As we approach the end of May the fishing scene across Long Island continues to heat up. It seems bigger fish of all species are beginning to fill in more as some impressive catches were made with both bass and fluke. Bluefish are all over and a mix of scup and weakfish as well.
Metro
John from Hudson Park Bait and Tackle noticed a slight drop in the action this week as the weather made getting out on the water a little tough. That’s not to say there aren’t fish around as some anglers found 25- to 30-pound bass right close to shore throwing out bunker chunks. The night bite hasn’t been at it’s best but a couple fish can still be wrestled to shore. Porgies have also been off a touch but should wing right back into action with a clear day and some warm weather. The fluke fishing has produced some nice doormats but like most of the Island, there is a lot if sifting through shorts to get there.
At Stella Maris, Stretch reports that there has been some great action for bass and blues off Staten Island. Trolling has been the way to go this week it seems as Mojo’s and spoons continue to produce. There have also been some gator blues off the Coney Island Pier for anyone fishing from shore or by boat. The fluke fishing has been decent but has yet to really catch fire. There are still a lot of shorts surrounding the Brooklyn waters. Over by Beach Channel Drive, there haven’t been a ton of porgies but the ones that are there have been massive so far. The shops annual shark tournament will be June 24th with a captains meeting on the 23rd.
In Oceanside, at Bay Park Fishing Station, the trolling bite has been red hot on the south side of Deb’s and off Rockaway Reef. This week there have been multiple stripers caught trolling spoons and Mojo rigs that have ranged in size from 29-50 pounds. There has been plenty of bait around and it looks as though the big fish may be hanging around for a while which is music to the ears of local anglers.
South Shore
At Sea Isle Custom Rod Builders in Freeport, the bass fishing has been red hot according to Robert. Trolling just outside the inlet has led to few fish right around or pushing the 50-pound mark. Deb’s and Long Beach have been the destinations of choice. Blues can also be found on the prowl in these waters and continue to grow each week it seems. The fluke bite has been good but only yielding the occasional keeper for now.
In Wantagh, at Causeway Bait and Tackle, bluefish are reportedly everywhere. Top water plugs, bunker or anything else you can tie to a line will do the trick as these aggressive fish have not been very picky about what they eat. For stripers, clam chum has been working well so far. The schools of monsters haven’t found their way into these waters yet it seems but there are plenty of smaller fish more than willing to bite the hook. Fluking has been tough but the bay side has clearly had the advantage so far as the water remains warmer than the sound side.
Paul from River Bay Outfitters Reports that a friend of the shop, Eric, ran into 50 bass on the sound side all in the 28- to 30-inch range as they were boiling on the surface on top water poppers on Tuesday night. Jamaica Bay has been hot for bass and blues, as well as Robert Moses beach where a couple 12- to 15-pound blues were landed earlier this week. On the fresh water scene, the Connetquot and Carmans Rivers have been fishing very well. The trick is, especially on the Carmans, staying till dark as the bite really turns on right at dusk. Don’t be afraid to try different fly patterns to figure out which works best on a particular day.
North Shore
Captain Stu of the boat Northport Charters had a very successful week of fishing. A mix of all species were landed including a doormat fluke weighing in at 9.3 pounds. Capt. Stu has noticed lots of bait in these waters including squid and 5-inch sand eels. A scup was hooked into that tipped the scales at 2.5 pounds and there were plenty of out of season sea bass around 2-3 pounds that were released. Capt. Stu is now running an open boat for up to 12 passengers from 7-1 on weekdays.
Aboard the Celtic Quest, both boats have now been moved to the Port Jeff location for the remainder of the season as the porgies have moved in with overwhelming force. The boat has been reaching limit style fishing as their last trip limited out in the scup by 10:30. One angler had his limit on porgies and fluke by noon. The fluke fishing has been decent if the conditions are just right but the pick has been on the slower side. No color bucktails have really stood out so far and the old fashion bait and sinker has been the top catcher.
At Miller Place Bait and Tackle, Jim reports that the blues have entered the harbor and are on the prowl. They have also made their presence known off the Smith Point Bridge. Fluke have been producing well around buoy 9,7 and 11. Dinner plate scup have arrived as well and are gobbling up all strips of clam and squid they can find. The new leader in the shop contest for stripers was weighed in at 13.7 pounds as they still await the bigger fish to show up.
East End
In Southold, at Blue Water Ventures, Chris has found a decent number of summer flatties in the bay. There haven’t been a lot of keepers but the ones that do cross the 19-inch mark have been very nice fish. Some stripers have been working the shore lines at the local beaches, mainly on the Bay side but a few have shown up on the sound as well. Blues are also in with decent size and have been crushing too water plugs when the school is located.
At White Water Outfitters in Hampton Bays, Bryce reports that there have been a solid number of bass mixed in with a ton of blues this week. The bass are mostly schoolies to this point but the bigger fish are starting to slowly make an appearance. The Peconic Bay has been fishing well for fluke, not red hot action but enough to keep anyone busy, and although they have been kind of spotty so far, there are some weakfish around.
At West Lake Marina, Tonya noticed a 6-year-old named Cayden Sokol bringing in an 8.6-pound fluke he landed this week. There was also a 30.4-pound striper that hit the deck. The fluke fishing has been producing lots of limits but it’s generally a whole day of fishing sorting through shorts to get there. Gator blues have been all over and mixed well with the bass on to water as well as jigging diamond jigs. The action in the last few days has really picked up and hopefully, after all this rain passes, it will pick up right where it left off.
Chris from Montauk Marine Basin relays that the bass bite has been great. Bigger fish are making their way east and blues can be found all over. The fluke bite has been decent around the point but like most waters, is still dominated by shorts.
At Gone Fishing Marina, TJ confirms these reports of a couple doormats mixed with lots of throw backs. However, an 8-pound fluke was put on ice this week. It may be a lot of work to find a keeper but it seems it’s been worth the effort.
Fishing Forecast for Long Island
Bass, blues, fluke and porgies are all very active and showing up across Long Island. As the season is only a few weeks old, many anglers are focusing mainly on fluke and catching plenty but not all the sizes were looking for. When the bottom action is slow, look to work a popper across the surface to run into an exploding scene with bass and blues. The birds are always a tell-tale sign so keep and eye in the sky and a rod in the car.