Long Island and NYC Fishing Report
Captain Adrian Moeller of Rockfish Charters in Queens reports: “Our local Jamaica Bay bite continues to be phenomenal. There’s just so much bait and so many fish everywhere that our biggest problem has been finding hungry bass that want to eat aggressively. A lot of times they just mouth the baits and don’t get hooked, so overall catch numbers are down slightly, but we’re still averaging more than 2 dozen bass per trip with a handful of slots mixed in. On our afternoon trip yesterday, we found a new body of much bigger fish in the 30-pound class covered in sea lice, which is a great sign for this bite continuing for a few more weeks. We have one availability left in May, a few in June, and then we switch over to full-time tuna fishing until the fall. Grab a trip at rockfishcharters.com or call 347-661-4501.”
Captain Ethan of the Angler Fleet (@anglerfleet) in Port Washington reports, “Spring has sprung, and the bass continue to chew as they continue their migration north. With plenty of big baits in the area and fresh fish dropping from the rivers every day, the fishing has been consistent, with larger models becoming a normal occurrence. Fluke are beginning to show themselves as well, with smaller rain bait leaving the bays and flooding into the shallow water. With the new regulations for black sea bass, this weekend is shaping up to be exciting, with some mixed-bag action available for those looking to make the most of their time on the water. Whether you are looking to fill the coolers or chase that trophy fish, now is the time to get out on the water.”
- Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain around Long Island and NYC
Desmond Scanlan (@gracious_depths) reports: “The Western Sound has been on fire for the past few weeks, with the bite seemingly improving with every trip as the bunker finally school together, making it easy to throw the net for 30 or 40 pieces at a time. I had a productive night fishing solo during the last hour and a half of the outgoing tide into slack, going 11 for 13 on all oversized bass to 25 pounds chunking. On a scouting trip with Kenny, we took out a customer interested in learning new techniques, especially using my favorite tool, the dehooker from Uncle Mo’s Tackle. We had a great pick of fish, landing two slots and eight others up to 25 pounds on the chunk in the same spot I fished the night before.
While chunking, Kenny and I witnessed a full-on blitz of bass in the middle of the Sound in about 100 feet of water. We quickly reeled in the lines and raced over to the blitz, and even though we both thought they were going to be larger-class bass, we managed two of the smallest fish I can remember on live bunker, one at 27 inches and the other at 26 and a half.
We then joined the fleet trolling the mouth of the bay and picked up another oversized bass on a chartreuse umbrella rig in the half hour that we trolled. During an evening charter with Kenny, Dom, and Kevin, we started by fishing the dock line toward the mouth of the bay, where we had fish on our live bunker within minutes of setting up. We picked up two more on metal lips before the bite died toward the end of the outgoing tide, then moved to a shallower spot just outside the bay where we managed four fish up to 26 pounds on metal lips, another one over 20 pounds on the chunk, and another just under 20 pounds on a live bunker.
We finished that night at the spot I’d fished two nights prior, picking up another four fish, including two slots and two overs up to 25 pounds. The following morning with my brother, Rich Lazar, and Darren Kay was one of the best topwater sessions I’ve had this year. My brother did most of the damage with a red-and-white Cotton Cordell pencil popper, landing the day’s best with a bass just under 30 pounds.
While we lost several fish to the rocks while live-lining, it has been an amazing sight to see bass exploding on bunker from the mouth of the bay to the middle of the Sound. We were able to stay tight on oversized fish by throwing Smack Its and pencil poppers directly into the surface feeds, and when things slowed down, I began tossing live bunkers high into the air and got the bass fired up on the surface, which allowed us to put our plugs right back on them.
After releasing all our fish that morning, we moved to a new area and found a few more slot-sized bass. The next day, Rich Lazar and I fished in the afternoon on the start of the incoming tide and found fish stacked under the boat near Stepping Stone Lighthouse. Within 20 minutes, we had six fish up to 28 pounds, with the smallest still over 20 pounds. While the rest of that day was slow and the dock line was quiet, the sheer volume of fish is incredible. Although we have yet to land one of the 40-pounders we’ve seen, including one that followed a bait to the boat and another that broke off in the rocks, the fishing seems to just keep getting better. I hope the upcoming weather doesn’t mess up this incredible bite.”
Mark at Cow Harbor Bait and Tackle in Northport reports: “Guys are catching fish on topwater, and there are plenty of adult bunker out in the Sound. We are seeing a good mix of fish, and mojos and umbrella rigs are killer for larger fish up to 45 pounds. In the bay, guys are getting fish from 30 to 35 inches. Bluefish haven’t shown up yet, which is great for the bass bite. The sand eels just started showing up in local rivers, and we should see the fluke bite turn on by Memorial Day. I haven’t heard a ton about porgies yet.”
Brandon Weitz of Causeway Bait and Tackle (@causeway_bait_and_tackle) in Wantagh reports: “The striped bass bite on the South Shore continues to be nothing short of incredible from Jones Beach to Fire Island. Early mornings around sunrise and late evenings into sunset have been producing the best action, although there are still plenty of fish being caught throughout the day for anglers putting in the time. The open beaches are loaded with bass right now, with anglers finding steady action on a variety of presentations. Some of the hottest lures lately have been the Joe Baggs Swarters, Yo-Zuri Hydro Minnows, SP Minnows, and bucktails. Bigger fish have been falling for metal lips, while there’s also been an exciting topwater bite developing when the right conditions are present.
Inside the bays, striped bass are being picked at local bridges and moving-water areas, particularly during tide changes. Anglers working soft plastics and bucktails around structure have been finding success on schoolies along with some better-quality fish mixed in. Fluke fishing has been a bit slower overall, but there are definitely some quality fish around for those willing to put in the effort. Anglers covering ground and fishing clean water are managing to pick away at keepers, with the better action generally coming during favorable tides.
As I’ve been telling a lot of people lately, if you’ve been waiting to get out and target striped bass, now is the time to hit the local beaches. The fish are here in numbers, the bite is consistent, and the South Shore is fishing as well as it has all season. I’d say this is one of the better spring bass runs we have had in years!”
Aqualina Charters in Moriches reports: “This week we did a quick recon session in a few spring fluke spots. The fish were there even on a bad tide and cold water. There is plenty of small bait around, such as spearing and shrimp. The fluke were even spitting them up. Warm weather will help the bite improve.”
Bill Falco (@fishlongisland) at Chasing Tails Bait and Tackle in Oakdale reported: “This entire week of fishing has been one for the books. From the bay to the beach, the bass are in and they’re going off! In the bays we are seeing solid schools of impressive size and numbers. Find some birds, pull up, and launch the arsenal at them. If you’re not seeing birds, odds are the bass are still around. Use search baits like swim shads, SPs, and bucktails to cast around and find where they’re at. The beaches are loaded with beautiful stripers. Big lures are key! Metal lips, SPs, bottle plugs, bucktails and darters have been getting smashed up all over the coast. This week I had one of the best surfcasting nights ever with a few friends. It was me, Vinny Cagnina, Todd Kowal from Fat Cow and his buddy Phil Coppola for a night shift. We had the beach to ourselves, and we were all hooking up. Every time the fish came around, they got bigger and bigger. Todd and Phil had a banner night. Todd landed an easy 8 to 10 fish and Phil caught his first ever striper, a 12 pounder. They left around 12:30, and just before 1:00 am, Vinny and I hooked into some drag screamers at the same time. Twin 25 pounders came out of the foggy surf. Helping each other land the fish and grab some quick photos was so intense, and made me remember just how amazing surfcasting is. So get out and get you some! Before you know it, the yellow-eyed demons will be in here tearing stuff up and then it’s time to focus on fluke. Speaking of, we already have some good reports of solid schools of fluke ripping through the bay. Jig ‘em with light tackle or feed them some squid and spearing on one of my hand-tied shop rigs that always puts fish in the boat.”
Kyle Ellis (@kyle_lsx) reports: “The South Shore has been on fire, whether the tide’s coming in or heading out. Day or night, it almost doesn’t matter — though, as you’d expect, the bite really picks up after dark. I’ve cycled through just about everything in my plug bag, and honestly, they’re all getting hit. Fish are rolling in with steady, almost rhythmic action. The big ones haven’t shown up yet — most are hovering in the high 20-pound range, maybe brushing up against 30, but nothing to complain about. You don’t need a secret spot, either. Pick any stretch of open beach and you’re in the game. Darter, bottle, needle, metal lip, SP Minnow, Swarter — throw whatever you’ve got. Color? Take your pick. It hasn’t made a difference. One thing, though: if you see a group hooking up, don’t crowd them. There’s plenty of water, and getting right on top of someone isn’t going to help your odds. Learn how to work your lure, pay attention to the current and the wind, keep your line tight, and you’ll have just as much fun.”
Wulber Alberto Ruiz (@the_striper_hunt) reports: “The bite after the full moon seems to still be very spotty leading up to the new moon for most shore anglers, but if you’re willing to put in the time and not hesitate if the wind is too much or the pressure is off, you can definitely land some decent fish. More fish in the 30- to 40-pound range have made their way up into our local inlets. There have been days where they will not touch a topwater lure and will be very picky. That’s when you throw on a big metal lip and antagonize a bite when they’re finicky and feeding on bunker. We’ve had some good and bad days this past week, but the big fish around make it all worth it.”
Nick Cherkas (@surfcasting_the_island) reports: “After some consistent action, then going through a slump, I was able to find consistency once again. The backside of this full moon leading up to the new moon is shaping up with more signs of life. Having the opportunity to do some day walking and avoiding crowds paid off tenfold as I was greeted with a metal lip bite bonanza. Calm conditions the past several days and the bait pattern called for this bite long in advance since the wind remained north and light southerly, which is preferred for menhaden. Expect bass ranging from high slots to cracking over 20 pounds. Out of my bag, a variation of metal lips, bottle plugs, darters, and minnow plugs has been responsible for the majority of the fish taken both day and night. As we get closer to this dark moon, I expect another body of larger fish to push north into our area from the Jersey Shore.”
Scott Monahan (@bonesyfishing) reports: “The South Shore beaches continue to be consistent with slot fish and some big girls coming up. First light on the open beaches has been producing really well with bucktails and Swarters. Give it as much time as you can, as they are moving through in waves. They might not be in front of you at first, but they should pass through at some point. Inlets are producing as well, fishing the outgoing water with some fish on the flood tide if it’s lining up with sunup or sundown. The new moon should really push things into high gear! Get out there and work the water.”
Derek Monfort (@derek_sucks_at_fishing) reports: “The bite has been great. It slowed down a hair, but there are still bass all over if you work for them! Still finding fish in the teens to 20s on darters, metal lips, and all the classics.”
The Author’s Experience
This week I fished the ocean late at night on my boat with Andrew Bernat (@tactical_bassin26). We strategically set up on a reef around sunset. On the first cast, Andrew smoked a 40-pound fish on a plastic eel and jighead. Then we began carpet-bombing the area with the 11-inch Freak, and I immediately raised a 40-plus-pound fish.
As we drifted over and around the reef, we could see giant marks on the screen. As the sun began to officially set, we stayed consistent with the Freak when, all of a sudden, another giant fish detonated on it. However, it missed.
Next, Andrew made the perfect cast and slowly worked his Freak through the area when it got absolutely swallowed by another 40-pound fish. As it came up boatside, you could see its giant head break the surface. After a quick picture, we revived her and let her swim away.
As we looked up in shock at our success, the night kicked in. Here is where things got wicked. A pea-soup fog slowly engulfed the area while heat lightning blasted through the sky. Choosing to ignore it, we kept casting and changing plugs in search of another giant.
After an hour of casting various metal lips, I pitched a Carrolls Glide behind the boat, chopped it once, and let it slowly sink for 20 seconds. On the second chop and pause, it was engulfed by another 40-pound fish. As I came tight, I swung my 500 Tranx and XXH G. Loomis Bucara like a psycho. I immediately felt giant headshakes, and the fish dumped me on a long run. A few minutes later, I was holding another 40-pound bass.
Andrew quickly snapped on his Personal Best sinking glide and mimicked my retrieve cadence. Within two casts, he came tight to a 42-pounder. As the fish hit the deck, we both looked at each other in shock. By 3 a.m., we had eight fish total over 40 pounds on glide baits.
Exhausted, we ran back in complete darkness. In fact, it was so dark and foggy that we couldn’t even see the navigation lights on the bow. The first crack of light we saw was the illuminated streetlights across from my boat slip.
Long Island & NYC Fishing Forecast
The Sound and ocean are loaded with fish. It seems like the fish have made their way to the eastern Sound. We are in full swing, folks. The deep western Sound should be seeing a push of giant fish over the next two weeks, while the mid-Sound recently had a push of fish in the 50-inch range chewing flutter spoons, jigs, mojos, and even flies!
The eastern Sound is getting going, with some extra-large fish as well. Montauk slowed down a bit; however, they are overdue for another push of fish. The weather has been great lately, and we haven’t seen any rapid warming yet, which should keep these fish happy leading into June.
Now is the time to throw giant plugs at migratory fish. XL glide baits are the move — chop, chop, pause, and you will be rewarded. Don’t forget to bring out an array of surface and subsurface metal lips.
The fish should be rocking up soon in boulder fields. The water is warming up, and the fishing is HOT!