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).
Jeff at White Water Outfitters in Hampton Bays reports: “Fishing continues to be hot, bass and blues are running through Shinnecock and Peconic. The fluke bite has slowed down a little bit, and weakfish are still being picked here and there. Large bass ride the coattails of bunker pods while smaller class fish are fired up on bay anchovies. If you’re looking for a giant, you can’t go wrong with a live bunker.”
Captain Dave Flanagan (@northislandfly) in Smithtown Bay reports: “Fishing has been killer. The bass have been chowing on sand eels basically all day long. They can be really picky at times, but there are some quality fish under them. Flies have been the best bet, but soft plastics have also produced well. The big bass are still setting up on reefs and blowing up the bunker as they pass through. The bunker pods have big bluefish too, with some going over 15 pounds, as well as big bass into the 50-inch range! We caught a few this week throwing big spooks and poppers. Once again, the fluke fishing remains insane on the north shore. Guys are limiting out and catching over 60 fish a trip! June is going to be an awesome month for fishing in the Sound.”
Mark at Cow Harbor Bait and Tackle in Northport reports: “There are really large bass around, and they seem to be chewing any time of day, depending on the tide. Poppers and spooks are productive when the tides are moving, while flutter spoons are producing well at slack tide. As for bluefish, they seem to be sticking to the channel line. They aren’t in too thick, but if you can find them, you’re in for some fun. Get out there and take advantage of the good fishing.”
Steve at Wego Fishing Bait and Tackle in Southold reports: “Bass fishing is excellent in Plum Gut and The Race. The most productive tide for The Gut is incoming, while The Race is fishing best on the outgoing. In terms of tactics, a 6-ounce bucktail or a three-way rig is crushing fish, you also can’t go wrong with a flutter spoon. Keep in mind there isn’t much bunker around, so smaller profile baits are king. As for weakfish, the bite is hot in the bay and in the Sound. A diamond jig and teaser rig is the move. Try tipping the teaser with gulp or other small, bright plastics. Luckily, the blues haven’t busted the party yet, so get out there and enjoy the good fishing.”
J&H Tackle in Oakdale reports: “Multiple customers have popped in showing photos of 50-pound fish. The central south shore is on fire with big fish on bunker. Guys on boats are finding success on flutter spoons, NLBNs, and other large plastics.”
Bill at Chasing Tails Bait and Tackle in Oakdale reported: “Fluke reports have taken over for this week, but there are still tons of bass still around here. Fluke season is in full swing and these fatties are hungry. The channels are loaded with nice fish and the flats are starting to fill up too, if you want to get away from all the boats taking over the channels. Shop rigs always put fish in the boat, and the bucktail versions always pull in big size and big numbers. Jigging soft plastics works very well too. Try a lighter rod to feel the more subtle bite of some of the real big fish. Weakfish are in too, small soft plastics in bright colors or anything imitating a shrimp or squid will get smoked. Light tackle is key to figuring these fish out.
Back to the bass, big ol’ bass are flooded all over the ocean from Jones to Moriches and beyond. Live bait is always going to work, but more sporting anglers are having a great time fishing for these mondo stripers with poppers, swim shads, shallow divers, flutter spoons, trolling rigs or even fly gear. The bay gets periodic runs of bass ripping through from one end to the next. All very solid fish. Bluefish are here too of course, still busting up tackle. Some smaller cocktails have been finding their way around too. Tuna reports are coming in every day, some have been lucky to find them very close by.”
Captain Timothy O’Rourke (@mtkpointflyfishing) in Montauk reports: “The bass fishing remains solid in Montauk. Getting bass to eat requires a little more work now that the bluefish have moved in. Tuna are also moving in close to shore in Montauk.”
Across the pond, Captain Ben Burdine (@benburdine) in Connecticut reports: “Striped bass fishing on the NY towards Eatons Neck is about as good as it gets right now. Fishermen are mostly seeing bass eating sand eels closer to shore and adult bunker out along deeper structure and ledges. Keep an eye out for single bunker being chased on the surface by wolf packs of striped bass. Fishing around bunker schools has started to produce better results with sunset being the most productive hours. Now is the time if you’re looking for a 30- to 40-pound striper on topwater or fly. Reach out for availability!”
Captain Chris from Montauk Anglers Club reported:
“It was another amazing week of fishing in Montauk. There were plenty of fluke to catch, only a few to keep. As we progressed through the week, more and more nice fluke were caught. The 6-inch blue fuse Gulp grub, or plain white grub, were the ticket for bigger fish. Striped bass fishing is producing more and more big fish every day, with fish in the high 40s and plenty more over-slot fish in the 20- to 30-pound range were available on a variety of methods. If you’re in search of cow striped bass, you can find them while trolling. The Osprey Lures striper tubes are the way to go. Come into the store and we’ll show you the speed you need, the amount of wire you need, and the proper bend in the tube to get you catching, just as I did for our customer Pete and his girlfriend this week in the picture below.
Big fish are also biting bucktails. They are keyed in on squid, so the Nomad Squidtrex has been crushing the bass too. And fishing them is so simple, anyone can do it. You can check out my Instagram: @montauk_fishing to see the videos of those lures in action.
Offshore, giant bluefin have made an appearance with fish up to 110 inches being caught, many of them on the troll. Come into the store and get geared up for your next fishing adventure. I will be in the shop all weekend.”
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The last week has been nothing short of insane. Regardless of the tide, I’ve been able to find large pods of 20-plus-pound stripers crashing bunker. These bass are hot and ready to chew anything that moves water. I’ve continued to throw a full-sink fly line and large Beast Fleyes. While the flies are 14-inches long, these fish have no problem hoovering the entire fly down there yap. As for plugs, metal lips, pencil poppers, and Docs continue to be the hot ticket.
That said, in moments where the fish aren’t on top, the full-sink line has helped clobber fish at depths from 20 to 40 feet. As I fish the fly at depth, I impart a few strips and long pauses for the best results. This past Sunday, my buddy Colin came tight to this beautiful bass in 25 feet of water.
The fish took us deep into the backing, but we were able to put the heat on it and slowly pump the beast up the column and into the boat.
While the fishing is hot, it certainly requires patience. In my search for fish I usually locate bunker, turn the boat off, and simply watch their movements. Typically the bunker start off carefree and spread out, then, all of the sudden, the bunker begin to group tightly. Moments later, the bass shoot up the column and begin blasting them into the air. It’s a sight to behold. Although these fish are hot on plugs and flies, I’m sure a chunk or live line would produce fish like clockwork. I had a rough start to the season, but the recent push of fish has kept me fulfilled. It should be interesting to see which direction these fish go; in years past they’ve flooded into the back bays, however, I think that the abundance of bunker in the channel will keep these fish moving laterally west or east. Nonetheless, I’m happy to be enjoying warm weather and big fish. In the coming weeks, I expect a full-on invasion of giant bluefish. I can’t wait for my plugs to sport some big teeth marks.
Eastern Long Island Fishing Forecast
Temps continue to sit in the high 70s to low 80s over the next week. Now that it’s June, it’s safe to say that the migration is at full peak, bass and bluefish have spread across the Sound and they’re still looking to chew before the summer doldrums kick in. Considering it’s June, these fish are going to begin rocking up in typical structures like boulder fields and reefs rather than deepwater channels.
While this may be a change of pace for the boat guys, the surf guys should be stoked to see some awesome fishing from shore. That said, fishing boulder fields can be technical. June fish have seen a plug or two by now, so you’ll have to present your offerings well. Typically, this time of year, I experience a lot of large fish following the plug but not committing. A quick profile or color change can get those finicky bass to commit if this occurs. If you’re looking for some topwater plug choices, I’ve been finding success on the 24/7 Lures Mully and a classic wooden Gibbs pencil. That said, I’d also recommend carrying a few weightless plastics such as a 9-inch tandem rigged Slug-go, Super Snax, Savage Gear Reel Eel, and Hogy Original soft bait. For rigging, I’d recommend the Owner Beast 5130, due to its wide gap and screw lock feature which keeps plastics pinned perfectly. Keep in mind that these baits present best on a 7- to 9-foot setup with some parabolic tip sensitivity. As for retrieve, try a light twitch and pause. All of the aforementioned baits will have a distinct walking and gliding motion. If you get a follow don’t be afraid to speed it up. If bass isn’t your cup of tea, the fluke should be up shallow, if you can find a school of rain bait you’ll find a big fluke following from below. Make sure to have some Gulp or Pro-Cure on hand for the best results. Keep fishing hard, the season’s just begun!
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 written and compiled by NYSDEC licensed kayak fishing guide, Nick Cancelliere (@nick_onthewater).
- Glass-calm mornings make for perfect topwater sessions in the Long Island Sound for striped bass and bluefish
- Stripers up-to and over 30-inches are prowling the South shore surf close-in, while gator and cocktail-sized blues feast on spoons and chunked bait.
- Fluke bite is on fire on the North shore as sandeels and spearing dominate the inshore beaches of the Sound and the bays.
- Weakfish can be found North to South inside the bays, but the best bites with the largest fish are taking place out East.
Jamie from Bay Park Fishing Station in Oceanside reports:
The shark bite is on! Multiple threshers were weighed in this week. Plus, big bass in the 40-pound range have been all over the bunker schools, with the largest being caught on mojos and flutter spoons. Fluking has been steady in the bay, and pink or white Berkely Gulp is doing the trick when squid and spearing doesn’t produce. Bay Park Fishing Station is open 7 days a week and has all you need – gas, tackle, and bait!”
Petey Trovato at Lindenhurst Bait & Tackle shared:
“This week the fluke fishing has been really good. Owner Richie and his friends have been getting limits from the boat on spearing & squid rigs. Johnny Fish from the shop has had good action on both striped bass and bluefish from the beach on bucktails, but it seems the recent school of big fish has moved east. Still, there’s fish to be found all across the south shore, especially from the surf! Conditions change every day and new fish can show up at any moment.
Our customer Tommy had a nice bass at Argyle Lake just by casting a senko worm along the sidewalls of the lake. Plus, there’s been a good sunfish and bluegill bite at Patchogue Lake, with some really big panfish in there. They’re eating worms on bobber rigs, spinners, and small jigs with plastic grubs. When you want a slower pace – go freshwater fishing!”
Brandon Weitz of Causeway Bait & Tackle in Wantagh said:
“This past Monday we crushed it! From the south shore open ocean on the boat, we hooked into some huge bass on live-lined bunker. A few customers have caught threshers out there as well on the bunker pods. We didn’t throw any topwater, but I’m sure the bass would hit it. Fluking has been good too, with a lot of anglers catching on bucktails from the south shore beaches and inside the bays and channels!”
Captain Josh Rogers of Gypsea Charters out of Brooklyn reported:
“We saw a very good week of fluke fishing aboard the Gypsea! The weather was outstanding, and the fish were hungry. Many limits were had each day, along with some real quality flatties! Big J had the big fish of the week coming in at 9 pounds, followed by Linda and bobby with 8 pounders, and Eddie with a 7-pound, 8-ounce “mini mat”. The bay is definitely alive, and we will continue fishing locally until the ocean bite heats up in the next few weeks. Call/text (516)659-3814 for info and reservations or visit us at fishgypseany.com.”
Captain Adrian Moeller of Rockfish Charters in Queens said:
“Fishing on the Rockfish has been very good all week! We’ve been mixing things up a bit each trip, generally trying for big 45- to 50-inch fish on the ocean bunker schools along our beaches, then running west chasing smaller 30- to 40-inch bass in the shallows. We’ve had some pretty epic surface feeds and it never gets old watching bass toss baits in the air, then fight over them only a few feet from the boat. Lots of amused screaming! We have a couple June charter dates left and a few open boat spots at the end of the month. See our full schedule and reserve at rockfishcharters.com.”
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Al Rotunno of the Staten Island Fishing Club reports:
“Bass fishing is still hot in Raritan Bay and ocean side with many jumbo sized 30-plus-pound bass being caught regularly and many 40 to 50 pounders in the mix as well. Schools of bunker are starting to finally pile up in the bay and ocean front, so live-lining bunker and eels continues to be the recipe to landing a personal best striper. I joined Capt. Joe Barchitta and Team Christine B. in search of jumbo bass drifting eels off Sandy Hook this past week, and we were rewarded with several bass into the mid 40-pound range. While in that area, loads of bunker filled in and reports of thresher sharks began to come in. Ocean fluking is also starting to heat up as fluke start moving out of the back bays. Offshore tile fishing in the canyons is also hot, with some bluefin tuna in the mix. I expect shots at more bluefin, and even yellowfin, to improve over the next several days/weeks. Tight lines all!”
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Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain around Long Island and NYC!
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.
Today, 80 years ago, the largest seaborne invasion in history took place on this date across the Altantic. USS LST 510, now known as the Cape Henlopen and part of the Cross Sound Ferry fleet, served in that invasion. I frequently take this ferry route when visiting the OTW headquarters in Cape Cod, and when I’m lucky enough to ride on the Cape Henlopen, I try to imagine what it was like to be there in that point in history. To imagine what those men felt like while packed into her decks and crossing the Atlantic. Instead, my view from the decks is of the peaceful waters of the Long Island Sound, and I enjoy a comfortable cruise with a beautiful view on my way to do a job with no danger. It’s thanks in part to the sacrifices of those men who sailed on LST 510. You can learn more about the Cape Henlopen here.
Each morning at first light, I’ve been going down to the beaches of the north shore and finding schoolies feeding on bait just a stone’s throw (or a cast) from shore, sometimes gently, other times erupting from beneath glass-calm water two at a time. This is the amazing June topwater bite that I look forward to every year, where every effort made to get out and fish is rewarded. Pre-work trips have resulted in schoolie bass on pencil poppers, small walk-the-dog style lures, or soft plastics like Albie snax. Small bait like spearing and sandeels can be seen at times scurrying on the surface. I even saw a sea robin prowling the surface right beside a striper boil. These feeds have been most productive when the tide is moving, either peak inflow or peak ebb.
Over the weekend, I went out to Jones Beach for some classic chunkin’ fun with a few buddies. Not expecting much other than bluefish, we were pretty thrilled when an over-slot bass decided to inhale our chunk, which had to be sitting less than 100 feet off the beach. To make our catch even funnier, we forgot to include sinkers with our chunked bait purchase, so I resorted to mcguyvering a 2-ounce kastmaster, a 1-ounce diamond jig, and a 1-ounce lead weight onto a fish-finder rig to hold bottom. Sure enough, it worked and we had no issues soakin’ that chunk in the strike zone.
We also landed a few gator-sized bluefish on kastmaster spoons and diamond jigs. The surf is loaded with life right now – birds were frequently diving on bait schools, and some small schools would end up pinned against the beach as cocktail-sized blues chased after them. Whales were a common sight, and there were tons of social media stories of whales breaching just feet from the bow of people’s boats. Let’s remember to give these whales space–if you know they’re around, and there’s thick pods of bunker, don’t be the guy who plants their boat in the middle of the school. Enjoy the moment from afar if you can, or set up along the outside edges of the school.
Western Long Island and NYC Fishing Forecast
Last week, I said this was peak fishing. To be more specific, right now is peak spring striped bass fishing. Your chances of going out and landing a huge bass, or any stripers at all, are great. Whether chunking the surf, or casting plugs or poppers off the beach—doesn’t matter if it’s north or south shore—fish are everywhere right now, as is the bait.
The Western Long Island Sound has an interesting dynamic of bunker pods to the west, and sandeels and spearing to the east. Many anglers out of Manhasset Bay are finding success live-lining or chunking bunker, while anglers closer to Northport are having fun on topwater with light-tackle catching bass from schoolie to over-slot size, that are feeding in shallow water or right on the surface.
Likewise, the abundance of small bait close to shore has made for a really good fluke bite. I personally haven’t tried fluking yet this season, still chasing the striped and blue-colored variety of fish, but my fishing buddies Peter on the north shore, and Rob on the south shore, have had no issues finding keepers to take home for dinner.
Almost forgot to mention the unicorns—weakfish are around. They’re in larger numbers on the south shore, unless you’re going further east, which isn’t my jurisdiction (see above for Eastern Long Island Fishing Report). I embarked on a weakfish mission last Friday to a spot that I’d found them last spring, and sure enough, I found one small weakfish willing to hit a pink bucktail. Unfortunately, that was my one catch of the day. The weather was so nice though, I didn’t even care. I had my feet up, jigging along the channel edges of that stained-water back bay—a scene I’d been daydreaming of all through winter and the colder months of spring. Soon enough, that back bay will be full of bluefish, and it won’t be such a relaxing place to fish anymore. For now, the blues are still spread thin on the north shore and you can safely jig soft plastics for striped bass. The blues I found over Memorial Day weekend seemed to have just been a pod of fish that has since scattered. I’ve found plenty of stripers, but no blues in any large number. That should change any day now, especially west towards Manhasset Bay and the Throgs Neck bridge.
That’s all I got! If you have pictures or a report to share, DM me @Nick_OnTheWater. Thanks for reading and good luck!
The Western L.I./NYC Fishing Report is written and compiled by NYSDEC licensed kayak fishing guide, Nick Cancelliere (@nick_onthewater).