Long Island – New York Fishing Report – June 16, 2016

The fishing scene across Long Island this week has mostly showcased stripers and fluke. Bluefish have also put in a few appearances, and porgy fishing actually seems to be on the rise in the usual hot spots. With bunker, spearing and sand eels are all abundant now in most waters and the action is likely to hold steady in the near term.

John from Hudson Park Bait and Tackle continues to report a hot bite with bass. Though it seemed last week that anglers were beginning to drift away from trolling to soak bait, this week they were back to working bunker spoons and parachute rigs. The action around Harts Island has been good for fluking with some nice keepers being caught on most trips and bluefish and porgies adding to the fun.

At Stella Maris Bait And Tackle, Mike reports very good trophy fishing. This week saw a 51-pound bass weighed in as well as a 12-pound fluke. The fish around the Brooklyn waters had been steady with a few monsters mixed in but now it seems to have picked up the pace where big fish are concerned and a surprising number of lunkers have been hitting the scales.

Mike from Bay Park Fishing Station also has seen the trolling scene explode. There have been stripers caught out of Debs Inlet ranging from 30 to 50 pounds. The best bite has been on the morning tide although the afternoon has been productive as well. Bass have been caught also on top water plugs worked around schools of big bunker. Fluke fishing picked up this week on the ocean sied but the main focus has been with stripers.

At Captree Bait and Tackle, Brenden reports solid fishing from the Captree Piers producing fluke upwards of 3 pounds. There’s also been a mix of blues, sea robins and blowfish taking a hook in this area. Off Democrat Beach, there have been bass taken up to 30-pounds as well as a few threshers on bunker chunks. A few fluke have been feeding in these waters too, up to 8-pounds. On the offshore scene, there have been decent shark and tuna around making the long run worthwhile.

In Glenn Cove, at Musketa Cove Bait and Tackle, John reported a 49-pound bass taken with a couple 30-pounders to go along with it. The fluking action has continued to be hot with a mix of porgies and small bluefish chipping in. There have also been a few big blues bending poles but a majority of them are in the 6-9-pound range.

Mark from Cow Harbor in Northport reports plenty of action to keep anglers busy. There have been a lot of bass on the evening outgoing tide, mostly in the 20-pound class. There have also been some 30-pound fish hanging around due to the numerous schools of adult bunker staying in the area. This means that these fish should be around to catch for some time. Fluke have been active off Cranes Neck in the deeper water, 20 to -30 feet, and are feeding on everything from spearing and sand eels to small porgies and the mantis shrimp which seem to be holding in the area.

Terminal Tackle’s John, Sr., spoke of fluke being “plentiful” all across Smithtown Bay. There are an unusual number of big fish still being caught, he noted, with a lot of 5- to 7-pound keepers, too. Usually the bigger fluke have moved off by now but something is holding them steady around Eatons Neck. The bass trolling has produced well with lots of 28- to 30-pound fish in the mix. On the beaches, there are more schoolies and cocktail blues taking poppers and small diamond jigs as they are feeding mostly of sand eels.

Aboard the Jib VI in Captree, Capt. Joe continues to find strong fluke action, pulling up to 180 fish a trip with a decent number being keepers. On the evening trips, the blues have been biting well also, although the wind this week did slow things down a little.

Jason from The Campsite added to the positive North Shore fluke reports with fish in slightly deeper water. There has been decent striper action as well with fish up to 36-inches being taken on plugs and bunker chunks. In deeper water anglers have been getting the linesiders on diamond jigs with the best bite, as usual, coming around dusk or dawn. The blues and porgies haven’t come in strong yet but the bite gets better by the day.

In Southold, at Wego Fishing, Steve reports fluke being taken off Bug Light Lighthouse and in Gardiners Bay. On the Sound side, Kenny’s and McCabes beaches have given up a few keepers. The bass action has been best in the Gut and Race on outgoing tides. When it comes to small blues, Jessups Neck will give you all you can handle as Steve claims you can fill the boat quickly.

Bryce at White Water Outfitters in Hampton Bays has seen the best fluke fishing moving out into deeper water on the ocean side. Fluke overall has been slow but more depth is your best bet for action. Bass fishing has been good, mostly in the inlet with some coming from the ocean as well. Porgies remain red hot in the area and shark and tuna are starting to come alive.

At West Lake Marina in Montauk, Tonya weighed a 37.4-pound striper this week, taken aboard the Susie E II while trolling an umbrella rig. Although the bass scene has been quiet up to this point, they are beginning to see a few bigger fish taken. There are tons of porgies to be caught with a few keeper fluke weighing up to 9 pounds.

Also on the South Shore at Montauk Marine Basin, Chase reports fluke up to 11-pounds and loads of bluefish around. Off The Point, there have been big porgies – some up to 3-pounds – on clam. The bass have not been as active as they have been around the rest of the Island but there are some to be caught in the deeper waters.

TJ from Gone Fishing Marina has not seen any crazy action thus far. Anglers seeking porgies in the area have done well but as for the bass, blues and stripers, the switch is yet to turn on. There has been a few shorts of each kind caught but the wait is still in play for lunkers.

Joe from the Staten Island Tuna Club has had very good results with big bass this week. There has been a consistant catch of 40-pound fish and above around the Statue of Liberty and just pass the Verazzano Bridge to the Islands. Most have been caught on bunker chunks or live lining. There have also been a ton of big bluefish weighing 15-20 pounds. These gator blues have been pulled from the Midland Beach fishing peir to South Beach mostly at night. Kayak anglers have done the best with fluke as they can get into the tight, shallow spots where the fish have been holding. A decent number of keepers have made the trips worth while.

Paul from River Bay Outfitters has seen the best results fishing for fluke. The bass and bluefish seemed to slow down this week although there have been keepers pulled off of Jones Beach. Anglers looking for fluke have to cull through a lot of shorts to find the keepers but remain busy either way.

On the freshwater side, local ponds and rivers continue to be a source of constant action. Largemouth bass, trout and even some carp are on the prowl for bread balls, topwater frogs and flies of all kinds.

Fishing Forecast for Long Island – New York

Overall, if you are heading out this week, you should find decent action. Fluke and bass have been showing great numbers of big fish and would serve well as your main targets. If heading offshore be prepared for a fight as shark and tuna continue to grow more active.