What makes Moriches a summer fluke magnet?
Several years back I invited a couple of buddies to fish with me aboard my boat, which was docked in Moriches Bay. My friends were seasoned anglers who only fluke fished in the deep waters of the North Fork and in the depths of the Big Pond. It was a hard pill to swallow for them – imagining catching fluke in 4 to 8 feet of water. And to boot, in water so gin clear you could see the fluke chase after the offering. Once my doubting Thomases arrived, it was off to the flats in 6 feet of water north of Buoy 12, just outside the Forge River. Armed with 3/8-ounce Spro Bucktails, it wasn’t long before the three of us were into keeper fluke from 20 to 26 inches. By day’s end, nine quality fluke made their way into the fish box, and my two friends were now truly hooked on shallow water fluking. If you are new to fishing or have never attempted fluking on the flats, then stick around as I convince you of the shallow-water fluking potential inside Moriches Bay.
Small But Productive
The pristine waters of Moriches Bay encompass 9,480 acres of aquatic environment that includes salt marshes and tidal creeks, with tidal influence coming from Moriches Inlet. Since the bay is relatively small in size, the ocean waters that pass through Moriches Inlet are often crystal clear west to the vicinity of Buoy 14 and east to Buoy 27, sometimes even into Harts Cove. At the top of high tide, you can see up to 15 feet of water clarity in the East Cut. As the tide ebbs, it often carries cloudy brackish water out the inlet, coming from back bays like Narrows Bay to the west and Seatuck Cove, and as far as Quogue Canal to the east. Aside from the East and West Cuts, which are the main navigation routes for boaters, the bay is mainly made up of flats ranging from 4 to 8 feet in depth. The bottom is sandy to Buoys 14 and 27 and becomes muddier as you move deeper along both sides of the bay.
Vegetation is abundant throughout, providing refuge and shelter to a myriad of baitfish through summer and fall. In turn, fluke prey on this bounty and camouflage themselves in the mud or sand to ambush unsuspecting baitfish. When you blend all the elements – sandy and muddy bottoms, vegetation, clean ocean waters, salt marshes, and brackish inflow – you can be certain that Moriches Bay’s skinny water plays host to an abundance of fluke throughout summer and early fall.
Reading The Flats
Reading bottom contour is critical when working the flats, as it can mean the difference between catching shorts all day or finding a limit of quality fish just a quarter-mile away. The key is knowing what the bottom consists of and what bait is in the area. For example, mud/sand mixtures hold an enormous amount of baby crabs about the size of a quarter. These include baby sand, Jonah, and calico crabs, which make up a bulk of the diet for larger fluke. Flats with healthy mussel bed growth – abundant inside Moriches Bay – often attract juvenile porgies, blackfish, cunners, and all kinds of small groundfish spawned in early spring. A purely sandy bottom can be like fishing in a desert, with very little life.
Like most species of fish, fluke need structure: depth changes, ledges, drop-offs, uprises, reefs, rock piles – anything that attracts small fish will attract fluke. In Moriches you’ll find mussel beds, countless drop-offs, sandbar edges, and of course sandy and muddy bottoms. Once you learn to read the water, your keeper count will skyrocket. Your best tool? A nautical chart. It will show everything you need to know for successful fluke fishing. Pinpoint structure ahead of time and have a plan when you hit the water.
Where To Fish
One of the great things about Moriches Bay is that no matter the tide or wind direction, there’s always a place to fish productively. During summer, when the sun is shining, you can count on a southwest breeze starting at 11 a.m. and settling down around sunset. For ideal drifting, this wind combined with an incoming tide works well along the east side of the bay – especially near the Coast Guard Station and inside Harts Cove, which produces excellent action in July and August. The opposite holds true for the west side, where winds out of the east or south create good drift conditions in the West Cut and nearby flats. East of Buoy 14, the bottom is mostly sandy. Northeast of Buoy 14 – from Buoys 17 to 23 – the bottom shifts to a mud/sand mix and is loaded with mussel beds and big fluke during top tide. It goes sandy again from Buoys 24 to 26, and back to sand/mud from Buoy 27 east to 28.
While sandbars will produce fluke, they often hold shorts. The bigger fish are hanging on the muddy flats north of Buoys 12 and 11, just east of the Forge River. Seven feet is the magic depth here, and the eelgrass provides hiding spots for baitfish trying to avoid sharp fluke teeth. On the east side, 5-foot depths inside Harts Cove can yield fluke to 8 pounds. Keep in mind: when you catch a big one, mark the spot. Believe it or not, large fluke often return to the same location each year. It may sound strange, but it’s true – and a handy trick of the trade.
Lightweight Tackling
There’s no need for heavy rods and 4/0 conventional reels here. Spinning or baitcasting outfits in the 10-pound class are perfect. Use rods with sensitive tips to detect light hits. Reels should have smooth drags that won’t jam when you’re fighting a trophy fish. Set the drag so the fluke can take line and tire itself out. Many times, a fluke will put on its best fight at the surface, lunging hard when it sees the net. If your drag is too tight or sticky, you’ll watch that mini halibut swim off while you fight back tears.
As for line, fluorocarbon beats all else. Mono and braid are too visible in the shallows, which is a dealbreaker for line-shy fluke. Yo-Zuri, Seaguar as well as several other manufactures offer pound tests from 15 to 25 which is perfect for thus type of fishing.
Jigs Before Rigs
| SECRET WEAPON – SEA ROBIN STRIPS |
| While other baits catch plenty of fluke, few baits outproduce a fresh-cut strip of sea robin belly in the skinny waters of Moriches Bay. The tough, white meat holds up to constant jigging, and its natural scent and fluttering motion prove irresistible to larger fish lying in ambush. Cut the strip about half inch wide and 3 inches long in a pennant shape, keeping the shiny side out, and pin it to your bucktail or teaser hook. Robins are easy to catch while fluking, so don’t toss them overboard – bleed them, ice them down, and give their belly meat a shot. |
While traditional fluke rigs will catch fish, bucktails rule in Moriches. The Spro Prime Bucktail Jig has a unique head shape, eyelet, and gliding action. Its body stays horizontal when jigged, offering a natural presentation. These jigs feature super-sharp Gamakatsu hooks and come in a range of productive colors. For shallow water in Moriches, quarter to 3/8-ounce sizes are ideal. If current runs strong, bump up to 1/2 ounce. Always use the smallest jig that holds bottom to match the local forage. Top-producing colors include pink, white, glow, chartreuse, and sand eel – but Spearing Blue is king in Moriches Bay. As for trailers, nothing beats a 1/2-inch-wide by 3-inch-long strip of fresh sea robin belly. While squid, spearing, Gulp, and Fishbites all work, fresh sea robin is unbeatable – and easy to find in the bay. Add a teaser two feet above your jig using a dropper loop knot. Spro now makes teasers in fluke-killer colors, and you’ll also find great custom-made versions at local flea markets that mimic real baitfish with precision.
This summer, there’s no reason not to fish the gin-clear waters of Moriches. You can trailer to several ramps, rent a skiff from Silly Lily Fishing Station in East Moriches, or hop on the open boat Rosie in Center Moriches. Just remember to release shorts unharmed, carry your Marine Registry, and expect checks from the Bay Constable, Suffolk County Police, USCG, and NYSDEC. Most of all – have fun.
