Long Island and NYC Fishing Report
Captain Jess Rogers of Gypsea Charters out of Brooklyn reported: “Tog fishing remains steady, with some trips being better than others. Both boats have been seeing nicer fish hit the deck, with Imran leading the way with a 9-pound, 4-ounce beauty this past week. With the recent cold weather, we are venturing out to the deep in search of some real jumbos! Only a few weeks left to get in on the action!”
Mark at Cow Harbor Tackle in Northport reports: “It’s December, so there hasn’t been much happening. Guys on the South Shore are tog fishing still, but the hardcore fishermen are out bass fishing. For those that want to target holdover fish, there are stripers coming around on the moon. It’s service season, so bring in your Van Staals, Penn reels, Daiwa reels and rods! Give us a call ahead of time and we’ve got you covered. Visit cowharbortackle.com or call 631-239-1631.”
From the Eastern Sound, Nick Cancelliere reported: “Tog fishing on the east end is slowly fading, but there are still keepers to be found provided the water temperature doesn’t hit rock bottom. During a recent trip on the Nancy Ann IV, we didn’t end up with a full boat limit, but every angler in a crew of 12 got to bring home fillets. I landed two keepers and dozens of shorts. It was a slow grind of a bite, with a strong south wind that limited the wrecks we could target. Mike Dunne, who fished the stern beside me, landed the pool-winning tog, and Mikey ‘Potatoes’ was there for emotional support, as he did not contribute any keepers to the take but kept the crew laughing through the cold and the crab guts.”
Captain Doug Toback of Corazon Charters out of Freeport reports: “Bass are still in full blitz mode, as expected. The unexpected part is that the fish are up to 40 inches, which means we are far from over. The expectation is that great striper fishing will hold to the end of the season on December 15. Giant bluefin are also still around, so we can do a split-day trip. We were not anticipating the fishing to be this good, so we have some end-of-season dates available. Give us a call and we can put together a great trip!”
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From the South Shore, Nick Cherkas (@surfcasting_the_island) reports: “After a nonexistent bite in New Jersey on Saturday and missing a good bite in my backyard, I decided to post up in familiar waters on the western South Shore on Sunday. It was the right decision and wound up being the best outing of the season, as bass ranging from the teens to twenties were crashing on peanut and adult bunker from sun up to sundown. It was on and off in certain areas, since relocating the blitzing fish required a decent amount of driving. Anything you threw at them worked; it proved to be an exact replication of the great Thanksgiving blitz of 2024. Unfortunately though, this past Sunday was likely my last outing since my ability to get out during the week will be limited. Thank you to all that shared tides with me throughout the year and let’s hope for a banner spring run.”
Derek Monfort (@derek_sucks_at_fishing) reports: “With the late season striper bite dwindling I was ready to switch gears. I went out solo 3 or 4 times with only a few spike walleye, but brought some friends out and finally found a decent fish! Jerkbaits, fished around shallow rocks, were the only things that would get bit for all of us.”
Sean Conway (@long_island_fishing_guy) reports: “The walleye and crappie action in the late night hours is consistent. Minnow-style flies that I tie are out-fishing lures for both species. Lure wise, you can’t go wrong with a jerkbait or a soft-plastic paddletail. As temps continue to drop, walleye, crappie, yellow/white perch, and trout will be the species to target as they favor colder water temps and are still actively feeding.”
Scott Monahan (@bonesyfishing) reports: “The fall run is winding down on South Shore beaches. There’s still a good amount of fish out there, but being on the beach when they push the bait shallow is the tricky part. I’m seeing the life and action developing as the day progresses. The bunker begin to gather, the bass move in on them and, if you’re lucky enough to be there when they pin the bunker on the beach, you will have a good shot at some fish. The JoeBaggs Skipper is working best for me on the bunker blitzes. Bucktails, pencils, and metal lips have been getting them to strike as well. Follow the birds and stay in the area where you’re finding signs of life. They can push in at any time. Hit those beaches before winter takes hold. Catch ’em up.”
The Author’s Experience
This past week I went fishing just once and boy, let me tell you, it was cold. Per usual, I was fishing with my good buddy Andrew Bernat. Typically, when Andrew and I get together, magical things happen.
We pulled up to our local bridge spot deep in the western Sound at 10 PM. Within seconds of scanning the bottom, we found some hungry, decent-size fish on the Joe Baggs Block Island Eel. I was smoked by a nice 20-pound-class fish and while the battle was fun, it was absolutely frigid out. I could easily see my breath as I reached into the water to grab its rubbery lips. I could feel the cold water shock my hand and nervous system like a snake bite. I was happy to catch the fish, but I was pretty much done after that. While I stuffed my hands in my Grundens jacket, I watched Andrew fight dink after dink until we were too cold to fish. With 12 AM drawing near, we packed up and sent it back to the dock.
I think it’s safe to say that this week it’s my last week fishing for the year. I don’t know about anyone else, but my bones hurt. I feel pretty content. Reflecting on the season, I fished hard from late March into the first week of December. The summer months, and a couple glimpses of insanity in the fall kept me going. I’m excited to rest and relax. That said, I’m sure I’ll be stir Crazy in about 2 to 3 weeks.
Long Island & NYC Fishing Forecast
While I’m ready to pack it in for the season, some captains like Doug Toback of Corazon Fishing and Arthur Cortes of Cortes Outfitters, are still cleaning up bass. The North Shore is pretty much finished but the South Shore, where those guys are fishing, seems to actually have fairly large fish for this time of year. Normally we see a fair amount of schoolies in early December, however, as Corazon and Nick Cherkas proved, there are still good fish to be had.
If you’re willing to brave the elements, diamond jigs, shads, soft-plastic eels, and bucktail jigs will get the job done. I’m not sure how much longer those fish are going to stick around or how good the weather will be going forward, but go get them while there’s still a chance.
Once this final push of fish passes, you might think there’s nothing to fish for. However, guys like Derek Monfort and Sean Conway prove that Long Island has a viable winter fishery. If you’re willing to fish in the cold, the local lakes, ponds, and rivers have crappie, largemouth, smallmouth, carp, and walleye that will be chewing all winter as long as there’s open water.
Downsize your tackle and whip out the jerkbaits and plastics if you’re looking for some night shift action beyond the striper surf.