Long Island and NYC Fishing Report
Mark at Cow Harbor Bait and Tackle in Northport reports: “Some squid showed up in the harbor, which brought in 15- to 20-pound fish. Guys were getting schoolies out front at sunrise and sunset on poppers. The blackfish bite has been very good during optimal weather windows. Guys are still getting really good porgies mixed in with blackfish.”
Captain Jess Rogers of Gypsea Charters out of Brooklyn reports: “Blackfishing has been off to a very good start with the cooler temperatures of late. Anglers are encountering countless shorts at times, with enough keepers in the mix to keep things interesting. Rigs have definitely been outperforming jigs in the strong currents lately. Those who are dialed in are hitting their limits, with almost everyone catching a few keepers. The biggest fish of the week came in just under 8 pounds! As temperatures continue to drop, the bigger fish should become more active.”
Captain Adrian Moeller of Rockfish Charters out of Queens reports: “Striped bass fishing was hit or miss this week, but we managed to put some decent catches together. Unfortunately, the bass are far from the bait, and we’re running 20 to 30 miles to find hungry stripers on every trip. There’s tons of bunker around, and yesterday we saw the first waves of sand eels close to shore, so hopefully, after this blow, the fishing will blow wide open. We have a handful of November dates left, so grab a charter at rockfishcharters.com.”
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Captain Doug Toback of Corazon Fishing Charters (@corazonfishing) out of Freeport reports: “The past week was a bit tough with the weather, but that’s to be expected in October. November usually brings more consistency. It’s still about the big girls. Now is the time to catch and release your personal-best bass. The fishing isn’t consistent, and the fish have preferred bait.”
Bill Falco at Chasing Tails Bait and Tackle (@chasingtailsbait) in Oakdale reports: “The fall run is going strong, with striper reports from boat and surf anglers coming in hot. Our boat guys are having a great time, with fish of all sizes coming up. There are lots of 40-plus-inch fish and quite a good number of schoolies, though far fewer than we should be seeing. SP Minnows, poppers, glide baits, and swimbaits are the lures of choice. If you’re fishing bait, a live eel or bunker is hard to beat.
“In the surf, my fellow rats and I are having a great time. Conditions have been perfect this fall, and some quality fish are showing up close to shore. We’re fishing big lures like darters, bottle plugs, needlefish, and glide baits, along with heavier offerings like bucktails, diamond jigs, and swimbaits. Every tide is different, so learning the water and putting in the time and effort are key. We’re seeing a lot of 10- to 15-pound fish, a solid number of 20- to 30-pounders, and some real surf giants coming through for the guys putting in serious work.”
Capt. Pete Douma (@doum_flies) of Windward Outfitters out of Montauk reports: “Another week of very good albie fishing here in Montauk. We’re still not seeing the huge blitzes and feeds we’re used to, but blind-casting bigger stuff is still working very well if you do it right. Pink Kinky Muddlers and Albie Snax are getting most of the bites. Of course, there are feeds, and they can be good, but more often than not, they’re quick and involve picky fish. You can catch fish in them, but chasing blitzes is likely to leave you disappointed. Mixing that in with working areas blind has led to more than one 30-fish day on the fly aboard my boat.
“Other than albies, we’ve finally started to see some bass. It’s not great, but early mornings and sunsets have brought some blitzing fish. Sometimes they’re picky and feeding on tiny bait, but they’ll eat if you try hard enough. Some bigger bass have been migrating through as well. The best bet is to fish at night, but they can be caught during the day, too. Moving your fly slowly and deep in front of the big schools can often entice one to eat. As we come out of another stretch of hard northeast winds, I look forward to seeing the bass bite improve.”
Dennis McKee (@dennknots) reports: “East winds on a South Shore beach, combined with several other factors, made this outing all the more challenging. I started at the first spot on the beach, only to find skates on the incoming tide. I moved to the next spot, where the first few casts went unnoticed by anything that might have been around. I threw just about everything in my bag and got hit on a darter. Then I got hit on a needlefish. I thought to myself, ‘What could sit a bit higher in the water column that I have with me that might fool whatever is in front of me?’ In came the SP Minnow. Correct profile, correct movement, correct location.
“What followed was the fish pictured below, which is my current personal best, along with three hours of steady action from fish in the 20- to 25-pound class. Leaving them biting that evening really made me appreciate a night like that. They don’t happen often. And the best part? I had that stretch of water all to myself.”
Bella (@bellaplzrespond) reports: “My work team and I went out for tog on opening day last week, and the bite didn’t disappoint. We fished in around 25 to 30 feet of water with halved green crabs, and the fish were steadily chewing for over an hour. All 10 of us caught, and I had freshly blackfish on my dinner plate at the end of the evening. It was a good run!”
The Author’s Experience
This past week was a doozy. With heavy northeast winds, I decided to spend my time ripping around inlets, back bays, and protected areas. Unfortunately, I couldn’t seal the deal on any fish. That said, it’s still early, and I know there’s plenty of time to catch some XL fish.
Long Island & NYC Fishing Forecast
Well, it’s October 22, and we’ve had a sparse run of fish on the South Shore. The fall run hasn’t fully come together yet. That said, the fish that are around seem to be extra-large. The gnarly northeast winds we’ve been dealing with have been brutal and seem to have dirtied up a large portion of New York and New Jersey waters. Once things settle down, though, we should see a fresh push of fish. It could be epic.
The goal is to find the right bunker school. Before the storm, there seemed to be an abundance of bunker, but the fish appeared to be concentrated around certain schools. If you find a school that isn’t being hit, it’s good practice to work the middle and edges before moving on to the next one. Topwater plugs, metal-lip swimmers, glide baits, and live baits are the ticket. If you find an all-out blitz, let the fish do their thing and approach from casting distance so you don’t put them down.
As far as albies go, the eastern Sound still has plenty of fish, from the North Fork to Montauk. This can be some of the most epic albie fishing of the year. At this time of year, I usually find albies feeding on much larger bait, such as squid and extra-large anchovies. You can’t go wrong with an Albie Snax or a jig!