Tom Melton

As I said last week, the fat lady has not sung yet, and the season is far from over after the nor’easter. Okay, I may not have said anything about the fat lady, but I did say it was not over! This week bounced back nicely after the storm, with stripers really coming on strong in the inlets of Fire Island and Moriches. Anglers caught and released a lot of oversize bass, with Moriches outshining Fire Island. While we are on bass, please try and not take the bass out of the water if it is over the slot. Unhook it boatside if possible, then revive and release asap. On the fluke front, the flatties are still around, but they have definitely headed for the inlet and to exit the bay. The last two weeks of the season should see solid action with many more keepers in the mix. If you can get live peanut bunker, I would encourage you to fish them. One last note, need I remind our subscribers. The Dream Boat Contest is far from won, and at this point, an angler could still win even if they have not entered a fish yet… it’s that close. Get out and fish, and weigh in your trophy, the 23 Steiger is waiting for you to claim.

The first, and hopefully last storm of 2026 did NOT end the season. It is barely October and fish will be around for the remainder of the season. The patterns may shift, but trust me, every fluke did not leave the bay this past weekend. As for the fall run, this is the typical storm that always kicked off the fall run, so stay alert as stripers should be starting to feed heavily too. Blackfish will be hunkered down and ready to bite once the fall season resumes October 15th on the South Shore.