This week on the fishing front has seen varying action throughout Long Island. Some areas have witnessed blitzes of big bass and blues while others focused mostly on bottom fishing. In all waters, there are reports of at least some of the various fall species around – it just varies from port to port as to which specific ones are present.
John from Hudson Park Bait & Tackle is one of the few that ran into an all-out blitz of big bass and blues this week. According to John, it’s one of the best runs the New Rochelle area has seen in the last 25 years. Stripers up to 38 pounds and bluefish in the 15- to 18-pound range are blowing up the waters and taking both diamond jigs and poppers. Morning, evening and midafternoon are all good times for finding success. Just continue to follow the birds and get in on the action before the fish move off.
In Brooklyn, at Stella Maris, Stretch reports that they are also in the midst of a nice run of bass and blues. The birds are the telltale sign and if you come across a school of bunker, it is always a good bet to snag one and let it sit for a passing predator. Nighttime action has been decent with live eels by the bridge and off the local jetty. On the bottom, blackfish are easily found with a mix of keepers and shorts.
At Terminal Tackle, John Sr. continues to observe the blackfish moving off to deeper water. He recommends that anglers start in at least 40-feet and continue to move deeper until they find the bottom dwellers. The bite hasn’t been consistent as wind has been up and down but when the weather cooperates, the fishing has been good. There are also plenty of sea bass mixed in, as well as a few big scup. The bigger stripers have moved off but there are a few still to be found. In their place more schoolies have moved in but most are still big enough to keep anglers busy for the time being. Over the last couple of days, shad have begun showing up. Aside from being fun to catch, they may also lure the big bass back into the local waters.
Aboard the Jib VI, Captain Joe has been running mainly day trips this week and hitting plenty of stripers. The fishing had been great up until Saturday but has since dropped off. They are still finding fish but like other areas, the smaller fish seem to be the majority now. Joe says that when there is some chop on the Captree waters the action has been best. Flat calm days see a slower bite.
Mark from Cow Harbor reports that there are still some 20-pound bass patrolling the local waters. One reason they are still hanging around could be the recent arrival of squid off the Northport docks and in the back bays. On the bottom, blackfish and sea bass are holding their ground but have also seen a decrease in size. Plenty of fish are actively taking hooks but anglers have found it more difficult to fill limits this week.
At Miller Place Bait & Tackle, Jim continues to see the blackfish hitting the decks. The lead in the shop’s season-long blackfish tourney didn’t change hands this week, but plenty of fish are still being caught. A couple stripers are also around but these are growing increasingly tough to come by.
In Hampton Bays, Jeff reports that beaches have been good for bass on diamond jigs, poppers and bunker chunks. There are mostly schoolies but the occasional keeper has been popping up enough to keep local anglers engaged. Big blues weighing 12 to 18 pounds are still tearing up the water off local beaches and in the inlet. There was a huge bunker die-off this week at Shinnecock Canal and these big blues seem to be the culprit. They had pinned the bunker so tight and in such a large number against the Shinnicock Canal locks, that the fish depleted the oxygen and died. Now the blues have a free buffet of dead bunker that they are continually plucking off the surface as the bunker drain out on the inlet with the tide.
In Montauk, at Westlake Marina, Tonya hasn’t seen a ton of effort from boats trying to get out. Blame the weather for that. Still, Terry Mausner took the chance and made it count. He came back to the marina with a 15.8-pound blackfish a personal best that topped his 14 pounder caught 25 years ago. Sea bass are also mixed in with the blackfish, as expected. The season’s first cod have been reported off of Cartwright and the South West Ledge. There haven’t been a ton of fish around yet but they should be showing up in greater numbers as the weather cools.
At Gone Fishing Marina, David has seen lots of fish but mostly shorts. Sea bass fishing has been good but the striper action has dropped way off. There are still some schoolies to be had with a few keepers mixed in but the big fish have moved away. Blackfish are now the most targeted species in these waters and catches have been going well..
Courtney from Montauk Marine Basin reports that there are plenty of big sea bass around. They are mixed in with the ‘tog, which have also been fishing well. The stripers are just about all gone and the effort to target them has followed suit. For the bottom fish, the south side of Block Island has been a favorite spot.
At River Bay Outfitters, Paul has seen the best action on the freshwater side of things. The cooler weather, but not too cold, has sparked the trout in the rivers and big bass and pickerel on local ponds. Anyone looking to drop a fly for some late fall action still has time as mild conditions in the forecast should make for prime fly-rod action.
Fishing Forecast for Long Island
Fall favorites such as striped bass and blues have been spotty this week but when they do show up, they seem to be going all out. Continue to target the hot blackfish and sea bass bite but keep a casting rod close by and an eye on the sky for the next fall run in your local waters.