Long Island Fishing Report
Western L.I. and NYC
The Western L.I./NYC Fishing Report is written and compiled by NYSDEC licensed kayak fishing guide, Nick Cancelliere (@li_kayak_fishing).
- On the North shore, stripers and bluefish blitz on massive amounts of peanut bunker in the back bays. On the South shore, bunker pods and sand eels are harassed close to the beach with birds marking the spot.
- Tautog (Blackfish) chewing in the shallows. Hot bay and reef bite on the South shore, and all across the rocky North shore on wrecks, dock pilings, and boulder fields.
- Albies in the Sound and outside the South shore inlets – keep your eyes on the water.
Jamie from Bay Park Fishing Station in Oceanside reports:
“The fall run is firing on all cylinders! Bass have been erupting on bunker pods in front of the beaches and on peanut bunker in the back bays! When the bunker are deep, try trolling mojos and flutter spoons in 40 feet of water or deeper. In shallow water, use swimming plugs and soft plastic lures to attract gators and cows! Danny Monoghan and Kelly Could reported that they had so many big stripers their arms got tired from reeling all day!
Albies have been popping up and blitzing all over! Epoxy jigs and soft plastics reeled in fast are key to getting into drag-screaming action! The blackfish bite on the reefs has been hot as well. Green crabs have been getting the most keeper tog on the AB reef. Bay Park has all your fishing needs, 7 days a week!”
Captain Brandon Weitz from Causeway Bait and Tackle in Wantagh told me:
“The beach bite has been awesome, stripers have been blitzing in the surf during the early morning and you can spot them easily thanks to the birds. Swarters, SP Minnows and other thin plugs have been working well to get bit. There’s also been an awesome tog bite in the bays and a lot of the party boats have been killing it. We’ve been catching some epic cow-sized bass on flutter spoons and live bunker from the boat outside the inlets. Don’t let the cold keep you off the water! As long as you’re on the water, it’s a good day!”
Paul McCain from River Bay Outfitters in Baldwin said:
“I’ve been spending most of my time guiding the Connetquot this week. The saltwater action has been awesome which has been keeping most fly anglers out in the bays and off the river, so it’s been nice and quiet and even on weekends it’s been easy to get my favorite beats without stepping over anybody else. The hatchery recently stocked a ton of fish so this fishing’s been great. If you’re a total beginner to fly fishing, the Connetquot river is one of the best places to start. You can visit my site at riverbayoutfitters.com to book a guided trip, with special packages for beginner anglers!”
-
Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain around Long Island and NYC!
Petey Trovato from Lindenhurst Bait and Tackle told me:
“Bass fishing has been at its best and shows no sign of slowing down. Off the beach you have sand eels and adult bunker depending where you are. Needlefish, SP Minnows or Joe Baggs Swarters, diamond jigs, and pencil poppers will attract the big fish that are prowling the surf right now. Blackfish has been off to a great start with a lot of fish being caught both in the bays and out on the reefs. A sinker and hook rig or SNAFU rig with green crab is key to hooking a keeper and not losing it. Jigs work as well if you want an extra challenge.”
John from Freeport Bait and Tackle reports:
“Bass have been all over. We’ve seen big pods of bunker off the beaches and some epic blitzes at certain hours of the day. Sometimes the birds make it obvious but other times you have to prowl the beach and keep your eyes open for nervous water or blow-ups from fish. Blackfish season is underway and anglers are catching them on green crabs dropped near bridge pilings and on wrecks. The reefs have been producing keepers as well for boat anglers. There have still been some false albacore and bonito around which really adds to the fun! The fall run is definitely in full swing, make sure you’re stocked up on the right tackle for all the different fish out there!”
Captain Josh of Gypsea Charters in Brooklyn reports:
“We had a veery good start to our blackfish season, which opened on the 15th. Lots of short and loads of keepers being taken on each trip so far. We ave seen many limits over the first week too, with fish 7 pounds being taken. We will continue blackfishing until the season closes, running open boat by reservation only. Call or text (516) 659-3814 to reserve your spot!”
Captain Adrian Moeller of Rockfish Charters in Queens reports:
“Bass fishing this week has been nothing short of spectacular with personal best’s being broken daily! Miles of bunker schools moved into our area beaches with tons of hungry trophy bass underneath them. It seems like every fish is between 30 and 40 pounds, and with the cooler October waters, they swam away healthy upon release. In the morning they’re hitting spooks and poppers, and live-lined bunker and flutter spoons the rest of the day. The only time it slows down is between the tides. Call (347) 661-4501 to book a trip before they move on.”
View this post on Instagram
Here’s what local anglers have been posting on social media:
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
This is prime-time fishing, where every effort to get on the water is rewarded. I went out twice this week on the North shore; once in a back bay, and then again in a boulder field just a few hundred feet from shore. In the back bays, I found striped bass, bluefish, and peanuts by the thousands, if not hundreds of thousands. In the boulder fields, I found blackfish, stripers, and porgies.
I started out Tuesday in my local back bay, which was flooded with peanut bunker from end-to-end. They made small wakes in the water like bay anchovies (also known as rain bait) would, but further spaced apart. At times you could see them shine underneath the surface. And they were in so thick, you could even smell them in the breeze. It was sunny and calm, so I stood on my kayak, casting poppers and swim shads into the greasy waters.
Not long into the trip, I spotted a group of birds in a corner of the bay. Fish were boiling on peanut bunker, and the birds were swooping down on them. I frantically reeled-in and started heading over. As I did, the splashes got larger and more frequent. My adrenaline started to rip. When I arrived, it was like I entered a striped bass minefield: blow-ups were happening in scattered directions. At times, dozens if not hundreds of peanut bunker would erupt from the surface, and in the same instance a striped tail would break the water.
I casted a topwater, walk-the-dog style lure at them but they would only get lightly swatted and those hits would be few and far between. These bass were completely keyed in on the peanut bunker. So I quickly changed to a swim shad and casted right into the school of peanuts. I let the jig sink to the bottom, then very slowly started to reel in. Only a few turns later, I felt a light thump, and my line went slack. I reeled-down in and set the hook in the same motion. I was tight with a schoolie bass.
Just like back in April, I found myself in a shallow back bay casting into peanut bunker schools. I was connecting with schoolie to slot-size bass in flat, murky water, casting small-profile swim shads and catching a fish on the bottom with a very slow retrieve. The sky was clear-blue and the sun was warm. It was a day for the books.
When the feeds seemed to stop, I scanned the open-water of the bay for any more bird activity. Further in, I spotted bluefish practically ram feeding through peanut bunker, so I tied on a pencil popper and made my way over. I’d spotted bluefish in this area back in June, but back then they were just sitting there finning under the surface. This time, the blues were active and angry, viciously plowing through fields of peanuts, at times flying out of the water a foot or two in the air. Just like the stripers, they were keyed-in on the peanuts and topwater lures had to be placed right in their path to get noticed, and would trigger more of an angry thrash than an actual bite. I was able to pull off two topwater bluefish but mostly had to rely on shallow swimming plugs, or sacrifice a few swim shads to hook up. Ultimately I went through two swim shads costing $7 a piece for a handful of teen-sized blues. I’d say I got my money’s worth.
The next day, my buddy Rob and I woke early and met at a boat ramp on the North shore. We’d scouted out a boulder field sitting close to the beach and beside a rock jetty. We were sure it would hold blackfish, or tautog as they’re also known. The night before, Rob stocked up on half a bushel of green crabs. It was just after slack low-tide when we reached the boat ramp, and the beach was full of rocks. I spent a few minutes stocking up on asian shore crabs before we launched our kayaks. I also brought a pack of clam Fish Bites with me, hoping to successfully artificial bait for tog. For blackfish, crabs are the gold-standard, but as far as bait goes, they can be a bit effort-intensive and don’t have a long shelf life. Artifical cut-bait like Fish Bites make a good alternative that you can always have ready, and I’ve had plenty of success using them for porgy, and even tipping tube lures with them for striped bass.
We set out for the boulder field and trolled paddle tails on the way. Rob hooked into a slot-striper and I hooked into some sea weed. He quickly unhooked and released the bass, opting not to keep any more bass since seeing the results of the Chesapeake spawning survey for this year. After a brief paddle, we were over the rocks and dropped anchor.
On the first drop, we started getting tapped and spent a period swinging-and-missing as we settled in to the grind of tog fishing. Rob started to out-fish me 3 to 1 on green crabs to Asian crabs for blackfish. Eventually, I decided to drop some greens and had a blackfish on my first drop. While the fishing was a bit slower than we’d hoped, we made note of the fact that neither of us had caught any porgies yet and we had 4 short blackfish on the board.
I started getting tired of feeding crabs to the fish and figured I’d try something new. I cut a 1-inch long piece of FishBites and threaded it onto my blackfish jig. I dropped it down as Rob started to mock me for even trying. To my surprise, when I closed the bail and reel in the slack I found I was tight on a blackfish before the jig even hit the bottom. I made a few more drops on the very same piece of fish bites and landed 3 short tog in the row. Now I was out-fishing rob, and on the same piece of bait for each fish. I had a stupid grin on my face for most of that period. I felt like I was on to something here with the cut bait.
Ultimately Rob and I caught one keeper a piece and dozens of shorts. Towards the end of the day, it started to be non-stop porgy and we got pretty tired of it. We trolled on the way back, this time slower and with tubes, and Rob again hooked into a bass on the way in. You could say he was high-hook that day, but I still felt like a winner for trying something new and finding success with it. When I got home, I diced up the blackfish I’d caught and made a warm and savory blackfish chowder, following a recipe by Andy Nabreski at On The Water.
Western L.I. and NYC Fishing Forecast
North Shore
What a year it’s been for bluefish in the Sound. It seems since they arrived this Spring they never stopped going crazy. Big, gator bluefish can be found in the back bays and along rocky points not far from shore. Trolling tubes, small-profile plugs, topwater pencils and poppers, and your precious soft plastics will attract savage bites. If you’re shore-bound, cast topwater pencils and small-profile swimming plugs like Yo-Zuri mag darter or the Rapala X-rap. Keep your eyes peeled for birds, and schools of bait.
For a couple of weeks now the bass bite has been getting better and better. Whereas most outings might have been full of blues several weeks ago, its starting to get more even-split between the stripers and the gators as the bass start to get more active in the daytime hours. Whether its schoolies against the shoreline, or larger overslot fish staging in the boulder fields. There are some bigger fish in the 40-inch class and above to be caught in the rocks, but most of what I’ve been catching and hearing about is slots and schoolies. Peanut bunker are the forage of choice right now, especially in the back bays.
Blackfish are at home in the Sound. Shallow boulder fields, jetties, wrecks, and dock pilings hold tog ready to chew on crabs, clam, or artificial cut-bait like fish bites. Nearshore togging tends to be a bit more of a grind – and by that I mean weeding through shorts and porgies. Persistence will pay off. If you’re on a pier, drop a blackfish jig with a crab of any kind straight down as close to the pilings or a rock as you can get. If you’re fishing from a rocky beach – a simple hook and sinker rig with a crab on it is all you need.
Finally, Albies – they’ve shown up in force over the past couple of weeks around the Manhasset – Glen Cove area but I haven’t seen a single blitz this week. However, our CT neighbors across the pond have been catching them so I have no reason to say they aren’t around. You just have to keep your eyes and ears open and hope you encounter them. Keep an epoxy jig nearby.
South Shore
The sentiment on the surf is that it’s been hit-or-miss on the beaches. Time and tide are crucial, and low-light anglers are reaping the most fish as usual. Our buddy from Causeway Bait and Tackle, Captain Brendan Weitz, has been crushing stripers with a blurple Joe Baggs Swarter, imitating spearing and sand eels. Raul Andres (@_raul_andres on instagram) most recently had a topwater beauty during a sunrise blitz underneath the birds. He casted a Superstrike Little Neck Popper in bunker pattern right into the school and hooked into a solid striper. In terms of bait, it’s bunker pods one day and sand eels the next. With fish on the move this time of year, it can change daily. So having a diverse set of tackle will help you match what the fish are preying on and get bit more.
In the back bays, party boats like the Gypsea based out of Brooklyn and some of the boats out of Captree have been pulling up many keeper tog, with a recent pool-winner on the Gypsea weighing in at 7 pounds. The Laura Lee has also been running mixed bag pelagic & bottom-jigging trips catching false albacore & bonito, triggerfish, and the not-so-occasional striper outside on the reefs during their night-time trips. This is, in my opinion, one of the best times to go party boat fishing. Especially for blackfish. If you prefer to be in control of your own destiny, however, check your local marine charts to find wrecks and boulder piles inside and outside the bays and head out in search of tog. The reefs have been producing a lot of keeper tog and it’s been a hot bite for boat anglers on the reefs. The advantage of togging on the South shore is that there’s much less porgy bycatch, so you can really dial in a good tog bite without worrying about your crabs being stolen by porgies. But hey – porgy are tasty too, and while they don’t yield as much meat as a keeper-sized blackfish would, they’re almost as delicious and you can catch way more of them in a short span. If the blackfish bite is slow, you can quickly switch tactics and throw out a mojo or flutter spoon to target stripers on the troll.
Ignore the rain this weekend, and focus on the wind – there won’t be much of it. Don a rain jacket and get out there, it’s excellent fishing weather. It doesn’t pay to be a fair-weather fisherman this time of year!
Thanks for reading, and tight lines.
The Western L.I./NYC Fishing Report is written and compiled by NYSDEC licensed fishing guide, Nick Cancelliere (@li_kayak_fishing).
Eastern Long Island Fishing Report
The Eastern L.I. Fishing Report is written and compiled by NYS surf/fly fishing guide and drone pilot, Tim Regan (@southforksalt).
- Double digit togs on the north shore. Good togging to be had from shore.
- Great bottom fishing as well, for sea bass, porgies and the like.
- 40+ pound bass along the south shore. Some blitzes occurring in opportune places.
- Still some summer species leftover: puffers, toadfish, triggerfish, fluke, etc.
- Still some albies and bonito to be caught. Solid pelagic bite going on. Tuna fishing offshore is fantastic.
The Captree Pride reports:
“We’re targeting trophy bass in the ocean, right along the beach. We picked a bunch of big mamas on Sunday. Pelagic trips have been awesome, with bonito, albies, bluefish and more coming over the rail. We’re seeing a lot of albies and bonito; stripers have been weighing to about 40 pounds, and we’ve lost some even bigger ones. Our last tuna trip was epic, with yellowfin and limits of bluefin up to 160 pounds. Everyone walked away with an overflowing cooler. Mackerel and sea bass were some other species we tied into this week. Get tickets at captreepride.com.”
Capt. Dave Flanagan of North Island Fly in Northport reports:
“Keith and his daughter Lily joined me early in the week to target some northeast species. Lily is used to the peacock bass down south, and now she is a topwater striper/bluefish specialist! We picked some nice big blues and some good looking bass before the day was up. The bluefish continued to bite well throughout the week; there are some big ones in the mix.” Check out Dave’s website to book him for a charter at northislandfly.com.
The Celtic Quest Fishing Fleet of Port Jefferson reports:
“Big sea bass have been chewing well out east in Mattituck. We picked some good tog and lots of porgies out there yesterday as well. The tog have been chewing clams, but favoring crabs; we’re catching them to about 7 pounds. Once the cooler weather hits, they’ll start chewing real well.” Call them at 631-928-3926 for booking info, or check the website/Facebook for more info.
-
Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain around Long Island and NYC!
The Peconic Star 3 of Greenport reports:
“Strong moon tides have caused enough current to make the togging difficult, but we’ve been managing to pick some quality fish. Our skilled anglers are picking limits to 8 pounds. We’ve seen a couple double-digit tog this week too, tipping the scales at ten pounds. Mixed in are good numbers of sea bass and porgies. For booking info, call Captain Paul.”
Brooklyn Girl in Orient reports:
“We began the 2023 tog season with a bang on the first drop. Despite the moon tides and some breeze, we picked a solid catch off the bottom. 20 anglers put 30 beauties to 9 pounds in the box. We had a steady pick the rest of the day, with 56 keepers over 16 inches. Lots of shorts came over the rail as well. Jordan D. took the pool, and Dennie was high hook with 7 keepers. There were some solid sea bass in the mix. The weekend was even better, with 90 keepers on Saturday and 64 on Sunday, with pool fish going about 8 pounds. Contact Ken/Barbara for more trip info.”
Capt. Phil of Fishy Business in Orient reports:
“Blackfish season has started off great! Our groups have been enjoying good fishing with limit catches. Big sea bass and short life have been keeping anglers busy in between keepers. We still have a few dates available for charters to get in on the action. Give Phil a call to book a trip!”
Bill at Chasing Tails Bait and Tackle in Oakdale reports:
“The start of blackfish season on the south shore has been nothing short of incredible. Tons and tons of hungry tog are out looking for a crabby snack. Whether you like a jig or a traditional rig, you have to be on point for these fish. I recommend a long leader, about 6-8 feet, of 50-60 pound fluorocarbon for abrasion resistance. I tie a TA clip on the end and slide a jig or a rig on the end. Bring plenty of crabs, these guys love to steal bait. The fall run of striped bass is going very well. The early mornings and evenings are loaded up with huge fish. There is so much bait around, and such great quality fish, that some anglers are even getting lucky in the afternoon. Live bunker and eels work very well, or you can chum and give them some clam. If you prefer fishing with lures, popping plugs, bucktails, swimshads, and shallow divers are getting annihilated. Inside, the bass are chasing schools of bait all over the place. I’m having the best luck with small poppers, bucktails, and swim shads. On the fly rod, I’m throwing mullet and peanut bunker patterns for the most consistent action.
The water in the local lakes and rivers is starting to cool down. That means it’s time to start going low and slow with your presentation for bass and pickerel. Jigs are one of the best lures for this time of year. Cranks, jerks, and finesse soft plastics are killers. Trout should be a lot more active throughout the day. They will rise on dry flies, attack streamers, and munch every nymph you drift past them. “
Nick from Haskell’s Bait and Tackle in East Quogue reports:
“From boats, the inlet bite has picked up. Early morning anglers targeting shinnecock and moriches inlets have been picking some solid fish on live eels and spot. Outside, there are good numbers of fish on bunker schools when they show up. Squid and mackerel in the mix has made it even more interesting. The blackfish opener was awesome, with guys anchoring up on the reef or near structure and picking away at tog. Slack tides work real well for them. From shore, most beaches are producing fish from schoolie size to 30 pounds. Sunset and sunrise bites are best bets, and as long as the tide is moving, the fish are there. Soft plastics and swimming plugs worked slowly are what’s working best. Inlets also have good fish on either end of the tides. Bucktails and soft plastics are getting the job done.”
The Shinnecock Star in Hampton Bays reports:
“Yesterday’s trip produced some solid blackfish, as well as some big triggerfish to round out the catch. Brian had his limit plus of tog, and then took some jumbo triggerfish, sea bass and puffers home. Text or call Capt. John for info!”
Chris Albronda from Montauk reports:
“It’s been a phenomenal week both inshore and offshore. Close in, we had blitzing striped bass, albies and bonito. The blackfish are in shallow water, with some very large fish in the mix. In the deeper water, you can find codfish. The surf fishermen targeting stripers have been doing very well at the lighthouse. Offshore, the bluefin bite is peaking. The fishery mirrors the fishery in the 70s, which was renowned for its quality and abundance. Now is the time to get offshore and target big bluefin with lighter tackle.” Shoot Chris a text at 631-830-3881 to book a trip.
Bill Wetzel of the Surf Rats Ball reports:
Brian from Virginia booked me for three days, starting Monday. We worked the evening tide then in some northeast winds. The south side was nice and calm. We worked the sand beaches until we found some. SS needles caught them one after the other. We ran to the Northside after 30-40 fish, and found some legal bass there on darters and bottle plugs. Tuesday’s trip saw similar conditions, with much lighter winds. We found some fish on the sand beaches again, but smaller than the night before. They only wanted needlefish lures. We ran to the north side afterward and picked bass on darters again. Wednesday’s trip, we started fishing a bit earlier, looking for blitzes. We saw none, and caught no fish. Our first fish came after dark, when Brian tied into a hungry fish who inhaled his darter. We caught a bunch, most of which were short. Some of the fish were in the teens though. Subscribe today at www.longislandsurffishing.com.
Eastern L.I. Fishing Forecast
After observing and reporting these past few weeks, I feel confident that my read on the surf situation is pretty accurate. I saw the same exact thing go down last year; the few years prior were similar too.
There is an incredible amount of bait along the south fork right now. There is a good amount of striped bass getting caught at certain spots along the south fork. There are huge stretches of beach where running into a striped bass is a long shot. Those huge stretches of unproductive beach have been covered in gill nets.
I talked smack about gill nets almost ten years ago, when I first realized they must be screwing up the striper run on my beach. Good fishing would cease suddenly, right when the gill nets would be set. Once they were set, there would be little-to-no blitzes until they were removed. I talked about this publicly, and got lambasted by a bunch of commercial fishermen. Trawlers and gill netters, specifically, did not like my stories, and they told me I was a tree hugger who doesn’t know what a hard day’s work is. It took some damage control to assure them that I’m not anti-commercial fishing, and “tree hugger” is not the right phrase to describe me. A lot of those guys were complete jerks about it, but some were willing to hear me out. I still chat with some of those open minded folks today. They’re cool dudes.
There is no question in my mind that gillnetting greatly decreases the opportunities for surfcasting. There have been no blitzes on my beach since the gill nets were set. Same exact thing happened last year. And perhaps the craziest part of this is the fact that within two days of the gill nets being pulled, the blitzes began (also, same exact story as last year).
Two days ago my boss texted me, saying that he was watching big bass exploding on big bunker. He broke his collarbone in the spring, and hasn’t done any real fishing since. That being the case, he was entirely unprepared for the scene unfolding in front of him. He had to hunt for his rod, which was luckily on site. Then he had to hunt for a proper lure; he dove into my backup stash, which is rife with rusty hooks and gear that should just not be trusted. By the time he had his rig together, it was too late to capitalize on the bite.
I spent the next few days watching the water regularly, waiting for the blitzes to occur again. I even put off getting new tires on my truck, so that I wouldn’t miss the bite. Of course, that was wasted time. Never put off until tomorrow what you can accomplish today. I figured I’d bring my truck in this morning and pick it up later today. Then I saw the bait.
There were a number of schools darkening the water this morning. Fast moving clouds played tricks on our eyes, but certain shadows remained stationary, so Evan and I chatted about his experience a few days prior. As we spoke, the small school right in front of us turned into a washing machine. Roiling water bubbled on the surface as the peanut bunker scattered. The wind chop on the water made it a little less obvious, but a few seconds in, we knew we were watching a small blitz unfold. Evan and I sprinted to grab our rods. I was rigged up for blackfish, so I cut my leader in half and tied on a bucktail. Evan had a mag darter tied on already, and we both got to the beach at the same time. The foaming school was nowhere to be seen. He went right and I went left, towards what I thought looked a bit promising. First cast, I had a hit and the fish felt good. 4 seconds in, the fish popped off. I figured I had just punctured a small section of its lip. A few more casts produced nothing, and we figured we’d missed the action.
Then we saw terns diving, and we both ran for them. Bait was spraying from the water; it wasn’t a lot of bait, so we weren’t freaking out, but it was enough to give us hope. We worked with the same lures for a bit, for naught. Eventually, I began doing a typical striper retrieve, keeping it slow and low on the bottom. When my bucktail got to the lip, I let it sit for a moment. It got picked up lightly by a bass and I brought it to the beach pretty quickly. The striper was a keeper, and I threw it back. For the next hour or so, we chased busting bait and tenacious terns hoping for another bite. There was nothing obvious occurring, besides the birds working the surface; most of the time, though, it seemed as if there was nothing big underneath them. I ended up catching another bass and a small bluefish before I decided to come in and finish this report though.
I swear, it’s always the report days when the fishing really blows up. No bueno.
So, that was my morning. It was awesome. It perfectly mirrors the best bite I encountered last year, when Evan, Justin and I were putting 25 to 40 pounders on the beach. The gill nets had been pulled from our waters the day before, giving the bass a chance to feed on the abundant bait schools. It was an absolutely epic day, and we caught big bass from noon to sunset. I won’t ever forget that bite. And I’ll never be convinced that it could’ve happened if the gill nets were still there.
My final note on gill nets and stripers is that there ARE blitzes occurring lately. They are occurring in the small sections of beach where it is illegal for gill netters to set their nets. These nets are disrupting the fishes’ migration path, and not allowing the stripers to feed until they’re fat enough to handle the cold winter waters that aren’t so saturated with food items. It seems like a bad recipe, especially since the stock is now in grave danger of not being able to sufficiently repopulate.
Fishing is sick right now. I got into some cool blitzes in the back bays last night. There were stripers all over, blitzing from below on tons of peanut bunker. It really makes up for the lack of action out front. The fishing out front is starting to look pretty darn good though. The bait situation in the ocean is absurd. I’ve been seeing all sorts of different species getting worked by shad, dolphins, stripers and blues this week. Every day is completely different. I reckon when I get outside after writing this report, the scene will have changed dramatically since this morning. Tomorrow, there may be nothing going on, or it could be on fire. That’s the fall run for you. Everything is on the move, and you never know what wave is going to hit tomorrow. It’s exciting!
I’ve been putting a lot of time into togging lately, aaaannndd I’m pretty sure they’re my new favorite fish. Blackfish fight so incredibly hard, and they taste so damn good. I’m cooking up my keeper from the other day tonight. They usually provide me with one of my favorite meals of the year. While togging, I pulled up a big oyster toadfish and a big puffer fish. I figured it was kind of late for these species, but the water is still so friggin warm! Backbay water temps have been reading in the high 60s this week. I’m guessing the rain and wind this weekend will help cool that down. It’s looking like some warm rain, but the nights have been getting much cooler, and the upcoming northwest winds should knock the summer weather out of here for good. It’ll be primetime for tog very shortly. I’m expecting to hear about some more double digits this week.
I’m anxious to see what’s going to happen with the November blitzes to which I’ve become accustomed. Those blitzing fish in the back bays weren’t very large, so there will be some stock to feed the typical November schoolie run; but, with stock surveys showing signs of decreasing schoolies, I don’t think anything is guaranteed. We shall see.
I’m hoping the gator blues on the north shore swing around Montauk and make a run along the south fork, just for me. That was always my favorite run of the year; the fifteen pound racers we’d encounter in the spring would be 20 pound goliaths come October/November. Everyone, catch a cocktail bluefish and put it under your pillow so we get that gator run. I’m pretty sure that’s how it works. I’m counting on you.
Keep an eye out for the birds. Crush your barbs, use single hooks. Work the beach lip. Get out as much as you can. If you blink, you’ll miss it. Fishing is very fun right now. Go and get you some.
The Eastern L.I. Fishing Report is written and compiled by NYS surf/fly fishing guide and drone pilot, Tim Regan (@southforksalt).