Man, did I miss Long Island’s expansive, sandy, south shore beaches.
I was visiting home for my buddies wedding last weekend and I managed to find a few hours to sneak out to my local beaches, and I was handsomely rewarded; not to say the caliber of fish was anything substantial, but the quantity was there. Where I now reside on the south side of Cape Cod, surfcasting is a little different than the areas I normally fished back on Long Island. The surf is smaller, calmer, and clearer, whereas my home beaches on L.I. provided turbulent surf, miles of space, and sandy, foamy water where the bass seem a bit easier to trick. With the numbers and quality of stripers on the open beaches this time of year, I didn’t want to regret missing out on a great bite, or at the very least, a picturesque sunset.
The beach bite was a spectacle. Most of the anglers around me bent the rod at least two or three times, and I was elated when it came my turn to reel in the first of the day. The Fall Run was in the air.
I noticed that my strikes all came within a few feet of the beach lip, which wasn’t surprising. So rather than bombing each cast into the slight southwest headwind, I opted for easy-going casts that would find my jig more immediately in the strike zone. I was one of the only anglers throwing bucktails while most others opted for A17 diamond jigs with tube trailers, or a similar, simple tin like a Hopkins or Kastmaster. Sand eels had pushed in close to the beach, and I imagine that’s what the hickory shad were enjoying. From what I could tell, the anglers who chose to throw plugs all evening struggled to connect with bass. That being said, the open beaches have seen a great bite on swimming plugs after dark recently, so I hope they were able to hook up once the sun dropped below the horizon. More specifically, JoeBaggs swarters, Daiwa SP minnows and Super Strike darters have been taking slot and over-slot fish from sundown through the night. That bite should continue at least through next week, assuming there’s enough bait along the beaches and these great conditions hold up.
Tautog fishing seems to be going great for those who have opted to take their attention away from striped bass. The north shore is seeing some decent fish landed from jetties and rocky beaches where there’s plenty of fishable water for shoreline anglers, but treacherous temptation for boat anglers. Grab some lightweight jigs and green crabs and give the north shore beaches and jetties a go. If you have a kayak, you’re even better suited for tautog fishing on the north shore. The south shore is seeing some decent tautog fishing as well, but around different types of hard structure. Locate some pilings, small wrecks in the bay, or fish around the many bridges along the south shore and there will likely be some action. Expect smaller fish for the most part, and don’t swing so early! Allow the smaller fish crunch away at the crab, wait for a bigger tog to come in and swim away with your offering, then set the hook and don’t let ’em dig!
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Looking for Tim Regan’s Eastern Long Island Fishing Report? Click here to read about the bite around Suffolk County and The Forks!
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Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain around Long Island or NYC!
From the Boats
Captain Josh of Gypsea Charters in Howard Beach, Queens reports:
“Tog fishing has been up and down, with some days landing tons of fish and nice keepers in the mix. Other days we have had to really work hard for the bites. Things should continue to improve as the water temperatures drop over the coming weeks.”
Captain Rich of Rockfish Charters in Brooklyn reports:
“If you can’t catch bass right now, best take up golf. Bass invaded the west end just about everywhere possible. There are many bunker schools to fish for the meat fisherman, and plenty of giant top water feeds on peanuts and sand eels for those who like to plug or fly-rod. The back bays are still loaded with smaller bass for those windy days when you need protection. The fishery is objectively strong down this way.” Call Captain Rich (347) 661-4501 to book a trip.
Captain Vinnie of Karen Ann Charters in Jamaica Bay reports:
“Spectacular fishing would be an understatement. The Fall Run has been hot throughout Jamaica Bay for striped bass, and the guys out front are doing just as well. Big bass are hitting topwater plugs and there are plenty of slots mixed in. Book a trip now to get in on the action while it lasts.” Call Captain Vinnie (516) 728-6952 to book a trip.
Sound Bound Charters in New Rochelle and Mamaroneck reports:
“On Friday, Captain James reported an absolute slam of a trip. Jumbo porgies, lots of sea bass, and a few weakfish came over the rail throughout the day and anglers left happy after plenty of action and glassy water conditions made for a smooth day of sailing. Then on Sunday, Captain Danny reported lights out fishing on the porgy grounds out of New Rochelle. During the 8 a.m. trip, guys were on the cutting boards by 11 a.m. after buckets were filled by 10:45 around the boat!” The Sound Bound also offers tautog trips in Rhode Island which is known for its excellent blackfish fishery. Check them out and book a trip while the getting is good!
Point Lookout’s Super Hawk reports great fishing over the past week for sea bass, scup and bluefish. As always, there were a few surprise catches mixed in here and there! Fall fishing is some of the best there is, so don’t hesitate to spend the day offshore and put some tasty fillets in the cooler. The Super Hawk is sailing special offshore wreck trips daily from 5 a.m. until 5 p.m. and they are even running an extended wreck trip at 3 a.m. on November 2nd. Reservations are required for all trips, so check out their website, superhawkfishing.com, or go to their Facebook page for more information.
If you’re headed east and looking to meet up with some friends or family from that way, Captree State Park is the place to do it.
Captree’s Laura Lee reports:
“On Tuesday at 7 a.m., the local trip caught 334 blackfish, 13 sea bass, 3 triggerfish and 1 toadfish. At 1 p.m. the local trip caught 377 blackfish and 20 sea bass. Then, the 6 p.m. trip kept 3 Striped Bass.
Wednesday’s 7 a.m. local trip caught 261 blackfish and 21 sea bass. At 1 p.m. the Local caught 256 blackfish and 12 sea bass. To close the day, the 6 p.m. trip kept 6 slot-size stripers and released one oversize striper.”
From the Shops:
Josh at Jack’s Bait and Tackle in City Island, Bronx reports:
“Blackfish season is going great in the Sound. There are still a lot of shorts around but they’re getting some quality keepers out there for sure. Porgy fishing has been good as well, but not in the numbers like we’re used to in weeks past. Bluefish are back in the Western Sound too, and most anglers are getting them on diamond jigs. Striper fishing unfortunately has been so-so. Eels and diamond jigs are working for the most part, but if you plug around with metal lips at night you might find a couple fish in tight to the rocks.”
Brandon at Causeway Bait and Tackle in Wantagh reports:
“The south shore beach bite has been really good, and it’s not showing any signs of slowing down. The Joe Baggs sand eels are killing it recently. Last week the hot ticket was a plug bite on the Swarters and other similar plugs, but since the sand eels have moved in, the game has changed. I switched from plugs to Joe Baggs sand eels after 100 casts with no fish, and immediately came tight to a slot bass on the 2-ounce Joe Baggs sand eel…They are hitting close to shore and there are plenty of quality fish to go around.
Off the backside of the beaches, there is some great tog fishing to be had at the bridges. The wrecks are producing some fish, but everyone is mainly fishing the bays and sticking close to home to get on some keeper tog.”
River Bay Outfitters in Baldwin reports:
“The fishing has been good this week. I caught a few shad in the inlet recently and there are substantial numbers of shad out on the beaches mixed in with the stripers. Right now though, we have lots of guys leaving the Island to hit the The Salmon River and Lake Eerie, which have been good for chinook salmon, but I’m hearing reports of lots of brown trout too. Back here on the beaches, plenty of stripers are swimming in the surf around Robert Moses, Jones Beach and Long Beach, and they’re biting diamond jigs and swimming plugs.”
Freeport Bait and Tackle reports:
“There’s been good fishing on the beaches from Robert Moses to the West End. Green tube diamond jigs are working during the day along with Super Strikes Little Neck Poppers. Lots of anglers are also catching on bucktails, and Joe Baggs swarters and sand eels. The bridges are fishing great for tautog, proving you don’t need to go far to get a couple keepers for dinner. We’ve got all the beach needs and all the crabs. Call and reserve White crabs ahead if you want them. We have Asian and Fiddler crabs too.”
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Looking for Tim Regan’s Eastern Long Island Fishing Report? Click here to read about the bite around Suffolk County and The Forks!
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Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain around Long Island or NYC!
Western Long Island/NYC Fishing Forecast
Next to early September, late October is one of the best times of the year to be fishing. Whether you are fishing from the surf, on the rocks, at the canyons or in the back bay, there is something for everyone to enjoy.
Bottom fishing is going strong for sea bass and scup (porgies) off of the local wrecks, and there are even some big bluefish coming up on those trips. They’re feeding on anything big enough to sustain their seemingly-endless appetites around the reefs and wrecks within just a few miles of shore.
A little closer to home, the blackfish bite has been good! Anglers fishing the south side bridges between Captree and Fort Tilden are likely to find some tog tight to structure, waiting for a crab (or your jig) to slowly drift into their domain. Remember to have patience with these crab crunchers and you may be rewarded with a substantial keeper! Personally, I think the larger fish should be released because they take so long to grow as a species; the ones that are just larger than minimum keeper size tend to taste the best. Be sure to check regulations before you go out, because although the size regulations are the same around New York, the number of fish you can keep differs between the L.I. Sound and the Atlantic.
I would love to speak on the tuna bite, but all I know is that it’s been bonkers. If you had planned to get offshore this season and have yet to do so, use the “Find an OTW-approved Charter Captain” link above and our team will help you find a last-minute booking before it’s too late!
Striped bass fishing is going strong on the West End and should continue to produce quality and quantity. The beaches from Captree to the Rockaways are flooded with bass and hickory shad that are chasing bait like sand eels, bay anchovies and peanut bunker. Find yourself a stretch of open beach, grab the classics (tins and bucktails) and maybe a few swimming plugs or topwaters, and work the shoreline until you find success. Bring lures that will allow you to target different portions of the water column, and if the bite ends up becoming a struggle, tie a teaser about 12- to 18-inches above your main lure and keep fishing!
these reports are GREAT!!!
Great information wold like flaxes jones beach Montaigne
I appreciate the report but the strange tendency lately for captains to want to throw back the big ones(tautog) is disturbing. How many ways will they find to stop sport fishing?? The one man with a rod and reel cannot effect the 40 million square miles of the atlantic. Its bad enough the laws made on stripers,bluefish we have been forced to swallow but now captains want to throw back big ones?? Where does it end?? The Green church will put an end to all our liberties
Hi Peter,
Nobody is trying to stop sport fishing. In fact it’s quite the opposite. From a captains perspective, they are releasing big tog to replenish the resource that keeps them out on the water providing daily charters to people like you and me. A tautog grows significantly slower than a striped bass or bluefish, so the big ones are few and far between in comparison if we look at them as a species next to stripers. Within regulatory perameters, if you want to keep a bruiser tautog for the table instead of releasing them to possibly spawn and spread the genes that created such a sizable fish, that’s fine; as you said, surely one mans rod and reel can’t impact the vast ocean. If everyone thought that way, there’d be no trophy tog left. However, your suggestion that people are trying to take away your liberties by releasing big tautog, which have the potential to reproduce and create more large specimens, is baseless. Don’t take the generosity of other fishermen as the conservationists making a personal attack on you. The fishermen and captains who want to continue to see the fishery flourish because they depend on it for their livelihoods, will continue to release some of the trophy tautog that are caught.