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 said: “Fluke reports keep coming in with solid numbers and sizes. The jig bite is red hot. Bucktails, jigheads, and soft plastics are flying off the shelves. Lighter tackle is helping pick up the subtle bites of some of those bigger fish. Solid fluke are all over the channels, and they’re starting to fill in the inlet and the rest of the bay as well. Weakfish are peppered in with the fluke as bycatch; some decent ones are in the mix and they are loving anything bright pink. Reports of big sea bass are coming in every day. It’s easy to get your limit, and there are some solid knuckleheads down there waiting for you. Bucktails and jigheads with soft plastics are putting a hurting on these fish. The classic rig with clam will also bring up numbers. On the local docks, snappers are starting to show up. Blue claw crabs are everywhere, and even a few kingfish have been caught.”
Tony Trapani (@that_big_chooch_tony) in the Smithtown area reports: “I went out with Capt. Dave Flanagan of North Island Fly on Saturday, there was a huge worm hatch that had monster bass cruising and chewing on the surface for hours. Cinder worm flies were the only thing that worked. We also saw big blues in the 10- to 15-pound range fueling up around the bunker pods.”
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Captain Tommy LaSala (@montauk_fishing_charters) in Montauk reports: “There was excellent bass fishing this week on diamond jigs and the fluke are showing up in good numbers. The sea bass fishing is still pretty good with a ton of fish around, but the big ones are harder to find.”
Captain Stu from Northport Charters reports: “Stripers are still chewing on certain tides in Long Island Sound. The most conducive method is chunking, however, there is some topwater action as well. This week during fishing camp we were culling through lots of short fluke to get to keepers; Andrew had a nice 4 1/2-pound fluke at the end of last week. We had tons of bait in our area for the July new moon, which contributed to the hot action. As for porgy fishing, the action seems to get a little bit bettter each week as we get deeper into July!”
Captain Chris at the Montauk Anglers Club reports: “It was a fitting week of fishing to end the amazing run off of Montauk for striped bass. They actually stuck around a few days longer than usual. We had multiple fish in the 40-inch range caught this week, but as the doldrums kick in we’re going to miss these monsters so close to home. The fluke fishing is still good, with double digits coming in and limits to be had for those who put the time in. I built some fluke spoons to target XL fluke, so swing by the store and check them out! You might not catch a lot, but the ones you do catch will be quality. The bottom fishing for porgies has been off the charts, and black sea bass fishing is starting to improve as well. All of the fish mentioned above can be caught on one lure: the Nomad SquidTrex 95 and 110. I am currently out of stock, but will have more in the next few days. Come into the store and I can tell you how to target any of these fish using this one lure. Offshore, tuna fishing has gotten really good. There are bluefin, yellowfin, and bigeye to be had. There was also a wahoo landed recently. I’ll be at Montauk Anglers Club Monday through Friday from 6 AM to 2 PM. Stop in!”
Mark at Cow Harbor Bait and Tackle in Northport reports: “Heavy south wind has made fishing tough! When the wind is manageable, the bass, porgy, and fluke are all chewing in the Triangle. The fluke are still chewing out east toward Caumsett State Park. As for sea bass, fishing remains tough locally; however, the boys in Connecticut likely have sea bass on the wrecks. As for bait, we’re seeing tons of spot and croaker in the mix recently.”
Steve at Wego Bait and Tackle in Southold reports: “The bass fishing is almost as hot as the temperature. More boats are fishing The Race than The Gut—I had my limit there Monday. The fish seem to want white bucktails with a white or yellow pork rind because there’s a lot of whiting around. Last night before dark, there was a raging topwater blitz and stripers were chewing anything you threw at them.”
Jeff at White Water Outfitters in Hampton Bay reports: “Bass fishing is pretty good, especially considering it’s mid-July. You really need to fish at night or at the top of the incoming tide when water temperatures are cooler. Offshore, there is a bunch of giant tuna off Montauk and Block Island. The canyon bite is also very good; yellowfin are on the chew right now!”
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Another week on Nantucket has passed. Typically, early July means hoards of giant bluefish, but I haven’t seen any invade the beaches just yet. To say the least, I’m really concerned. I’m hoping it’s just a late run. Time will tell!
With that in mind, I’ve been keeping myself busy with some land-based shark fishing. We’ve been catching brown shark after brown shark using 10- t0 14-foot parabolic surf rods paired up with 10K Shimano Saragosas.
In terms of rigging, we use a 4-foot shock section of 200-pound crimped fluorocarbon attached via clip to 200-pound cable wire with a 10/0 hook on the end. As for bait, eels, bluefish chunks, and shad chunks are all extremely productive. The sharks tend to hang out just 20 or so feet off the shoreline. Within 2 to 5 minutes we were locked into a lengthy battle with a 4-plus footer!
Eastern Long Island Fishing Forecast
Over the next week, temperatures will remain blistering hot; that said a lot of exotic bait such as whiting, croaker, and spot have invaded Long Island Sound. I’d recommend hitting the fluke grounds. You can’t go wrong with a Jigging World fluke ball, SPRO bucktail, or an S&S Smiling Bill. As for the teaser, I love the Jigging World fluke candies and Tsunami glass minnow. For Gulp, I’d recommend a 5-inch jerk shad or a 6-inch nuclear chicken grub.
Night fishing for bass is another great option. I recommend weightless soft plastics like a 9-inch, tandem-rigged Slug-go, 10-inch Hogy, or a 9.5-inch Super Snax rigged with an Owner Beast hook. A light twitch-and-pause cadence will have these baits gliding from side to side, enticing some big strikes.
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).
- Big game takes the stage with big sharks and rays being hooked from the beach, and expectations of an inshore Tuna bite. Read the latest offshore report here.
- Weakfish action sees an uptick as fish in excess of 20 inches appear in the channels of the South Shore.
- Sheepshead are in! Drop a crab under the bridges or over the reefs and wrecks for a chance at catching these tasty, hard-fighting bottom fish.
- Fluking on fire with keeper-sized fish over 6 pounds being weighed at local tackle shops.
- Striped bass migration winds down, but slot-size and fish up to 40-inches continue to bite on live bunker.
Jamie from Bay Park Fishing Station in Oceanside said: “Fluke are everywhere right now; in the bays, in the inlets, and in the surf. Squid and spearing have been deadly both from shore and over a boat rail/gunnel. We had multiple fish over 6 pounds weighed-in this week! Bluefin tuna have been seen busting out of the water on bluefish just outside the reefs out west! Get those poppers ready. Crabbing has also been off to a great start, with many blue claws climbing the poles. Stop into Bay Park Fishing Station and get geared up for the weekend!”
John from Freeport Bait & Tackle told me: “Some large weakfish have moved in. Pink soft plastics and sandworms are generally the best if you want to try for some weakies. Sea bass action at the local reefs is starting to improve with a handful of customers catching a few keepers, mainly on clams and chartreuse Gulp. The ocean fluking, however, still has room for improvement. We weighed in some nice fluke this week, the largest one being 6.4 pounds caught by a gentlemen named Neil who was using live bait. Another gentleman caught a 5.9-pound fluke using Peruvian smelts! We’ve had a handful of customers hitting the surf for sharks this week with some success on our live eels!”
Brandon Weitz from Causeway Bait & Tackle in Wantagh told me: “Bay fluke fishing has still been producing keepers, while shark and ray fishing from the surf has been pretty good! Most sharks are being caught casting chunks like bunker or mackerel. Most of the sharks being landed are sand tigers and there are even a few blacktips. I haven’t heard much from the local reefs due to this wind, but the sea bass bite should be pretty good once the conditions settle down.”
Captain Josh Rogers of Gypsea Charters out of Brooklyn reported: “We saw some very good fluking this past week with numerous doormats hitting the deck! Kirk had big fish honors with a double-digit weighing in at 10 pounds 2 ounces, while our regular, Brian, was able to nail a flattie of his own. We had quite a few fish over 6 pounds throughout the week, with the pool fish going 7 pounds or better every day. There were also many limits taken by anglers working the rail all day, so there is no shortage of keepers around. We continue to fish Jamaica Bay until the ocean water warms and the bite gets to where it should be for this time of the year. Reserve a trip on our website fishgypseany.com.”
Captain Adrian Moeller of Rockfish Charters in Queens said: “This week, the bass fishing has been very good in NY Harbor with lots of slot to 40-inch bass caught on live bunker. The tuna bite has been really hit or miss. A big body of yellowfin moved in, then disappeared just as quickly. The amount of life is unreal with lots of small bluefin in the mix too. Hopefully after this storm swell passes next week, we’ll be able to get our tuna season started. See our full schedule and book a charter at rockfishcharters.com!”
Al Rotunno of the Staten Island Fishing Club reports: “The strong southwest blow continues after what has been described as one of the worst June’s (weather wise) in recent memory, and that wind seems to have carried into July. In between weather windows, anglers fishing Raritan Bay have caught a few fluke, blues, and bass, although reports are scarce this past week. On the offshore front, mid-shore tuna fishing seemed to pop off with jumbo yellowfin tuna being caught on jigs and poppers. Trolling side trackers and Joe Shute Lures with RonZ tails is also getting it done. Last week, I went out with Joe Barchitta and Phil DeLorenzo and caught two bluefin tuna while trolling and lost 2 bigger fish on UVT Sardine jigs. There was plenty of life out there—more than any of us can recall seeing so consistently while traveling east. Hopefully the weather pattern changes and we get some better weather as we move ahead. 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.
I hope you had a fun 4th of July. I spent it up in Lake George with some friends mostly bass fishing and jumping off the bow of a boat; but I also spent it testing out a fishing paddleboard on some remote Adirondack waters. It was hot, but we managed to catch a few smallies and some nice largemouth bass every morning from the docks and the boat we rented. The water in that lake is so clear and refreshing, no matter how I might’ve felt from the night before, diving into it felt like hitting the reset button. Despite the heat, I’d say we managed pretty well with the weather for the long weekend!
When I got home, the wind kept me off my kayak but I did do some porgy fishing off my local beach and treated myself to teriyaki porgy over rice. We’re very fortunate to have an abundant, tasty species like porgy so close to shore. When the wind eases down I’ll be hitting my local wrecks for sea bass using the new Sea Falcon slow-pitch jigs I added to my tackle lineup.
Shark & ray fishing has been on my mind, and I hope to get out this week or next for a few night trips in the surf with friends. The summer doldrums hit pretty hard towards the end of June, but bottom fishing and sharking has kept me mostly sane.
The weather looks iffy this weekend, but hopefully any storms will blow over quickly and at least cool things down.
Western Long Island and NYC Fishing Forecast
Fluke, porgy, and weakfish can be found on channel ledges and in your local back-bay. Cast light bucktails, soft-plastics from 4 to 5 inches, or hi-lo rigs with sandworms, clam, or squid and spearing for your best shot at catching a keeper. Live bait is also an excellent choice, especially if hunting for trophy-sized flatfish. Killies and, if you can get them, peanut bunker, are both great options.
In the surf, striped bass can still be found late at night or early in the morning feeding in the troughs and cuts. Chunk bunker or work plugs and bucktails, but expect to run into bluefish as well. There have been a ton of rays lately, so be wary of hooking into something your rod isn’t built to handle. Likewise for sharks, which have been popping up on social media both day and night.
Want to learn how to catch sharks from the beach? Watch this video where OTW’s Jimmy Fee breaks down the tackle, technique, and tips for successful surf sharking.
Out of reach from the shore, the wrecks and reefs will hold porgy, sea bass, fluke, triggerfish, and even sheepshead. Ballhead jigs tipped with curly-tail grubs are an effective presentation for jumbo fluke and sea bass. Another fun option is slow-pitch jigging. Jigging metal is not only effective, but also efficient. There’s no need to worry about re-baiting your hook after a missed hit. Just keep that jig moving and you’ll likely reel into a bite.
Resident stripers have settled in and can be found in the shallows at night, or in deeper water during the day. Live-lining is a very effective way to coax sluggish bass into feeding, especially on a hot summer day. Fishing next to bunker schools is the easiest way to find bass during the day this time of year, but if you’re fishing shallow or from shore, night time is the right time. If a location appears dead during the day, give it a shot after dark and you might be surprised at the difference.
Weather-wise the weekend doesn’t look great on paper. Saturday might be a wash, but Sunday looks beautiful. Try to get out extra early Friday morning and fish if you can. Same goes for Saturday, if there’s no thunder and lightning. Chances are you’ll need to pack a rain jacket. If all else fails, Sunday looks like great all-day fishing weather to save your weekend.
Go catch ‘em. 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).