ANGLERS should find the fishing this weekend to their liking, especially considering that the fluke action got a much needed shot in the arm.
The rest of the picture is about the same as last week, with good striper fishing along the South Shore, excellent bottom fishing for porgies from the New York Bight to Montauk and the ubiquitous bluefish.
Offshore fishing has been up and down, due to the weather. When boats do get out they can usually find some sharks to take their bait. Capt. Mike Brumm, of the charter boat Daybreaker out of Montauk, managed to get two makos last weekend, 184 pounds and 340 pounds. The Fishtails and the Dip has decent action on yellowfin and longfin albacore.
The porgy bite has been excellent. Despite having some very good fluke trips of late, Capt. Fred Bird, who runs the open boat Flying Cloud out of Montauk, says the porgy fishing is hot and he will be sailing full day trips from now on and leaving at 7 a.m.
The Sheepshead Bay boats have been scoring with porgies to 3.8 pounds, while the fluke boats did some damage on the flatties in Ambrose Channel and off Norton’s Point. There were some big fluke taken off the Cholera Banks early in the week. Those chasing blues have been slamming choppers up to 15 pounds.
There was decent fluking inside Hempstead Harbor for Long Island Sound fishermen. There were also fluke being caught at Prospect Point. The harbor also gave up some weakfish last weekend, while those seeking scup worked Execution Light. Blues are roaming all over the western end of the Sound and have been hitting both bait and artificials. Snapper blues are also starting to show in some of the harbors and are being caught from local piers and bulkheads.
Along the South Shore, there are fluke being taken in the channels inside Jones Inlet, while some of the party boats from Freeport have worked the waters south of Jones and did well, with fish to six pounds. Sea bass and porgies were found at most of the local wrecks and reefs.
In Great South Bay, it’s pretty much the same story: fluke in the channels inside the bay, while bigger fish are being taken outside south of the inlet. Snappers are starting in Great South Bay, while a few bass were taken at the Thumb. It’s been a good week for those fishing Moriches, with one in three fluke a keeper near buoy 15.
The East End offers some exciting fishing. Shinnecock Bay had good fluke fishing this past week and you can take porgies by the Ponquogue Bridge. They’re also taking big stripers at the inlet. Porgies are also in the Peconics by the South Race, while the weakfish are at Roses Grove.
Porgies are a hot item for Montauk anglers, while the fluke fishing continues to offer fish to eight pounds. Bluefish are everywhere in Gardiners Bay.
