like some harbors have a lot and some don’t have any. Mark also said a few bass are around, but it is mainly limited to schoolies. Captain Stu of Northport Charters out of Northport was able to jig up a few bluefish to 10 lbs in 60-100 feet of water with an occasional short striper hitting the rails. John from Terminal Tackle said there are some big blues and a handful of stripers to 20 lbs on the bunker schools in Huntington Harbor.
Captain Stu of Northport Charters wanted to remind anglers that he will begin sailing for blackfish on the season opener October 5th and can accommodate up to 14 passengers. The shops will also be carrying green crabs starting next week.
South Shore Long Island Fishing Report
Joe at Trophy Tackle in West Babylon said that the rough ocean and high winds didn’t allow for many anglers to get out this week, and with fluke season now closed the reports were difficult to come by. However, there are a few noteworthy things going on around the South Shore. Mike at White Water Outfitters in Hampton Bays said porgy and sea bass moved around in Shinnecock Bay and were being caught under the bridge this week.
Bay Park Fishing Station in Oceanside reported stripers to 25 lbs caught under the bunker schools on the AB Reef on an outgoing tide over the weekend. Bass are also starting to pick up on the bunker schools outside of Shinnecock Inlet, according to Mike at White Water.
I had the opportunity to head out with Captain Greg Metzger of Reel Science Charters and On The Water contributor Chris Paparo of Fish Guy Photos on Saturday for some fast albie action. We were fishing in the afternoon at high tide and slammed quite a few nice sized fish. We had to navigate around all the last minute fluke anglers to chase them down as they were popping up all over outside Shinnecock Inlet.
Metro Long Island Fishing Report
John at Jack’s Bait & Tackle in the Bronx is hoping for another month of the excellent porgy fishing in the area. The bite is hot at Mamaroneck and Rye on sandworms, clams, and chum. Frank from Bernie’s Fishing Tackle in Brooklyn reported very good scup fishing in the bay off Floyd Bennett Field and around the Marine Parkway Bridge and also out at the Rockaway Reef with sea bass to 4 lbs mixed in. Center Island, the Execution Lighthouse, and Hens & Chickens also have a good showing of porgy, and there are sea bass galore at the Prospect Point slopes caught on small diamond jigs and Deadly Dicks, according to John at Hudson Park Bait and Tackle in New Rochelle.
Frank at Bernie’s said the fluke season ended nicely with keepers to 10 lbs caught at the Breezy Point Jetty and the Tin Can Grounds. A few weakfish also to 10 lbs have shown up off Mill Basin and Floyd Bennett Field, according to Stretch at Stella Maris Bait & Tackle in Brooklyn.
Stretch also reported huge chopper blues of 18-20 lbs are hanging out by the Mud Buoy, and a few bass were caught at night while drifting eels at the Marine Parkway Bridge, the Verrazano Bridge, and the Breezy Point Jetty. False albacore are blitzing off Jacob Riis Park and Fort Tilden, and the party boats have been hitting them on the Coney Island Flats, according to Frank at Bernie’s.
East End/North Fork Long Island Fishing Report
East End bottom fishing continues to be solid with Steve at Wego Bait & Tackle in Southold reporting plenty of porgy and sea bass in Peconic Bay and in the Sound. Captain Bob of Rainbow Charters out of Orient said the boat has been doing well for sea bass around the eastern channel of islands. Scup and sea bass fishing is also phenomenal off the Point and in the Rips, according to David at Westlake Marina in Montauk.
Captain Bob of Rainbow Charters reported a good amount of bluefish at the Gut and the Race with a few bass mixed in while drifting bucktails. Steve at Wego also said there is a small daytime bass bite on eels in the Sound off Hortons. On the South Fork, Maureen from Gone Fishing Marina in Montauk reported a few bass taken off the Lighthouse. For anyone wanting a bit faster action, the albies were blitzing like crazy off the Point this week, according to Courtney from Montauk Marine Basin in Montauk.
David at Westlake said a few nice Bigeye and yellowfin were caught out at Fish Tails this week for those able to get out.
Best Bets for the Weekend
Last weekend was a bit tough to get out, and this weekend looks like more of the same. As of Thursday, we were looking at significant wave heights of over 7 feet. It is supposed to lay down a bit by the weekend, but the estimated 4 footers might still keep a lot of folks tied up at the dock. If conditions allow, porgy fishing is still off the charts. The fish are holding well to hard structure, and it doesn’t look like that is changing anytime soon. With the sea bass bite picking up and blackfish season opening very soon, bottom fishing is a sure thing for the near future.
Bass fishing might prove a bit tough this weekend and with the forecast I can’t see a lot of boats out. However, a few smaller fish are showing up in the back of the bays and harbors and in the inlets, which you might be able to take advantage of from shore.
The false albacore are really making their presence known around Eastern Long Island. Boats are hitting them pretty hard and are able to chase the schools down, but the fish are buzzing the shorelines and jetties too, so beach anglers have also been able to get a shot at them. The blitzes are easy enough to spot, and you can throw a tin out pretty far to reach them.