Long Island and NYC Fishing Report
Capt. Kenny of The Angler Fleet out of Port Washington reports: “Fluke fishing has been productive lately, with a large biomass of rain bait in the area. Sand eels seem to be the forage of choice as of late, with birds and blues working the pods of bait on the sand flats. If you want to bring home a keeper fluke, persistence and patience are the name of the game. Work every ledge, flat, and boulder field, and you will be rewarded with some nice fish. We were rewarded this week with a trophy-sized 9-pound fluke here in the Western Sound. The trophies are around this time of year, so bring your A-game and put in the time at the rail.”
Captain Jess Rogers of Gypsea Charters out of Brooklyn reported: “Plenty of nice-sized fluke caught over the past week. We have been covering lots of miles and landing on some nice piles of fish. It’s been taking a lot of searching as these fish are on the move, but we have them dialed in when we find them! A lot of limits taken since last week with fish to 7 pounds coming up. This is the final push before it’s over, so come on out and catch that jumbo!”
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Captain Doug Toback of Corazon Fishing Charters out of Freeport reports: “Our mixed-bag fishing continues to rule the roost, except the big fluke are now in the mix. Trolling feathers accounts for plenty of pelagic action. We switched over to 6-inch Fight Club Fishbites grubs to cull out the larger fluke as they exit the bays and inlets and head further offshore. While there is plenty of fishing in front of us, we are in the late-season pattern.”
Mark at Cow Harbor Bait and Tackle in Northport reports: “There are a ton of snappers in the harbors and on the beaches eating peanuts and spearing. On the outer beaches, 5- to 8-pound blues are moving in, which is a nice addition! Bass fishing at night is picking up, with schoolies and slot-size fish moving around. Guys on the boats are also getting slots. Fluke fishing on the other hand, has been tricky; there are plenty of shorts, but finding keepers takes work.”
Aqualina Charters out of Moriches Bay reports: “Fluke are starting their transition stage. We should get a little run before it ends as they stack up before they leave the bay. There are still a few decent ones around. We’re starting to book blackfish trips for the fall, and all custom rods, rigs, leaders, green crabs, and white leggers (when they are available), are included.”
Captain Adrian Moeller of Rockfish Charters out of Moriches reports: “Our big news this week is that the yellowfin finally showed up in decent numbers. Most have been smaller 20- to 30-pound fish, but if you get there at first light, 50-pound-plus models are definitely around. Trolling is the easiest in the morning, but we also hooked fish on poppers every morning. After 8 a.m., you’re better off switching over to jigging and chunking. The best is yet to come, so grab one of our last remaining charter dates at rockfishcharters.com.”
Captain Rob Lehnert of North Fork Adventures Charters out of Southold reports: “Peconic Bay is really slow right now. Lots of small fluke and sea bass are out in Gardiners Bay, so you have to cull through the shorts for a few keepers. I’m done with my summer charter schedule and am transitioning to longer trips running farther afield. I haven’t seen any bluefish or false albacore yet.”
Capt. Pete Douma of Windward Outfitters out of Montauk reports: “I don’t know if there’s any fish that gets me as anxious, but also as excited, as albies. Whether they show or not is a huge question. Well, they showed. It’s still early and we are still figuring out the patterns, but it’s been on both tides, as long as you have current, and very small bay anchovies. Small Surf Candies, with orange being my best color so far, have been the best for me on fly. On spin, small epoxy-style jigs, especially Fish Snax Peanut jigs, and Albie Snax are getting it done. They’re up and down and spooky, so set up your drift and wait for them to come to you. Bigger bluefish have also filled in more, with tons of little bonito in the mix, too. The tuna grounds remain a slow pick, but some larger fish have moved back in close to eat the schools of bunker. Mahi fishing has also been very good. I only expect this albie bite to get better, and sooner or later the bass should return, too.”
The Author’s Experience
This week, I went for an out-of-state canoe excursion with my friend Alex Peru. Canoe fishing is no joke! I’m a well-seasoned boater, but the canoe is something else. Casting giant surface plugs all day while sitting can be a tough and stressful task on the body.
That said, Alex and I focused our efforts on hunting giants. We certainly found some decent fish. With a 45-plus-inch fish on the mind, we sat in a particular pocket surrounded by boulders. At around 10 p.m., Alex connected with a bass that was pushing 50 inches. The fish had no problem smashing a giant surface plug at night. We caught a few more fish in the 30-pound range, but the first fish was certainly the highlight of the trip.
Long Island & NYC Fishing Forecast
It’s albie time. The hardtails have invaded the South Shore and Montauk. The fish are on micro bait and can be a bit tricky. Epoxy jigs and Albie Snax are the move if you’re not casting flies. Seven-foot rods, 3000- to 5000-size reels, 10-pound braid, and 12- to 20-pound leaders are the setup. The key is to move slowly and methodically toward the school, or drift into them, as albies can be quickly put down by excessive noise and boat traffic.
The South Shore inlets should have plenty of small baitfish moving through for these albies to eat. Post up at the mouth of an inlet and bomb your epoxies out there from the jetty.
As far as the mid-Sound goes, there is a solid push of bonito and Spanish mackerel. The macks are actually pretty large, and they are tricky fish to keep pinned. Don’t be discouraged if it takes a few eats to convert a landed fish.
When it comes to stripers, we’re a bit early. But in a month, we should see some migratory fish ripping down the South Shore.