Long Island and NYC Fishing Report
North Shore
Andrew Bernat (@tactical_bassin26) in Manhasset Bay reports: “The bass bite is non-existent; however, I’ve been spending my time light-tackle porgy fishing around pilings and rock piles. The porgies range from from 13- to 16-inches. My favorite way to catch these fish is on a Mustad Ultra Point 3/8-ounce jighead combined with a sandworm/Asian crab, the latter of which can be found on your local beach. Simply pitch the jig at the piling and wait for the subtle thud!”
The Angler Fleet (@anglerfleet) out of Port Washington reports: “The fluke bite had a slight hiccup with fewer numbers overall, but quality doormats are still coming up. The porgy are finicky, though we’re still picking off keepers. We’ve continued to see the occasional weakfish and bluefish coming over the rail. Our Kids Summer Fishing Camp is in full swing, with every camper getting in on the action and heading home with fish, smiles, and new skills. To get in on the action call or text (718)-659-8181 or go to our website for more info.”
Captain Stu Paterson of Northport Charters (@northportcharters) reports: “We are in the middle of our 7th week of Kids Summer Fishing Camp and they are consistently bending rods. We’re doing well on charters too. Still catching lots of porgies, with Joe hauling in the largest ‘pork chop’ at 2-1/2 pounds! Cocktail blues, spot, weakfish and dogfish are coming up over the rail as well. The bass bite has really slowed down now with high water temperatures in Long Island Sound, but the past 2 days of ENE winds could turn it back on. Call or text 631-707-3266 or visit our website to learn more.”
-
Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain around Long Island and NYC
Captain Arthur Cortes of Cortes Outfitters (@cortes_outfitters) in NYC reports: “Summertime bass fishing has been surprisingly good, with feeding frenzies occurring in the river and quality fish being caught. The bay continues to be productive, especially with a striper bite at first light. Breezy Point Inlet is also active, featuring blues, sharks, and rays. For fly fishing, the preferred choice is a Bulkhead bunker fly. If you’re using lures, a 2-ounce white bucktail with a red trailer/jig strip works well. To get in on the action, call or text 347-326-4750 or head over to our website.”
Mark at Cow Harbor Bait and Tackle in Northport reports: “The bass are still out in the Sound; plenty of 30- to 40-inch fish being caught on live spot. Aside from live bait, fish are still eating topwater, which is surprising. Bluefish are non- existent, but porgy are everywhere and the bite is hot. There are also some kingfish on the porgy grounds. Sea bass fishing has been tough mid-Sound. Fluking is tricky, too—there are a ton of shorts. Light bucktails and Gulp seem to do the trick. If you’re on a boat, 40 to 80 feet is the magic zone. Visit cowharbortackle.com or call 631-239-1631.”
Sean Conway (@long_island_fishing_guy) in Smithtown reports: “Still plenty of fluke around on the North Shore. Some larger spearing showed up in the mix with all the smaller rain bait. Fishing is tough though, and the bass are being picky.”
South Shore
Captain Josh Rogers of Gypsea Charters in Brooklyn reports: “Very good fluking continues with an influx of larger fish that have settled in. Loads of action keeping rods bent, with many fish in the 3- to 5 -pound range hitting the deck. The pool fish every day seems to be in the 7- to 8-pound range, with a couple other local boats nailing 10-pound-plus doormats in the same area. We are tied to the dock for a few days with the east wind, but things should pick up right where they left off. We also got a summer striper trip in this past week, nailing a dozen overs and a couple of slot-size fish. We’re sailing two boats daily by reservation only!”
Aaron Diener (@aarondiener) in NYC reports: “Summer bass are there if you look and fight through all the bluefish. Me and a buddy got sharked twice off the rocks. Lots of cownose rays around wrecking gear. Small bait is plentiful and bonito should be showing up on the beach soon.”
Paul McCain from River Bay Outfitters in Baldwin reports: “The bonito and Spanish mackerel have arrived locally, and there are also plenty of bluefish mixed in. The albies should show up by the end of August. I’d recommend casting Surf Candies and tins on light fluorocarbon.”
Captain Doug Touback of Corazon Charters in Freeport reports: “Fluke and more fluke! Not much to say other than fluking is as good as we thought it would be. 5-inch FishBites Fight Club in pink, tipped with a spearing, continues to be the ticket to limits. The offshore bite has also been strong but we are concentrating on the fluke since it’s been epic.”
-
Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain around Long Island and NYC
The Captree Fleet (@captreefleet) reports: “Nonstop fun action with a bunch of beauties mixed in. Everything you need to fish is right on the boat, and included in the fare at no extra cost. This week, the action in the bay was great. Ocean fishing produced lots of keepers, and some boats limited out with a few doormats. Offshore fluke and sea bass are also still hot with boats keeping their limits, and a full assortment of ling, porgies, sea robins, triggerfish, mackerel, cape shark, stripers and bluefish coming up. Now is the time to join us. Reservations are suggested for all open boat trips. Get your gift certificates, available to purchase in our office or online and for use on any of our Members Boats. Call us at 631-669-6464 or visit us at captreefleet.com”
Brandon Weitz (@bweitz) from Causeway Bait and Tackle in Wantagh reports: “Fluke fishing on all the local reefs continues to be very productive. Lots of keepers with shorts and sea bass in the mix; we are even seeing some triggerfish coming up. Bluefish have been all over the bays from Jones Inlet to the Meadowbrook with birds working and fish blitzing. The tuna fishing has been absolutely insane from Jersey to Montauk. There are bluefin and yellowfin, and trolling, jigging, and poppers are all producing fish. Birds, dolphins, and whales are all over the ocean. Now’s the time to get out and fish!”
Bill Falco (@fishlongisland) at Chasing Tails Bait and Tackle in Oakdale said: “Fluke reports are steady this week. Lots and lots of fish to catch, shorts are plentiful, but there are absolute hammers mixed in. Seems like every day someone is smacking a 6- to 8-pound fish. Big presentations are pulling the fatty flatties. Bucktails and skirted jigs with 5-inch grubs are the go-to. Sea bass action on the reefs is nonstop. Cooler fillers and big knuckleheads are coming up over the rails all week. The jig bite is hot, and they’ll always eat a clam. Summer stripers are popping up in the usual spots. The night shift crew has been putting in work to locate them and find what they’re eating. Snappers are starting to show up at the town docks; they’re tiny, but they’re hungry! Small spoons or a classic spearing on a hook will do the trick. They’ll get bigger by the week. Crabs are loaded up at the docks too, so grab some bunker and a few traps and get to it. In fresh water, the cool front has the lakes lit up. Bass and pickerel are flying after topwater lures like frogs and poppers and chasing down spinners and swimbaits. Panfish are going crazy for worms and small jigs, even chasing down inline spinners. Trout are up and at ’em early, grabbing all sorts of bugs off the surface.”
Derek Monfort (@derek_sucks_at_fishing) reports: “With the summer doldrums in full effect, I’ve been having some fun with surf fluke and some largemouth on the freshwater side. Doing what I can to stay busy and getting bit!”
Joe D’Agostino a.k.a. (@joebaggsoutdoors) fished Montauk and reported: “Tuna fishing has slowed south of Block with each day presenting opportunities in short windows as the full moon approaches. It seems like the afternoon bite has dried up and everything is happening before 8 AM. Sleek jigs and Long Cast resins have produced in pink, chartreuse, and green. Last week, the water was green and full of fish and this week it’s blue and you can see 50 feet down, so lighten up on the leader. While fishing with Joe Diorio (Ba-boom) we came across a black milk crate loaded with big triggers and 24- to 28-inch mahi that crushed 1- to 1.5-ounce Long Cast resins. Triggers wouldn’t allow us to get deeper for the mahi, so we added squid to the jigs and the mahi responded. The fish are there, so bring your skill.”
The Author’s Experience
This past Saturday I spent a few hours outside of Manhasset Bay looking for bluefish. The turn of August usually brings a few small schools of large choppers. While I found peanut bunker, sand eels, and birds…nothing was on them. I don’t blame the fish! The water clarity has been horrendous around the deep Western Sound; it’s sludge-brown, which has certainly reduced my confidence in catching bass or blues. On Sunday I was able to get out to the tuna grounds after the heavy northern blow. While we started the morning off with one fish, it quickly died off. We saw plenty of whales, dolphins, and marks, but the fish refused to chew after first light. I believe the north wind hit the reset button on the nearshore tuna; however, it seems like the fishing bounced back a bit! It should be back to normal in no time.
Long Island & NYC Fishing Forecast
Word around the island is that bonito and Spanish mackerel have made their way into our local waters. Inlets and jetties are hotspots. If you’ve never fished for hardtails (inshore pelagics), all you need is a 1⁄2- to 1-ounce epoxy jig or tin—sometimes heavier if there’s onshore wind. Setup wise, a 7- to 9-foot medium-light rod paired with a 5000-size reel and 10- to 20-pound braid with a leader of the same strength is the move! Simply cast out and fish the tin fast along or just beneath the surface.
Fluke are still prevalent across the island, and this is my favorite time of year to dock hop. If you’re looking to make a full day of it, hit the south shore piers around Captree and Field 10. They have a ton of current, so be prepared to fish a bit heavier.
As for the north shore, I’d recommend hitting the Sands Point Preserve. It offers wide-open beach space with multiple jetties and over the years, I’ve slayed plenty of keeper fluke there. The water is fairly shallow, so all it takes is a 1/4- to 1⁄2-ounce lead head and a Gulp swimming mullet to get the job done. Don’t be surprised if you get into some monster porgy.
Finally, the offshore thing is still solid. If you’re running a small center console, you can make it to the tuna grounds on a calm day! Just don’t forget your jigs at home.