West Lake Marina

David over at West Lake Marina reports blackfish remains incredible by anglers employing green, white and hermit crabs. The white crabs are duping the larger white chins. Southwest Ledge, Cartwright Grounds, and Fishers Island are all go to spots for the best results. Codfish can be found southeast of Block Island in 145-feet of water. Some cod and plenty of sea bass can still be found south of Block Island anywhere from 120 to 140- feet of water. The CIA Grounds and Coxes Ledge are also holding cod and red hake. David, Chris and Tonya would like to wish all readers and their customers a safe and happy Holiday Season and is very much looking forward to seeing all their friends once again in May of 2021.

David over at West Lake Marina reports plenty of good size blackfish have been keeping anglers busy at the fillet tables, which are being caught around Fishers Island, Watch Hill Reef, and Block Island. Green, white and hermit crabs are all producing fish to 10-pounds. Cod and sea bass are coming from the southeast side of Block Island using clams and hi/low rigs. Some cod are also at CIA while sea bass are coming from the Cartwright Grounds and from the Shagwong Reef. School size stripers remain thick around the point for fishermen employing light tackle and flies. For the guys working the suds, real small bass are coming from the sandy beaches along the Southside, while the rocks along the Northside are producing a bit bigger bass on plugs and soft baits.

David over at West Lake Marina reports blackfish coming back to the fillet tables are getting bigger by the day with all charter and private boats bringing back their legal limits to 12-pounds. Green, hermit, and white crabs are all producing. Standard rigs work best in swift currents, while jigs of 2 to 4-ounces does a cleanup job while the tide begins to slack. Block Island remains loaded with porgies in shallow water, while sea bass and cod are south of Block Island in 120 to 140-feet of water. Giant gator November blues are terrorizing the huge schools of moss bunker moving offshore with the yellow eye monsters going close to 20-pounds. Striped bass are smacking jigs and poppers out in front but are mainly on the smallish side. The shop is carrying green crabs, however white crabs and hermits are available privately through Chris Miller. Give him a call at (631) 668-5600 and he will have the white crabs and probably hermits.

Chris over at West Lake Marina reports plenty of blackfish to 9-pounds are coming back to the fillet tables with just about every charter and private boat bringing back their legal limits. Green crabs are the top choice, although those who are bringing along hermit and white crabs are doing equally well right now. However as the water temperatures continue to drop, the latter will have the edge size wise. Fishers Island remains the mainstay however Southwest Ledge is beginning to wake up with tog. Standard rigs work best while the current is swift and then Joebaggs Lay Perfect Tog jigs of 2 to 4-ounces does a cleanup job while the tide begins to ease. Use the orange/green and yellow /orange jigs tipped with crabs and it will keep you busy. Dogfish are surrounding Block Island making it tough to get to the sea bass, scup, and cod. Keep moving at different depths until you elude the green-eyed monsters. School size striped bass and a few blues are smacking jigs and poppers from Shagwong to the North Bar. Loads of small bass remain at the point. The shop is carrying green crabs, however white crabs and hermits are available privately through Chris. Give him a call at (631) 668-5600 and he will have the white crabs and possibly the hermits.

Chris over at West Lake Marina reports striper fishing remains remarkable around the point and under the Lighthouse. Diamond jigs are the method of choice. During the week, a group of 4 caught 47 striped bass aboard the “Daylights Wastin”, keeping 4 slot bass, a few blues, and black sea bass. The big news however is the boats coming back to the dock and filling the fillet tables with quality chunky tog. Most of the charter boats are fishing off Fishers Island, although there are plenty of tog off Shagwong Reef, Cerberus Shoals and the Pocketbook Grounds all on green crabs. Use Joebaggs Lay Perfect Tog Jigs tipped with green crab. Little tunny and bluefish are chasing and feasting on baitfish from Shagwong to Amagansett crashing down Joebaggs Resin Jigs. Cod fishing has been good south of Block Island in 120 to 13-feet of water with lots of big sea bass mixing in. Diamond jigs are producing well.

David over at West Lake Marina reports fall fishing at its best with all the stripers you care to catch preying the rips off the Montauk Lighthouse. Much of the big bass have moved on, although that changes day to day, which creates an easy opening for culling slot size keepers. Jigs and trolling remains effective, however live eels and 3x3 rigs are as close as you can get to a sure bet. Just outside the harbor there are albacore, schoolie stripers, and bluefish both east and west of the jetties, which are responding to flies and Joebaggs Resin Jigs with pink, green, and olive producing best on the gamesters. Look for the birds and when you do find them, they can be wheeling over just about anything this time of year including bluefin tuna, therefore hold on to those rods and make sure your reels are full of fresh braid or mono. And don’t forget those fluorocarbon leaders. Blackfish have shot out of the barrel big time with all the marina boats heading off between Fishers and Watch Hill Rhode Island, coming back with full boat limits of blackfish to 7-pounds.

David over at West Lake Marina reports the bass fishing remains insane on jigs and on live eels during both the day and night tides. There are acres of small, medium and big fish feeding on sand eels and peanut bunker. Plenty of albacore, bonito and blues are vying for the same baitfish, so Joebaggs Resin Jigs in olive and green are crushing the speedsters. Sea bass are well spread with big body of biscuits at Cartwright and Frisbee Grounds, the West Grounds, the windmill farm and Southwest Ledge. Clam baits and diamond jigs catch the biscuits. Porgies are tight up by Block Island with the larger scup in the deeper water. Blackfish are just getting started.

Chris over at West Lake Marina reports bass fishing just doesn’t get any better than it continue to be with all the charter and private boats are coming back with boat limits of slot size bass and boat limits of big sea bass. Diamond jigging at the Elbow and out in front of the lighthouse is as far you have to travel to be knee deep in bass action. For anglers looking for big sea bass, Southwest Ledge continues to be loaded with a mix of small and big biscuits as well as striped bass. If you want true jumbo biscuits, fish the Cartwright Grounds with clams or diamond jigs. Surprisingly, cod fishing has been exceptionally good at the CIA Grounds, south, and southeast of Block Island. Bluefish are popping up wherever there are screeching and low flying gulls are with albacore, bonito, and mackerel all schooling up together for their share of the bounty.

David over at West Lake Marina reports superior striped bass fishing during and after the blow with loads of slot size fish as well as plenty of oversize to 40-pounds. Diamond jigs get the job done most days; however it would be wise to have a back-up plan for when the stripers snub the jigs. Live baits such as eels or porgies are a good alternative as is trolling umbrella rigs with tubes. The bass can be found in just about any rip from the Montauk Lighthouse to the Mid-Way Rips. A few bluefish, big sea bass, and an occasional jumbo porgy are also slamming the jigs. Bluefish, school stripers, and albies are providing plenty of surface action anywhere along the north side from Shagwong Point, to under the light. Tins, poppers, flies, and Joebaggs Resin Jigs get the surface exploding. Sea bass has also been excellent as the charter boats are coming back to the fillet tables with boat limits of the sea bass and limits of slot size stripers. Porgies remain excellent towards Block Island. The fishing is particularly good and will only get better, if you need a charter boat for a day, David, Tonya, and Chris will be happy to set you up with an exceptional boat, with an exceptional captain and crew.

David over at West Lake Marina reports the charter boats have been coming back with a healthy mix of big sea bass, porgies, striped bass, and blues. The sea bass are coming from the windmills, Southwest Ledge, and the Frisbee ground. Striped bass has been good right out front at the point by trolling bucktails, umbrella rigs, and live eels. Porgies remains thick around the lighthouse and at all the rips around Montauk Point using diamond jigs during slack tide. False albacore are anywhere from outside the harbor jetties and west to Shagwong Point and east of the jetties to Turtle Cove, out in front of the light, and running west down the beach showing up at any time all the way to Shinnecock. Fat Cow Epoxy Jigs in pink, green, and olive are all red-hot colors.

Chris over at West Lake Marina also relayed word of good tuna fishing to the west and east of Montauk. Some of the hot areas are the Ranger, Cambria, the six/eight Point and south of Block Island. Head a bit further east from the six/eight Grounds and you’ll find particularly good cod fishing right in 150-feet of water. Ling and sea bass are there as well. Fluke fishing seems to be holding on well in the usual spots along Cartwright and Frisbee Grounds with sea bass fishing remaining incredible as the charter boats are coming back with wheelbarrows full of the biscuits and big scup. Stripers are best off Block Island and Southwest Ledge.

Chris over at West Lake Marina reports the boats are coming back with loads of big fluke that are being caught at the Cartwright and Frisbee Grounds. The usual assortment of baits and rigs are all producing fish to 11-pounds. Codfish and sea bass remains solid off Coxes Ledge using clam baits or jigs. Porgy and sea bass fishing remains at the top of their game. Some small bass are coming from the beach after dark on plugs. But the big girls remain on Southwest Ledge slurping down live eels and by trolling umbrella rigs. Shark and tuna fishing both remain strong on the offshore grounds.

Chris over at West Lake Marina reports the best fluke fishing of the season is happening right now. Most private and most charter boats are coming back to the fillet tables with limits of big flatties along with boat limits of big sea bass. Cartwright, the North Grounds, and the windmills are all chock full of the duo with fluke to 10-plus pounds and sea bass to 5 plus pounds. The fish are being taken on a variety of rigs and baits. Striped bass fishing was also good this week at Block Island by trolling umbrella rigs and employing live eels. Great Eastern Rock and the Alaskan Rip have been producing some slot size stripers on live eels at the top of the flood tide after dark. Coxes Ledge continues to produce some quality cod, ling, and sea bass fishing for anglers making the run. Local porgy and sea bass fishing remains second to none by the lighthouse and along the north side of the point, all on clams and diamond jigs.

David over at Westlake Marina reports the fluke are here in big numbers especially fishing at Cartwright and the usual spots along the south side in 80-feet of water. Most of the boats have been coming back to the marina with limits or close to it of fish to 8 ½-pounds. The El Nino crew filled the fillet table with fat flatties, sea bass, and mahi on Saturday. Fishing for jumbo sea bass remains excellent with all boats coming back with easy limits of fish ranging from 3 to 5-pounds fishing at the windmills. Porgy fishing is just as good, with easy limits for all who seek them. Cod, ling, and sea bass remains solid off Coxes Ledge as most boats taking the haul is hauling back coolers filled with cod to 25-pounds, ling to 7-pounds and sea bass to 6-pounds.Striper fishing picked up this week by the lighthouse with several anglers nailing slot size fish. Tuna fishing remains well at Veitch Canyon, and along the edge of the Dip. The “Three G’s” smoked a178-pound bigeye in 25 minutes. Bluefin are north and west of the Ranger.

Chris over at Westlake Marina also relayed word of a great tuna bite by the Ranger wreck all on light tackle and butterfly jigs. Aboard the “No Name Charlie” 18-year-old Max Polsky nailed a 120-pound bluefin while 11-year-old Braydd Fromm aboard the “Flying Dutchman” decked a big tuna as well. Fishing has been best at the Dip, the edge of the Hudson and the Ranger wreck. Over at Coxes Ledge and southeast of Block Island are seeing some fine quality cod, ling, sea bass and whiting fishing. Closer to home, stripers are at Southwest Ledge as are sea bass, while porgies remain solid by the Montauk Point Lighthouse.

David over at Westlake Marina reports a real good week of fishing except for the fluke, which has been a grind for the most part, however jumbo sea bass have been saving the day as they are all over the fluke grounds. Striped bass fishing remains strong with the boats that are trolling wire, umbrella rigs, and bucktails locally, are finding many slot fish, while the boats drifting live eels at Southwest Ledge and the rips off Block Island are banging away at many cow bass. Porgies are also all along the south side of the point, especially just off the lighthouse. Yellowfin tuna are within 30-miles south of the point with many of the smaller marina boats making the run offshore and nailing limits of both bluefin and yellowfin tuna while drifting chunks and chumming. David asked me to mention that if you need a charter boat for your group either for a half or full-day, West Lake Marina will be more than happy to find you a boat to accommodate your fishing needs by calling (631) 668-5600.