Long Island - New York Fishing Report - July 6, 2017

The 4th of July has come and gone however, great weather created just as much of a party below the surface as it did above. The offshore fishing scene has really picked up with sharks and tunas. Meanwhile inshore, fluke, porgies, sea bass and a couple bass continue to tighten lines and bend poles.

Metro

At Stella Maris, Stretch reports that the striper action has slowed down a bit but the porgies and fluke have picked up their slack. Anglers are still finding dinner plate sized scup along just about any rocky bottom or big structures. The fluke have been plentiful but shorts can make it frustrating at times while searching for a cooler stuffer, or just a nice picture and easy release. There are plenty of sea robins joining in on the bait stealing party also but even robins are a better catch than none at all.

In New Rochelle, at Hudson Park Bait and Tackle, the fluke fishing has been doing very well this week. Multiple 7-8 pound fish have been slapping the decks and a couple double digit fish have been mixed in. Weakfish can be found working the same areas as the fluke as a couple anglers have run into some decent size weaks. Bass have been scattered around and tough to locate, especially with the absence of bluefish. Scup, like in most places across Long Island, are holding strong and the sea bass have come alive a little more, also sitting on rocky bottoms and big structures.

South Shore

At Bay Park Fishing Station, fluke fishing has been the hottest inshore action for this week. It hasn’t been lights out but there have been some 5-pound fish taken along with a couple 21-inch keepers. The best action is off of Reynolds Channel and Rockaway Reef. Offshore, tuna have been plentiful as a local boat made a trip out and ran into 1 yellow fin and 4 blue fin. The biggest of which was 58 inches and about 116 pounds. There seems to be plenty of life out there so if you have been thinking of making the trek out, now is the time.

Over in Wantagh, at Causeway Bait and Tackle, the sea bass and fluke bite have both picked up this week. Deeper water has been fishing well for fluke and although there continue to be lots of throw backs, there are definitely enough keepers to keep you busy for an afternoon out. The back bays have also been fishing well by Merrick. A few schoolie bass have been found up there and are falling victim to small plugs.

North Shore

Jim from Miller Place Bait and Tackle reports that the porgy bite off of Old Field is holding strong and makes for a great day of action, especially for kids or beginners. Buoy 11 is still the anchor point for fluking, although lots of shorts and sea robins make for short work on a bag of bait. Still, there are plenty of fish out there and you never know what may be cruising through. Off of buoy 5, sea bass have been producing well. There haven’t been any reports of monsters out there yet but it’s only a matter of time before a nice pool winner is landed to really draw the attention and light the excitement.

East End

In Hampton Bays, at White Water Outfitters, there have been some bass around but not a ton lately. Fluking in the bay has been fishing well and there have been lots of keepers to go around. West of the bridge has been best this week. Offshore, the action has really picked up both for shark and tuna. Makos and threshers are making their presence well known anywhere from 10-20 miles out. Tuna have also been hot lately for yellow fin and blue fin over at the Canyons.

Long Island Fishing Forecast

With consistently warm weather and school being out, this is the perfect time of year to zone in on fishing and plan for a day out on the water. Whether you’re a lifetime angler or just getting started, there are more than enough bites to go around. For those in the early stages of fishing, dropping some bait and looking for fluke, scup and sea bass is the best way to get someone hooked on the action. For those looking for more of a challenge, look to get offshore as the bite right now is as good as it gets and can make for plenty of stories and photos to last.