LONG Island Sound’s western end will be busy this weekend as thousands of anglers chase bluefish in hopes of taking the Big One. The one who does that will earn $25,000 in the Greatest Bluefish Tournament on Earth.
There are bluefish everywhere you look in the Sound; the trick is to home in on where the big ones live. From the Throgs Neck Bridge to Eastchester Bay, schools of fish have been feeding on bunker. There are substantial-sized fish in Manhasset Bay and at the mouth of Hempstead Harbor. There were also large schools of slammer blues off Huntington and Cranes Neck.
Most of the sharpies will be using fresh-cut or live bunker in the hopes of getting the big one, but top water plugs have also produced some big blues. Those who haven’t yet entered have until 8 p.m. today to submit an application. Jack’s Bait and Tackle Shop on City Island is just one of the many shops accepting applications, and they will stay open to accommodate anglers throughout the tourey. For more information, call (203) 366-BLUE.
Those of you sitting out the tournament can find fluke to nine pounds at the bridges, and from Manhasset Bay to Little Neck Bay, if you can get underneath the bluefish. There are also fluke off Sands and Prospect Points. The best porgy action seems to be off the north side, from Mamaroneck to Playland in Rye.
If you are fishing in lower-New York Harbor, there are still some nice-sized fluke being caught in Ambrose Channel. Sheepshead Bay party boats are doing fair on the fluke during the day and very good on the bass during evening trips. Blues to 10 pounds continue to offer great action at 17 Fathoms. The exotics are starting to show, and we are seeing bonita, Spanish mackerel and small bluefin tuna being caught in the New York Bight.
In Jamaica Bay, you’ll find chopper blues to 12 pounds taking peanut bunker. The fluke are being caught by the Marine Park Bridge, and there are lots of blue claws and snapper blues in the bay.
If you are fishing out of Jones Inlet, there are fluke being caught in 70 feet of water south of Cedar Beach, and from the Coast Guard Station to the Inlet. Big blues are roaming the local beaches, and keeper bass have been trolled in 40 feet of water south of Jones Beach. The party boats did well on fluke this week, with pool winners up to eight pounds.
For the East End crowd, there are so many snappers in Shinnecock Bay that anglers have been using them for live bait to take bass and blues. There are fluke at the inlet and canal, and the stripers are from the bridge to the inlet.
Striper fishing off Montauk has been finicky, but that’s normal as everyone waits for the big push after Labor Day.
From now through Sept. 20, the National Marine Fisheries Service has increased the bag limit for recreationally caught bluefins between 27 and 73 inches, curved-fork length, to two per boat in the private boat category, and three per boat in charter/open boats.
