EAST END: Fluke fishing near and around Shelter Island has really turned on, most likely because the fish are on the move since the area off the old oyster factory and Bug Light are producing many fluke in the 7 to 9 pounds range. These fish will most likely take hold around Gardiners Island by months end, therefore east end fluking will be this week’s best bet. Fluke fishing in the waters surrounding Montauk Point has also been very good. The key there is conditions. Plenty of big fluke await anglers along the south side, while the rips along the north side are producing some nice fish among droves of shorts. Striper fishing is also heating up and I suspect in a week or two, the linesiders will be best bet. There are plenty of quality bass starting to swim with the smaller ones and both the North and South Forks are seeing boats fill their boxes with keepers. Strangely, porgy fishing was quite tedious on Saturday and Sunday whether you fished off Cherry Harbor or in front of the Montauk Lighthouse after an excellent week at both areas. Rest assured the scup fishing should bounce right back by the time you read this. The Sound remains status quo with excellent porgy fishing and a couple of keeper fluke around. Shinnecock Bay showed signs of coming on strong with fluke on the weekend.
SOUTH SHORE: Big bass showed in Fire Island this past week, but after three days of west wind, the larger ones have moved east. The first part of the week was highlighted by a 56-pound, 3-ounce beauty for Eddie W. out of “Burnetts” and a 58.8 pounder weighed in at “Chasing Tails Bait and Tackle” by Joe Lore. Several other bass over 40 were also weighed in from the pods. As for fluke, you can catch a lot of fish, but you have to work a little harder for keepers. The two big fluke of the week came from the Captree party boats “Laura Lee” and “Capt. Gillen” with fish of 8.10 pounds and 8 pounds, 3 ounces respectively. If you want weakfish, the early a.m. bite at Ocean Beach remains a good option. And, last but not least, anglers dunking worms and clams have accounted for good kingfish and blowfish action.
WEST END: Bass were biting very well from west of Debs Inlet to Fire Island during the week with many fish in the 30 and 40-pound class taking Mojos, bunker spoons and live bunker. Clam chumming at the bay bridges is producing good numbers of small fish with a few to 32 inches. Fluke fishing continues to be dominated by shorts in the western bays. Better size fish are in the ocean but not a lot of them. Local wrecks are loaded with ling, along with a few cod on some of the wrecks.
NORTH SHORE: Porgies and bass both provided good action for anglers this week. Porgies were active at Glen Island, Rye Playland, Old Field Point, Matinecock and other areas up and down the Sound. Bass were taken on bunker chunks and trolled Mojos or bunker spoons at the Middle Grounds, off Mamaroneck, and at the Whitestone Bridge. Fluke activity was slow in most areas with no one particular spot showing more promise than others.
OFFSHORE: Mid sixty-degree water has pushed in quickly to give 2019 a nice early start. Bluefin tuna have been caught from the Canyons, 20 and 30 fathom lines, and as close as 75 to 100 feet of water from the Rockaways to Montauk. Skirted ballyhoo (blue/white) and purple or green Chatter side trackers have been most productive. The Edge heated up last week, as mid seventy-degree water parked itself south of the Dip. Bluefin on the cold side, yellows on the warm. Further south as you find warmer water, bigger yellowfin, big eye, and mahi have been reported. Check a temperature chart like Terrafin before you go to locate the temperature break. Sharks will be found cruising the fingers, rock piles and wrecks. With the amount of bait and whales around, things are looking real promising.
SURF: That crazy boat fishing for big stripers on the bunker schools along Fire Island last week did spill over to the surf for those lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time, that being when the fish had the bunker pushed into the wash where you happened to be. We did hear of fish into the 40-pound class beached in places like Gilgo, Field 4 and 5 at Robert Moses, the FI Lighthouse and some of the Fire Island communities to the east, including Ocean Beach and Ocean Bay Park. Otherwise, news of big stripers in the surf remained sparse with a few exceptions. The first confirmed cow from the Montauk surf, a 37 pounder, was caught Friday night, and there were reports of fish into the 30-pound class from the Sag Harbor area. Peconic Bay is definitely holding a few nicer fish now, as are Moriches and Shinnecock inlets for those working nighttime tides. Bluefish are still around in good numbers in most places other than Long Island Sound, but the action this week was becoming more sporadic according to some reports.
On the access front, it is pretty much status quo from last week with the outer beach at Smith Point open to Cut #2, with access to the inlet for fishermen only from there via Burma Road. That access is 24/7. Democrat Point has a closure extending 1000 feet east of the jetty along the open beach and the back beach is closed. A nest near the oceanfront beach entrance could result in further closures.
