Long Island Fishing Report – August 29, 2019

Strong winds and a turned-up ocean kept many anglers off the water this week.

Lots of bigger fluke were found in the ocean. Plenty of opportunities for mixed bags, with mackerel, blues, sea bass, porgies, and fluke.

Bonito and Spanish mackerel are still terrorizing the inlet baits. Yellowfin bite at the canyon is epic. The canyon bite is “the best of the decade.” Bigeyes and marlin also came over the rails.

Bass and blues at the Gut and Race. Bigger bluefish around Eaton’s Neck.

Plenty of schoolie bass in Montauk and the inlets. Some bigger stripers showed back up in Montauk, but the bulk were still by Block Island.

Nassau County

Paul at River Bay Outfitters in Baldwin hit the Farmington River this week with 25 anglers. They caught a bunch of trout on tiny flies, size 24 tricos. He’s going to run up there a few more times in the fall. Check out his website for info on everything fly fishing, from the shop trips to “tip of the week,” or if you need any gear or advice.

Paul tells me there are more bluefish around than anything else. The fishing guides Paul is in touch with are finding some, after some diligent searching. One customer, Jimmy, is finding stripers in the western sound. Hart’s Island seems to be holding them.

Another customer has been fly fishing by Democrat Point at Robert Moses, and landing numerous keeper fluke!

Kathy at Freeport Bait & Tackle has been hearing of some big fluke this past week out in the ocean. Inshore there are a few, but those who headed out to about 90 feet of water found the most success. One customer came in with a picture of about 20 big fluke caught offshore at one of the wrecks. A few more boats found their limits of doormats.

Inshore, the snappers are all over. Cocktail blues, blowfish, manta rays and black tip sharks also made the list this week. Two people reported the black tips near the Fire Island inlet.
There’s a ton of peanut bunker around, so anglers are cast netting them for bait.

Sailors on training vessels for the US Naval Academy visited the Nautical Mile in Freeport about a week ago. They stopped into Freeport Bait and Tackle and were outfitted with trolling gear for their trip back home. Al DeBatto and Captain Ray of Carolann P Charters were in the shop at the time and picked up the bill for the midshipmen’s gear. Big thanks to Kathy, Al and Ray for taking care of these Navy boys!

Bay Park Fishing Station in Oceanside saw a mixed bag this week. Six guys went out on the Nansea II before the ocean got all turned up. They got eight keeper fluke and three sea bass. The south wind kicked up to about 25 knots, blowing them off the water.

A few days later, the “Toybox” crew of Paul, Landon, Eli, and Yaniv scored about fifty porgies on the AB Reef. The guys also reeled up a 2.5-pound sea bass, two blues, four mackerel, and a few dozen short fluke. All of these fish came on spearing and salted clams.

Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain for Long Island!

Suffolk County

Bill at Chasing Tails Bait and Tackle in Oakdale says the bay is loaded up with short fluke, with an occasional nice-sized keeper. Some of the keepers have been in the 4 to 6-pound range. Bucktails tipped with Gulp, or the classic squid/spearing combo on a rig will do the trick. The biggest fish seem to prefer the jigs and big grubs. Bill had a 24-inch fluke near the bridge on Friday with a white bucktail tipped with a salmon red Gulp grub.

If you are hitting the jetties, Spanish mackerel and bonito are all over the resin/epoxy jigs, diamond jigs, and Kastmasters. Jake Farino had three bonito on Sunday with a pink resin jig.

Sea bass action on the reef and wrecks is very consistent, and there are loads of bigger fish. Ling and fluke are hanging around there as well.

The town docks are lit up with small snappers, growing by the day. Jacob Minerva had over three dozen on Saturday using the shop’s “Snapper Slayer” rig. This type of fishing is wonderful for the family.

In the sweet water, largemouth are going wild in the morning and evening on top water lures. During the heat of the day, senkos and jigs should do the trick. Bill had a 3.6-pound bass smash his Live Target popping frog on Sunday morning.

Pickerel are crushing pretty much anything that swims by. Yellow perch and sunfish are out in big schools and can be easily taken with a worm and bobber.

Trout action has been great in the morning and evening, with big white fly and caddis hatches going on in. Caddis, sulfurs, tricos, midges and terrestrials are all getting crushed.

Lindenhurst Bait & Tackle reports that light winds made for favorable fishing conditions this week, prior to the NE winds. Brian Kinberg and Adam Figueroa fished the last of the incoming tide near the Robert Moses Bridge. They had a few bluefish to 26 inches and Brian landed a 28-inch striper that jumped on fresh bunker chunks.

Ted Baronofsky and Chris McDaniel fished the Sore Thumb area during the incoming tide. They had non-stop action loading up on a dozen kingfish, twenty 10 to 12-inch blowfish, a few porgies, and they released a stargazer and several sea bass. Clam chum in the pot, and sandworms and fresh clam on the hooks was the key.

Solid fluke action was reported from multiple ocean reefs on Friday. S.I.F.C. members Bob Karman and Hank Mathis locked onto a pile of big fluke in 60-foot depths. They boated 13 keepers with a few over 5-pounds, including Hank’s 7.3-pounder. Meanwhile Matt Ervolino and Joe Gregg fished to the east, out of Fire Island. The guys also had lots of quality fluke to 7-pounds.

Dan Jorgenson targeted triggerfish near the Sore Thumb aboard Joe Tyminski’s “Lana Ann”. They had steady action catching a few dozen jumbo blowfish on fresh clams. Crabbing at the local docks is the best it has been in years, and it’s suggested to get the kids out for a few last trips before it’s time for school.

Captain Stu Paterson of Northport Charters took a couple days off this week, but his first mate got out on the water. He fished Eaton’s Neck and got into some nice bluefish to 14 pounds. He also caught a boatload of big porgies amongst the abundant bait.
Fluke have gone deeper into 50-70 feet of water and are a bit more difficult to find now.
Albies should be here any day, and Stu is looking forward to a great fall run!

Rick from Harbor Marina of East Hampton saw more fish pushing back into the bay with this week’s cooling weather and north-east winds. Consistent bluefish and schoolie bass action can be found along the Fishers Island chain. Circle hooks for bait fishing, and single hooks on lures/jigs are recommended for responsible catch and release of smaller fish.

Block Island remains the epicenter of striper fishing, and the sea bass there are also worthy of mention. If the weather cooperates, try to make the run over there; you won’t regret it.

The ocean fluke bite will start to become more weather dependent. They seem to shut down with heavy winds and/or ocean swell. The season runs through September 30, though, so there is still ample time to prospect Montauk’s south side for a trophy fluke.

Sea bass and porgies are well represented throughout the rocky structure of Gardiners Bay and eastern Long Island Sound. You may find a nice fluke in the mix as well. The limits on seabass go to seven fish per angler on September 1.

Snappers, cocktail blues and blowfish are still very prevalent in Three Mile Harbor. Rick is hopeful that we will see some squid under the harbor lights very soon.

Jeff Lomonaco at Whitewater Outfitters in Hampton Bays got into some blitzing stripers the other day fishing inside and outside the bay. He tells me that bonito are also popping up, as are the Spanish mackerels. Little bluefish are adding to the action, making it near impossible to get skunked. The fishing is good, and the prospects for the fall run are very promising.

Fluke fishing lately has been okay. There’s a bunch of boats going out; some are doing very well, and some guys are having a tough time.

The offshore scene is still looking good. The bluefin extravaganza has yet to cease, and the yellowfin bite in the canyon is the best it’s been in the past decade. The troll bite has been really slow, so jigs are the answer. Anglers finding life (whales, dolphins, birds, etc.) are finding the fish with jigs. There have been numerous 100+ pound yellowfins taken, with some bigeyes and marlin in the mix as well.

Jeff’s main fishing suggestion is to be ready for albie season. Get your flies and lures together, make sure your drag is smooth and ready for battle.

Kenny at Tight Lines Tackle in Sag Harbor says the heavy winds and swell kept most anglers off the water this week. The word is, though, that the best fishing is still going on around Block Island. Anglers are still getting into good stripers over there, and the sea bass are much larger to the east.

Peconics are doing the same thing they’ve been doing. A mixed bag of smaller fish is to be expected if you hit those bay spots. One customer stayed inside the harbor doing the NE blow, and got into some fluke up to 22 inches.

Captain Chris Albronda, first mate of Double D Charters in Montauk, saw some big bass feeding on top yesterday, chasing bunker. After the blow fish, stripers showed up in numbers. There were fish on the tip, and birds everywhere. Chris says he’s still waiting for the albies to show.

Steven at Wego Fishing Bait & Tackle in Southold says it’s been a very strong year for blue claw crabs and snappers, perfect for kids. The peconic bay is holding porgies, cocktail blues, kingfish and blowfish.

On the Sound side, schoolie bass can be found at sunrise and sunset. SP Minnows have been the lure of choice for those fishing the surf. Surfcasters should visit the shop to find a good pick of Super Strike lures, Joe Baggs resin jigs and Hogy epoxy jigs for the incoming albies.

The Gut and Race are filled with bass and blues. On the slack tide, the seabass will bite. Also find them on the north side of Plum and Pigeons Rip.

Guys fishing the east side of Gardiners, near Tobaccolot and Shagwong are still finding some good fluke. Those willing to trek out to Cartwright’s should also find some good fluking.
The wind picking up this week kept a lot of people off the water, but it should pick up again soon now that it’s cooling down.

Long Island Fishing Forecast

The ocean got big this week. The bait that has inundated the bays must have been gushing out of the inlets, creating a bait slick for miles in either direction. That, coupled with the incoming new moon, has resulted in some consistently high tidal coefficients. Massive volumes of water are pouring in and out of the bays, and there is no question in my mind that the predatory fish are responding. Albies swimming outside should be coming in to feast any second. I’m sure some tropical fish are going to make their way inshore as well; how can they not when there is literally a bottomless buffet of easy-pickins? Big stripers thrive in these fast, heavy currents, and so the jetty jocks should be able to find a really nice pick of bass during this moon phase.

Surf anglers, like my friend Stephen Lobosco, are getting into stripers out here on the east end pretty consistently, despite the blow and its aftereffects. Find some good current with deep water and the bass should be there. You could also find bass in a rocky area, where the crazy winds and swells don’t completely wash out the surf zone. While doing that, you very well may come across the first albies of the year.

My play will be to frequent the inlets. Consistency is the name of the game this time of year. The more you go, the better chance you’ll hook into a hardtail. I’d like to put a few on the fly this year, so I’m going to need to do a lot of casting from the rocks. This water’s a ticking time bomb; one of the nicer days this week, which we won’t be short on, it should explode, and that will kickstart the albie sickness for many anglers, myself included.

Don’t forget about those stripers though! The moon in our midst is a storied one, offering the possibility for your biggest fish of the year. Hit the back side of it hard if you are able; and when September comes, keep after them. The big girls start to arrive in good numbers in September. Throw your big plugs, but do not forget about the small bait. Teasers might become your best friend in the next few weeks.

Whatever you’re after, may you find it. Tight lines.
If you’d like to be featured in this report, please message me on instagram at @SouthForkSalt, or email me at tkregan12@gmail.com.

Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain for Long Island!