Friday is the official start of fall 2011, and the fish are definitely aware of the changing seasons. The striped bass have starting feeding more abundantly in the wash along the south shore, the false albacore have been popping up sporadically from Montauk all the way to Jones Inlet and the bottom fishing has gone from good-to-great in many places. Sure, we may not see the sun for the next seven days, but that should do little if anything to slow down the improving fishing conditions. The September new moon tides will start Monday, so it’s not that bold of a prediction to suggest that fishing will start to get even better over the next week.
East End
The porgy fishing has got to be really good for the captain to use the phrase “Tackle-Busting” when describing the bite, but that’s exactly how it’s been for Captain Dave and the Viking Fleet lately. Captain Dave made the trip over to Block Island yesterday, and found limits of porgies to 3½ pounds, good numbers of black sea bass and even a few keeper fluke. Dave commented that it was one of the best trips they’ve seen since the New Bedford season in the early Spring. Remember, it’s your last week to cash-in on the sea bass bite before the season closes for the month of October. It will re-open for November and December. The fluke season also closes at the end of the month.
Quality striped bass fishing continues to be the norm in Montauk, like it’s been just about all season. The nighttime “eeling” trips aboard the Viking Fleet continue to produce bass into the 30-pound class on almost every trip. The combination of new-moon tides and an increasing amount of fish moving around the Point should make this weekend’s trips even better. The biggest change recently has been the good fishing for the surfcasters in town, who will also likely see the biggest benefit from the new moon tides over the next week. The south winds over the next few days should also bring some fish within casting distance of sand beaches in downtown Montauk, Ditch Plains and the south side of the Lighthouse.
Things remains relatively slow in the Shinnecock area, although this trend is not likely to continue for much longer. Steve at East End Bait and Tackle in Hampton Bays told me that although he’s heard the good reports from Montauk, they’re still waiting on the first big batch of fish to push through the area. The porgy fishing in the Shinnecock Canal has also dried-out. The good news is that there’s still an assortment of bait in the area, so once some fish do move in they’re likely to stick around.
South Shore
We’re definitely starting to see the leading edge of the fall migration push west along the south shore. Fish are moving tighter to the beach and starting to feed more aggressively. Nighttime is remains the best bet time to find some keeper-size fish from the surf, however, connecting to something in the low-teens during the day is no longer out of the question — especially if you can get out to Montauk. I’ll be testing this theory over the weekend as I fish my way out to the End. With consistent south winds and an overcast sky in the forecast over the next several days, there’s a good chance some bass will start feeding in the wash mid-day. Water temperatures have become relatively uniform along the entire south shore, so the first big wave of bass will quickly spread west. The first fish will be on the smaller side, so using teasers and small metals like 007s and Deadly Dicks is a good idea. If you’re fishing at night, trying throwing a chicken-scratch Bomber paired with a yellow or chartreuse teaser if the south wind isn’t too bad. A small needlefish is a good second option at night if your swimming plugs aren’t getting through the wind.
North Shore
The water temperatures are still hanging in the low-70s in Long Island Sound, making it a less attractive option for the bass that are beginning to make their way south. However, the recent cold snap and the lack of sunlight during the upcoming week should do a lot to level the playing field. Some bass have started to make their way through the sound. Out on the boat, try diamond-jigging for bass in the mid-sound around structure in the 65- to 80-foot range, and try using medium size diamond jigs or the smallest the current will allow. The diamond-jig bite has picking up steadily out east, and some of these fish will move into the sound quickly once these big tides start on Monday. If your plan is surfcasting along the Sound this weekend, there’s still plenty of bluefish around, especially in the early morning, and even the occasional bass. If your focus is bass, get out there at night and throw a chicken-scratch or black Bomber with a slow retrieve. There should be some fish moving around the mouth of the Nissequogue at night, as well as places like West Cedar Beach.
Upstate
Up on Lake Ontario, things are “good” and “the fish are getting in close,” according to Sharon up at Narby’s Superette and Tackle. The salmon and steelhead are beginning to make their move inshore, and some fish have already started to push up into the rivers and creeks — despite low water conditions. “We do need rain,” Sharon commented, “but the fishing’s been very good overall.” For those out trolling on the lake, 100 feet of water is the target depth, and many are starting to troll with swimming plugs instead of spoons and flies. The bite has also picked up significantly for those fishing from the piers in the area, brown trout, steel head, pike and big perch have all been caught in recent days. It’s a good time of year for a road trip up to Lake Ontario, as they’re approaching one of their most dynamic fishing seasons. There’s a lot of species to catch, and a variety of way to target them.
Best Bets
It should be a good weekend for surfcasting along the south-shore beaches, we’re coming up on the best tides of the month, and the south winds should build a good rolling surf along the beach. If you’re willing to put in your time and are prepared to fish several locations, you should be able to find some bass feeding in the wash this weekend. If you’ll be heading out during the day, consider throwing mostly small tins or white bucktails, although you may get a fish to rise at a pencil-popper if the clouds are thick enough. At night, yellow darters are always my go-to lure in the surf this time of year. If the bass won’t touch a darter, try switching to a white bucktail with a white and red pork-rind trailer, my third option would be a small white needlefish. If I’ve thrown that combination of lures in a few different colors and haven’t gotten a hit, I’ll make my first move.
If you’re within a few hours of Lake Ontario, consider making the trip up to the Kent area. This time of year fishing is really great and also easily accessable. It can be as simple as setting up on one of the public fishing piers with a pair of spinning set-ups and a bucket of shiners, and you’ll have a shot at a variety of game fish. The sweetwater bite will start to improve throughout the state, especially for those fishing from shore, as water temperatures begin to drop and fish come out of their late-summer patterns.