Long Island and NYC Fishing Report
Captain Jess Rogers of Gypsea Charters out of Brooklyn reports: “Fluking remains very good when the conditions cooperate. Other than a couple of slower trips mixed in, the bite is still red-hot with loads of action all trip long and plenty of nice keepers hitting the deck. We’ve been targeting larger fish on smaller pieces of bottom and the results have shown in the size of the keepers. Plenty of 3- to 5-pound fish in the mix, with the biggest of the week coming in at 7 pounds, 8 ounces. Pending any major storms, good fluke fishing should last all through September!”
Mark at Cow Harbor Bait and Tackle in Northport reports: “Everyone has been fluke and porgy fishing. Cocktail blues are around, too, and local guys are shark fishing the harbors with dead baits! We’re seeing the cownose rays sliding in as well.”
Capt. Kenny of The Angler Fleet out of Port Washington reports: “Fluke fishing remains steady in the western Sound, with the fish settling in on their deep-water ledges and flats. Short life has been abundant all season, with the keeper fish holding out, waiting for the perfect bait to drift in front of their faces. You have to work hard for your shot at a nice fish, with flatties in the mid-20-inch range coming up on the rigs of those who put in their time at the rail. The motto of the season so far has been “Don’t give up”, as the smaller fish have been pouncing on the baits first, leaving the larger-caliber fish waiting for the perfect opportunity to attack. Bring your A game and spend the time combing each and every spot. It’s not a matter of if they are there; it’s when they will eat.”
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Captain Doug Toback of Corazon Fishing Charters out of Freeport reports: “We are crushing the tuna and fluke lately. August fishing is in full swing! Fluking is on fire now. We are catching tons of them, with the typical 7-pound trophies mixed in. Five-inch Fishbites grubs in pink are out-fishing everything else. We also did a tuna trip this past week and crushed the bluefin—we had 15 hookups, most of which were overs.”
Bill Falco of Chasing Tails Bait and Tackle (@chasingtailsbait) in Oakdale reports: “Fluke and sea bass reports this week have been fantastic! The bay saw a solid body of good-sized fluke rip through, and the ocean wrecks and reefs are holding some good flatties too. We are having great luck with big bucktails and plastics, and teasers as always. Sea bass are out there with them, all over the jig bite. But a classic rig with bait will always work, too! The offshore bite is still lit up with good mahi-mahi and tuna reports. Poppers, bugs, side trackers—they’re all getting smoked by solid rec-size tuna. At the docks, we are having a great time with blue claw crab, tons of snappers, and even some blowfish that started to move in. There is plenty of summer left, and plenty of outside fun to be had.”
Captain Adrian Moeller of Rockfish Charters (@rockfishcharters) out of Moriches reports: “Tuna fishing continues to be consistent, with lots of bluefins and some yellowfins caught throughout the week. The squid has dried up, but we’re catching on UVT jigs and RonZs. It’s been more of a morning bite, and if you’re not boxed up by 9 a.m., you’re probably in for a grind. We still have some September dates available. Visit rockfishcharters.com to book.”
Aqualina Charters (@aqualinacharters) out of Moriches Bay reports: “The last few trips have been amazing. We’ve caught plenty of 20- to 25-inch fish in the 4- to 5-pound class. Large Gulp plastics are the ticket lately!”
Capt. Pete Douma (@doum_flies) of Windward Outfitters out of Montauk reports: “Really good week here in Montauk. On the midshore grounds, finding chicks and rays has usually meant finding the fish, and keeping a jig on the bottom has gotten me the most bites—mostly overs in the 48- to 55-inch range. Slow-jigging heavy RonZs in pink or glow, and chartreuse/ember Infamous needle jigs have been by far the most productive lures for me. Deadsticking has worked too, but some hits are so soft, it’s been best to hold the rod when doing it. Highlight of the week was 13-year-old Jake Handelsman getting his first-ever tuna—a nice 48 incher that took a jig. Inshore, it’s been a ton of bluefish. There are cocktails for miles, but some bigger ones have been both below and inside, tailing on the shallows. Sand eels around 4 inches have been their main food source, but I have seen lots of bay anchovies mixed in and even some bunker a little further out. Topwater flies and lures have worked great on them too. Still no bonito, but I’m holding out hope.”
Captain Rob Lehnert of North Fork Adventures Charters (@northforkadventurescharters) out of Southold reports: “Weakfish in Peconic Bay are starting to get more active with the falling water temps. It’s still not a hot bite, but steady if you work at it. Large porgy and lots of small sea bass are on the rocks in Gardiners Bay. Summer doldrums!”
The Author’s Experience
This past week, I had the pleasure of tuna fishing to south and striper fishing in Long Island Sound. We had an epic jig bite, going 11 for 17 on fun-size fish in the 50-inch class. The early morning started slow; however, by 9 a.m., we finally boxed our first fish. Soon after, we began to crush. By 4 p.m., we had caught 10 more bluefin and had countless missed strikes. The key seems to be jigs in the 120- to 150-gram range. Additionally, the RonZ has been a fantastic producer, particularly in green.
On Tuesday of this week, I went snooping around the western Sound on my buddy Andrew Bernat’s boat. While we weren’t able to find any jumbo bass, Andrew and I caught a few dink stripers on some local rockpiles. The bite wasn’t hot by any means, but we landed a few.
Long Island & NYC Fishing Forecast
The last few weeks have provided great tuna fishing for those near Shinny and Montauk. It’s primarily been a jig bite; popper bites have been rare to come by. As far as bass go, we’ve had slim pickings. If you’re looking for consistent action, fluke and porgies are the move until the middle of September. Get clams or crabs from the nearest tackle shop, throw on a light jighead, and pitch your rig into a rocky outcrop; you’ll be rewarded with some chopper porgies. On the fluke front, jigging Gulp on lead heads, or bouncing chicken rigs with scented baits is the move. There are plenty of shorts around, but you’ll have to fish hard for a few keepers!
When it comes to hardtails, we aren’t too far out. Bones are moving in along the RI coastline and they’re off the beaches in New Jersey, so we should see them trickle into the Sound soon! Small epoxy-based flies and epoxy jigs are the name of the game. By the first week of September, we should even be seeing albies.