- Striped bass: Bass are blitzing on everything from bunker to small bait. Night surfcasters are landing fish to 40 to 45 inches on the North Shore, and the South Shore inlets saw a run of schoolies to 30-pounders.
- Albies: They’ve been missing since the storm, and micro bonito have largely taken their place in Montauk. Captains are hoping for another push once the water cleans up.
- Bait: Squid, spearing, peanuts, and bay anchovies all showed up around the storm.
- Bottom fishing: Fluke are still around and porgies are somewhat scarce.
- Freshwater: Largemouth are crushing big lures as temps drop.
Long Island and NYC Fishing Report
Mark at Cow Harbor Bait and Tackle in Northport reports: “People weren’t fishing too much locally during the storm, but as soon as it stopped blowing, squid and spearing showed back up. Surfcasting at night has provided fish up to 40 to 45 inches, and the back river areas have been solid. There are still bonito around, and guys are doing catch-and-release with tog! Shallow water is the game!”
Captain Kenny of the Angler Fleet reports: “We are still finding fluke, but we haven’t seen much on the porgy side of things. Our captain, Dezmond Scanlan, reports triggerfish in Hempstead Harbor. We are hoping that this blow we just had brings in a real fall run, but we are really focused on the exciting blackfish season that is right around the corner.”
Sean Conway (@long_island_fishing_guy) reports: “I started seeing a significant showing of different species in my local waters in the days leading up to the nor’easter, including an uptick in larger peanuts, bay anchovies, spearing, and even squid. The bass were chewing the week of the storm. Bonito have also been in the area, but they’ve mostly been accessible to boat fishermen. Freshwater has also been very productive. Largemouth bass are aggressively eating big lures as they prep for their slower feeding months during the winter, and walleye are becoming more aggressive as the temps keep dropping.”
Derek (@derek_sucks_at_fishing) reports: “Bass out front are destroying anything in their path! Bass in the back are doing the same thing. I’ve run across blitzes on anything from bunker to baby fluke?! Looks like the start to a fun fall, man!”
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Captain Scott Worth (@scott_worth) from North Fork Light Tackle Charters reports: “The great albie bite we had before the extended nor’easter has not set back up yet this week, but the striped bass fishing has more than made up for it. We have big bass blowing up on large bait in some areas and schoolie-plus-size fish rolling on small bait in other areas. We had them on Albie Snax XL, topwater plugs, and large-profile flies. The bass seem to be set up well for the rest of the fall run; we just need the water to clean up and, hopefully, another push of albies!”
Capt. Pete Douma (@doum_flies) out of Montauk reports: “Not a ton to report this week. Seven days of hard northeast wind is a pretty good way to keep me on the dock here in Montauk. Some fish, including the albies, were catchable from shore for at least the beginning of the storm, but since then, it’s been a little slow. Some bass have started to fill in, though. Micro bonito have largely replaced the albies again, but as the water continues to clean up, I do expect them to fill back in. The water temps are still okay, and it’s still early.”
The Author’s Experience
This past week, I took a break, and considering the weather, it was the right move! The weeklong nor’easter definitely shook things up. Montauk, which was once full of albies, seems to be barren post-storm. On the plus side, water temperatures have dropped considerably, which should fuel a good push of bass any day now. Judging by this week’s reports of bass blowing up bait on the North Fork and a run of fish in the South Shore inlets, that push may already be starting.
Hopefully this weekend I’ll be able to peek out and fish!
Long Island & NYC Fishing Forecast
This storm really shook the game up. Before the blow, we had steady albie action in the eastern Sound, but there was a total lack of mass action. After the storm, the albies are nowhere to be found. That said, it seems that the bass have woken up, and resident fish in the eastern Long Island Sound are beginning to chew. Bait is a big part of the story, with squid, spearing, peanuts, and bay anchovies all showing up around the storm. Additionally, it seems as though the South Shore inlets had a nice run of fish ranging from schoolies to 30 pounds. Don’t worry, you haven’t missed the fall run; it’s just getting going on the South Shore. The Island will continue to heat up as fish start sliding around the beaches and inlet mouths. These fish are looking to pack on size before they make their run to greener pastures for the winter.
With night surfcasting already producing fish to 40 to 45 inches on the North Shore, it’s a great time to plan out a night mission. In your surf bag, be sure to include Super Strike darters, Danny plugs, eel plastics, and trollers for deeper spots. Keep in mind that the open beaches are going to start getting gnarly as fall really takes its course. That makes it the perfect time to start packing bottle darters, which hold really well in strong currents.
On another note, blackfish season starts October 11. Blackfish start out shallow at the beginning of the season and slowly make their way into deeper water toward the middle and end of the season. Be sure to stock up on jigs and green crabs. You’ll likely find blackfish anywhere from 6 to 10 feet of water on opening day. The key is to look for rocky bottom, but don’t discount dock pilings, as they often hold nice tog at the beginning of the season.
As for setups, go with a 7-foot medium-action rod, a 5000-size reel, 20-pound braid, and a 20-pound fluoro leader. You’ll have plenty of fun hooking blackfish on a light setup! As for jigs, a quarter ounce to 1 ounce will do the trick.
Good luck, everybody!