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).
Captain Chris at the Montauk Anglers Club reports: “It was another fantastic week of striped bass fishing—the stripers seem to have favored the flood tide. On the boat, slots are chewing on the umbrella rig and in the surf we’re seeing bass to 45 pounds near Shagwong and Turtles. Find a batch of birds and work them until you get something good. Super Strike lures, Daiwa SP Minnows, diamond jigs with green or white tube tails, and Hopkins with green or red tails have been their favorites. This was the best week so far of surf fishing in Montauk. Additionally, bottom fishing has been great. When conditions were favorable fluke fishing produced many limits and large fish. There is also a mix of sea bass, but nothing special. However, further offshore you can find the larger sea bass (and cod). As for porgy fishing, it’s as good as it gets—jumbo porgy can be caught on bait, metal/epoxy jigs, and the Squidtrex. Offshore, the bluefin tuna bite continues to impress. Unders and overs are still obtainable, and the fish are in the same general areas. The false albacore and bonito are also thick in these areas. They have yet to make their way inside.”
From Greenport, OTW’s Assistant Editor, Matt Haeffner (@matthaeffner) reported: “I’ve been on the North Fork for the better part of the week, and the fishing has been tough, but some recent sustained northwest winds have pushed schools of bait and extra large bonito closer to the Sound-facing beaches. They were blowing up several hundred yards from shore on spearing and dense schools of bay anchovies on Tuesday. Today, they are within casting range, and I’ve been seeing peanut bunker spraying from the waves, too. Albies, though, are still scarce. The spots typically holding wolf packs of schoolie stripers are almost void of life. It’s taken a lot of work to find just a few bass. As Craig Cantelmo said to me the other day as we picked away at fish, “we’re making lemonade”. There are still snapper bluefish in the backwaters of Gardiner’s Bay, and a fair amount of shore fishermen have been gearing up for tautog season and buying green crabs to scout their spots.”
Arek (@thebrooklynfisherman) in Montauk reports: “Local fishing has been mostly slow, so I’ve been running east to BI or south of MTK. There’s been a solid population of big bonito (around 5-8 pounds) close to shore in that direction. Epoxies work, but with the amount of big sand eels around, I tend to fish Albie Anax weightless or on a jighead. As for the albies, I’ve still only been finding them slightly offshore (15 miles south of MTK) so they make for a fun addition to any offshore trip. On a calm day you can always see them ripping around on the surface in big schools, so remember to bring a couple light spinning rods or fly rods with you if the tuna aren’t biting.”
Captain Timothy O’Rourke (@mtkpointflyfishing) in Montauk reports: “Plenty of quality striped bass around. Tuna fishing is still solid on the inshore grounds, and the guys are doing well on the beach surfcasting. Albies are still pretty thin around Montauk but better a few miles offshore.”
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Wyatt from Haskell’s Bait and Tackle in East Quogue reports: “There is a good sand eel bite on the beach from Montauk to Moriches with diamond jigs during the day and swimming plugs at night. Fluke fishing is still going pretty well near the inlet on squid and peanuts. There are tons of sand eels and butterfish. Albies are 10 miles off chewing on tuna bait.”
Captain Tommy LaSala (@montauk_fishing_charters) in Montauk reports: “Locally and at Block Island, there are a ton of bass and blues. This week, I’ve only fished for bass and the fish are chewing heavy on the troll and jig.”
Bill (@fishlongisland) at Chasing Tails Bait & Tackle in Oakdale reports: “Fluke season is just about over and they’re saying the final goodbyes. The inlet was stacked with a solid body of fish for a few days before they moved out. The last remnants of them will be on the FI Reef before the season ends. However, when one season is just coming to an end, another is just beginning! Striped bass season is already off to an amazing start. Lots of guys on the beach are doing very well with some quality fish. Lures of choice are needlefish, darters, swimmers, and even some popper action during sunrise. Clams are getting swallowed up along the shoreline, and many anglers have had luck at night with eels already. With the large amount of bait hanging out in our bay, and the dropping temperatures, hopefully, the bass come swinging in any day now. The shop is loaded with gear for the beach and the boat. Tog season opens up down here on the 15th and up north on the 11th. The shop is fully stocked with everything you need to chase after these incredibly fun fish, from jigs and rigs, crabs and scissors, to rods and reels. Weakfish reports are steadily increasing. They’re mostly taking small soft plastics on jig heads. Snappers are still lingering at the local docks, along with some 4- to 6-pound cocktails in the mix.”
Sean Conway (@long_island_fishing_guy) from North Shore of Eastern Long Island reports: “Blurple Yo-Zuri Mag Darter for the win again. I’ve been having to bomb casts out recently, and my 9ft Genesis sends that plug nicely. Fish have been pretty far out on the north shore, and typically, within the first 5-10 cranks of my retrieve, I’m getting smoked. Last night, that was still the case, but I was also getting some fish on a fast retrieval when I was bringing the lure in for a recast. Lots of chunky schoolies, a bunch of slot fish, and tons of blues from 3 to 8 pounds.”
Phil at Cow Harbor Bait and Tackle in Northport reports: “The report lately is smaller stripers in the bay, couple bigger fish in the Sound on poppers, and everything is feeding on peanut bunker. There are blues too, but nothing very big. Blackfish opens Friday, and crabs are in the shop! Sea bass fishing is still hot on the Connecticut side. Go fishing!”
This past week was extraordinary on the North Fork; albies, bonito, and blues were plentiful on the surface. The fish seemed to be in tight pods. Each time they came to the surface, they mobbed bait in a forward push. The blitzes were biblical; you could hear the rush as the albies destroyed and chomped through bay anchovies. That said, boat traffic made catching these fish very difficult. With a crew on the fish, it was tough to get the right cast in before someone disturbed the fish. Luckily, with a bit of perseverance, we were able to hook a few fish! Although small presentations work great, we were able to fool albies with long, slim pencil poppers. The key is to present your plug along the periphery of the albies eyesight, which garners their attention as they slide from right to left (or vice versa). As for bonito, they seem to pop up just about anywhere and everywhere and, similar to the albies, they can be found push-feeding anchovies. These fish are both fly and plug friendly. They eat most presentations and aren’t afraid to chase your offerings down to the boat.
In between the chaos of the hardtails, we were able to find some participating bluefish! Nick (NYC and Western Sound reporter) smashed a few nice blues on the boat up to 11 pounds. They were more than willing to eat his Doc and my fly. When you’re chasing these albie schools, it’s nice to get a layup every so often in the form of a ferocious gator blue!
Regarding setup, I’d recommend a light 8-foot rod with 10-pound braid, a 5000- to 6000-size reel, and 15- to 20-pound fluorocarbon leader. When choosing the right reel for the job, it’s crucial to have a reel with a high rate of pickup. This prevents slack as the fish rip toward you during the fight. As for lure choice, Exo jigs, Joe Baggs resins, Badfish resin bombs, and Albie Snax are your best bet! In terms of color, pink seems to do the trick!
The albie above fell victim to a pencil popper 20 feet off our bow. My buddy Andrew Bernat (@tactical_bassin26) made the perfect cast and got walloped by this false albacore.
Eastern Long Island Fishing Forecast
Over the next several days, it looks like there will be another push of north wind which will kick up the sound and get bass, blues, and albies more active if you are fishing the North Fork. Expect to see plenty of bird action and plenty of blitzing fish! That said, the fish seem to be most active during banker’s hours— 10 AM to 3 PM. If you’re searching for bass and blues, however, sunrise and sunset should bring in some big fish. The usual resin jigs will work for the hardtails and pencils/spooks will do damage on the bass and blues. For those looking for a larger class of fish, hit the open beaches near on the south shore—sand eels are in!
Blackfish season is here. If you’re a tog enthusiast (a lot of you are), it’s the best time of the year to fish! Grab your favorite jigs and hit your wrecks/dropoffs. Plenty of stores should have green and Asian crabs in stock! As for jigs, S&S, Jigging World, Game On, and Tsunami all have great options. I always like to carry a plethora of jigs, depending on the depth. Be sure to have a few jigs from 1⁄4 to 1.5 ounces. If you’re new to the tog scene, the setup is pretty simple. A 7- to 8-foot, fast action rod paired with a 5000 to 6000 size spinning reel and 20 to 30 pound fluorocarbon leader works best. When it comes to rigging up the crab, the process is pretty simple. With larger crabs such as green crabs, take a large kitchen scissor and cut them vertically down the middle. This will create two baits. Next, pull a claw off and slide your hook through the arm socket and around the meat. Simply cast your jig out and maintain a tight connection. In regards to Asian crabs, simply slap the whole crab on the hook through an arm socket and you’re set! When you start feeling taps, allow the fish to slowly peck away. Once the tap feels right, swing and crank!
As for places to fish, there are plenty of fantastic early-season opportunities in shallow water along jetties and boulder fields. If you’re losing rigs, don’t fret… it means your in the right spot. Looking toward the future, the full moon is on October 16th. It’s the perfect time to chase some large fall bass. Pack your plug bag and hold on tight! It’s the final push of the season.
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).
- Peanut bunker the primary bait north to south.
- Bluefish prevalent in the bays, plus fluke and weakfish.
- Good black sea bass bite on the South Shore piers.
- Bluefin tuna picking up midshore.
John from Freeport Bait and Tackle reports: “Still a lot of bluefish around, you can catch them on diamond jigs, spoons, pencils, and the like. Striped bass have been caught in the surf, mostly on yellow-colored plugs like Super Strike darters, Little Neck swimmers, and needlefish. The bridges have been producing mostly bluefish, but also some bass. We aren’t quite in the full fall insanity just yet.
Fluking has still been going strong, which is nice due to the longer season. Anglers are still catching off the West End jetty on white-colored Gulp, and on rigs baited with spearing. There have been some nice-sized weakfish near the canals as well hitting the same offerings as fluke. Off the piers there’s been a noticeable amount of sea bass being caught on clams and Gulp, but not many keepers. Usually they’re just skirting the legal size, so bring an accurate measuring tape. Finally, blackfish season opens up on the 15th and we’re well stocked on crabs, rigs, and jigs for opening day. Stop by and gear up!”
Brandon Weitz from Causeway Bait and Tackle in Wantagh told me: “There are bass around—nothing crazy, but if you cover water you’ll find the fish. The best of it seems to be out by Rockaway right now on live eels or live bunker, but a lot of anglers are catching bass from the surf as well. Inshore, the bite has still been great for fluke, bass, and bluefish. Earlier this week I was fishing off my dock and landed 5 fluke, including a nice keeper at 21 inches. All of the fish are on peanut bunker; I snagged a peanut bunker with my lure and threw it back out on a bait hook, and immediately hooked into that nice fluke. There are still a few days left of the extended fluke season, so definitely take advantage and buy some peanut bunker if you want guaranteed action!”
Jamie from Bay Park Fishing Station in Oceanside said: “Striped bass have been in the bays mostly, and there’s still a ton of bluefish around, though mostly small. We’ve been fishing off the dock here on our lunch break and getting bluefish. Plus weakfish! Some old sharpies have been catching a lot of weakfish by us in the channels. There’s been a ton of bait around but not much blitz activity. Everything is staged up at the moment and we’re waiting for things to start popping off. For now though there’s still steady bluefish, fluke, and striped bass action in the bays on bucktails, swimshads, and plugs. There’s been a great tuna bite going on as well, but the wind has been keeping most at the dock and the tuna tend to be a hike from us. Next week is blackfish season and we’ll be open all through December, so stop by for jigs, rigs, and bait as needed!”
Josh Rogers from Gypsea Charters out of Brooklyn reports: “Striped bass fishing continues to produce on live bait. Seems like another new body of fish has moved into the area, and we are on ’em! We have seen mostly over-slot fish to 45 inches released this past week, with a few slot-size keepers in the mix. We will continue striper fishing until the blackfish opener on the 15th. It’s definitely shaping up to be a good fall run. Book your trips now!”
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Doug Tobeck of Corazon Charters in Freeport said: “Tuna is the word! The winds gave us a small break and the bite is on. Midshore fishing is loaded with bluefin tuna. The canyon has been holding yellowfin tuna and swordfish. We did a crew trip this past weekend to Veatch and had swordfish, yellowfin tuna, white marlin, mahi-mahi, and for the first time ever—spearfish! The ocean bass have not shown yet, but we are keeping an eye out.”
Adrian Moeller of Rockfish Charters in Queens reported: “The big news this week is that adult bunker finally showed up and have big bass right on their heels getting our fall run started. It’s still a bit like cobia fishing in having to hit a lot of schools to find one with feeding bass on it but we’re catching plenty of slot to mid-30 pound fish live-lining near the bunker pods. It should get really good after these cooler night time temperatures get them migrating in full force. There’s also a phenomenal 70-inch class bluefin tuna bite going on right now but, unfortunately, with all these storms there aren’t many opportunities to reach them. We only have a few days left in October, go to rockfishcharters.com to book a trip!”
Al Rotunno from the Staten Island Fishing Club told me: “Now that there has been somewhat of a break in the weather, anglers have been able to sneak out with a few weather windows. Capt. Marek along with Bobby Clark and Paul hit the Hudson Canyon this past weekend and were rewarded with a nice chunk bite of yellowfin tuna and mahi. Many tunas were lost due to having to downsize the leader to 40-pound test. We’re also hearing reports of mixed-size bluefin tuna being caught trolling ballyhoo, jigging, popping, and chunking, inshore to midshore, between Little Italy and the Triple Wrecks.
Inshore, the striped bass have started to show, with mixed-size fish being caught off northern Jersey. Guy Buono, Arthur Waldhelm and Sean Behan did well drifting eels catching several bass over 30 pounds. Blackfish season is set to open in NY on October 15th and anglers should expect good togging right off the bat in the bay and ocean. There are also nice sea bass being caught on most local bottom pieces. Tight lines all.”
Paul McCain from River Bay Outfitters in Baldwin reports: “It’s been quite out of the east end unless you’re targeting tuna and bonito. Albies haven’t really been around, and neither have the bass until this week. My hypothesis is that the water is still warm. The saving grace has been bluefish, but not in huge numbers or size. There have also been a lot of fluke in the inlet, with many still catching on both fly and spinning tackle. A few I heard of were 22 inches or more, so there are still keepers to be caught, but you have only until next Tuesday. There’s a lot of bait. I haven’t seen much mullet though, so they likely moved out. It’s been mostly peanut bunker and spearing in the back bays. I’ve heard there’s a sand eel run going on but haven’t seen it yet. It’s mostly out east if so.”
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Here’s what local anglers have been posting on social media:
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Every day a little bit colder, and the fishing a little bit better. I feel like a kid the night before a snowday. The anticipation to not have school in the morning, or in this case—a fall blitz. It’s been a period of on-and-off for me, personally. Some days I’m finding bait actively under attack, and other days just bait flipping gently on the surface, meandering around and just… sitting there. It’s been super time-and-tide dependent, rather than the all-day chaos when things are at full-tilt. Most of the people I’ve talked to agree that it hasn’t really taken off yet, with a hint of nervousness.
The false albacore that have been running the Sound have yet to make it west beyond Smithtown Bay, and I’m not confident it’s going to happen again this year, but it’s still a bit early to put a lid on albie season 2024. Last year, they came all the way into Manhasset and Hempstead bays. I remember having to educate a beachgoer on what the heck those ‘flying fish’ were.
On the south shore, there’s been an awesome bite going on both during the day and at night. Bait is plentiful, and in a few areas there have been huge blitzes developing. Just ask Karl and Chris of Rock Steady Charters, who had a massive striped bass blitz erupt around them after hours of fruitless fishing on bunker pods.
If you’re considering going fishing, now is the time. There is no right time or wrong time during the fall. If you don’t go, you’ll never know.
Western Long Island Fishing Forecast
The feed has been on. Colder temperatures are driving striped bass into their migration mindset where they’re going to be feeding ravenously. Expect awesome topwater blowups, savage strikes, and acrobatics that you normally don’t see from stripers during a fight.
Bluefish and stripers will be chasing peanut bunker around the north shore back bays and in the middle of Long Island Sound. The peanuts have been the predominant bait for a few weeks now, and I have yet to see anything else in greater numbers.
On the south shore, the bridges are holding fish and bait. Last night, I ventured out with my buddy Rob and we had schoolies flipping out of the water as soon as the sun finished setting. It was hard to tell what bait they were on in the dark, and there weren’t any large fish in there, or we missed them, but as soon as the lights turned off, the fishing turned on.
We have some incredible fall weather up ahead. Keep an eye on the wind and swell forecasts to plan out your windows; if 10 knots is too much for you, fall fishing might not be your thing. Two to three-foot swells is generally when I leave the kayak at home and put on the waders. The back bays of the Sound are where I spend most of my time on a windy day, fishing the incoming and outgoing tides, or just the outgoing if I only have a small window of time to fish.
For fishing the back bays, toss small soft-plastics imitating peanut bunker. The Storm WildEye Swim Shad is my go-to for this and it’s the only thing I’ll throw in the spring and fall when peanut bunker are around. It was absolutely deadly for me last spring.
Another good option is the Yo-Zuri Hydro Pencil for topwater. It has a small profile, with the irresistible walk-the-dog action that provokes striped bass and bluefish alike. A cotton-cordell pencil popper is my preferred bait when I want to make noise if there aren’t any active feeds happening.
Next week, we’ll talk blackfish. Until then, good luck and tight lines! Thanks for reading.
The Western L.I./NYC Fishing Report is compiled and written by NYSDEC licensed kayak fishing guide, Nick Cancelliere (@nick_onthewater).
Can we please stop the b. s,
“Another fantastic week of striper fishing,”
Any fisherman worth his salt knows the ocean is dead. Proof?
Ten years ago in October Turtle cove was two deep wall to wall fishermen. Anyone now can just google the Montauk point web cam to see how many surf casters still fish Montauk. If you see one it’s a busy day. A problem will never be solved as long as it is ignored in the pursuit of the almighty buck. Shameful.