Long Island Fishing Report - August 13, 2015

North Shore Long Island Fishing Report

Captain Mark of the Celtic Quest out of Port Jefferson reported a drastic improvement in the deep water scup bite as of late last week. The boat fished out to 60-100 feet of water, and while they did see a few slower trips over the weekend, the porgy fishing overall is top notch with an added mix of sea bass, fluke, and bluefish. John at Terminal Tackle in Kings Park agreed saying that porgy definitely remains the best bet on the North Shore. While the Sound is holding plenty in all of the usual spots, anglers are also finding that scup are moving in droves into Northport Harbor. Fluking on the other hand is getting tough with keepers and even quality numbers of shorts hard to come by. However, the Nissequogue has loads of fish at the dock including a decent showing of take homes, and there was also a migration of summer flounder into Northport Bay feeding on peanut bunker. Mark of Cow Harbor Bait & Tackle in Northport said many folks just are not finding the fish, but sharpies who really know how to work their jigs are getting it done. He also added that the sea bass bite remains red hot out in the deeper water, with better odds going to the pink jigs.

Striper fishing is very minimal on the North Shore, but bluefish will have anglers gunning for a good chunk of the day. Small guys are running up and down the beaches chasing spearing, but the bigger ones are concentrated on the bunker schools in Northport harbor and on the Smithtown Bay drop-offs. There is no set pattern to their whereabouts, but the fishing seems to light up at the beginning of the incoming. Snappers are also plentiful at all the area docks, piers, and beaches.

South Shore Long Island Fishing Report

Even though the sea conditions over the weekend turned out to be better than originally forecasted, Joe at Trophy Tackle in West Babylon said the winds still made it tough for guys to get out on the fishing grounds so very few reports made it back to the shop. He added that the end of the week looks good and is hopeful for a better weekend. For those who found some pockets of easier weather the ocean fluke bite paid off, according to Bill from Combs Bait & Tackle in Amityville. Cholera Banks in about 90 feet of water was one of the more productive spots regularly giving up 7 pounders when sea conditions allowed, but Hempstead Reef and Fire Island Reef saw decent action as well. There was also a new push of fish in both the Fire Island and Jones Inlets. Bryce at White Water Outfitters in Hampton Bays said the fishing in Shinnecock Bay is just so-so, but the ocean was more fruitful when the swell wasn’t on. All fishing across the South Shore was better on the incoming, and whole squid and peruvians got the fish biting. Sea bass fishing is not slamming, but there are enough out there to keep anglers busy in the deep water.

It seems that we have finally hit the true doldrums of summer on the bass front, according to Bryce at White Water. A few can still be chummed during the day and caught on live eels at night for those who put in a lot of time. Many of the local docks are loaded with snappers for the kids, and crabs are starting to show up in the creeks. Offshore sharking is still ridiculous and fairly accessible with much of action between 2-8 miles. Threshers are the predominant species out there, but others are of course possible.

Metro Long Island Fishing Report

Western Sound is loaded with scup at all of the usual structure spots, including Execution Lighthouse and Mattinecock, Sands, and Prospect Points, according to John at Jack’s Bait & Tackle in the Bronx. Heavy bait around the Points is holding a good quantity of fluke in the area as well. Vinny at Bernie’s Fishing Tackle in Brooklyn said that if you head toward the south bottom fishing at the Rockaway Reef and AB Reef is very productive, especially for porgy and sea bass. Fluke is getting on the slower side this week with a few caught off Coney Island, and it is hit or miss fishing at Anchor Ridge and Gravesend Bay.

Striper fishing has slowed significantly over the past few weeks, but Stretch at Stella Maris Bait & Tackle in Brooklyn reported a few schoolies caught under the lights of the Marine Parkway Bridge stanchions for guys drifting worms. Bait in the Western Sound has kept a few bass and blues around, but the fishing is not very easy. John from Hudson Park Bait & Tackle in New Rochelle said if the catching is not going great, just keep an eye out for the giant pods of dolphins which will be sure to keep you entertained.

East End/North Fork Long Island Fishing Report

Bottom fishing is top notch at the moment with both Forks teeming with activity. The Peconic still has signs of porgy life and a few spotty weakfish from Buoys 20-22, but the better action is around Gardiner’s Island and in the Sound from Mattituck Inlet to Horton’s Point for scup and sea bass, according to Bill at Jamesport Bait & Tackle in Mattituck. There are some fluke in the Sound also, but the keeper to short ratio is very low at around 1:20. Mike from Star Island Marina in Montauk reported much better fluking off Montauk on the south side and in the Rips with 6-7 lb fish not uncommon. He even had a customer come in with a 10.7 lb fluke from Great Eastern while bass fishing using live spot. Full buckets of porgy and sea bass are also coming from the south side on just about every piece of structure you can find.

Glen at Paulie’s Bait & Tackle in Montauk reported a few bass caught from the surf on the south side at Ditch Plains and Hither Hills, but blues are pretty much dominating the beach at this point. Boat anglers are still seeing a good number of stripers in the Pollock Rip and Great Eastern, but their sizes are leaning toward the smaller side. Steve from Wego Bait & Tackle in Southold actually saw a slight uptick in the bass bite at the Race over the last few days, mainly on the flood tide. Bluefish are cruising the Sound off Hortons and are stacked up at the Gut and Race. Crabs are becoming very plentiful in the creeks throughout the Peconic, and snappers can be found at most East End docks and piers.

Best Bets for the Weekend

The marine forecast for this weekend is looking much better than the previous one so I am anticipating a better showing of people out on the water. Bottom fishing for scup and sea bass has not wavered  even this late into the season making for the best fishing you will probably find this weekend. Every shore has their fair share of fish, and they are not hard to find if you know where the structure is. You will have to put some more work into finding fluke, but there are definitely quality fish out there to be had. South Shore and East End will give you the greatest likelihood of bringing home dinner if you know how to jig just right for them.

A few may be found off the beach if you prefer the surf, but the boats definitely have the advantage. For a day of just a little bit of fun, snappers continue to get bigger every week around docks and piers, and crabbing is also getting good if you want to bring home some dinner.