Eastern Long Island Fishing Report- September 28, 2023

Eastern Long Island Fishing Report

• Big bass in the surf and inlets.
• Big weakfish moving through the bays to exit through the inlets.
• Some big fluke are still being caught inside the bays.
• Bluebird skies in the week ahead.

The Captree Pride reports:

“Our sister boat was out yesterday catching some big fluke! We had to cancel the same trip due to lack of customers. Bay fluke fishing has been excellent, with 30 to 50 keepers per trip before the blow. We’re running Sunday night tuna trips through October, leaving Sunday at 8 p.m. and returning at 8 p.m. Monday night. We saw plenty of tuna on the last trip, in terrible conditions. Typically October hosts the best yellowfin action of the year.”

The Fishfinder of Captree reports: 

“Yesterday’s 10 a.m. fluke trip saw some good keeper and short fluke. The pool fish was six pounds, coming up on a fast drift. Rigs were the ticket to catching the most. We didn’t sail the 4 days prior due to the wind. The fish are still here and hungry though! Fishing prior to the blow was excellent. Limits were being taken around the boat on each trip. The best gulp colors have been salmon, chartreuse, white and nuclear chicken.” 

Captain Stu Paterson of Northport Charters reports: 

“We unfortunately remained docked during the storm, but we’re heading out right now hoping for a solid bite! I’ve still got some openings here and there this fall for blackfish and striper trips.” Call/text Stu at 631-707-3266 or check out Stu’s website to book a trip: northportcharters.com.

The Celtic Quest Fishing Fleet of Port Jefferson reports: 

“We were able to get in a final trip out of Mattituck before the windy weather arrived. We saw some excellent fishing, with limits of porgies for those who wanted that many, and a nice showing of keeper sea bass to finish off the day.  The day prior, we had a similar bite with some huge sea bass and a beautiful keeper striped bass and a bluefish. The fishing out of Port Jefferson that day was mostly comprised of porgies.” Call them for booking info, or check the website/Facebook for more info.

• Looking for the Western L.I. and NYC Fishing Report? Click here to read what’s happening around Nassau, Kings and Queens counties!

• Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain on Long Island!

The Peconic Star 3 of Greenport reports:

“We sailed yesterday and found some nice calm waters to target big porgies and sea bass. We’re looking forward to tautog season, which is right around the corner. On opening day (10/11), we’ll start carrying green crabs for those anglers who want some blackfish. 

Fishing before the blow was very good, and we reckon it’ll remain that way for the foreseeable future. We were catching porgies to 18 inches, sea bass and bluefish. The biggest body of bay anchovies we’ve ever seen has entered the area, with all of the aforementioned predators feeding upon them.” For booking info, call Captain Paul at 631-522-2002.

Bill at Chasing Tails Bait and Tackle in Oakdale reports:

“Striped bass are starting to show up all over the island after that last blow. The fall run should blast wide open by the end of the full moon cycle. Most anglers are using bucktails and big plugs. Bottle plugs and darters are the go-to. Fly anglers are doing well on big baitfish and eel patterns. Some monster fish have rolled through already. Fluke season is almost over, and it’s going out with a bang! The inlets are loaded with solid fluke making their way out into the ocean. Fish in the 5 -to 7-pound range are getting pulled every day. Get out there while you still can! Weakfish are in the bay, holding in their spots. Small soft plastics are doing the best, and light rods/lines are a must. Sea bass action is going well on the wrecks outside. Drop some big jigs down for the best action. Epoxy jigs, slow pitch, diamond jigs, and bucktails all get smashed by angry sea bass. The bay is littered with bait schools and cocktail blues blowing them apart. The rivers are loaded up too. Tons of fun for everyone, they’ll hit just about anything. Small poppers and tins are getting lit up.

Bass and pickerel are searching out meals during the fall transition, getting fat for the winter. They’re going wild on swimbaits, senkos, jigs, spoons, and crankbaits. Top water lures still get smashed up this time of year, so don’t forget to throw them. Trout are up and active early these days, and they will stay up later into the day that during the hot summer. Dry flies are very effective for rising fish. When they get picky, hang a nymph dropper underneath. Aggressive trout are chasing streamers around the river. Sunfish and yellow perch are out doing their thing, and are a lot of fun to catch on ultralight tackle for people of every age and skill level. Give ’em the ol’ worm and bobber, or toss an inline spinner their way.”

Rosie Fishing of Moriches Bay reports:

“We’re still picking away at quality fluke. Rosie regular Rich had his limit by 10:30 a.m. yesterday morning. We’re running some discounted trips, so keep your eyes peeled on our website for details. Keep an eye on our website for sailing times, reports, and trip openings.” Give them a call for booking info.

Nick from Haskell’s Bait and Tackle in East Quogue reports:

“With the weather last week, it was tough to get on much of anything. There are plenty of bass in the inlets and bays though. Large fish showed during and after the storm. Some porgy and fluke action has been occurring off the bridges and piers. Big weakfish have also begun to move through those areas too.”

The Shinnecock Star in Hampton Bays reports:

“Yesterday’s trip saw some nice fish come over the rail. Charlene picked a slot bass just four minutes after leaving the dock, and a few nice fluke came up as well. Just before the blow, we had some men and lady anglers working the fast current for fluke. We picked away at them the entire trip, despite the difficult conditions. Lynda managed to cull three keepers and win the pool with a 5.5-pound fish. They’re sailing 12-4pm trips in the next few days.”

Bill Wetzel of the Surf Rats Ball reports:

“Rhode Island Matt joined me on the north side yesterday for the sunset shift. We fished 5:30-10:30 p.m. We found a pick of small bass and blues there, taking bucktails. Matt picked a nice mid-twenty pound fish on a blue bottle plug before we made a move west, where we found nothing. After running back to the north side for another skunk, we headed to the sand beaches where Matt caught one fish on an SP minnow.

On Monday, MLB Matt joined me on the north side for the same shift. He picked a high-teen bass on the first cast, using a 3 ounce bucktail. We picked small bass and blues after that until dark. We struck out on the sand beaches afterward, and then on the south side. We finished up on the north side, where Matt found one bass on a yellow bottle plug.”

Bill thinks this moon phase might be the weakfish moon.

Rob fished two days ago around sunset, targeting the upper incoming at a western south shore inlet. He spotted some mullet breaking close to shore, and ended up tying into a nice fish on a Hopkins tin.

Dan K. headed to the East River on Monday to fish the evening tide for a bit. It was outgoing, and he found tons of baby schoolie stripers under the dock lights feeding on spearing. There were some slightly larger fish, but nothing to write home about.

Dave rolled out to Montauk from NJ this past weekend to fish solo. On Saturday’s session, he worked some water around the Fort Pond area. A small, weed-free area was holding some fish, and he picked a couple schoolies on a 1.5oz white bucktail. The north side was next, and Dave pulled one more short. The fishing conditions were very tough. On Sunday, he worked the morning shift, targeting the south side this time. With the wind pretty much at his back he casted a chicken scratch SP minnow into some clean water, tying into 3 bass between 24-28 inches between sunrise and 8am.

John worked a south shore inlet just before the real weather arrived. He fished 9-11 with his buddy the first night, and his friend caught a 25 inch bass on a Mag Darter. An hour later, John pulled in a weakfish in the mid teens (inches) on a needlefish. Spearing was there, and peanuts were behind them. The next morning, the rain was pouring, and the action was practically nonexistent, save for a few bluefish.” Subscribe today at www.longislandsurffishing.com.

Chris Albronda from Montauk reports:

“It was a tough week with this wind, but if you were a surfcaster and able to brave the elements, your risk would’ve been worth it. The striper fishing from the shore was like it was at the beginning of the year, phenomenal, with slot fish in the mix and over slots. The albies were spotted daily at the flood tide rip. And the black Fish moved close to shore, making surfcasting for them possible.”

• Looking for the Western L.I. and NYC Fishing Report? Click here to read what’s happening around Nassau, Kings and Queens counties!

• Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain on Long Island!

Eastern Long Island Fishing Forecast

What a crummy week! If you didn’t get out, though, you missed out. Reports were pouring in from anglers catching quality fish all along the east end, south shore. I was dealing with some personal issues, so I did not get out once during the stormy weather. The bite remains active though, with some quality stripers well above the slot range coming to hand. 

Fluke reports are pouring in already, as some boats are working the calmer back waters to target the bottom. Stripers are coming over the rail on those trips, suggesting that there is a lot of movement occurring.

Some more crummy weather is forecasted for the near future as well. Tonight through Saturday should be rife with rain and decent winds out of the northeast. Granted, the winds won’t be as high as they were this past week, but expect a bit of turbulence. After that, though, we’re looking at bluebird skies. Some north winds should calm the ocean down a little bit, and the prevailing east winds would keep the water nice and clear, methinks.

I think blitz season is going to open up right after this rain (if not before it). Bill Wetzel called this the “weakfish moon.” Reports of weakfish starting to make moves have already arose, so I think that’s a good call. Typically hwen the weakfish move, you start to see a lot of other fun baits make their way south. You’ll get into kingfish, puffers, juvenile weakfish, spot, and all sorts of “summer fish,” that are trying to bail before the colder waters kill them.

Look for the blitzes in the inlets. Last year there was a ton of mullet and bay anchovies getting demolished along the rocks. It’s the time of year you’ll also see baits you’ve never seen before. Every year or two, I see halfbeaks getting blasted out of the water near shore. It’s a really cool sight, and the fish work these baits unlike any other bait I’ve seen… and the way the halfbeaks flee the predators is wild. There is a lot of jumping, all at once, on the run. It’s not like bunker fleeing, which appears as a chaotic explosion. The halfbeaks are all running in one direction, away from the predator. It’s like watching “the wave” at a baseball game.

The coming weeks should provide some of the most exciting scenes that surfcasting can provide during the fall run. Make some time to get out there at the open beach or the inlets to experience some of the best fishing the northeast offers.