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 Whitewater Outfitters in East Hampton reports: “The bass are not cooperating as much as last week. There were giant tuna erupting in Shinnecock Inlet between 200 to 300 pounds. Albies, bonito, and Spanish mackerel are chewing heavy. One customer even said there was a mahi in the inlet. There are cocktail bluefish around and fluke fishing has improved. There are still tuna southeast of Montauk 30 miles out.”
From the North Shore, Sean (@long_island_fishing_guy) in Eastern Long Island reports: “Tons of bait, not a ton of fish, but I got a decent schoolie on a bucktail I tied the other night. Typically, I prefer outgoing tide but I didn’t feel like waiting for the outgoing at 2 AM so I tried the incoming tide. You could hear fish popping on spearing. Only thing I could buy a bite with was the blurple bucktail I tied up. The bite is slowly but surely heating up.”
Wyatt at Haskells Bait and Tackle in East Quogue reports: “Fishing hasn’t changed much since last week. There are still plenty of fluke in the west end of the bay. I got a report of bluefin tuna in the inlet, and the bones, albies, and mackerel are there, so they could be eating anything. With September moon tides, I’d recommend throwing Mag Darters, Redfins, and floating needlefish on an outgoing night tide, and spooks for daytime fishing.”
Bill at Chasing Tails Bait & Tackle in Oakdale reports: “Pelagics! Spanish mackerel, bonito, and some albies have show up heavy this week. Rip some tins or epoxy jigs around, and you’ll be hooked up quickly. Summer is still here, and so are the fluke! Reports of big numbers and big fish keep coming in. Many anglers are reporting catching 30 plus fluke per trip, with plenty of nice keepers to cull out. Fish light and keep your bait moving. Weakfish are starting to pop up in between fluke catches. They’ll start moving in heavy real soon. Sea bass reports off the local wrecks are phenomenal. Lots and lots of fish to catch, and some solid 4- to 6-pound knuckleheads are lurking down there as well. Jigging seems to entice the big ones, but bait rigs will always have them biting. The local docks are absolutely loaded with snapper bluefish that are getting bigger by the day. These ferocious little guys are destroying snapper poppers, any sort of tiny tin thrown at them, and of course, our shop Snapper Slayer rigs. Blowfish and some kingfish are hanging out down at the docks, too. Blue claw crabs are still around in numbers as well.”
Captain Chris at the Montauk Anglers Club reports: “Stellar week of fishing both inshore and fffshore for Montauk. When the weather allowed it, fishing was top-tier. We saw some very big fluke come in. We had fish up to 11 pounds weighed at our marina from a customer who just got information from me on fluke locations and techniques. Later that day he weighed in his personal best 11.8-pound fluke! There were some very large sea bass to be caught locally, and an abundance of porgies (limits are definitely possible). The striper fishery has returned to Montauk and anglers from the surf and boat had shots at nice fish. Offshore, the bluefin tuna fishing continued to kick butt, with some very large fish hitting the scales. Fast forward to today, the albies have shown up, spanning from the south side of Montauk to the Light House. It seems they have not made a showing on the north side yet.”
Our East, Tony Trapani (@that_big_chooch_tony) reports: “This past weekend was on fire with Spanish mackerel and small bonito being the predominant catches. They continue to pour out of the inlets. The bunker pods are moving along the South Shore with plenty of action underneath them. I spotted a thresher shark yesterday within 30 feet of the West End Inlet of Shinnecock smacking bunker around. Bass have been good in the usual spots—around the bridges and inlets at night.”
Steve at Wego Fishing Bait and Tackle in Southold reports: “A lot of people are running offshore getting in on the tuna bite; it’s been real good south of Montauk. Guys are catching tuna chunking or jigging, and getting them just before first light. More locally, bluefish from 5 to 10 pounds are stacked in The Gut and The Race. Sea bass fishing is picking up, too, and can also be caught in The Gut and The Race at slack tide. Mulford and Hortons are producing sea bass in 70 feet of water and, of course, there are porgies with them, along with some decent fluke.”
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This week I focused my efforts on chasing down an albie on the fly from shore. The north wind and incoming tide were perfect. While there weren’t many fish passing by, I was able to get an albie to eat on the blind cast. Because I’m currently in Nantucket, these albies are extra large. The average albie weighs roughly 8 to 10 pounds, and my 10 weight was bent to the grip in a battle that felt like forever. The initial run was grueling. Within 40 seconds of the fish eating my fly, I was 100-plus yards into my backing. Then, in a matter of seconds, the fish made me pay by forcing me to reel in all of my line as it turned directly at me. Fortunately, with plenty of side pressure, I was able to break it’s will and put it on the beach.
Looking toward the near future, I’m excited to return to Long Island next week. Any day now, Eastern Long Island Sound should light up with hardtails.
Eastern Long Island Fishing Forecast
It’s September, and if you’re a hardcore surfcaster I’m sure you’ll be out and about looking for a bite. This weather is immaculate, night temps are in the low 60’s, and and day temps are in the 70’s. This should rejuvenate the fish and have them fired up to feed.
It’s a great time to get your first taste of some fall fishing. I’d recommend hitting the boulder fields in search of some stripers. You can’t go wrong with a metal lip, floating Sebile Magic Swimmer, or a Redfin. A slow and methodical retrieve should put some fish on the beach. As for timing, focus on the night bite. Stripers are going to love these 60-degree nightly temperatures. If you can get out east toward Orient and Montauk, you’ll find clean, cool water and plenty of fish. Get out there and plug!
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).
- Fluke moving out of the bays, some 5-pounders being caught inshore.
- Inlets/jetties hot for bonito, albies, mackerel, with bluefish hitting metal jigs/plugs.
- Big yellowfin/bluefin around offshore, with mahi action steady all around.
- Striped bass action building, slot to 40-inch fish being caught on live bait.
Jamie from Bay Park Fishing Station in Oceanside said: “Seems like there’s bait everywhere in the bay! Fluke are starting to move out of the back bays, we’ve had random fluke over 5-pounds weighed-in every day this week. The inlet is loaded with gator blues, bonito, and even Spanish mackerel are making an appearance. Whales have been feeding right along the beaches, which is a real spectacle when fishing from a safe distance. Alli Fulom reported that her arms wanted to fall off after a twilight bluefish blitz at the inlet. Bay Park is open for all your fishing and boating needs, 7-days a week!”
John from Freeport Bait & Tackle reports: “Bonito, albies, and Spanish mackerel are all over the place! Anglers have been cleaning up with resin jigs, diamond jigs, Deadly Dicks, and Kastmasters both in the ocean and from shore. The jetties and inlets have been especially hot for pelagic species. Sizeable bluefish have moved in as well, hitting on small metal jigs as well as Z-Man jerkbaits and topwater plugs. The fluke are beginning to head out into the ocean with the temperature drop, and a handful of our customers caught some big ones on their way out! Capt. Frank landed a monster 11 pounder in the bay on our spearing and Capt. Willy caught a fat 10.4-pounder on our live killies out of Jones Inlet. As for the ocean, knucklehead sea bass and keeper-sized fluke are being caught as the summer fishing season comes together for this beautiful start to September. Striped bass will be running soon, and if it’s anything like the last few years, you better get ready for cow season! MOOooo.”
Brandon Weitz from Causeway Bait & Tackle in Wantagh told me: “It’s bonito madness out there, with Spanish macks entering the fray and pretty soon false albacore. The shop is stocked up with epoxy jigs to catch all of these fun species. Additionally, the bluefish have been running like crazy, with cocktails all over the place. Bigger blues are around but you have to find them in the mix of all the smaller fish. The striped bass action has really picked up at night, but guys are also finding them during the day while live-lining bait like eels and bunker. Lastly, the fluke are moving out and this is a great time to hit the inlets and bays for a chance to catch a big one. Gulp, squid/spearing, and bucktails are all you need. Stop in the shop this weekend and get geared up for a great outing!“
Captain Josh Rogers of Gypsea Charters out of Brooklyn reported: “Another solid week of fishing aboard the Gypsea. Some days have seen rods bent consistently with good short action and plenty of keepers coming up. We expect to finish the season strong the next few weeks as we begin fishing deeper water following the migration. Many limits were taken this past week with big fish honors going to Mike from PA with an 8-pound beauty!”
Adrian Moeller of Rockfish Charters in Howard Beach said: “Tuna fishing has been a little inconsistent this year. The yellowfin still haven’t showed up in real numbers but the ones being caught are big—50-inches plus, mixed with 60-inch bluefins feeding on whiting off the bottom. Jigs, RonZs, and of course, live whiting are working well. The mahi-mahi fishing has been very consistent this year with big fish fairly close to shore devouring live peanut bunker. We’re still bass fishing up the harbor catching lots of slot to 40-inch fish using live spot while we wait for the fall run to start. See our schedule and book a trip at rockfishcharters.com or call (347) 661-4501!”
Al Rotunno of the Staten Island Fishing Club reports: “Raritan Bay continues to yield bluefish, spot, fluke, and cow nose rays. We expect the fall bass run to kick off in the coming weeks as the peanut bunker start flowing out into the bay towards the ocean which normally makes our fall run so special. Pushing out to sea, sea bass and porgies have been caught by the Rockaway Reef where there were also giant bluefin spotted briefly before disappearing entirely. There are plenty of false albacore and bonito stretching from Sandy Hook all the way down and past Barnegat Ridge. Small metals and epoxy jigs retrieved extremely fast does the trick. There are also still a few bluefin tuna mixed in with the albies in the shipping lanes, Little Italy, and Tolten, but you’ll have to weed through a ton of albies. I fished with Joe Barchitta and Connor McElhearn and trolled up over a dozen albies and some bonito, but unfortunately, no bluefin. We did read some along with bait between the Tolten and Barnegat Ridge. Hopefully the midshore yellowfin bite off NJ gets consistent as there are days where larger yellowfin were caught, but then gone the next. Guys fishing out off eastern Long Island have done consistently well jigging and chunking, with bluefin up to 60 inches this past week. Hopefully this all comes together to make it an epic fall tuna run in the Northeast. Tight lines all!”
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Here’s what local anglers have been posting on social media:
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This past weekend I got out on the Gypsea with Capt. Josh Rogers and crew. My father and I jigged bucktails at the rail for keeper-sized fluke out on the ocean in about 50 to 70 feet of water. The Gypsea crew are some of the best in the business, keeping us entertained, baited up, and laughing all day long. We had non-stop fluke and sea bass on bucktails tipped with spearing, squid, and the occasional bluefish when we caught one and stripped it up.
Many anglers have been enjoying the push of pelagic fish close to shore. I’ve had a few emails from readers sharing pictures of bonito caught from the rocks at the inlets, like this bonito caught by Julian Prospero.
Western Long Island Fishing Forecast
This is such a fun time of year. In-between those bonito you’ll find big bluefish, and even the occasional striper if you get out early (or late) enough. We’ve also had some nice Spanish mackerel in the mix, another great-eating fish next to bonito. Any day now, if not already as I’m typing this, false albacore should be within casting range of the jetties. You can catch so much right now just casting out a Deadly Dick, epoxy or resin jig, or Kastmaster spoon. Bluefish have really been everywhere, north to south— they’re mostly snapper to cocktail-sized but occasionally you’ll stumble across a wolfpack of gator blues flying out of the water on rain bait, or other, smaller bluefish.
With all these smaller, eating-size bluefish around, I recommend trying one of Andy Nabreski’s recipes from this recent article. As with most “trash” fish, its all about how you treat it immediately after catching it. I’ve never had a fish I didn’t like, even false albacore. The only exception might be canned anchovies. Those were pretty awful.
The night bite for stripers has been turning on more and more, while the weakfish bite that was going on over the past few weeks seems to have settled a bit. “Night time is the right time”, especially during this new moon period. During the day, most anglers are catching bass on live bait such as spot, bunker, or eels. At night, plugs are effective but nothing really beats a live eel. The abundance of spot this year has made getting bait easy when the bunker aren’t around.
If you’re coming in from a trip on a boat, check those buoys for some exotic species. My buddy Frank and I pulled in some banded rudderfish while throwing epoxy jigs at a nearshore buoy hoping to find mahi. We even thought for a moment that we saw a big school of sheepshead under one of the buoy chains, but closer inspection revealed them to be pilot fish. This time of year, when the water’s warm, you never know what you’ll find. Remember the mahi that was caught off a jetty last year?
There’s loads of bait around, but it’s still sort of that calm-before-the-storm period as far as bass and bluefish go. Yes, there are cocktails just about everywhere, plus bonito and Spanish mackerel now, but those truly epic gator bluefish blitzes and striper runs are still yet to come. Likewise, the albie blitzes we see on rain bait—and the North Shore is loaded with rain bait, by the way—are still yet to begin, but should be popping off on the South Shore any day now. It can be frustrating, and it can make you antsy.
I like the way the tides are lining up on both shores, with low tide around 8 PM on the North Shore and 4PM on the South Shore. You can catch the outgoing tide right after work on the North Shore, then wake up early the next morning and fish it again around 3-4AM. Likewise, if you work near the water, you can catch that outgoing tide on your lunchbreak for a few casts and this time of year, that type of “see what’s out there” fishing can really pay dividends.
On the South Shore, you can catch the incoming at 6PM and fish through the night, catching the peak outgoing tide and still getting to bed at a somewhat-reasonable time. During this moon phase the tides will be more dramatic, so planning your fishing trips around those windows is a prudent tactic, as the dead low-tide will turn some spots into a puddle.
I’m really excited for next week and what it will bring. Go hit the surf, inlets, or the open ocean and get tight on some drag-ripping hardtails!
The Western L.I./NYC Fishing Report is compiled and written by NYSDEC licensed kayak fishing guide, Nick Cancelliere (@nick_onthewater).
I would like to see more information on Long Island sound reports.
Hi Greg, what I can tell you about the Sound is that its been loaded with cocktail bluefish, porgy, and small bait. Not that much action has really been going on during the day for the couple of times I got out, even during peak ebb & flow tides. Occasionally you’ll see some birds swarm the surface, but just find that they’re on small rain bait that nothing else is really attacking (besides snapper bluefish.)
With water temperatures around 70 last I checked, I’m confident over the next few weeks we’ll see a big uptick in activity in the sound, especially in the back bays. I’m heading out today on a schoolie mission in my local back bay where there’s usually bait pinned against a seawall.
I’ll let you know how I do and if anything’s changed. But everything I mentioned above has been my perception so far of the Sound over the past week.
always a great report…never miss it
Thanks Peter!