Western Long Island and NYC Fishing Report- August 31, 2023

Western Long Island and NYC Fishing Report

• Bluefish come to life with the Super Moon, with gators going airborne as they blitz on bay anchovies in back bays across the West Long Island Sound 
• Bonito and Spanish mackerel storm the beaches and inlets across the South Shore; keep an eye out for albies 
• Striped bass fishing heats up on both shores, with more big specimens being caught on bucktails, plugs, and soft plastics. 

Jamie from Bay Park Fishing Station in Oceanside said: 

“The ocean fluke bite has stayed consistent and bigger fluke seemed to be landed more consistently on live peanut bunker and whole squid. Bridges are producing striped bass on bucktails and clams. Hopefully the north winds will drive the bunker to the beach and set up the fall run blitzes we’re all eagerly anticipating.  Stock up at Bay Park now for false albacore and striped bass! You never know when that first big blitz is going to kick-off!” 

John from Freeport Bait and Tackle reports: 

“The fall run craziness is about to begin. Spanish macks and bonito have been blitzing near Jones Inlet and West towards Rockaway. Fluking has been a bit slow in the bay and better out in the ocean, in the AB and Cholera reefs. Striped bass have been stacking up at the bridges but the key is to know when they’re biting.” 

Petey Trovato from Lindenhurst Bait and Tackle reports: 

“Fluking outside on the reefs has been great, keepers are still coming out of the bays on squid and spearing, and bucktails and gulp. It’s a slower bite in the bays though and you have to put the time in and weed through the shorts. The bridges by Jones Beach have produced keeper-size fish and hold a lot of bait between the pilings. Bluefish run through there often and cause chaos and make for fast action.

Off Robert Moses, one of my friends caught under slot and slot-size stripers very early in the morning or late at night on bucktails with teasers, but have also snagged a few rays which are harder to avoid when the water’s dark. The Fall run should be a good one and starting any day now.” 

Brandon Weitz from Causeway Bait and Tackle in Wantagh told me: 

“I haven’t been out in the boat on any extensive trips lately, but the stripers at my local dock have been hitting. Bluefish have been all over the place, going crazy on peanut bunker and other small bait. This week there have been bonito and kingfish caught by Jones Beach. Meanwhile, fluking has been decent in the bays and outside the inlets on the reefs. Anglers are still jigging up keepers.” 

Paul Mccain from River Bay Outfitters in Baldwin said:

“The back bays have been loaded with bluefish, from cocktails to gator size. The Connetquot River has been fantastic and there’s a dry fly bite going on which is plenty of fun. This super moon should make things interesting – last night the water was all the way up to the dunes. Hopefully the wind will die down and make conditions a bit more fish-able.” 

Captain Josh of Gypsea Charters in Brooklyn reports:

“Very good fluking this past week with tons of action on all trips and keepers have been plentiful. Many anglers working a bucktail and Gulp have been rewarded with limit catches. We have been targeting deeper, smaller patches of bottom, bouncing around a bit in order to find these fish on the move. We should have another few weeks of good fishing before it ends! Call or text (516) 659-3814 for information and reservations, which are required.

Captain Adrian of Rockfish Charters in Queens reports:

“This week tuna fishing on the Rockfish has been consistent but we’re having to work for it. We’re averaging 200 mile days on our tuna trips but came home with fish on every charter. Most of our fish have been caught jigging but live peanut bunker is also starting to work. Closer to home we’re doing family charters catching tons of blues, weakfish and fluke minutes from the dock, keeping the kids excited! Tuna fishing is in full swing and getting better every week, and the fall run is just around the corner. Call (347)661-4501 to book a trip.”

 

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• Eastern Long Island Fishing Report: Click here to read what’s happening around Suffolk County and The Forks!

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

Here’s what anglers have been sharing on social media this week: 

 

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• Eastern Long Island Fishing Report: Click here to read what’s happening around Suffolk County and The Forks!

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

Before I begin I want to mention that the Fire Island lighthouse tower has re-opened, and visitors can once again climb the lighthouse for a spectacular view of the ocean and the Great South Bay, while learning about Long Island’s maritime history and exploring a beautiful part of the South Shore. For more information check out the preservation society’s website: fireislandlighthouse.com

August is over. What’s ahead? A lot. The best is yet to come, if it hasn’t already started. Albies will make their runs along the South Shore and in the Eastern Long Island Sound very soon if not already. Hard tails like spanish mackerel and bonito have already been around and crashing the beaches and inlets from Rockaway to Gilgo. Bluefish have been fired up in the Sound, and it shows no sign of slowing. Almost daily, you can find bluefish blitzes occurring from the Throgs Neck Bridge to the back bays of Oyster Bay and Huntington. If you arrive at a spot and only see bait; just give it time. 

Last night’s super moon produced ripping current and the highlight for me was the bluefish bite. As I made my way towards the boat ramp, I spotted hundreds if not thousands of bay anchovies leaping out of the water. What took my full focus, however, was the large, adult-sized bluefish jumping clear behind them, or making big splashes with their tails visible either behind or in the middle of the schools. These blitzes occurred in all directions, between boat slips, and in only 5 to 10 feet of water. It was pandemonium and it only lasted about 15 minutes before calming down. The bluefish were totally keyed-in on these small bay anchovies; topwater poppers, plugs, soft plastics, and even bucktails received no bites. In the end, I had to return to my car before I got a parking ticket. 

A highlight of August for me was getting my first fluke on a slow-pitch jig, something I’d wanted to do since committing to using the lures for most of my bottom fishing this season. August was actually a very good month for me with slow-pitch jigs, netting sea bass, bluefish, fluke, and of course porgies. Andy Nabreski’s recent Living Off the Land and Sea episode (full video here) has me in the mood to keep a few more porgies and try that delicious looking recipe out soon.

Bay fluking on the South shore has been hit-or-miss, and very time, location, and tide dependent. Outside on the inlets, reports have been comparably warmer. If you don’t have a boat, consider hopping on a party boat that does ocean trips to bring home a limit from the reefs.  

On the North shore, I had a good week fishing for fluke and one of my honey-hole ledges close to shore produced two keepers on Wednesday, both on a Z-Man DieZel minnow soft plastic rigged on a Joe Bagg’s ¾-ounce SPJ jighead, and slathered in Pro-Cure for good luck.  

What to Expect

The super moon will be out and about tonight. Wind may be a negative factor for some, with a mild to strong Northeast blow. If you typically fish the South shore beaches, you might want to try heading North to escape the wind and get in on the bluefish bite up here. I may or may not hit the back bays in my kayak, looking for sunset striped bass and gator bluefish. The weekend looks much better weather-wise, and Saturday should be a sunny and calm day overall. 

Fish your favorite bridges and ledges extra hard this week as the current will be ripping at 2x strength. There’s a good chance your local bridge has a school of striped bass underneath, and a few larger ones mixed in that are more willing to bite during the cool mornings and nights.  

Work soft plastics and bucktails between the pilings for a bite, and keep your eyes open for bait. Consistency is key; find the stripers, then find the feeding window they seem to be most active at. Figuring out what time these fish were active was key to my success last spring. 

Hogy Epoxy jigs, Joe Bagg’s resin jigs, Deadly Dicks, and other small bait presentations are mandatory right now – if you’re on the South shore, a school of spanish mackerel and/or bonito could crash the beach at any given time or day. Bluefish will be everywhere and blitzing around on peanut bunker, spearing, and bay anchovies. Fishing the ends of the outgoing or incoming tide seemed to work out when trying to find the times that the fish were most active and blitzing. 

Sometimes you’ll run into  bait and birds, but no surface feeding activity from blues or otherwise. What I do in that situation is bottom jig for fluke, porgy, etc. while keeping my eyes firmly glued to the bait for any sign of a blitz starting to form. The only certainty I know in fishing is that there is no certainty. Anything can happen at any given moment, blitzes especially. 

The fall run is about to begin! Get on the water anyway you can, whenever you can, and don’t miss out on the action.

Thanks, as always, for reading, and tight lines.