Long Island, Metro NY - South Shore Fishing Reports

At Center Yacht Club in Center Moriches Lenore reported one of the boats from the marina came back beaming with excitement. So much, they did not leave where they caught the fish, but said they hit a pod of yellowfin and bluefin and it was simply amazing this past Saturday. On the local front in the bay, the fluke action remained red hot, but the short to keeper ratio is still ridiculously high.

From Just One Bite Charters in Center Moriches I heard on the 1st, Paul had a group out from the city. They caught a few blowfish a bunch of sea robins, five skates and over 20 fluke. This past Sunday, Jim and his friend came out for a full day in the ocean and the bay. The ocean was not as calm as Paul hoped but they got to the reef and worked the edges for a bunch of fluke and skates. As the tide changed in the bay, Paul headed the boat back and instantly the guys pulling in one fluke after another in the West Cut. Too bad they were all around 12 to 14 inches. The day ended in the Narrows with a few more fluke to end a beautiful day.

In from Richie at Dick's B&T in Mastic Beach we learned the week was good with plenty of fluke, and the keeper ratio picked up this week. Several anglers reported more keepers in the bay and on the outside. Buoys 14 and 15, East and West cuts. From 10 feet of water outside the bar to the Moriches reef has also produced a better ratio of keepers. Sea bass and ling life on the reef is very good too. Larger sea bass are on the deeper wrecks, with the 60 to 130-foot depths producing tuna in the 20 to 50-pound class, with some really big ones hooked and spooled on jigs. Albies are running the inlet area and ocean, so have a spinning rod at the ready. Triggerfish are along the West Jetty and inlet holes. Inside the bay, the bottom is covered in blowfish, with some larger ones in the mix. Clam chum and clam or squid will account for triggerfish and blowfish. On the docks and piers, the snapper action is great, with cocktail blues in the mix. Snapper poppers, spearing and a float or small tins work well. Live snappers will account for larger blues…fish them on the bottom on a fish finder rig.

John at J&J Sports in Patchogue said in the bays and inlets, blues of all sizes are around, with the inlets holding fish up to 10 pounds and the bays holding more cocktail sized fish. On the docks, snappers are all over the place and the kids and adults are having a blast. A simple spearing and float will work great, as will small tins like Kastmasters or Johnson Sprites and Snapper. Crabbing has also remained very good with nets and lights at night and traps by day all producing quality, good eating blue claw crabs. There are still plenty of fluke to be caught right now before they start making the trip back offshore again. The bays have a combination of shorts and keepers in each drift. The key is persistence. Keep culling through shorts to get your legal sized fish. In the ocean off Moriches and Shinnecock- in about 50-feet of water a few more keepers are coming in. Try using bigger baits to attract bigger fish. Five and 6-inch Gulp, whole squid or large spearing all seem to be producing a few more keepers.

Down the road at Chasing Tails Bait & Tackle in Oakdale, Billy reported fluke reports are coming in hot this week. Good reports of keeper sized flatties, with plenty of shorts to keep the rod bent all day. The shop rigs tipped with bait or the soft plastic of your choice, will be pulling them all day. Billy has been having a blast from the shore, walking the flats and casting small bucktail tipped with a curly tail grub or jerk shad hanging off a light action freshwater rod. Feeling every bite is key, some of the bigger fish are real subtle bites. The ocean is holding some fluke as well, and also tons of sea bass. The reefs and wrecks are teaming with life. They’re loving jigs and bait rigs just the same. Word at the local docks is there are tons of snappers running around, and plenty of blue claw crabs as well. A few kingfish have come up, and some decent fluke as well. 

Greg from Burnett's Marina in Bay Shore we heard weather was up and down, with better during the week. Seems like the fluke are moving out. A few guys that went out had some smaller fish in the bay, but a steady pick at the inlet. A friend of Greg’s hit Shinnecock Saturday night and had two weakfish, one was 27 inches. Snappers are everywhere, nighttime is a blitz at the marina.

At Saltwaters Bait and Tackle in West Islip I heard the action continues, but what is different this week is the amount of pelagics roaming the ocean. Anglers are finding football bluefin in as close as 60 feet. Mahimahi are on debris and buoys. Spanish macs, bonito and false albies are running wild. The action is good, so pick a day and hit the ocean. Back towards the bay, triggerfish remained active on the rocky pieces, buoy chains and OBI area. On the fluke front, nothing has really changed. There are still a ton of shorts, but anglers can definitely get a keeper in the mix. Snappers and crabs are on all the local docks.

On the Capt. Gillen, we heard Shane still holds the lead in the adult division of the heaviest fluke caught this season aboard the Captain Gillen (all customers automatically entered) with a 5-pound, 9-ounce flattie, and young Sean maintains the lead in the kid’s division with a 3-pound, 14-ounce beauty. Some of those with keepers this week include Logan, Lori J, and Shane, to name a few. They are now sailing at 11 a.m. during the week and at 6 a.m., 11 a.m., and 4 p.m. on weekends. Reservations highly recommended for all trips. Rod, reel, bait, tackle included in fare. Reduced fares for seniors, veterans, active military, first responders, groups, and children. For more information call 631-586-5511 or visit their website.

At Captree Bait and Tackle, I heard of a lot of snappers off the local pier. Out towards the inlet, blues and albies. The blowfish bite is also very good, and the fluke bite is good, with a better keeper ratio in the ocean.

Capt. Walter on the Fishfinder II reported action has been good all week, with a fair amount of keepers and pool fish running 5 to 7 pounds. Fares are also seeing tons of shorts, the action has been in the bay and ocean, with the ocean producing a mix of sea bass, porgies, blues and bonito, The bay is seeing mostly fluke, with the occasional bluefish in the mix. The night bluefish action is awesome… best in a lot of years according to Capt. Walter. All the action has been on Diamond Jigs with Friday night producing a boat limit, while daily there are plenty of limits around the boat. The fish are 3 to 5 pounds, with the occasional big one on the mix.

On the King Cod VII out of Captree I heard from Capt. Joe reported that the ocean fluke fishing saw its ups and downs this week. The slower trips came around the moon, with ripping current and east wind. However, when anglers had good conditions, they had good fishing. Top couple of fluke for the week were in the 7-pound range. Some nice limits, with the majority of keepers in the 21 to 24-inch range. Tons of shorts, some sea bass, triggerfish and bonito were in the mix. The boat is fishing anywhere from 50 to 110-feet of water now with fluke in all depths. They sail 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., weather and interest permitting. Trips are limited to 20 anglers max, drifting one side of the boat. Text Capt. Joe at 631-605-1404 to reserve.

On the Laura Lee Fleet out of Captree, Capt. Kenny reported some days good with keeper fluke and less shorts in the ocean. Excellent bonito and albacore from Friday through the weekend. The afternoon/evening bluefish bite has been very good.

Over at Bergen Bay Docks in West Babylon, Nick and Jake reported blowfish are coming up in numbers at the local docks. On the offshore scene they are still getting tuna weighed into the dock on a regular basis.

Bob Rose at Bob's Bait and Tackle in Amity Harbor reported the fluke is a mirror image of last week. There are still a ton of fish in the bay, with some larger ones in the ocean. The ocean is also producing sea bass, porgies, ling and blues to go along with the fluke. The larger fish are also seemingly better on the ocean reefs. On the docks, snappers, crabs and blowfish are all around. Bluefish action remained very good for anglers fishing the early a.m. and p.m., but they also still pop up throughout the bay during the day, depending on the bait and tide flow.