The warm weather we saw this past week has been heating up the waters and, with it, the fishing across most of the Island. As fluke season rolls through its second week, anglers are finding more fish with bigger size on the end of their line. There is still are still a lot more shorts than keepers being caught but the bite has been good. Striper and bluefish action continues to please and porgies are living up to their reputation of being difficult to keep off your bait in most waters.
John from Hudson Park Bait and Tackle has seen “insane” fishing this week, mainly with bass and fluke. The bass have been hitting everything from diamond jigs to spoons and bunker chunks, and have weighed up to 40-pounds. The fluke numbers have been super, although there have been far more shorts released than keepers put on ice. These fish have been coming out of Little Neck Bay and Port Washington waters. Scup have also shown consistent action on clam strips in the Bayville and Centerport areas.
Stretch from Stella Maris reports strong bluefish action out of Jones Inlet with bunker chunks and jigs yielding the best results from the shore. There has been some keeper bass being picked in the waters near Kennedy Airport on live bunker, along with a generous number of shorts. Fluke have also been taking baits in the Far Rockaway area as the boats have been icing a good amount of fillets. Stella Maris is holding their annual shark tournament on June 25th with a meeting the day before for anyone looking for some bigger game.
At Bay Park Fishing Station, Ashley has seen some big summer flatties being pulled from the bay side with a 6.5-pounder topping the scales this week. There have been lots of big bass hooked-up both on bait and trolled Mojo rigs out of Debs Inlet. White and chartreuse have been the colors of choice thus far. It was also shared that there are as many blues as you care to catch just outside the inlet.
John from Terminal Tackle has seen excellent fluke fishing around the Kings Park shorelines. They are following the squid schools and are often turning out to be 6- to 7-pounders. Whole squid has been the trick to focus on the bigger fish though some shorts just can’t help themselves. Surf casters have had success with plentiful schoolie and an occasional 20-pound fish pulled ashore. Porgies have also shown up, mainly in 15 to 20 feet of water near the beaches. Although there have been some bluefish around here, there doesn’t seem to be enough yet to make a day out of it – but that should change real soon.
Brendan from Captree Bait Shop, has seen big blues being taken on fresh bunker off of the fishing peirs as well as some keeper fluke on spearing. There is also a report of blowfish in this area which is always a fish of interest. Anglers have caught these mostly in the inlet. Along with these have been the first signs of blue claw crabs coming much earlier than is the norm.
In Northport, Mark from Cow Harbor has finally seen some larger bass move into the area. There has been good action coming on bunker chunks as there is still a ton of big bait around. Plugs have worked, too. Swimming baits and topwater offerings have also been productive and seem to be working best in the early morning or right at dusk. Fluke fishing has improved as well as many fish have been found with manta shrimp inside. With the manta shrimp spawning period taking place about now, it is worth the trip to hook into a pool winner. Porgies have provided some entertainment as well as some big sea bass, however all the sea biscuits have been released as they are not yet in season.
At The Campsite Shop, Carmine has heard of stripers being caught in Huntington and Cold Spring harbor waters, mainly on bunker chunks so far. There are loads of spearing still around and that seems to be helping turn the fish on. He also notes that the fluke here have been moving out of the shallows and into deeper water, making targeting them more difficult with the increase of sea robins.
Aboard the Celtic Quest, Capt. Chris reports outstanding porgy fishing while sailing out of Jamesport but the boat will only sail on Peconic Bay until May 28. After that they will be sailing from Port Jeff and moving on to fluke as well as North Shore porgies.
Robert from Sea Isle Tackle has had strong reports of fishing out of the bay waters with an occasional 20-pound bass being taken. Though, like much of Long Island, it has been tough to find these fish through the onslaught of shorts. He has also seen action outside with a mixed bag of bass and blues.
At White Water Outfitters, Bryce reports typical action for the Hamptons Bay area. Fluke have been decent, though if the time is put in, there is a solid chance of landing a big one. Porgies, bass and blues have held relatively steady with the bay side producing much better than the ocean side. It looks to Bryce that it is set up well for the weakfish to become active again any day.
Out at Montauk, David from Gone Fishing Marina has seen a slower start to the season. Scup have been hitting well on clam on the south side of Gardiners but it has been more difficult for fluke. There have been a couple 3- and 4-pound flatties caught but they seem to be far and few between. Schoolie bass have been relevant in these waters and the bluefish bite comes more alive with every passing day. It is only a matter of time before the Montauk fisheries catch up with the rest of the Island’s action.
Also on the South Fork, Tonya from West Lake Marina has had reports of fluke up to 7-8-pounds on the south side of Montauk. There has also been some bass around mixed in with a ton of good sized bluefish. The surfcasters have been catching a mix of bass, blues and porgies. The fluke and porgies have been caught using the stores locally caught bait, as there is still plenty around to keep fish near.
Chase from Montauk Marine Basin has had much of the same. Not a full out blitz as the season gets underway but there has been a pick of fluke again on the south side, which has been improving every day.
Ray from Paulies has reports of lots of bluefish being hooked into. These have come mainly on by soaking some bunker chunks. Stripers have been active on poppers ranging from 24-29-inches on average. Staying consistant, he has had a touch go of it with fluke so far though there are some around, and scup action is beginning to come alive slowly.
At River Bay Outfitters, Paul weighs in that there has been hot action with blues at the start of the tides at Jones Beach. Recent fish have been caught using fly rods, tossing Foam Poppers and Surf Candy’s. Fly rods have also been productive on the local ponds and lakes with large mouths. Carp have passed their spawning phase and switched back to the offensive. Although Though many people enjoy keeping a giant minnow head, it is the catch and release aspect that ensures continued enjoyment.
Finally, Joe from Staten Island Tuna Club has heard of stripers pushing the scales up to 30-40-pounds in the waters near the Verazano Bridage. They also have been getting into some impressively large blues that are currently hitting anything that goes into the water. In Princess Bay, there has been a steady pull of keeper fluke along, as always, with an ever active amount of shorts.
Fishing Forecast for Long Island – New York
With bass and bluefish abundant as of late, it is tough to resist looking for the lunker mixed in with the many throwbacks. However, as recent years have shown, the early season fluke seem to provide the biggest fish. On the freshwater side, carp my provide the best fight in Long Island freshwaters and are always worth the work to find.