Long Island and NYC Fishing Report
Eastern Long Island
The Eastern Long Island Fishing Report is compiled and written by writer/blogger and fly-fishing industry professional, Jack Larizadeh (@jack.lariz).
Jeff at Whitewater Outfitters in East Hampton reports, “ There are still fluke in the bay, action isn’t too strong in the ocean which is strange considering the amount of large ocean fluke over the past several seasons. In other news, hand sized bonito and blues invaded the inlets and jetties. It’s only a matter of time before albies flood inshore. That said were seeing a ton of false albacore offshore, any day now they should flood inshore and chew! For albies, 3 inch clear to white to pink jigs and albie snax work best. Finally, offshore were finding plenty of tuna in the 30 to 50 pound class fish 10 to 15 miles offshore”.
Wyatt at Haskells Bait and Tackle in East Quogue reports “ In both Moriches and Shinneco*ck there are a ton of fluke however it’s tough to get past the new size regulation. Live peanuts and snappers seem to work best. As for tide, it doesn’t seem to matter both the incoming and outgoing are producing. In other news, there are a ton of triggerfish around the bridges. As for local bait, fish are chewing on ay anchovies peanuts, and spearing. Outside the inlet, the albies arrived last week and were picking at them a mile out, there are football fields of bonito everywhere as well.
Stu from Northport Charters reports ” Still experiencing a strong bite with umbo porgies to 4 pounds and keeper seabass are now setting up in larger numbers in the triangle! The fluke bite has slowed down with lots of short fluke but keepers still coming over the rail here and there. There are now 6-8 pound blues hitting diamond jigs in the sound with an occasional striper in the mix. There is still bait all over the bays and LI Sound, snappers are prevalent with co*cktail sized blues mixed in. Today we just had a jumbo 4 pound porgy come over the rail at fishing camp!”
Captan Dave Flanagan @northislandfly “Morning and afternoon bite has been hot as long as the outgoing tide is moving. Lots of medium sized bluefish with some larger ones closer to 10 pounds in the mix. There are also lots of schoolie bass and some in the 20 pound range fish mixing in with the blues. The amount of bait is insane in the sound right now. Juvenile herring, peanut bunker and adults, anchovies on the small and large side, spearing galore, tiny snappers and more. It’s going to be an excellent fall as I’m already seeing hardtails and having consistent shots on them all day long. Exploring the less congested fishing areas has been the key to finding them. Remember, everyone gets crazy over breaking fish and this weekend with the bluefish tournament I noticed some reckless boat handling. Always drive around the activity to drift through it, never full speed through the area everyone is fishing. This new moon coming up is going to get everything firing! I still have some dates for September and October. False Albacore, Bonito, Spanish Mackerel, Bluefish and Stripers are all on the menu!”
Captain Chris at the Montauk Anglers Club reports “It was another great week of fishing in Montauk. Both inshore and Offshore. The striped bass have returned to Montauk, available from boat, and from land. With the influx of the bunker, many large predators have entered the fray. With sightings of gigantic cobia in these bunker pods, it’s only a matter of time before someone catches one. Running down the beach on the southside with bunker snags is very effective right now. The highlight of the week will be the fluke Fishing . With double digit fish hitting the scales and multiple limits including entire party boat limits now is the time to get out there and catch your PB. Black Seabass, fishing remains fruitful, with very large scup in the mix. Offshore the bluefin tuna bite has been hit or miss. Some people getting on them catching losing many mostly on jigs. A couple of yellowfin were caught in the butterfish hole”
Tony from @that_big_chooch_tony out east reports “So last night couple bass picked off the jetty on the oncoming tide. Lots of blues. Shad as well. Good sized Spanish mackerel and bonito caught in the early morning with the out going tide. The bays are loaded with bait, peanuts, spearing being the predominate baits around. Birds are working and fish underneath. Noticed a few bunker pods out in distance but the one that did make its way against the rocks was getting hammered by large bass and gator size bluefish. Completely destroying them. Bass have been cruising all the beach’s outside of the Jetty’s from Shinneco*ck east to cupsogue. Albies are still a little ways out but are active almost all around the island. Still small Showing in north shore but are there. Seen full airborne albies chewing spearing” .
Phil at Cow Harbor Bait and Tackle in Northport reports, “ It’s been fairly slow, there are still alot of porgies and snapper. Some people are getting bass and blues in the evening on jigs. However it’s mostly co*cktail blues harassing peanuts and spearing with a few larger fish mixed in. On the docks, a couple people are getting blue claw crabs. In regards to fluke, there is a ton of action but mostly short fish. Keep in mind that it’s august, it’s time to bounce around and find a bite. The east wind coming up should drop temps and get some albies moving into the sound”
Steve at Wego Bait and Tackle in Southold reports, “ The bass fishing slowed down this week, the heat took its toll and shut the fish down. Local guys are struggling on the bass, if there is a bite it’s in the troll. Luckily there are still tons of bluefish in the gut and race. Some days are better than others. Additionally, there are nice seabass more so in the race when the tide slacks, fishing between 70 and 90 feet with a jig or bucktail works best. Weakfish is still good in the bay in the 40-60 foot depth. I think montauk will get a push of albies any day now”.
Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain on Long Island!
This week I returned to nantucket. I’ll be here for roughly 2 weeks and i’m ready to fish hard! The bite has been outstanding, it is a record year for bonito. These fish seem to outnumber the bluefish population ten fold. Regardless of which beach you choose to fish it seems as though there are wolfpacks of bonito ready to chew tins, albie snacks, and small swimming plugs. Over the last few days i’ve had 15 fish mornings before clocking into work at 9AM. The ticket seems to be a fast retrieve that allows the jig to skip across the surface. As for color it doesn’t seem to matter. In terms of size the fish range from 2 to 8 pounds. Seeing these speedsters has me jazzed up! I’m hopping that eastern long island gets the push it deserves. While the run used to be hot it’s been lackluster for quite some time. I’m hoping this is the big comeback year for long island bonito. Time will tell!
That said, over the next week i’ll be chasing some false albacore. While I know there out there i’ve only seen sporadic pops of two or three fish. Hopefully I can find one on the fly from shore!
Eastern Long Island Fishing Forecast
Our first taste of fall fishing is upon us, bonito, mackerel, and albies are slowly pushing into the jetties and beaches out east. This is the perfect time to spot hop until you find yourself a bite. The beaches and inlets around montauk and shinneco*ck should provide some great opportunities at pelagics. That said, finding bait is crucial. If you can find micro bait you’ll have a shot at those sneaky pelagics.
The primary micro bait you’ll find is peanut bunker, anchovies, spearing, and sandeels. The best imitation is any small epoxy lure. My favorites include any joe baggs, hogy, or exo jig style casting jig. Be sure to carry a wide variety of different colors from pink to bone white. Another fantastic option is the albie snax. The olive or bone color are always productive. Be sure to rig it properly with a spring lock hook. My favorite hooks include the BKK titanrider and Owner twistlock.
When chasing these pelagic fish be ready to grind it out, they arrive and depart in an instant. It’s all about putting in the time so don’t get discouraged.
The Eastern Long Island Fishing Report is compiled and written by writer/blogger and fly-fishing industry professional, Jack Larizadeh (@jack.lariz).
Western Long Island & NYC
The Western L.I./NYC Fishing Report is compiled and written by NYSDEC licensed kayak fishing guide, Nick Cancelliere (@nick_onthewater).
- Bonito offshore, with bluefish and the odd false albacore mixed in.
- Bait galore – bunker, peanut bunker, bay anchovies, and more.
- Sharks and rays close-in to the beaches, along with porpoises.
- Fast fluke action, but finding keepers can be a grind.
- Non-stop porgy action on the North shore.
Jamie from Bay Park Fishing Station said:
“The bonito bite is on! Spanish mackerel and bluefish have been blitzing off the beaches, while bonito are pretty much everywhere as soon as you leave the inlets! Plugs and spoons are the way to go if you want to catch hard-tails.
The fluke bite has been heating up as well, the AB reef, Rockaway reef, and Hempstead reef have all had a great bite going with plenty of shorts and keepers alike. Gulp on a hi-lo rig is a great way to bend the rod and put flatties on the deck!
Bay park is open 7 days a week and has all your inshore and offshore needs!”
John from Freeport Bait and Tackle reports:
“The reefs continue to produce quality sea bass and fluke, there’s a lot of hard-tail activity to be found whether its mackerel, bonito, or bluefin tuna offshore, plus mahi mahi. Closer to shore you’re likely to get into bluefish on the bunker pods which has made hooking a cobia more challenging but still doable.
Inside the bays, peanut bunker have largely taken over with co*cktails and snapper bluefish harassing them during the day and making for easy bites. At night, striped bass can be caught on light bucktails and small soft plastic paddle tails by the docks and in the channels underneath all the bait. Enjoy this beautiful weather and catch ‘em up!”
Rich from Lindenhurst Bait & Tackle said:
“Bonito have been running wild along the fluke grounds, which are full of shorts and the occasional keeper if you put the time in. Out on the beaches anglers have been pulling up rays and sharks on bunker and mackerel chunks, and there’s plenty of bluefish to be caught on spoons and diamond jigs, just cast around those bait schools pinned against the beach“
Brandon Weitz from Causeway Bait and Tackle in Wantagh told me:
“Bonito are in thick now and there’s a lot of small mahi mahi in close on bait as well! The jig bite for bluefin has continued to be really good. Fluking on the reefs has been solid but also inshore, with plenty of sea bass to be found as well. You can jig sea bass on the bottom, and cast out metal jigs for bonito on top!
Bluefish have been all over the bays still too making for fun rod-bending action anywhere there’s bait and birds. With tons of peanut bunker around it doesn’t look like those blues are going anywhere soon, and at night the stripers will come out to play!“
Captain Josh Rogers of Gypsea Charters out of Brooklyn, NY reported:
“Very good fishing over the past week, with limits being the norm! There are loads and loads of short fish around but also many quality keepers in the mix up to 7 pounds! We only have a few weeks left of fluke season, so don’t miss out!”
Adrian Moeller of Rockfish Charters in Howard Beach, NY said:
“The yellowfin action has been inconsistent. We’ve hooked a few but also had a few inexperienced charters lose them on the Ron-Z’s and UVT jigs. This weekend we’ll start chunking which should hopefully work out better for our less-experienced charters.
Nonetheless there are fish out there to be caught if you know what you’re doing! As a consolation prize, mahi have been everywhere and easy to catch on the floating structure, plus the bonito and albies have been running wild making for a fun distraction on light tackle. Once you get within a mile or two outside the inlet, it’s practically non-stop action on the bonito.”
Doug Toback from Corazon Fishing in Freeport, NY reports:
“The late summer bite is on! This past week we have been fishing for Fluke with by-catches of Seabass, Bonito, and Ling. We are seeing regular catches of fish up to 25-inches on our trips!
The quality has been good but a bit down compared to previous years. Fishing was excellent right after the storms and has been tailing off a bit. We expect to see another surge before the fish begin to push out of our area for the season.”
Al Rotunno of the Staten Island Fishing Club reports:
“Raritan Bay continue sto produce a mix of fluke, spot, cownose rays, and co*cktail blues. Albies and bonito have filled in off Sandy Hook and Seabright. Small metals, epoxy jigs, and deadly dicks did well.
Larger model yellowfin tuna showed up this week in the midshore grouns off central New Jersey with chunking and jigging leading the way as most productive. Hopefully this is a good sign of things to come as we move into fall fishing. Tight lines all!“
Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain around Long Island and NYC!
Here’s what local anglers have been posting on social media:
(If you have a catch you’d like to share, DM me on Instagram @nick_onthewater.)
The last week of August. It sure as hell feels like it! Every trip down to the South shore surf I’ve seen schools of bait, birds, porpoises, and the occasional whale. Starting with last weekend, I joined OTW’s Jimmy Fee aboard Corazon Fishing charters run by Captain Doug Tobeck and his son DJ. The seas were rough, but we got into non-stop bonito action and the bonitos were all jumbo-sized. Filling up the cooler, we caught and released a few more when I found myself reeling in something that fought just a bit harder than the rest – a false albacore! While we were miles offshore, it was still very exciting to see an albie in August.
After bailing bonito for most of the early morning, we set out to the wrecks and reefs in search of fluke. Weeding through a lot of shorts and eventually finding fluke up to 25-inches on slow-pitch tackle. We also caught a few keeper-sized seabass in-between fluke – a very welcome addition to the cooler. After this trip, I skipped the meat section while grocery shopping for the week.
On Sunday, I hiked the west-end with a few buddies to chunk the surf using live eels and bunker. We immediately found bait schools pinned right up against the beach, with pods of porpoises rolling through them. I made a poor first-cast – barely 20-30 feet off the beach, but right in-between the schools, and decided to let it sit. Sure enough within a minute or two my drag started to scream as a rough tail ray picked up the bunker head I had casted out. We then got into a brown shark, another rough tail, and one more brown before calling it a day.
Overall, the eels were the best bait for the sharks, while the rays favored the bunker chunks. There were also a few small bluefish landed while casting a diamond jig out between chunk-bites. Towards the end of the jetty, there was a visible bonito blitz just barely out of casting range but we kept to our end of the beach since the chunk bite was pretty fast!
Earlier in the week, I got out with my buddy Frank on his boat and we found stray bonito jumping literally 4-5 feet in the air all around us, but concentrated blitzes were a little harder to come by. When we did find them though, the fish tended to hang around for a minute or two before scattering or heading deep. We also spotted some large bunker schools that were visibly stressed, and actually caught a few bonito while working lures around the schools. The real prize would have been another albie, but we didn’t see or catch any that morning. Sooner or later they’ll be within range of the shore. September should be a very exciting month.
Western Long Island Fishing Forecast
This time of year, you just never know what you’ll find out there. On the buoys you might hook banded rudderfish or chicken mahi. In the surf, you’ll find tons of bait, easily-caught rays, and pods of porpoises that might shut down bites but with this much life around, it didn’t really affect things too much for me this past weekend. Bluefish are abundant both in the open ocean and inside the bays, but are mostly the small-size snappers up to co*cktails that we’re used to seeing this time of year. If you want consistent gator blitzes, head out East.
Fluking action has been fast but a bit of a grind for those seeking limits. You’ll have to weed through shorts, sea bass, and depending on which shore you’re on and how deep you are – rays and bonito. There’s been a good bite for keeper sea bass however on the South shore, on the North shore you’ll need to run deeper to find them. Occasionally someone will find a unicorn keeper sea bass within the bays, however, so don’t lose all faith while jigging those bridges and wrecks.
There’s been somewhat of a decent weakfish bite going on in the bays, but those in the know are tight-lipped. The weakfish formula isn’t that complicated though – light tackle, back bay waters, and a bit of luck. Try at night when the water is cooler on the outgoing tide near chokepoints and channel ledges.
This time of year you should always have a light tackle outfit with an epoxy jig ready to go on your boat or at the beach. You never know when a blitz is going to pop off. The August awesomeness is almost done, its time for the September shenanigans! Keep your eyes peeled on the horizon for birds and funny fish, the bonito have been jumping as high as 5 feet in the air at times. Thanks for reading this week’s report, best of luck, and tight lines.
The Western L.I./NYC Fishing Report is compiled and written by NYSDEC licensed kayak fishing guide, Nick Cancelliere (@nick_onthewater).
