Long Island Fishing Report | October 9, 2014

North Shore Long Island Fishing Report

The weather was pretty tough on anglers this week as it was blowing about 30 knots consistently, but the bottom fishing was awesome for those that got out. John at Terminal Tackle in Kings Park said there are more big fish showing up, and sea bass to 2 lbs and porgy to 3 lbs were not uncommon at most hard bottom areas on the North Shore. Captain Stu of Northport Charters out of Northport said he had his best day of chartered bottom fishing last Friday with 125 porgy in the buckets, 20 keeper sea bass, and blues to 12 lbs. When the wind allowed this week, Captain Mark of the Celtic Quest out of Port Jefferson got out to the Middle Grounds and Old Field for some nice scup and sea bass action. The boat will start sailing for blackfish on October 18th. There is a lot of short blackfish activity on Asian and green crabs, but Carmine at Campsite Sports Shop in Huntington Station said the water is a bit too warm for the big guys to come around yet.

Captain Stu of Northport Charters reported that Britannia Marina in Northport is loaded with bunker, and big blues are slamming the bait. However, John at Terminal Tackle said the pods of bunker are thinning out in a few of the other harbors, and some of the better bluefishing has moved to deep water at Buoy 11B on jigs during the middle of the tide. Stripers are still hard to come by, but the occasional fish will get picked off the bunker schools and there is a hit or miss night bite in the Nissequogue. Carmine at Campsite said the bass are showing up little by little in better numbers, so it is only a matter of time before things really pick up.

South Shore Long Island Fishing Report

Bottom fishing on the South Shore is holding steady, and the opening of tog season gave anglers another fish to add to their buckets. Bill at Combs Bait & Tackle in Amityville said there is still a nice mixed bag in the bays consisting of porgy, sea bass, blowfish, and kingfish. As for blackfish, Bay Park Fishing Station in Oceanside reported tog to 8 lbs in Reynolds Channel on jigs tipped with crab. Captain Joe of the Jib VI out of Captree said the conditions were tough this week, but the boat had a few decent keepers on a good tide. Shinnecock Inlet is also holding a couple keeper blackfish as well, and anglers caught them on green and fiddler crabs, according to Bert from White Water Outfitters in Hampton Bays.

Bill at Combs Bait & Tackle reported schools of bunker running east of the Fire Island Lighthouse being chased by bass, which can be caught on livelined bait. Bert from White Water said the eastern South Shore beaches and inlets turned on this week with stripers in the mid teens to low twenty pounds on bucktails during an outgoing tide.

Metro Long Island Fishing Report

There was a lot of blackfish action this week with a few keepers in the mix in shallow, rocky areas on jigs, according to John at Hudson Park Bait & Tackle in New Rochelle. Jimmy from Bernie’s Fishing Tackle in Brooklyn reported a good tog bite at the Rockaway Reef and other area wrecks on green crabs with porgy and sea bass mixed in caught on clams and worms. There is also big time scup activity off Rye, Matinecock, and around the Execution Lighthouse, according to Jack’s Bait & Tackle in the Bronx.

Stretch at Stella Maris Bait & Tackle in Brooklyn reported a good bluefish bite south of East Reef, and anglers are using bunker and diamond jigs to hit them from the surf. Jimmy from Bernie’s said a few anglers have gotten lucky at night in the Ambrose Channel for bass on sandworms and live eels. The area bridges, Stepping Stone Lighthouse, and the East River also have a few stripers congregating, according to Jack’s Bait & Tackle.

Stretch at Stella Maris said the offshore bite for yellows and bigeyes is still going strong at the Hudson Canyon.

East End/North Fork Long Island Fishing Report

Bill at Jamesport Bait & Tackle in Mattituck reported good tog action in 18-25 feet of water north of Plum Island and scup and sea bass in all the usual spots. He also said boat anglers have been finding albies popping up from Hortons to Mattituck Inlet. Despite the hard winds, the fly guys were still able to get out for the albies off the Point, according to Tom from Gone Fishing Marina in Montauk. Sea bass and porgy can also be found off the Lighthouse for those bottom fishing.

Paul at Paulie’s Bait & Tackle in Montauk reported plenty of action along the beaches by the Point with a few small blitzes happening, but the fish are not huge yet. The bass and blues are hitting bucktails and pencil poppers during the day and darters and needlefish at night. For the boat anglers, there are a few bigger bass at the Rips, and the best baits were live spot, according to Ben at Star Island Marina in Montauk. Bill from Jamesport said Orient has a few small schoolies and big blues, and there was good action in the Sound off Hortons, Goldsmith Inlet, and Duck Pond Point on the ebb tide.

Best Bets for the Weekend

The fishing is definitely getting good as long as the weather allows you to get out. Conditions were tough this past week with heavy winds, but it looks like it will lay down a bit after this system comes through on Saturday. Bottom fishing is a pretty sure thing at the moment. In one drift over good structure, you can throw at least three different species in the buckets if you’re lucky. Porgy are still biting strong and they are getting bigger, and a good amount of keeper sea bass are in the mix. Blackfish action has been good all around the Island, but the water needs to cool a bit for the big tog to move in. The fish have been shallow, so it isn’t necessary to travel too deep right now.

Striper fishing is picking up all around, and the big run should be happening pretty soon where things get real hot. Find a school of bunker off the South Shore and snag some bait for a chance at bass to 30 lbs. There is also the opportunity for you to hit fish in the surf and in the inlets, but all the striper fishing is still hit or miss depending on conditions. Throw bucktails, poppers, darters, and needles into the suds on an outgoing tide.