Summer patterns are taking shape as bigger fish move to deeper water and you can count on catching something on just about any trip out. Sea bass and porgies have been red hot as stripers and bluefish begin showing in greater numbers across the eastern end of Long Island. Fluke fishing has been holding steady in most waters and offshore action is coming into full swing.
Stretch from Stella Maris reports a strong fluke bite between Kingsborough College and Brighten Beach this past week. It’s reliable but not constant action, and there are still some big fish being found. The surf action in the Brooklyn area has been good as well with lots of cocktail blues and school bass bending rods. There’s also a solid bite just west of the jetty by boat. Bennett Field has been active with tons of porgies to be had on clam and blood worms. On the shark front, there have been thresher’s taking baits from 15 to 20 miles offshore and that action is improving daily.
At Bay Park Fishing Station, Mark said he has seen decent fishing out of Debs Inlet for fluke and added that a 7.5-pounder was taken from Atlantic Beach Reef. On Rockaway Reef, the reports of scup have been outstanding with some impressive keepers to 16 inches landing in coolers. As with most places, many anglers have also found early season success with sea bass on near shore wrecks and reefs as we continue to be grateful the opening day was moved up.
In Kings Park, John from Terminal Tackle has had big fish of all kinds reported this week. Porgy fishing has been on fire off the beach and in shallow waters, generally 15 to 20-feet deep. The fish have been schooling up strong on any rocky bottom or mussel bed. Big sea bass have also been on a hot streak, although in deeper waters of 40 to 50 feet. The best time for them is around the change of tide as the fast moving during mid-tide periods allows the porgies to outcompete the humpbacks. Large bass and blues have been finding schools of mature bunker and tearing them to shreds, so live-lining the big silver baitfish has definitely been the way to go. The least of the action, although still quite good, has been with fluke. That bite has been decent with 5- to 7-pound fish still being caught by those willing to wade through a flood of shorts.
Jason from The Campsite also reports worthy scup and sea bass numbers out of Huntington. Cocktail blues have been holding in the inner harbors as well, and stripers have been best at first or last light on tins and poppers. Soaking bunker chunks has also produced plenty of bass after dark from the local beaches. The fluke have remained a steady pull with most keepers average sized up to this point.
At Cow Harbor, Justin spoke of bluefish at sunrise at the local beaches with most in the 5- to 7-pound class. The choppers have been chasing large quantities of peanut bunker in the bay in 20- to 30-foot depths. Porgies continue to be aggressive on clam chum and blood worms but most of the scup are in the 12- to 13-inch size range – the monsters we’ve seen over the past two or three years have yet to materialize in this area. Sea bass are also present off Northport with 20 to 30 feet of water again serving as the primary strike zone. Fluke have slowed down slightly and the best of the bite has now shifted out to 40- or 50-foot depths. The bass are still hitting inside the inner bays with good action on morning tides for those trolling bunker spoons. Quite a few of these have been in the 25- to 30-pound class.
At Sea Isle Tackle, Robert reports the fluke in Freeport seem to be getting bigger by the day. The ocean bite is beginning to come alive but the bay surprisingly still holds and edge when it comes to producing keepers. Sea bass and stripers both continue to provide busy days. The sea bass inhaling squid strips around near shore ocean structure while the stripers continue to hammer trolled spoons. The offshore bite has also improved with just 15 miles off the coast and tuna now invading Chicken Canyon.
Aboard the open boat Celtic Quest out of Port Jefferson, Captain Eric reported a solid week of fluke action with fish taken anywhere from 15 to 45 feet of water and plenty of keepers coming over the rails. With the new moon tides getting ready to kick in this week, expect the bigger fish continue sliding out into deeper water. Start your search at about 35 feet and continue probing out into 50-foot depths.
Across the Island, Captain Joe of the Captree open boat Jib VI had a very productive holiday weekend. One day saw over 100 fluke and sea bass lifted aboard. The bluefish also showed up just a short run from the dock and there were more than enough to send everyone home happy.
Brendan from Captree Bait and Tackle is still awaiting the arrival of doormat fluke. There are lots of fish around but difficult to work through the shorts. The keepers they are getting off the piers have been around 3.4-pounds. Cocktail blues and schoolie bass have moved in following bait with some occasional porgies mixed in. Blue crabs continue to get bigger and more plentyful with each day as the crabbing season starts to get going.
Out in Southold at Wego Fishing, Steve revealed that stripers and bluefish are now spread out between Hortons Point, The Gut and The Race. The Sound side is getting hot with porgies and sea bass, plus fluke have finally showed up. There still isn’t much going on along the North Fork beaches, but boaters are now scoring well on a daily basis.
Brian from White Water Outfitters has finally seen good numbers of big fish showing up in Montauk. Sea bassing has heated up off the Shinnicock Reef. Anglers will have to work through the shorts but most have been catching their limits. Thick fluke are around from South Hampton to Montauk hanging at a depth of about 60-90-feet. Stripers are around hitting both from boats and the surf.
At Gone Fishing Marina, David reports bass in ranging from 30-50 pounds, though the majority are in the 30-40-pound class. Fluke and seabass have been excellent once you find the right areas as many anglers have caught their fill this week. Porgies have also been around making for great action.
In Montauk at Westlake Marina, this week has seen a 43 and 43.15-pound bass weighed in, both caught on eels. The 43-pound fish was caught by 15-year old Conner. A number of big fluke have hit the deck and shark fishing has been hot as well. A 408 and 236-pound Thresher were weighed in at the shop as well as a 353-pound mako caught abouard the Susie E II.
Joe from Staten Island Tuna Club reports continued action with fluke in the area. Mostly caught on Gulp! baits, a 28-inch fish came in on a kayak and was one of many keepers. The striper action has slowed down as the weather gets hotter, but there are still some big boys to be caught in Raritan bay.
Paul from River Bay Outfitters in of Oceanside got in on some fun this week as he and two friends drilled over 30 fluke while drifting off of Long Beach. Quite a few of the fish turned out to be shorts, but the action was non-stop throughout the day.
On the freshwater front, McDonald’s pond in Oceanside has been giving up some big bluegills as the feisty sunnies have left their beds. Largemouth bass have also been cooperative. Trout fans are still having plenty of luck on the Connetquot River with cricket patterns the current hot ticket. Over at Caleb Smith State Park, Woolly Buggers and small Zebra Minch flies are tempting a mix of rainbows and browns out from under the overhanging brush and undercut banks.
Fishing Forecast for Long Island – New York
As the warm July weather continues you’ll likely need to look deeper for big fluke and sea bass that get warmed out of the shallows. Now is also a good time of year for seeking out the remaining schools of bunker that are still being pursued by surfacing bass and blues. On the sweetwater side, continue to use spinners, rattle baits, topwater frogs and jitterbugs to hook into big bass and aggressive pickerel. If the temperature keeps rising in line with the current heat wave forecast, try planning a night trip for the bucketmouths. The water is usually coolest on the south side of midnight and that can trigger lunkers to look for a snack.