PORT JEFF SLABS, NY
Port Jefferson Harbor is located on the northwestern coast of Long Island, NY, set apart from other north shore ports and harbors. While there are plenty of restaurants and shops to satisfy the tourists, Port Jeff is notable for its fluke fishing. One of the major fluke attractors is the sandy bottom—a gift from the last receding glacier. Fluke prefer this surface over the rocky Connecticut shoreline. Other favorable bottom features are shoals, drop-offs and flats – key slab staging areas. Port Jefferson also offers all-important tidal flow, and its strong current carries an assortment of small bait along the coast, including mummichogs, grass shrimp, silversides, snapper blues, sand eels, and peanut bunker. Fluke take advantage of this smorgasbord and hold near offshore points with moving water.
Port Jefferson boasts several spots with these ideal features, including Old Field Point, Mt. Misery Shoal, and the channel mouth. Old Field Point, near buoy 11A, is the westernmost of these hotspots. It juts sharply from the shoreline, receiving an excellent tide flow. The bottom also drops sharply near the point, diving from 15 to 30 feet, and then falling to over 100 feet. Around the mouth of the Port Jefferson channel, try exploring the sloped areas on the east and west sides, which range from five to 30 feet. This is a great spot for flatties, as the tide flushes baitfish through the entrance of the harbor on the ebb tide. The fluke wait hungrily outside the channel, so drop your line in the right place and you’ll reel ‘em in!
The third and most productive hotspot is Mt. Misery Shoal, an offshore shoal shaped like an elongated diamond. Its northeastern tip starts at buoy 11 and continues diagonally for 3/4 mile. The depth changes drastically on this shoal, plunging from ten to 90 feet.
Unlike other popular fluking destinations, such as Block Island and Rhode Island sounds, Connecticut fishermen can easily access Port Jefferson. Because it’s located just opposite the Connecticut shoreline, the boat ride across the Sound is quite manageable; roughly 11 miles from the Stratford area.
When fluke fishing, finding the best location is only half the challenge. Then you must rely on your technique. Use the birds to your advantage. Unlike flounder, fluke are predatory fish that like to hang under schools of bait. Therefore, if a flock of birds is working baitfish on the surface at Mt. Misery Shoal, fluke are likely feeding below—especially in recent seasons, thanks to huge shoals of sand eels piled up on the sandy bottom.
To improve your drift, choose a tide that corresponds with the wind direction; otherwise, your boat will remain stationary. Fluke face into the current to ambush baitfish. It’s best to run up-tide, drop your lines and drift across the shoal waters.
These predators always prefer fresh bait, so try using a squid strip, silverside, whole mummichog, or strip of fish belly—ideally paired off to a fresh sand eel. The New York fluke regulations allow each fisherman three 20-1/2-inch fluke from May 1st through September 30th. Visit www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/7894.html for more information regarding local limits and regs.
