Long Island, Metro NY - East End Fishing Reports

Captain Dan from Double D Charters in Montauk reported that striped bass have shown up in force, with a mix of slot-sized keepers and larger, over-slot fish providing plenty of action. The improving striper bite has been a welcome addition to what has already been an excellent stretch of bottom fishing. Blackfish action has been red hot, with anglers finding plenty of tog around the local structure. Sea bass and porgies have also been readily available, giving customers the opportunity to enjoy a productive mixed-bag outing. With several species cooperating, there are still plenty of good fishing opportunities around Montauk heading into November.

The crew aboard the Ebb Tide reported excellent squid fishing during Saturday's two SQUIDINATOR trips. The first trip started off with an incredible flurry once darkness settled in, with squid coming over the rails at a furious pace for approximately 90 minutes. Buckets and bushels quickly began filling before the action settled into a steadier pick for the remainder of the night. Some anglers finished with well over 200 squid, while others managed around 80, making for an impressive outing overall. The midnight trip was slightly slower, with longer pauses between productive stretches, but the fishing was still very good. Some anglers managed approximately 100 squid during the shorter, 3½-hour trip. Overall, both trips produced solid catches and showed just how productive the fall squid run can be when conditions come together.

Captain Keith from the Fin Chaser reported outstanding bottom fishing on the Block Island grounds over the weekend. On Saturday, October 24, the boat returned to the fishing grounds following the recent stretch of rough weather and found the sea bass and porgies hungry and cooperative. The action was nearly nonstop, with anglers putting together limits of jumbo sea bass and plenty of quality porgies. Sunday's trip on October 25 was equally productive, with another round of sea bass limits and large porgies coming over the rails. The crew also encountered their first showing of green bonito, while several cod weighing up to 15 pounds were caught and released. Thomas Lenna took top honors for the day with his impressive sea bass catch. With the fishing remaining strong, Captain Keith is looking forward to more productive trips as the fall season continues. To make reservations or get additional information, visit myfinchaser.com or call (516) 643-0940.

Captain Savio from Fishooker Charters reported a solid striped bass outing around Montauk Point with Ira and Mitch aboard. The group enjoyed approximately three hours of productive fishing, working bucktails through the rips and connecting with bass throughout the trip. The action provided another encouraging sign that striped bass are continuing to move through the Montauk area as the fall migration progresses.

Mike from the Lazy Bones reported that striped bass have started showing up around Montauk in better numbers, and the boat is running dedicated jigging trips to take advantage of the developing fall action. With bass moving through the area, anglers looking to get in on the bite should call ahead for reservations and current sailing information. The Lazy Bones can be reached at (631) 668-5671.

Will from the Montauk Anglers Club reported that blackfish action has been excellent around Montauk, with anglers finding good numbers of quality tog. Several fish in the 5½- to 6½-pound range have been landed, and the bite continues to provide consistent action for bottom fishermen. Sea bass fishing has also been very productive, with plenty of quality fish coming over the rails. On the striped bass front, another wave of fish has shown up around the point, including a number of oversized bass. The hope is that additional schools will continue pushing through as the fall run progresses. Bluefish have been relatively scarce, with very little activity reported. Offshore, there has been a decent recreational bluefin tuna bite, with anglers finding fish feeding on butterfish behind working draggers.

Jill from the November Rain reported that persistent winds kept the boat tied up for much of the week, but once conditions improved, the blackfish were more than willing to cooperate. Jamie and his crew had originally scheduled two trips targeting a combination of striped bass, sea bass, and blackfish. Thursday's trip was canceled due to the weather, but the group made up for lost time on Friday by loading up with a limit of tog. On Saturday, Paul "Nice Guy" Galeno and his group of six enjoyed another outstanding outing, putting together a boat limit of blackfish. Georgie Tattoo also made the first of his four scheduled fall tog trips aboard the boat. Captain and crew explored some different bottom to find relief from the tide, and although the bite started slowly, the anglers eventually boxed 32 blackfish. Jill said the fishing remains very encouraging, and they are looking forward to getting back out whenever the weather allows. Give them a call at (646) 335-7315 to book a trip.

Captain Tom from the Sea Wife IV reported another excellent stretch of fishing, with blackfish, sea bass, porgies, and striped bass all contributing to some productive trips. On Sunday, Steve, Gage, Blaze, Sammy, Brian, Jake, Chris, Josh, Tom, and Oliver headed to Block Island, where they put together a limit of sea bass along with a healthy catch of scup. The following Monday, the same group of anglers from Rochester worked the Fishers Island grounds and landed a pile of keeper blackfish along with plenty of shorts, despite challenging wind-against-tide conditions. On Friday, the Rochester crew returned to the blackfish grounds after waiting for the wind to settle and enjoyed another outstanding day. Sammy took top honors with an impressive 10-pound tog, along with another fish weighing 7 pounds. On Saturday, John Leefoon, Mohamed "Ali," and their crew landed two keeper striped bass, a sea bass limit, and a good number of scup. Sunday's trip with Kevin "Fitz," Sean, Shane, John, Rich, Mike, Dennis, and George produced a striped bass limit, along with plenty of sea bass and porgies. Captain Tom still has prime fall dates available for anglers looking to get in on the action. Give him a call at (631) 680-1025 to book a trip.

Captain Jim from Tailwrapped Sportfishing reported that blackfish and sea bass have been dominating the action around Montauk, with limits of both species coming aboard on recent trips. One of the standout catches of the week came from Carolyn Smith, who landed an impressive 14.3-pound blackfish on Saturday while fishing a white crab. Tom Cook and his crew also enjoyed a fantastic outing, putting together a limit of blackfish to 6 pounds along with plenty of quality sea bass. Striped bass fishing has been more inconsistent, with some days producing better action than others as fish continue moving through the area. Captain Jim said the bottom fishing has been keeping everyone busy, and trips are still being booked into November. Give Tailwrapped Sportfishing a call at (631) 510-8245 for availability.

Captain Mike from Trophy Hunter Montauk Charters reported that persistent winds have once again made it difficult to get on the water, but the surf fishing around Montauk has been picking up. Decent-sized striped bass have shown up at several of the area's traditional hotspots, giving surfcasters some good opportunities when conditions line up. Productive lures have included Cordell pencil poppers, Super Strike darters and bottle swimmers, Montauk Lures Sea Rockets, and Run Off Lures sand eel tins. With bass continuing to move through the surf, anglers willing to put in the time have been finding some quality fish. Anyone interested in booking a guided Montauk surf fishing trip can contact New York State-licensed surf fishing guide Mike Larson at (917) 468-3361.

The Viking Fleet of Montauk reported another productive weekend, with excellent squid fishing and strong bottom-fishing action around Block Island. On Saturday night's squid trips, Captain Carl reported very good fishing, with some anglers filling more than a bucket of longfin squid. Others managed full or half pails, while a few had lighter catches, but overall the action was solid. Many of the squid were impressive in size, including some colossal tubes. The fleet sailed two boats to provide anglers with additional room, and Captain Joe reported similar results aboard the Viking Star, with some customers enjoying outstanding catches. On Saturday's Block Island Fall Jumbo Porgies and Knothead Sea Bass trip, Captain Dave reported excellent porgy fishing while drifting close to the island. The catch included plenty of quality scup and a mix of smaller sea bass with some keepers. Farther offshore, the boat worked several pieces of bottom, with the deeper water producing the best action toward the end of the trip. Large sea bass to 5 pounds, good-sized porgies, and some mackerel rounded out the catch. Florentino Teotchan of Brooklyn took the first-place pool with a 3-pound porgy, while Gershwin Vallejo, also of Brooklyn, won the edible pool with a 5-pound sea bass. For reservations, call (631) 668-5700 or visit vikingfleet.com.

Bryce from White Water Outfitters in Hampton Bays reported that a few giant bluefin tuna have been roaming the inshore grounds, providing some excitement for anglers keeping an eye on the offshore scene. Closer to home, striped bass are still setting up inside Shinnecock Inlet, where live eels and spot have been producing fish. Anglers working the inlet's deeper channels and current-swept areas have been finding opportunities when the bass are feeding. Blackfish action continues on the local reef structure, with green crabs accounting for a pick of tog. Sea bass fishing has also been productive on the 12-Mile Reef, along with other pieces of bottom located approximately 5 to 12 miles offshore. With bass, blackfish, sea bass, and even bluefin tuna in the area, anglers have a variety of late-fall opportunities to choose from when the weather cooperates.

Kenny from Tight Lines Tackle in Southampton reported that blackfish action around Plum Island has been somewhat spotty, with a mixture of keepers and plenty of shorts keeping anglers busy. Fishers Island has been producing more consistent results, particularly for anglers looking to put keeper blackfish in the box. Green crabs remain a dependable bait around the rocky structure. On the striped bass front, Kenny has been hearing reports of decent boat fishing around Montauk as more bass continue to filter through the area. For anglers looking to stock up on bait, the shop is currently running a buy-one-get-one promotion on frozen bait.

Capt. Phil Kess of the Fishy Business in Orient reports an excellent weekend with full boat limits of quality tog and several keeper black sea bass also. There are still some dates open for November. I strongly suggest calling soon not to be shut out from some of the best blackfish time of the year. To seal the deal give Capt. Phil a call at (516) 316-6967.

Capt. Rich of the Nancy Ann in Orient, reports very good fishing in extremely tough conditions on the days they were able to get off the dock. Each day saw boat limits of chunky tog to 8 pounds fishing on the Connecticut side of the Sound. On Saturday with calmer conditions, the Sal Amendolia group enjoyed lights out fishing with an easy boat limit in less than three hours of fishing. Sunday also saw a quick boat limit of blackfish to 7 pounds and black sea bass to 3-1/2 pounds. The Nancy Ann IV is now fishing for blackfish for the remainder of the season and the boat is totally booked for the remainder of the 2026 season. During this seven week span some unforeseen occurrences may result in an angler or two being forced to drop out of a particular charter. If you are able to fish at a moment’s notice and would like to fish aboard the Nancy Ann IV, Capt. Rich and Nancy has put together a list of people who would like to fill in for some blackfish charters that are an angler or two short of filling out a charter. You can give Rich and Nancy a call or text with the words “Fill In” with your contact info and you will be ready to rock and roll. To join the fill in list give a call or text (631) 477-2337.

Capt. Paul Ripperger and Captain Rachel Jannace Johnson of the Tide Hustle in Greenport gave me a call this weekend to report boat limits of blackfish to 6-1/2 pounds, and many keepers of black sea bass on both days with approximately 400 shorts each day. On Saturday, the boat was heading back to the dock with a boat full of happy smiling faces. On Sunday Capt. Paul’s daughter Veronica Ripperger was aboard scoring with a limit of blackfish and releasing 30 shorts. With the weather forecast calling for light winds and calm seas this entire week, I strongly suggest jumping on the Tide Hustle where Captain’s Paul and Rachel will bring you right where the blackfish live. The Tide Hustle is sailing from Brick Cove Marina in Greenport every day, weather permitting starting at 7 a.m. and returning back to the dock between 2 and 2:30 p.m. unless they are on an extended trip which returns at 4 p.m. The Tide Hustle is the newest addition of the East End open boat operation and is owned and operated by both Capt. Rachel and her husband Todd Johnson. Open boat trips are limited to 15 anglers with a 100 feet of rail space to roam in. Although walk Ons are welcome when the boat is not filled, a reservation is strongly suggested to guarantee your spot on the rail. The Tide Hustle is also available for charters, also limited to 15 passengers. For further information or to book your spot on the rail you can give Capt. Paul a call at (631) 522-2002 or Captain Rachel at (631) 384-6294.

Craig from WeGo Bait and Tackle in Southold reports with all the wind this week, few anglers got out until this past weekend with reports of blackfish coming from a wide range of area. Several boats headed to Connecticut while several fished closer to home and enjoyed good fishing around Plum Island. Green crabs did the damage with fish to 8-3/4 pounds. There still some porgies and lots of small sea bass all over the place. The nighttime squid bite has been good on jigs off the Railroad Dock at Greenport.