Long Island and NYC Fishing Report
Eastern Long Island
The Eastern Long Island Fishing Report is compiled and written by writer/blogger and fly-fishing industry professional, Jack Larizadeh (@jack.lariz).
Bill at Chasing Tails Bait & Tackle in Oakdale reports: “Fluke action in the bay is nonstop! Lots of solid fish are roaming the channels and starting to move into the flats. Any of our shop rigs will have them in the boat in no time. Tip the rigs with your favorite Gulp or other soft plastic of choice. Bucktails and jigheads rigged the same way will put numbers up too. Weakfish are showing up in good numbers as well. Light tackle and some finesse is required. They love small jerkshads, bucktails, and the classic jellyworms. Huge schools of porgies are all over the inlets and local structure. Rigs with worms, clams, or FishBites strips will have them on your line two at a time. And bass reports are still solid! Lots of big fish are chilling in the ocean, getting even bigger and ready to migrate. Bunker spoons are getting whomped on by these big stripers. Bucktails, Danny plugs, big shads and popping plugs are getting swallowed up as well. Some big blues are still hunting around, but there are tons of cocktails in the mix. Snappers and crabs will show up at the docks real soon! We’ve already seen some good numbers of blue claw crabs moving around our local waters.”
Captain Chris at the Montauk Anglers Club reports: “What an exciting week of fishing we had in Montauk, everything seems to be improving from inshore to offshore. The striped bass fishery remains consistent with lots of slot-size fish and even fish to over 50 pounds. I’m really excited to see what the full moon brings. It’s definitely gonna be game on! The bluefish have moved in, making it a little more difficult to catch striped bass. My biggest recommendation is if you get on the bluefish, move! Once they get charged up, there is no stopping them or getting through to the striped bass. Let’s not hate on the bluefish, though, because the thresher sharks are here, and that’s one of their favorite baits! Fluke fishing has picked up too, with some decent fish to show for it. The hot color this year is blue! Blue fuze Gulp has been the ticket and we just restocked. With the influx of sand eels of the XXL size, more and bigger fluke will be coming in. Additionally, there are lots of black sea bass being released. It won’t be long before we can keep them! Sea bass season opens on June 23rd.
Surfcasting has been incredibly tough. We are almost on week two of tough surf fishing, and only those who are putting in the time are getting what they are looking for.
Offshore, bluefin tuna fishing has been phenomenal! Chatter’s siders and spreader bars are the ticket to success. They aren’t very far away. Now is the time to get out there and catch your limit of beautiful bluefin. The sharks have finally arrived in Montauk, with mako sharks, thresher sharks, and blue sharks in the mix. Come into the shop and I will set you up with the ultimate shark-catching setup. I’m here Monday through Friday from 6 AM to 2 PM, and the shop closes at 6 PM, so come check us out, grab a pack of spearing, and feed our dock pets—striped bass from slot-size to 30 pounds are here!”
Mark at Cow Harbor Bait and Tackle in Northport reports: “Bass showed up in Hampton Bays and are all over the eastern south shore beaches. The squid just started showing up and the bass bite should turn on any day; darters should produce for surfcasters on a squid bite. In terms of bottom fishing, the fluke bite is changing—there are lots of short fluke in 5 to 30 feet of water, however, lots of larger fluke are being caught in even deeper water. In regards to bait, there aren’t many bunker around. The pods are spotty, but fish are still chasing these scattered schools if you can find them. In other news, blues are back in force and chewing on trolling gear.”
Steve at Wego Fishing Bait and Tackle in Southold reports: “The bass fishing is super hot in The Gut, and The Race is a close second. Additionally, there are plenty of fish left at Jessup’s Neck. Bluefish have also showed up in force covering the Sound; these ferocious fish are anywhere from 5 to 15 pounds. Bottom fishing has slowly tapered off, fluke seem to be hanging out in deeper water in the 70-foot range. The weakfish bite remains steady on diamond jigs and teasers. As for tuna, the bite is picking up steadily near Montauk.”
Jeff Lomonaco at White Water Outfitters in Hampton Bays reports: “The bunker schools are flooding the beach, and a second wave of extra-large fish is following them. Additionally, guys are crushing bass by the bridges and the inlet on live bait. As for the offshore scene, recreational bluefin tuna are popping up near the Ranger and are happy to eat!”
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This past week, I left New York for Nantucket, Massachusetts. Over the next month or so, I’ll be fishing the beaches hard for striped bass and blues. To say the least, it’s a huge change of pace from fishing on my boat in Long Island Sound. There’s nothing quite like the sound of waves slamming the sand in the pitch-black darkness.
Armed with a 10-foot Century Stealth and a VSX2, I hopped in the car for a late-night session with a gambit of plugs in my bag; Mag Darters, needlefish, Super Strike Zig-Zags, and Sebile Magic Swimmers. Picking apart the trough, I counted as the waves crashed over the bar in succession. The waves seemed to stack in 4-second intervals, and suddenly, my buddy Dan was tight on a schoolie. This immediately gave me hope, and I quickly took note of Dan’s plug—an XL bronze-colored Mag Darter. Within seconds of changing my plug, I was tight to my first Nantucket fish of the year, a fat schoolie! We continued to crush fish from 10:00 PM to 4:00 AM. In the madness, I was able to pull a healthy fish out on the Mag Darter. I’m excited to see what this full moon brings!
Eastern Long Island Fishing Forecast
It’s mid-June, and rising air and water temps make targeting bass and blues tough during the day. It’s about that time when bass switch from a 9 to 5 schedule to a night bite! The full moon is June 21st, which should have big bass fired up. The full moon exasperates current and tide the three days before and after it occurs. If you’re not sure where to find fish, I’d recommend ditching the backwaters and focusing your efforts on boulder fields or open beaches. For the boulder fields, I’d recommend a 5-inch bronze floating Mag Darter, 5-inch Yo-Zuri twitch bait in the peanut bunker pattern, a bone white 7-inch Cotton Cordell Redfin, and a 6-inch wonder bread SP Minnow. As for the beach, I’d be sure to carry a 1-ounce, parrot-colored Super Strike needlefish, a yellow Super Strike darter, tandem rigged 12-inch Slug-gos in the albino shad color, and an Alan’s Combat Glider in the bunker pattern. Regardless of the spot, you’ll likely notice a sweeping current due to moon tide forces. When it comes to presentation, it’s crucial to cast with the sweep. If the current slides right to left, cast up current and work your plug down current.
While the full moon produces great bass fishing, you can’t ignore the fluke bite! By this time, plenty of bait like spearing, peanuts, and sand eels have invaded the shallows. Much like bass and blues, fluke love to follow and feed on schools of bait. When imitating these small baits, I’d recommend using a Gulp sand eel in sapphire shine. As for rigging, you can’t go wrong with a bucktail and teaser rig. Don’t be afraid to lob your rig right into the school of bait, there should be a doormat waiting for you!
Looking toward the future, it’s about time to head offshore for jig-and-pop tuna. This high-octane fishery is just about ready to go. If you can muster up the strength, you’ll be able to land some great tablefare!
The Eastern Long Island Fishing Report is compiled and written by writer/blogger and fly-fishing industry professional, Jack Larizadeh (@jack.lariz).
Western Long Island & NYC
The Western L.I./NYC Fishing Report is compiled and written by NYSDEC licensed kayak fishing guide, Nick Cancelliere (@nick_onthewater).
- High winds and higher temperatures put a damper on the inshore bass bite.
- Fluke take the spotlight with a few doormats over 10lbs this week.
- Large bass move out, but 20 to 30 pounders remain.
- Porgy fishing picks up on the North Shore after a surprisingly slow start.
Johnny Fish from Lindenhurst Bait & Tackle told me:
“The big bass have moved east and the blues have taken over. It’s summer and soon the primary game will be fluking & sharking from the surf. But for now, there’s been a ton of blues around, both in the bays and out on the beaches. For a few days now, I’ve been going out around sunset finding fish feeding on small bait on the surface. Diamond jigs, bucktails, and small topwater plugs have been killer for hooking big, gator bluefish right now.”
Captain Josh Rogers of Gypsea Charters out of Brooklyn reported:
“Very good fluking this past week on all trips! We saw quality fish all week, with many 6-, 7- and 8-pound fish hitting the deck each trip. The size has definitely been very impressive with this new body of fish that has moved into the bay. As the water warms, we will begin our ocean trips very soon. Reservations and availability can be found on our website fishgypseany.com.”
Captain Adrian Moeller of Rockfish Charters in Queens said:
“Bassing on the Rockfish was very consistent this week. The big fish unfortunately moved on, but we’re keeping rods bent with slot- to 25-pound-class fish, and plenty of them. The bait set up nicely in the bay and we’re getting it in one or two throws of the cast net, which gives us lots more time to fish.
Big fluke have moved in too, and even though we don’t usually target them, we caught a real nice one yesterday that inhaled a live bunker while drifting for bass! We’re still booked solid with bass charters, but hope to start our tuna season by the first week of July. See our full schedule and book a trip at rockfishcharters.com or call (347)661-4501.”
Al Rotunno of the Staten Island Fishing Club reports:
“The water in Raritan Bay continues to warm with the higher temperatures we have been seeing, which is starting the transition from spring to summer fishing. The large body of migratory striped bass seem to have moved east, although there are still some bass to be caught oceanside and around the bay. Live-lining bunker and eels seems to be the best method right now. Fluke fishing is also picking up with plenty of keepers being caught along the Ambrose Channel up to and through the Verazanno Bridge. Use of heavier sinkers may be needed depending on the wind and current. Bigger baits attract bigger fish.
On the shark fishing front, there have not been the usual reports of thresher shark landings this time of year compared to years past. Last week there was a local thresher tournament, which did not yield a single thresher weigh-in. There are some reports of thresher more to the East off of Long Island.
Offshore seems to have finally started to pop off, with good catches of bluefin, bigeye, longfin and yellowfin tuna starting to show at many local canyons. Inshore and midshore hasn’t been happening much, but there are some bluefin being caught by those putting in the time fishing the lumps off the NJ coast north to south. Get out there and fish! Tight lines all!”
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Here’s what local anglers have been posting on social media:
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If you have a catch you’d like to share, DM me on Instagram @nick_onthewater.
The heat and wind have been a bummer, forcing me to stay in the deep corners of the back bays where the tides never quite lined up in my favor. Miserable mornings of getting eaten alive by bugs, temperatures hitting 80 before 10 AM, and just all-around slower fishing compared to last week, has lead to an early onset of the summer doldrums. It doesn’t look like we’ll have a day under 80 for the foreseeable future unless you’re fishing the very early mornings or late at night. But while spring and fall are my favorite seasons to fish, summer brings plenty of excitement—including inshore pelagics like Spanish mackerel and cobia.
But while I’ve been in a slump, others are still catching and making the most of other species besides striped bass. Bluefish have grown numerous in the Sound and continue to provide drag-screaming action. Fluking has really picked up, with limits and a few doormats coming from the south shore surf and from the Sound. My father recently went on a party boat trip aboard the James Joseph out of Huntington and won the pool with a fluke that measured 22 inches and weighed 4 pounds. Many of the other patrons enjoyed bringing home limits, and he said the fishing was good at every spot they hit, with a bycatch of some monster porgies.
Western Long Island and NYC Fishing Forecast
It’s officially summer. Water temperatures should be in the mid- to high-60s if not already cresting 70 in shallow areas. Right now, it’s more important than ever to practice good catch-and-release for stripers. Minimize fight time and exposure out of the water to ensure those under- or over-slot fish swim off strong. Thirty seconds or longer out of the water will drastically increase the chances of a released fish going belly-up.
Stripers continue to bite in both the Sound and the south shore surf, with a few over-slot fish up to 30 pounds reported from the south shore on bunker chunks. In the Sound, some large stripers have been caught via live-lining, a tried-and-true method for big fish. Bluefish are starting to take over, however, making heavier leader material necessary. The lowest I go when blues are around is 50-pound-test monofilament, which generally survives 1 or 2 blues before needing to be swapped out, but mileage can vary. I’ve landed large bluefish on 15-pound mono, but that was pure luck. Save yourself lure money by using a heavier leader.
With water temperatures rising, this is a great time to utilize the tube and worm. Not only is it a deadly-effective lure that bottom-dwelling stripers can’t resist, but it also makes a fantastic bluefish lure and makes handling them a breeze. If you’re buying the right tubes, they should be made out of heavy-gauge steel wire and at least 9 inches long with a single hook. This gives you peace-of-mind knowing that a blue is very unlikely to break off, and it makes releasing them a breeze. With temperatures shooting up, most fish are going to be heading for deeper water and the tube will be a great way to reach them.
Sharks are moving in as the water heats up and bait continues to stack in the surf. Remember to read up on shark regulations—no drones allowed this year, and practice good fish handling with any prohibited species. Here’s a great video from OTW’s Jimmy Fee on how to target sharks in the surf at night.
Offshore, the tuna bite is warming up with a few yellowfin and small bluefin. For a detailed offshore report, check out On The Water’s most recent Offshore Fishing Report.
Fluke season is firing on all cylinders with a mix of doormats, limits, and double-digit catch totals being common in reports from across the island. Particularly in the surf, there have been some really nice fish around the 7-pound mark being caught on light soft-plastic jigs and bucktails.
There have been two exotic species on my mind that I have yet to hear about but probably will soon: sheepshead and cobia. In recent years, cobia have established themselves as summertime residents on Long Island, and hopefully, we’ll see more of the same this year. We saw cobia caught using various methods from the bays, from the surf, and even from one of the fishing piers. Karl Neumann from Brooklyn caught one while jigging the bucktail & Gulp combo for fluke mid-July last year.
While we’re still 2 weeks out from July (can you believe it?), I have a feeling this heat will set some things into motion and we may see some of our exotic visitors a little early. It’s going to be a hot weekend. Get out there and catch a unicorn.
Thanks for reading, and tight lines.
The Western L.I./NYC Fishing Report is compiled and written by NYSDEC licensed kayak fishing guide, Nick Cancelliere (@nick_onthewater).
Hey guys,did you know there’s another whole county on long Island called Nassau, gret fishing,you should check it out!