Long Island and NYC Fishing Report
North Shore
The Angler Fleet (@anglerfleet) out of Port Washington reports: “The bass are officially “not worth the squeeze”, so we’re back to full focus on tog. The bite has been consistent, with plenty of action and keepers up to 6-1/2 pounds mixed in. The fish are almost certainly going to become lethargic over the next week and beyond, so be sure to get in on the action while you can!”
Andrew Bernat (@tactical_bassin26) reports: “The Western Sound still has plenty of fish. While the nighttime missions are cold, the fish are still plentiful. Weighted soft plastics and live eels remain a solid choice on nearby bridges. There are still plenty of blitzes happening as well, however, the fish seem to be getting smaller. The season is slowly but surely wrapping up.”
Sean Conway (@long_island_fishing_guy) reports: “This week, I focused my efforts on throwing flies in freshwater. The lakes and ponds around Long Island hold tons of life, and the walleye and crappie were out in force crushing my fly on slow retrieves after dark. Hopefully the bite continues into the winter to keep me occupied.”
Mark at Cow Harbor Tackle in Northport reports: “Blackfish has been solid, but the fish are even deeper now. You can still try jigs in shallow, but the heart of the action is in 40 to 60 feet. Stripers are still around, and the birds will lead you to the fish. When it comes to the harbor, there are tons of squid around which means the bass fishing should be solid! Most folks are wrapping it up, but grab your squid jigs and get to work while they’re here! Visit cowharbortackle.com or call 631-239-1631.”
Wego Fishing Bait and Tackle in Southold reports: “Bass fishing picked up a little bit and the blackfish bite is still very good. The weather is finally cooperating, and the charter boats are reporting fish up to 9 and 10 pounds. The preferred rig is a single hook bottom rig. We are open for only another week and a half, so if you’re going togging, pick up crabs from us while you can!”
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Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain around Long Island and NYC
South Shore
Captain Jess Rogers of Gypsea Charters out of Brooklyn reported: “Excellent togging continues! We have been seeing loads of shorts with plenty of keepers in the mix over the past week. Lots of action on most days, with a couple slower trips in between. Both rigs and jigs have been producing, and the bite continues to get better as the water cools.”
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Colin McElroy (@colintmcelroy) reports: “Big bass are still moving down the line with a lot of rats mixed in. Bunker and sand eels are around, with certain spots holding bunker on the beach. Finding the bunker close to sand has been the ticket for the fly rod with some big fish being caught.”
Nick Cherkas (@surfcasting_the_island) reports: “After a week of famine, I finally struck gold and found the bunker-fueled daytime blitz I was looking for. It has been the word on the street for the better half of November and intercepting them in the “right place/right time” has been the biggest challenge. The fish eating bunker have ranged from low teens all the way up to 25 pounds. A variety of topwater lures, as well as large profile swimmers, have been taking the lion’s share of fish in my area. Once the new moon of November peaks, we can only hang on and hope the bite continues.”
Captain Doug Touback of Corazon Fishing Charters in Freeport reports: “Bass and bluefin and whales, oh my! These are likely some of the best days of fishing we will ever see in a lifetime! The bite has been good all week but last Saturday was as good as it gets. We started the day with over 40 bass by 930 a.m. with a limit around the boat—plugs, jigs, all methods worked. We then switched gears and went out to catch and release a giant bluefin, trolling Captain America chutes with ballyhoo. We ended up hooking 2; the second one was a mid-90-inch fish that took 2.5 hours to battle. We swam and released the fish properly to ensure they left healthy! Check out our Instagram page for footage. We also have 1 open day left before the end of the season. Give us a call!”
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Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain around Long Island and NYC
The Captree Fleet (@captreefleet) reports: “We are starting to wind down for the end of the fishing season at Captree. This is your last chance before we stop sailing. The striped bass action is solid, and blackfish action is also hot—we are catching fish up to 6 pounds. Most of our fleet is limited capacity, so make your reservation online. Everything you need to fish is right on the boat included in the fare at no extra cost. Get your gift certificates, available to purchase online. They can be used on any of our Members Boats. The Fleet’s charter boats are now booking trips for the 2026 season.
Bill Falco at Chasing Tails Bait and Tackle in Oakdale reports: “The fall run continues! Bass are going off in the ocean, crazy blitzes and big schools keep pushing through. Boat guys are ripping SP Minnows, bucktails, popping plugs, swim shads, and diamond jigs through schools of sand eels and bunker. Some really solid fish are coming up over the rails. On the beaches, the needlefish and diamond jig remain undefeated. Bigger weather days are seeing good bites on bottle plugs, darters, and bucktails. Some good fish are coming through still, along with a good showing of schoolies. We are staying stocked with all of the fall essentials, still getting deliveries of fresh gear and bait. Tog action on our local reefs and wrecks is going strong. Chunky white chins are hungry for crabs well into December. If you’ve never been, you need to get out there now and try! You’ll get addicted quickly. We have everything you need, from proper rods and reels, to rigs, jigs, and crabs.”
White Water Outfitters in Hampton Bays reports: “Offshore fishing has been good for catch and release bluefin. The bass fishing is solid, too; there are still plenty of fish around. Blackfish action has been great over on the reefs at Jones and Montauk, and sea bass, porgy, and ling are plentiful on the reefs!”
Captain Peter Douma (@doum_flies) of Windward Outfitters in Montauk reports: “No one likes to admit that their season is over. I hope I’m wrong about it, but I think that’s a wrap for Montauk striper fishing this year. The water is still 50 and there is plenty of bait—bay anchovies, mackerel, shad, and everything else—but few bass on them. In years past we would see acres of small bass this time of year. Now, while they can be caught it takes some real effort, especially if you are throwing a fly. On a more positive note, the sea bass and blackfishing has remained good. It was a great season, but a weird bass run this fall.”
The Author’s Experience
This past week I continued my ghost tuna hunt. While I saw plenty of tuna ranging from 300 to 500 pounds, the feeds just weren’t there. To be honest, it’s hard to chase inshore tuna that are up and down in ones and twos, but it’s still a magnificent sight to see big bluefin rocketing through the air.
As for bass, I was able to jig a few 15- to 20-pound fish off the bottom in deep water. It is definitely progressing toward a jig bite, but any day now the fish could push bunker into the surf! It’s getting later in the season and finding calm days to cover water is tough.
Long Island & NYC Fishing Forecast
There isn’t too much time left to cash in on the action, but the place to be is the South Shore. There is still steady schoolie action in the surf. Diamond jigs, plastics, and minnow plugs will crush. The fishing has certainly been funky on Long Island this fall, but we should get another push of bass before things taper off and slow down.
As for tog, the Sound has plenty of fish around in deep water, so it’s time to switch from the jig to the sinker rig; 40 to 60 feet has been a solid bet for catching keeper tog. Get out while you can! It looks like this weekend’s weather will be solid.
Just wondering if you ever get reports from bait shops and/or catches at local piers? You used to post them and were very helpful for those of landlubbers who are no longer agile enough to fish the surf.