Long Island and NYC Fishing Report- May 8, 2025

Mark from Cow Harbor Bait and Tackle in Northport reports “We’re starting to see porgies show up, and bass fishing is hot on bait, plugs, and eels. The jigging bite is pretty good as well. Fluke are showing up close to shore, with a few keepers in the mix as well. No blues yet, but were starting to see some spearing fill in. There are also mackerel and weakfish around.”

Steve at Wego Fishing Bait and Tackle in Southold reports: “The fishing finally woke up a little bit—it was a tough April. The season was slow to get going out here. We’ve now got big porgies in the usual bay spots and they’re chewing hard. Weakfish are also moving in on squid. Bass fishing on bucktails has been good; there aren’t a ton of fluke around yet, and bunker are moving into the area. The big gorilla blues are starting to show up too, which is always fun.”
 

Captain Dave Flanagan of North Island Fly in Smithtown reports: “Fishing in the central/western Sound has had its ups and downs for me to start the season. We’ve been finding some good schools of bass on the reefs, but the feeding windows have been somewhat short for those using artificials and flies. We’ve had success with stripers fishing large bunker patterns on sinking lines, and on various jigs and topwaters. Bunker and mackerel are in the area, but I have not seen any big pods up top yet. The water is still sitting around 53-54 degrees in the Sound, and just touching 60 on sunny days in the back bays. Some schoolies and slot fish can be found back there, but it has not really blown wide open yet and a lack of spearing isn’t helping. I have seen some small sand eels showing lately, so that should fuel the schoolie bite as well as the fluke bite for those interested. On the days I haven’t been able to get out on the boat, I have been lucky to get in on a weakfish bite with a good friend of mine. We’ve had a few each day on the fly rod up to 26 inches. It’s great to continue to see these fish every year. I look forward to the next moon and warmer temperatures to really get everything moving. Good luck out there and put your time in!”

Capt. Ben Burdine (@benburdine) on the Connecticut side of the Western Sound reports: “We’ve seen the local striper fishing really turn on over the past week as water temperatures have been steadily ticking up. Resident holdover fish and new arrivals of migratory fish are now fully on the prowl hunting sand eels, squid, bunker and herring throughout the Western Sound. Nearshore, we’re seeing small gulls and stripers blitzing on sand eels, so smaller offerings have been more productive. Out deep, we’re seeing the larger baits and are already catching fish over 25 pounds on large topwater plugs, soft-plastics and flutter spoons. No sign of any bluefish yet.”

From the North Shore bays, Ryan (@fish_the_northeast_) reports: “This week I got into some great big bluefish action while fishing the flats! Shallow water flats fishing is easily my favorite way to target gator blues. Typically, the sweet spot is between 3 to 7 feet, and this week I found the best action in 4-6 feet. To locate them, I keep moving until either I start spooking them and see a swirl in the water just in front of my kayak or see them tailing. On days with clear water and sunshine, it’s not uncommon to clearly see the entire body of a bluefish school slowly cruising along.”

Tom Truehart (@northshoretommy) in Eastern Long Island reports: “I was able to get out this past weekend before all this rain came and got on some more bass a little east of the Huntington area. I had to check a few different spots to find them, but eventually came across them stacked up along the ledges as usual. The last two hours of the outgoing tide seemed to be a bit more active. Water temps are still around 52 to 54 degrees, so it’s been hard to get them to bite consistently, but we were able to get the job done using flutter spoons and jigging up some nice fish off the bottom. You can’t stay in one spot; don’t be afraid to bounce around and look for these fish. From what I’ve noticed, they’ve been glued to the bottom. Once this weather warms up, I’m confident the bite will take off as it has in previous years.”

Sean Conway @long_island_fishing_guy) in Smithtown reports: “Fish were definitely active last night. All my bass were on a blurple Mag Darter and Duratech 7-inch straight tail soft plastic. They were whacking the plug using a sweep in the shallow water, and in the deeper rips, I was snap jigging soft plastics for fish from 25 to 31 inches. I’m also finding some fish in the nearby back bays. Small topwaters have been productive.”

Nick Cancelliere (@nick_onthewater) in the Western Long Island Sound reports: “Stripers are starting to push east, and I’ve seen some big schools come in close to shore chasing some kind of micro bait that’s too small to see. I’ve been chasing them in my kayak and, usually, the best way to find them is diving birds. These fish are seriously keyed in on whatever this bait is—fly fishermen should have a blast chasing them, but spin fishing was downright frustrating. Even Albie Snax and small topwaters were ignored or short-striked. Ultimately, I was able to get bit the most on a Rapala X-Rap ripped through the topwater feeds, which I guess would take their attention off of whatever they were eating. It’s safe to say the Sound has finally come to life up here and we should have some very good action over the next week!”

Wulber Alberto Ruiz (@the_striper_hunt) on the North Shore reports: “The fish have been a little lethargic and not chewing as well as they were coming off the new moon. They have been taking SP Minnows and Joe Baggs Swarters with a very slow retrieve and a twitch every 10 cranks or so, usually the best tide is the ebb tide after dark. However, the topwater daytime bite is also producing some big bass and that’s starting to pick up as well.”

Whitewater Outfitters in Hampton Bays reports: “Some bluefish are starting to move in, and bass fishing in the back creeks is good. Bass are also along the beach and ocean on bunker pods. Weakfish are starting to move in too, and the head boats are starting to catch porgies in good numbers.”

Brandon Weitz (@bweitz1) from Causeway Bait and Tackle in Wantagh reports: “The bass bite slowed down a little in the surf, but they are still catching bass and bluefish all over, from the open beach to the back bays. There are some weakfish around as well, and fluke fishing in the bay is good to start the season.”

On the South Shore, Nick Cherkas (@surfcasting_the_island) reports: “Bass continue to be the focus in my area as we are beginning to see those larger migratory fish move on in. A variety of profiles such as darters, Mag Darters and minnow plugs have been taking the lion’s share of fish. With the presence of bunker, I expect not only larger fish but large numbers to make a move from down south right into our backyard. With the May Flower (full) moon rapidly approaching, the best is yet to come.”

Bill Falco (@fishlongisland) from Chasing Tails Bait and Tackle in Oakdale reports: “Bass! Blues! Fluke! Weaks! Fishing is hot this week. Weakfish reports are trickling in slowly but they’re definitely running the back bays on the North and South Shores hard. They love small, lightweight presentations, and usually prefer a nice bright color like pink or chartreuse. Fluke reports are solid as can be. Flatties are in the channels and on the bars getting fatter. Jig ‘em or rig ‘em, they’re hungry. Fish light so you can feel the bite. Bluefish are everywhere you want them to be, and, everywhere you don’t want them. No giant gorillas yet, but some in the 10-pound range have been caught. Poppers, spooks, bucktails and SPs are getting demolished by hungry packs of yellow eyes. Bass reports are coming in mostly at night, and from the surf guys. Bottle plugs, darters, and bigger SP’s are flying off the shelves for good reason. The forage is big and the bass are starving from their migration. Boat guys are doing exceptionally well in the early morning hours as well as night time. Bucktails, SPs, and metal lips are putting in overtime. Spring is here and there are so many different fish around, it’s time to get out there. In fresh water, bass and pickerel action has been lighting up as well. They’re looking up, and topwater bites are viable for longer hours. Spinnerbaits, buzz baits, frogs, and spooks are all getting looks from hungry largies, smallies, and pickerel. Small soft plastic swimbaits are a killer this time of year as well. Panfish are schooled up tight and doing their thing. It’s fun and easy fishing for every age; all you need is a hook, a bobber, and some worms. If you want to get a little fancy, you can throw small jigs or spinners. Trout are still active, mostly in the early morning and evening hours. Bugs are hatching, so bring your dry fly arsenal with you. Streamers are a great way to pull some bigger fish out. Spin guys are using inline spinners and small spoons for the best action right now.”

From the Peconic Bay area, Joe Vukas (@joevukas) reports: “I’ve only fished a couple times but it’s been good in the Peconics. I was looking for early season weakfish and found pods of bunker instead with decent bass on them. All the fish were in the 30 to 32 inch range which was great. I didn’t fly fish because both times I got out, it was windy; 9-inch black weighted Slug-gos were the best lure.”

On the South Shore, Kyle Ellis (@kyle_lsx) reports: “The south shore is alive right now with blues and bass, even if the tides are a pain and there’s still plenty of weeds to work around. Honestly, it feels like there are fish just about everywhere out there. You’ve got to be patient, though—stick it out for a whole tide if you really want to see some action. Once the water clears up, the bite should get even better. I’ve had the most luck with slim-profile lures—needlefish, Swarters, and Mag Darters are all working like a charm. Most of the fish coming up are chunky, around 30 inches, and they’re definitely eating well.”

From the South Shore surf, Tony Trapani (@big_toeknee) reports: “Big bluefish have invaded the back bays and the inlets; these fish are willing to crush just about anything. Most action has been on the outgoing tide, especially at sunset. Fish are pretty aggressively hitting plugs. The topwater bite has been killer!”

Derek Monfort (@derek_sucks_at_fishing) on the East End reports: “Bass are running hard down the beaches and into the back bays. If you know what they’re eating, they are going to hit the plug hard and fast! Topwater during the early mornings has been a blast as well. I also have sneaky suspicion that cinder worms are spawning. I had fish popping but they wouldn’t touch anything. The fly guys will be happy.”

Will King (@willie_fish) on the South Shore reports: “The past few nights have been excellent bass fishing, with the main course of bunker and baby butterfish getting hammered by bass. Most of the damage has been in the local inlets with schools of bass pushing bait across the surface and eating everything in their path. Our average trips are seeing anywhere from 25 to 70 bass each session and it should only get better. These fish aren’t too large yet with most ranging between 31 and 38 inches; great action on 10-pound test.”

Brandon Cirillo (@bbon_cirillo) on the South Shore reports: “The fishing continues to improve each week as we approach the full moon. I expect to see some bigger fish showing up along the south shore soon. Timing your outings with the right tides—especially those that line up with sunrise and sunset—has been the key to success. During the day, I’ve had good results using natural-colored, 5-inch Mag Darters with a slow retrieve. After sunset, switching to plugs with a larger profile has been effective in targeting and culling out some quality fish.”

From the East End, Mike Ozkaya (@lifliesmike) reports: “Slot-sized fish are around Shinnecock and Peconic, and it’s mostly a night bite. Plus, bluefish are moving in. The full moon on the 12th should have cinder worms spawning.”

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Captain Arthur Cortes of Cortes Outfitters (@cortesoutfitters) in NYC reports: “Fishing has really picked up this week, with large schools of striped bass chasing after bunker and sand eels in Jamaica Bay. We have also observed the arrival of sizable bluefish in the mix. With rising water temperatures and an abundance of bait, I anticipate that this excellent bite will continue throughout May and into June. Here at Cortes Outfitters, we are available most weekends and specialize in fly fishing and light tackle out of NYC.”

Captain Josh Rogers of Gypsea Charters (@gypseacharters) in Brooklyn reports: “We are off to a great start to the 2025 fluke season. Our first trip saw over 50 keepers to 7 pounds hit the net. Despite the cooler temperatures, the fish were very aggressive which was nice to see. As more fish continue to move into the bay, we anticipate another good season ahead!” Call/text (516)659-3814 for info and availability.

Aaron Diener (@aarondiener) in NYC reports: “Fishing is definitely picking up, but you still have to work for them. Two- or three-fish sessions are a success. Big fish are being caught on both tides. The full moon should really get things going. Bluefish are here too, and they are hungry.”

Karl Neumann (@kan313) of Rock Steady Charters in Brooklyn reports: “Jamaica Bay is on fire. At one point we had fish for 4 straight hours on topwater. Big schools of bass are on the move blowing bunker of all sizes out of the water and hitting anything that moves. There are a couple of different classes fish—slots and overs up to 40 inches feeding heavy. It started on the flats and kept moving with the tide out front. Fishing is HOT.”

This past week I focused my efforts on the Raritan Bay. As water temperatures have warmed, schools of adult and peanut bunker have swarmed into both shallow and deep water. While I’m not seeing a ton on the surface, I’m certainly marking a ton at depth. The hot plug of the night has been the Outcast Surfster and the floating Berkley Magic Swimmer. On a calm night with south wind, I simply dig the Outcast Surfster in and creep it slowly through the column; the plug gets down about 4 feet, which is perfect when the fish are riding the middle of the column in 10 to 12 feet. On the super calm nights, I’ll chuck the floating Magic Swimmer high into the air, let it make a huge splash, and eventually creep it in slowly so that it glides from side to side. The bass can’t resist the rattle and wide swimming action. That said, the day bite has been tough. This weekend I logged two 15-hour days, and finding fish was easy but getting them to chew was tough. With the amount of boats out, the fish seem to be pressured. However, we were able to find a few fish on jigs and metal lips in deeper, untouched water. The largest fish landed was roughly 20 pounds while the smallest was just below the slot. At this point, you can tell that the fish are fired up—the hits are vicious and the fights violent! With that in mind, I was able to find a few pods of fish near the surface crushing bunker. Unfortunately, the surface action was quickly shut down by boats driving through the blitz.

On Wednesday night, I went out with Sean Conway (@long_island_fishing_guy) and we hit both a north shore spot and south shore inlet with the fly and spin rod. While the south shore didn’t prove fruitful, the water was clean, and the current looked prime! In years past, I’ve hooked giants at the mouth of a few different inlets; however, my spots might need a day or two. As for the north shore, we were able to find some willing schoolies on Hollow Fleyes, gliders, and SP Minnows.

Either way, I’m happy to continue my lucky streak. In a week and a half my boat will be back in the Sound where I’ll be targeting migratory bass in the western bays. The tactics I use in the Raritan Bay will change from fishing mud bottom contour drop offs to targeting bunker schools and boulder fields. The style of fishing in the Sound is much more technical and requires a bit more casting accuracy and presentation skills, which I love. My go-to plugs for may will be the Surfster, Magic wimmer, Doc, flutter spoon, and bone white SP Minnow. I’m hoping that the bluefish funnel into the Western Sound as they did two years ago. I love a good tailing bluefish on the surface!

The bite is in full swing guys. The island is brimming with fish and the south shore beaches are being invaded by our favorite yellow-eyed demons. If you’re looking to escape the blues, the nighttime bass bite is hot. The top plugs in the surf are Super Strike Darters, Yo-Zuri Mag Darters, minnow plugs, and subsurface metal lips. If you’re looking for the right setup, don’t hesitate to break out the 11 footer; casting distance certainly helps. As for the Sound, bass can be found deep in the western portions and further east towards the mouth. If you’re boat fishing, now is the time to flutter spoon, bucktail, and dredge flies in 20 to 30 feet of water. As the bunker move into the Sound the fishing should improve. While this year’s spring bite kicked off later, it seems like guys are on bigger fish with more consistency.

Keep in mind, the full moon is on May 12th. The three days before the moon and the 3 days post are some of the most productive times of the year. If you’re new to chasing bass on moon phases, the full moon translates to more current, and higher, stronger tides. These factors will often add a sweep or rip to your spot which allows for prime presentation of gliders, minnow plugs, and soft plastics. If you can find a spot where current is exasperated by these moon tides, there is a good shot you might be able to find a heffer.

As for bottom fishing, the fluke bite should heat up as water temperatures continue to rise. You can’t go wrong with a bucktail and dropper loop setup with a 6-inch Gulp grub and swimming mullet combo. As for natural bait, spearing or squid is always killer. Aside from fluke, it’s almost prime time for Peconic porgy action. The first push of porgies brings monster, dinner-plate size fish that hit everything from clam bellies to small epoxy jigs and slow pitch jigs.