October 19, 2026 - 10:03:06
Pablo from J&J Sports in Patchogue reported excellent striped bass action along several local ocean beaches. Cupsogue, Fire Island National Seashore and Davis Park have all been producing quality fish, with some stripers reaching the 30-pound mark. Diamond jigs, darters, SP Minnows, bottle plugs and bucktails have all been effective. Anglers are finding productive fishing after dark, as well as around sunrise and sunset. Farther east, the bridges are also holding some impressive striped bass, with reports of fish reaching 40 pounds. Rubber shads and bucktails have been the go-to presentations for anglers working these areas. On the blackfish front, Pablo reported solid shore-based action along the rocky North Fork beaches, where green crabs fished on jigs have been especially productive.
October 19, 2026 - 10:03:06
John at J&J Sports in Patchogue said word has spread that a stocking of brown trout for West Lake will occur by the end of October to mid-November. This should keep the local freshwater enthusiasts happy. Trout between 12 and 15 inches are expected and should be targeted by using flies, bait and lures. Try nymphs, streamers or scuds for flies, nightcrawlers or even live shiners for bait, and small Kastmasters or Thomas lures. Light tackle is best suggested, and you can use a simple hook with live worms, or try casting a small Kastmaster. Gold seems to work the best, but chrome or silver will also do the trick. Spinners by Mepps or Rooster Tail will also work well on the stocked fish.
October 19, 2026 - 10:02:59
John at J&J Sports in Patchogue said bass have arrived in masses with anglers scoring over the slot fish from Moriches to Fire Island. Bunker pods in the ocean have large fish, while anglers using live spot in the inlets have also scored. If you see birds crashing, that could be a sign sand eels are in the mix, so break out the Diamond Jigs. For once it seems that we are finally getting some colder nights this fall. Up until the past few days the night time temperatures have been rather mild which resulted in warm water for this time of the year. This has added to the bass masses. The shop is still hearing of false albacore with Joe Baggs epoxy jigs accounting for action. On the wrecks and reefs this week :(if you can get out between the wind gusts) sea bass and blackfish action is still good. With water cooling, the 40 to 80-foot wrecks have produced well. Sea bass, porgies, pollock and ling, will all hit a well baited clam on a hi-low bait rig. When bottom fishing be sure to bring plenty of sinkers ranging from 8-16 ounces depending on how deep you are fishing. Blackfish has been keeping a good amount of boats busy. The bite has been pretty good off the south shore in the ocean as well as on north shore rock piles. The shop has green crabs, jigs and clams in stock for blackfish.
October 12, 2026 - 10:37:48
Pablo from J&J Sports in Patchogue reported excellent fall striped bass fishing throughout the Shinnecock and Moriches areas. The ocean beaches east of both inlets have been producing quality fish on swimming plugs and jigs, while the inlets themselves have been seeing periodic shots of bass during both daytime and nighttime tides. Soft plastics and jigs have been particularly effective when fish are feeding in the moving water. One shop customer, Joe, landed a striper approaching 40 pounds while fishing alongside Pablo one evening. Pablo has also been getting into plenty of action himself, catching numerous stripers ranging from 12 to 25 pounds. With bait moving through the area and more fish arriving, the fall run is shaping up nicely across the eastern South Shore.
October 12, 2026 - 10:37:48
John at J&J Sports in Patchogue said bass and pickerel have been more aggressive with the water temperatures cooling down as me move into fall. Try using topwater plugs like a Jitterbug or Hula Popper at first light or casting the shore with a jointed Rapala. As the sun gets higher try dragging a weedless frog over the pads or use a weedless worm at the edge or in pockets around the pads. Live shiners fished with or without a float will also catch fish. Perch, bluegills and crappie are also more active with the cooler weather and will attack a small spinner or Beatle Spin fished near any cover. Crappie tend to stay together so if you get one there should be more right in the same area. Fishing a nightcrawler with or without a float is a good way to locate fish. Nightcrawlers will catch anything from bluegills, crappies and catfish to perch, bass and even pickerel.
October 12, 2026 - 10:37:37
John at J&J Sports in Patchogue said backfish season opened October 11th on the north shore (October 15th for the south shore-Including Peconic Bay.) The shop will be fully stocked with blackfish jigs, rigs, hooks and green crabs. I should preface this report with "if the winds subside and you can get an opening to fish, the results should be pretty good,” said John. John also feels that this year’s fall season should be better in both quality and quantity. When hitting your favorite blackfish spot don’t forget to bring your sea bass gear, the season is still open and the fishing has been very good at the local inlets, wrecks and artificial reefs. The fall bass run has officially begun on our island with anglers reporting keeper bass from east to west. Right now Fire Island Inlet has been holding plenty of slot and over-sized fish, with some anglers using bait like live eels, snappers, spot and bunker. Anglers have also reported a good bite further east in Moriches and Shinnecock inlets. Considering that we're in October, the snapper fishing is turning into "cocktail bluefish" fishing. They're getting big and fighting hard. They're good eating too at this size. Spearing, lures all will catch the limit. Day time is best with a moving tides. Fluke fishing in the local bays like the West Cut of Moriches to Narrow Bay, Shinnecock and Fire Island have been fair. The Smith Point and Fire Island bridges have been holding some keeper fluke with some weakfish in the mix as well. Bucktails with Gulp or squid strips is a great choice for these fish. Porgy and sea bass fishing has been good recently with our local wrecks being loaded with fish. We have seen plenty of large porgies along with keeper sea bass at the moriches, Shinnecock and Fire Island reefs. The best way to fish these reefs would be clam or squid using hi-lo bait rigs. Using clam chum at these reefs is another great option because it’s easy to do and will bring the fish to you.
