Long Island and NYC Fishing Report
Captain Kenny of the Angler Fleet (@anglerfleet) out of Port Washington reports: “The fluke bite is gradually picking up. The fish are in the western Sound, and the bass bite is still good at night and during the day. There has been no sign of scup yet. The spot are moving in, which is great for fluke and bass. The bass bite is definitely more of a chunk bite at sunrise and sunset. Live-lining has been producing very well, and we have a mix of all sizes of fish that are going to stay.”
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Capt. Adrian Moeller of Rockfish Charters (@rockfishcharters) out of Queens reports: “Our big news this report is winning the Manhattan Cup for the second time in three years! It’s a great tournament for a worthy cause, and we’re proud to have been a part of it for over a decade. Our fish taped out at a little over 50 inches and hit a live bunker on a bridled 10/0 circle hook. Other than that, bassing has unfortunately slowed down a lot over the past two weeks. The big fish are very hard to find, and the bite is picky at best. We’ve kind of transitioned from live-bait fishing to chunking, which is working well, but you need a lot of chum and have to pick through the sand sharks. Luckily, Jamaica Bay is absolutely loaded with bunker. We’re literally running schools over on our way out every morning, lol. We’re finishing up the handful of bass charters still on the books, then running the boat out east to start our tuna season July 6. There are already a few being caught, and by mid-July the bite should be in full swing. Book a trip at rockfishcharters.com or call 347-661-4501.”
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Captain Doug Touback of Corazon Fishing Charters (@corazonfishing) out of Freeport reports: “The season is definitely setting up a few weeks behind compared to the standard timelines. Sharks are just starting to move in, and sea bass are in earlier-season patterns. With that said, our trips have been great, bringing home strong catches for our guests.”
Nick Cherkas (@surfcasting_the_island) reports: “The summer flatties have attracted more anglers on the back side of this new moon. Local back bays have been heating up, both figuratively and literally, with life. Four-inch swimming mullets in glow and pink shine have been taking their share of mostly shorts, with your occasional keeper. A simple drop-loop sinker rig with no bells and whistles is all you need and has been my staple for putting many fish on the deck and the sand. Sharks should be making their presence more apparent if they haven’t done so already, and opening-day sea bass is right on the horizon, so there will be a variety of things to target over these next several months.”
Andrew Bernat (@tactical_bassin26) reports: “The seasonal transition continues throughout the western Long Island Sound as a significant portion of the striped bass population begins its gradual migration eastward toward their summer feeding grounds. While the all-day blitzes and widespread surface activity that defined much of late May and early June have become less common, there are still a ton of opportunities for anglers who understand how these fish are positioning around the remaining forage.
Adult bunker schools are still present throughout portions of the Sound, although they have become scattered and mobile. Rather than the massive schools that held fish for days at a time, anglers are now finding smaller pods that can appear and disappear with moving water and wind conditions. The bass remain keyed in on these bait schools, but feeding windows have become much shorter and much more tide-dependent. Being in the right area during a favorable tide stage is the key.
For anglers targeting larger bass, topwater presentations continue to dominate. Plugs in the 8- to 14-inch range that closely imitate adult bunker have been producing the most consistent action. Large spooks, poppers, and glide baits have all accounted for quality fish when bass push bait toward the surface.
Shore anglers continue to find some of the best opportunities in the dark. The night bite remains productive for those targeting the boulder fields and current seams.
Fluke fishing remains somewhat sluggish compared to seasonal expectations, although fish are being caught. Local charter operations, including the Angler Fleet, have been reporting a gradual pickup of keeper fluke as more fish settle into traditional summer structure. Anglers looking to get in on the action should reach out to Captain Kenny Schmitt for current sailing schedules and the latest reports from the grounds.
Looking ahead, striped bass fishing will likely continue to become more tide-reliant as the migration advances. Anglers who focus on locating active bait, moving water, and capitalizing on brief feeding windows will continue to find success even as overall numbers begin dropping throughout the western end of the Sound.
Bill Falco at Chasing Tails Bait and Tackle (@chasingtailsbait) in Oakdale reports: “Fluke season is finally kicking off this week. Warm temps got the fluke moving! Beyond the channels, flatties are setting up in their summer vacation spots. Grab some jigheads and your favorite soft plastic, or a bucktail, and start jigging. Our shop rigs, tipped with squid and spearing, are unstoppable. We have tons of variety in colors and different styles. Bluefish are all over the place. Tackle busters are going crazy for poppers, pencils, SPs, and, of course, every soft plastic there is. Available all day, check the flats. Striped bass are still chilling in the inlets and ripping along the open beaches when they feel like it. Bucktails, darters, bottle plugs, and soft-plastic jigs are putting in work. Don’t forget about eels! Sink an eel down deep for the best summer striper action. Triggerfish, porgy, and sea bass are in the rocks and wrecks, chomping up clam rigs and hitting jigs and bucktails.”
Aqualina Charters (@aqualinacharters) out of Moriches Bay reports: “Fluke fishing is improving. The right conditions are critical. Small presentations and finding clean water have led to seeing more short action and a few keepers mixed in. It’s going to turn on very soon.”
Capt. Rob Lehnert of North Fork Adventure Charters out of Southold reports: “Striper fishing was tough over the weekend, but the fluke bite didn’t disappoint—we managed 2- to 4-plus-pounders in Peconic Bay to save our Saturday combo trip. The striper fishing has gotten steadily better as the pressure drops. On Tuesday’s trip, we had one slot fish and an over-slot fish, along with some keeper weakfish and short fluke back in the bay. On today’s trip, the striper bite was back on with a further pressure drop. We only caught one slot fish, but lots of over-slot fish and one under-slot fish. Again, the weakfish back in the bay did not disappoint. My group caught many weaks, keeping their two-man limit and landing a few short fluke. My weekend charters are all in the bay, so we’ll see what the inshore grounds give us. Back at the stripers next week.”
Capt. Pete Douma (@doum_flies) of Windward Outfitters out of Montauk reports: “Another week of big, big fish here in Montauk. Squid remain the target of the bigger fish, with still some lingering butters. There are tons of sand eels as well, but they’ve really only been hitting them on the slack. The big-fish squid bite has mostly been on the flood, usually from peak current to slack. Look for the big gulls, and you’ll find the big fish. Topwater has been really effective, with any large-profile lure or fly. If they aren’t showing, getting deep is always productive with bucktails, soft plastics, or large-profile flies on 400-plus-grain sinking lines. The bluefish are continuing to fill in more, too, both mixed with bass and returning to their normal summer grounds. With sub-60-degree water and tons of bait, we could see a longer run than usual this year.”
The Author’s Experience
This past weekend, I had the pleasure of fishing the far eastern Sound with Scott Worth and Marc Achtizger. As we arrived at our destination around sunrise, fish flooded the screen in the middle of the water column. Scott quickly dropped down a plastic and got crushed by a fat fish. A great way to start the day. As the morning set in, schools of mackerel started flipping on the surface. While it looked promising, there were no fish underneath them. That said, at approximately 7 a.m., things got crazy. Squid were getting blasted out of the water by XL bass. For an hour, we stayed on high-40-inch fish that had no problem crushing surface plugs, Albie Snax, and jigs. Doubles and triples had our arms feeling like Jell-O!
As slack kicked in, the fish continued to chew. By 11 a.m., we had seen enough and headed home. There are a LOT of fish heading east, and the bite’s been good!
Long Island & NYC Fishing Forecast
As water temperatures warm up, the fluke bite will continue to build. It’s been a slow fluke grind thus far, but I have faith that it will pick up pretty fast. On the other hand, the porgy bite has been virtually nonexistent. I’ve been scratching my head wondering why that is. Hopefully, things on the porgy front turn around.
As for bass, the summer patterns are slowly beginning to kick in. The farther east you go, the more consistent the bite. Rising water temperatures have pushed large schools of fish east on both shores. That said, there are plenty of fish around the western Sound, although the XL fish are certainly sliding through the eastern Sound. The chunk bite has picked up at night as resident fish have taken refuge in boulder fields and reefs. The day bite is good, but the night chunk bite is where you’ll find a giant.
The South Shore is slowing down f0r bass, too. As I mentioned, it’s a good time to change over to fluke. Light jigs and Gulp in the wash could prove fruitful if a doormat from shore is what you’re after.