We’re rolling into mid-October, but you wouldn’t know it from the weather. A stubborn dome of high pressure has delivered yet another stretch of summerlike conditions, with air temps pushing 80 degrees from New York to Cape May. However, that’s already begun to change as a Canadian high slides in, flipping winds to the northwest and bringing true fall air. With the fan turning on this weekend, Saturday may be the last short window for a while.
The same eddy that’s been wobbling around the Hudson and Wilmington for months is finally breaking down. Chlorophyll shots show the blue water fading, and longliners aren’t reporting much. A few boats working the edge of the Hudson picked single bigeyes or yellowfin on 30 to 36 hour trips, and a handful of crews tried daytime swordfishing with mixed results. It’s classic October fishing—long rides for short bites. If you’re heading deep, go for swords and be happy with one or two.
There are early signs of a transition to daytime canyon chunking on the east walls, especially in the Spencer and Toms. Draggers have started working bait off the edge, which is usually the trigger. Keep an eye on that zone heading into the second week of October.
The most consistent bite in the Northeast remains on the Regal Sword. Boats from Stellwagen to Crab Ledge are picking fish, but the dense concentration is still between the Sword and 10 miles south. One captain logged 18 fish in four days (all released), and multiple crews were hooked up within minutes of setting out on Sunday.
If you can reach it, go—but even closer options are producing. Stellwagen, Crab Ledge, and the CIA Grounds are all holding fish on live bait drifts.
The most reliable fishing of the entire season continues between the Bacardi wreck and the Texas Tower. It’s a five-mile stretch, and on busy weekend days, there are 200–300 boats packed into it. Despite the pressure, half the fleet is still catching, and on quiet weekdays, nearly everyone is posting double-digit yellowfin catches—sometimes 20-plus fish in just a couple of hours.
There’s no water temperature break or magic color edge—it’s 100% bait-driven. Peanut bunker are stacked, and live or fresh-dead peanuts are outfishing anything else by a mile. Crews are now trailering from South Jersey and even Delaware to get in on it.
The bite to the south around the Coimbra has dried up; unless you don’t have the range for a further run, don’t bother. It’s all about the Tower and Bacardi zone.
Farther down around the Wilmington, Baltimore, and Washington, daytime swordfishing has finally turned on. Every boat giving it a real effort over the weekend had one to three bites. A surprise blue marlin was landed—but don’t expect more of those. Tuna haven’t pushed into this zone yet, but with the northern schools feeding their way down the line, it’s only a matter of time.
We’ve been blessed with an unheard-of stretch of calm October weather, but that window is closing fast. If you’ve got fuel in the tanks and a crew ready, get out Saturday or watch the highs and wait for the next setup. This late in the season, patience and timing matter more than tackle.