C-MAP Featured Hotspot: The Race

Deep water, fast currents and dramatic depth changes make the Race one of the finest fishing spots reachable from Long Island or Connecticut.

The Race is located between Fishers Island and Little Gull Island, is about 3.5 miles wide, and serves as the main entrance into Long Island Sound. Depths in the Race range from 250 to less than 50 feet, and these dramatic changes, coupled with the massive water exchange in and out of Long Island Sound, create a large rip line.

Giant stripers feed in the slower water ahead of the ripline, and this is where fishermen concentrate their efforts. Jigging with diamond jigs or bucktails is the most popular method, and the one employed by most of the charter and party boats that fish the area.

Captains fish here by motoring up-current of the rip, dropping the jigs to the bottom, and lifting and dropping them constantly to keep them from snagging while keeping them in the strike zone. Often, the depths between 60 and 90 feet are the sweet spot. Diamond Jigs of 8 to 10 ounces are used in these waters, while 1- to 1.5-ounce bucktails are fished on three-way rigs with 10- to 20-ounce sinkers rigged to break away if they get snagged.

Eels, also fished on three-way rigs, are also very productive in the Race, especially after dark. At night, it’s especially important to watch your chart plotter to prevent drifting through the rips.

No matter what technique you use, make sure you aren’t dragging the bottom. The Race is full of rocks that will snare a jig or sinker in an instant, so as soon as you hit bottom, make a few cranks to keep your rig out of the rocks.
In the late summer and fall, bluefish and false albacore can be found at the Race, feeding on the baitfish moving south.