Long Island and NYC Fishing Report
North Shore
Captain Ken Schmidt of the Angler Fleet in Manhasset Bay reports: “Bass fishing has been lights out lately, with action any way you could want to catch them. Fluke fishing has started to pick up with warmer weather, and rain bait has started to move out of the bays. Porgy action continues to improve every week with the improving conditions and abundance of bait.”
Mark from Cow Harbor Bait and Tackle in Northport told me: “The bluefish have really made their presence known, and some customers have been reporting 12- to 14-pound blues and cocktails at times. Sand eels have been super plentiful and fueling a lot of great bites. Fluking is still mighty strong; we’ve been mostly fishing the Sound and it’s almost every drop you’re getting on a fish. There are plenty of shorts, of course, but it’s lock-and-load when you get on them, and keepers aren’t too difficult to come by. Porgies are all over the place, and we’re still in the midst of a tremendous weakfish run. As for the striped bass, it’s been bonkers. There are so many fish around and you can get them trolling, fly fishing, from shore, on a boat—it doesn’t matter. With sand eels being their primary forage, it’s good to throw topwater around sunrise and sunset, or jig small profiles during the day. You can also cull the big fish using a Doc. Weather this weekend looks iffy, but the fishing is fantastic, so I encourage you to don a rain jacket and get out there!”
Tony Trapani (@big_toeknee_) went out with Captain Dave Flanagan of North Island Fly (@northislandfly) in Smithtown and reported: “Recently had the pleasure of joining Capt. Flanagan for a couple of outings. Solid fish have moved into the Sound from Nassau to Suffolk. Bunker pods have started to show in steady numbers as well, making their way along the North Shore. We’ve been lucky to find some fish right beneath them or alongside, waiting for the right opportunity. Fish have been gorging and feeding on sand eels and bunker up top, going almost fully airborne, at times. But you definitely need to be at the right place at the right time. There has also seen a good showing of XXL bluefish finning.”
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Tom Truehart in Smithtown reports: “Friday, before the weekend wind picked up, the bass fishing was on fire—as it has been lately around the Huntington area. The weekend was slow for me, and it was tough to get out with all the wind, but by Monday, we picked up right where we left off, with a later bite around sunset. The fish seem to be moving deeper and further east, so I’ve also been working some ledges around Smithtown with pretty good success. Everything from soft plastics to flutter spoons and topwater plugs has been doing the trick for striped bass. Bluefish have been out in the Sound in deeper water. Topwater plugs have been the most effective for landing those big blues. The fluke fishing has also been great lately. If you can weed through all the shorts, you’ll find some nice keepers mixed in. I prefer using single light bucktails tipped with Gulp for fluke, working the shallow areas on top of the ledges where most of them have been hanging out.”
Nick Sarlanis in the Western Long Island Sound reports: “Fishing in the Western Sound has been nothing shy of phenomenal the past few weeks. Plenty of opportunity to catch big bass on topwater—specifically, big spooks. The bigger fish tend to be on bunker along with some bluefish that just started to show up. The blues have been daisy chaining (finning) in the open Sound, but can be very finicky. A high volume of boats in hotspots makes it tough to capitalize on some of the opportunities for the bigger fish; nonetheless they’re still being caught.”
Patrick Hilbert (@pattytales) in Oyster Bay reports: “During consistent weather stretches, the bass fishing has been great. Fish are blowing up mid-tide over structure, which makes for good topwater blind casting and even fly opportunities near the feeds. However, these big blows shuffle the deck and the fish change their patterns and feeding areas. Tons of bait has shown up, so the fish are more selective. The bass were overstuffed with bunker yesterday. Rogue bluefish are mixing in with the bass on structure, and finning in the deep areas. The areas from Little Neck to Oyster Bay all have fairly similar bites, with fish holding on the front side of structure and ambushing lures and plugs. Early and late in the day has been great, and I think it has a lot to do with lessened boat traffic, which has been otherwise heavy this year. It’s been a fun and sometimes weird few weeks (weather wise) but the miles have paid off!”
Sean Conway (@long_island_fishing_guy) in the Eastern Sound reports: “The boats are slamming fish out in the Sound. Guys are fishing flutter spoons, trolling, and throwing topwater at feeding fish. I went out with Dave Flanagan of North Island Fly and we laid into some big fish on 9-inch spooks. We would either throw the plug into blitzing fish, or blind cast and drum up fish off the bottom. Freshwater has also been very productive; I went out using the VMC Rugby Jig tipped with a black YUM Dinger and slayed the largemouth. Casted it near some cover mostly and just bounced it off the bottom, but sometimes, a blind cast into the middle of the pond with the same retrieve would get some fish. The fly has been effective too, but for mostly smaller bass.”
Steve at Wego Fishing Bait and Tackle in Southold reports: “The weather finally caught up to the fishing! Striped bass fishing in Plum Gut has been on fire—as good as it gets. It’s every bit as good as last year and maybe even better. They’ve been chewing mainly on the incoming tide, with plenty of fish from slot to under-slot. Surfcasters have reported fish up to 40 pounds! Some herring have been mixed in and are getting chased to the surface. Most anglers are catching on bucktails and diamond jigs. There are bluefish in the mix, but not a lot. They’re mostly in the bays where they can be seen pushing bait on the surface. Porgy fishing is still good in all the usual places. Squid has been the preferred bait and is catching weakfish and fluke, as well. The fluke bite in Mattituck is especially strong right now; they’re puking up sand eels everywhere you catch ‘em. Great fishing right now, don’t hesitate to get out there.”
South Shore
Aaron Diener in NYC reports: “Blues of all sizes are actively biting on a variety of lures and baits, making for great fishing. Additionally, it appears that a new body of bass is starting to make its presence known, offering further opportunities for those targeting them.”
Captain Josh Rogers of Gypsea Charters in Brooklyn reports: “Solid flaking continues! Some trips are better than others, but it seems a new body of fish has moved in. Loads of shorts at times, with plenty of keepers in the mix to 8 pounds this week. Striped bass fishing remains strong as well, and we can catch them consistently all summer long. Both boats are sailing by reservation only.” Call/text (516) 659-3814 for info and availability.
Jamie at Bay Park Fishing Station in Oceanside reports: “Tough weather last weekend, but those who went out fluking found most of the action in the back bays using squid and spearing. Glen Forst found a nice 3-pound fluke his first time ever picking up a fishing pole. Seamus Calahan landed a doormat near the Long Beach rec. building. There’s a bass bite on the troll out front, with Mojos and bunker spoons doing the trick; bunker pods are here from Jones to Rockaway. Bluefish are hitting the beaches and back bays as well. Bay Park is open 7 days a week. We have gas, ice, rods, reels, and all your fishing needs!”
Will King (@willie_fish) on the South Shore reports: “The week approaching the new moon saw excellent striped bass fishing. A new pod of fish filtered into the Great South Bay; hungry, and covered in sea lice, they gorged for 4 nights in a row hitting anything that swam past the boat. This wave of fish was all the same size range of 28 to 36 inches. Hopefully we will see waves of larger models around the June full moon.”
Bill Falco (@fishlongisland) of Chasing Tails Bait and Tackle in Oakdale reports: “Fluke action is starting to heat up, finally. Flattie action is getting more consistent and there are some quality fish roaming the bay. Weakfish are mixed in, and reports keep popping up with some good-sized catches. Bluefish continue to come in heavy! These guys are everywhere and in every size, terrorizing every possible school of bait. Luckily, they also like popping plugs and spooks just as much. The docks are loaded with nice blues too, choking down quality bunker chunks. Bass are still around in great numbers as well; all over the inlet and the open beaches, stripers are on the move. There are plenty more nice bass on the way with the full moon approaching, too. Boat guys are crushing it in the early morning and late night hours on bucktails, spooks, and SPs. Surf guys are getting fish on darters, Mag Darters, and bottle plugs. They’re biting day and night! In fresh water, perch and panfish are schooled up tight and eager to eat. Easy to catch and tons of fun for anyone of any age. A classic worm and bobber rig will have them biting all day, or get fancy with a small jig or inline spinner. Trout are all over the bugs—pay attention to the hatches and match ’em up! Topwater season is in full swing for bass and pickerel. Toss frogs, mice, poppers, whatever you have and they’re going to smash it up. The best time for topwater is during sunrise for a few hours, and sunset into dark. Mid-day, hit ’em with the classic Senkos and jigs!”
Nick at White Water Outfitters in Hampton Bays reports: “There are a lot of small cocktail bluefish in the bays. Striped bass fishing has been good in waves. Last week was red-hot in the inlet, this week is kind of slow. Not too many bass on the bunker pods yet, but definitely some giants starting to show up along Montauk and blowing up on pods along the beach. The weakfish bite has been decent; they’re not super big fish—6 pounds at most, but consistent action. Fluking is heating up for sure. There are good numbers of fish being reported. There are also big blues out in Montauk right now, and surfcasting has been excellent there.”
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Captain Tim O’Rourke (@mtkpointflyfishing) in Montauk reports: “Still amazing bass fishing in Montauk. Great feeds on the fly for large bass. With the moon coming up it will only get better. We’re starting to see tuna and whales.”
The Author’s Experience
The Western Sound is absolutely on fire right now. Fish are chewing Docs and flutter spoons like crazy. While there isn’t all-out blitz activity, you can find quick topwater feeds in which two or three big bass tear through a small bunker pod. In order to catch fish, you’ll need to chuck your plug almost directly on top of the boil. These fish are massive and lazy, so if the plug isn’t in their face, they are unlikely to smash it. That said, we’re reaching the peak of the spring and the Sound is lit up, so let’s hope it stays this way for a while.
Long Island & NYC Fishing Forecast
Heading into the weekend, we are going to see air temperatures in the mid 60s to low low 80s. It looks like we’re also going to get some showers across the island. This is the perfect recipe for topwater action. Grab a Doc, pencil, or popper, and get to work! It looks like the Eastern Sound beaches are getting a huge push of bluefish. At the moment, they are in the middle of the Sound, but they should turn in and hit the beaches any day.
As far as bottom fishing, the porgy and fluke bite is on fire. If you’re looking to fill the cooler, hit your local jetty, pier, or beach with some clams. On the fluke side, the Sound is getting better and better; sand eels are fueling an epic jig and bait bite. Grab those bucktails, Gulp, Pro-Cure, and teasers!