THERE seems to be a lull right now for striped bass fishing, but with the start of the porgy season last Sunday there has been an explosion of bottom fishing on the wrecks, reefs and mussel bottoms that has more than made up for any lack of stripers.
The porgy population over the last decade has seen a steady increase and while traditionally the best fishing has been off the East End, in Great and Little Peconic Bays, off Shelter Island and in close to both the North and South Forks, there is also a great summer fishery in the New York Bight along many of the rocky areas and mussel beds.
A substantial porgy fishery can also be found in Long Island Sound, from Mattituck Inlet east to Plum Island and the Race, as well as in the western Sound, from Sands Point east to Matinecock and Center Island Points, and on the north side of the Sound, east of City Island.
The Sheepshead Bay party boats that are targeting porgies have found some nice fishing for both porgies and sea bass at the Rockaway Reef as well as a number of bottom pieces off the North Jersey coast.
Fluke boats from Sheepshead Bay are finding lots of good fishing for their customers. At times, the bottom seems paved with fluke and I’ve heard of anglers catching 60 to 70 fish and being able to find at least seven keepers in the bunch.
There was some good bluefish action aboard the Brooklyn last week, and although they were doing a lot of traveling, the fish were big and plentiful.
Jimmy DeCuffa, from Jack’s Bait and Tackle Shop on City Island tells us that the porgy action is at the 1 Can, Matinecock, and off Rye – where they’ve been catching them from shore. Jimmy adds that there are some fluke to be found at Big Tom and that the bluefish are out in the middle of the channel towards Hempstead.
There is excellent fluke fishing south of Jones Inlet in 40 to 60 feet of water, according to Richie Rosenkranz from the Woodcleft Fishing Station. Richie said he weighed in a number of 6-7 pounders the past few days.
If you’re heading off shore, most of the big sharks that were weighed in at last week’s tournament run by Rosenkranz were taken in the 30- to 40-mile range south and east of Jones Inlet. Richie added that the big 329-pound thresher that won the tourney was taken near the Rock Piles. Yellowfin, Allison and long fin tuna are starting to show at Hudson Canyon and the Fishtails.
There is also some excellent fluke fishing to be found in Moriches Bay. Gary Grunseich, who runs the Silly Lilly Fishing Station in East Moriches, says that you should fish the incoming tide between buoy 26 and 29 as well as buoys 14 to 17 using spearing and squid combos – about one in seven are keepers. Kingfish have also shown up in Moriches Bay and are being caught in the hole off Buoy 30.
