This week, anglers ran into a rough patch of weather that made it tough to get out and, for those that did, difficult to zone in on the fish. However, there are always a few brave souls that manage to squeeze in a few cast and earn the reward of decent action.
John from Hudson Park Bait & Tackle reports that blues, false albacore and a couple respectable stripers are still patrolling New Rochelle waters. They continue to be hot on the trail of the bunker schools as well as the seemingly limitless amounts of other baitfish we have seen for much of the season. Blackfish season begins on October 5th, and some have already been found while dropping clam strips for sea bass.
At Bay Park Fishing Station, Ashley has red hot action with sea bass and scup off Rockaway Reef. Bass are biting as well in the Oceanside waters near the Atlantic Beach Bridge as a report came in with a total of eight bass, two of which were keepers. Sharks continued to be aggressive this week with a 220-pound and 212-pound thresher reported. Both were caught using bunker chum in about 140-feet of water.
Brendan from Captree Bait & Tackle had a very good week of fishing. Bass started to flow close to shore along the beaches as well as in the inlet. Some checked in at up to 32 pounds. Giant sea bass and porgies are inside the inlet and on the ocean side within three miles. Weakfish and albies are still blitzing the inlet and putting in appearances at Democrat Point where the peanut bunker are trying to hold their ground. With tog season set to open next week, Brendan has already seen plenty of signs of fish.
Aboard Newport Charters with Captain Stu, porgies are providing excellent fishing. There is tons of bait both inside the harbor and out on the bay side. Bluefish are slamming these schools of bait and albacore of 6 to 8-pounds are adding to the fun. The false albacore are also chasing schools of squid that have moved in, making a deadly dick the best way to hook-up.
On the Jib VI, Captain Joe reports that the best fishing has been with scup and sea bass. He has run into a few schools of cocktail blues with most weighing 3 to 6 pounds but has not turned to targeting them just yet. The bottom fishing is still strong enough to focus the captain’s attention for now.
At Campsite, Carmine also has porgy action all over the local area. Mixed in, as usual, are the sea bass and both are gulping up worms and clams. At night and early in the morning, bass are on the hunt and providing decent action from the shore. Gorilla blues are also patrolling the surf and ranging in size from 8 to 15 pounds. In the Sound and on the south side of the Island, false albacore are popping up and great for those looking to do a little saltwater fly fishing.
John from Terminal Tackle hasn’t seen much of a change on the fishing scene this week as the weather made it tough to get a real idea of updated action. The biggest change has been that the albies have begun to show up. They aren’t in thick as of yet but seem to be growing in numbers as the days pass.
In Northport, at Cow Harbor, Mark is still finding good sized blues and some bass working the bunker pods. They are both catching well from the surf and range from 8 to 15-pounds. The best techniques seem to be using pencil poppers from shore and snag-and-drop when on a boat. Basically that is finding a school of bait, snagging one with a treble hook and just letting it drop down to the fish underneath.
Craig from Smith Point Bait & Tackle is seeing a ton of success coming from surf casters recently. This week the waters gave way to both shark and bass. One striper weighed in at 37.4 pounds and there have been many others taken from the same area. If the weather doesn’t push the fish out, the end of next week should set up nicely for more exciting action.
At Miller Place Bait & Tackle, Jim reports that porgies have been the way to go recently as a 19-inch monster was caught just earlier this week. The bass and blues have not had much of a presence around the area, but can still be found on occasion.
In Hampton Bays, at White Water Outfitters, Bryce still has plenty of false albacore, both in and around the inlet. Striped bass have been improving by the day and sea bass are still all over the place. Bluefish have been a mix of monsters and cocktails so you will have to put in your time to find the desired size.
Further east at Montauk Marine Basin, the false albacore are yielding some terrific action from the surf. There are a few bass mixed in but the albacore seem to have the advantage in numbers. Bottom-fishing is still worthwhile as sea bass continue to litter the sea floor and have been very big in size.
Joe from the Staten Island Tuna Club hasn’t had a ton of action this week but the blues are getting bigger and they are starting to see some more bass around by the west bank and New York Harbor.
At River Bay Outfitters, Paul has seen great surf action off Jones Beach for albies and blues. A couple of Spanish mackerel have been hooked but not with enough frequency to target them specifically.
The freshwater scene continues to be excellent as the days become cooler and big pickerel and bass move into daytime attack mode. Success can be found on a wide range of lures from small golden spinners to crank baits and jitterbugs.
Fishing Forecast for Long Island, New York
The fall season is ready to explode as soon as we get a break in the weather. Everything seems to be lining up and anglers should be making frequent trips to the beaches and keeping a pole at the ready. With blackfish just around the corner, be prepared to brave the elements and find success as the fall run continues to develop.