FOR many, Labor Day weekend means one last chance to fish before the kids go back to school and vacations end. For others, it is the beginning of the best part of the saltwater season.
This is also the last gasp for fluke fishing in New York waters, as this fishery will close at midnight on Monday. It’s a shame too, because fluking has been good of late, both in the New York Bight and off the East End. Bluefish are everywhere right now, providing fast and furious action. Bottom fishing offers up porgies and sea bass.
If you are heading offshore this weekend, there are some yellowfins being caught at both Block and Hudson Canyons, with a few bigeyes, makos and swordfish thrown in. Fishing at the edge has been OK, but nothing to write home about. There were a mix of bluefins and yellowfins being caught from the Bacardi Wreck to the tip of Hudson Canyon.
Further inshore, especially around the Cholera Banks, anglers have had a good ol’ time with small bluefins, false albacore, skipjack and Spanish mackerel.
In Lower New York Harbor, party boats have been taking keeper fluke to 10 pounds at Ambrose Channel. Bluefishing at 17 Fathoms has been non-stop with some albies and bonito thrown in for good measure. Jamaica Bay has a ton of bluefish in the 2-4 pound category and the local wrecks and reefs on the ocean side are holding sea bass and porgies.
The best striper bite has been into the evening hours, but as the temperatures start to cool the bass fishing will heat up during the day.
For the Freeport boats, fluke fishing was decent this past week with many anglers taking their limit south of the Needle in 40 feet of water.
If you are fishing the Sound, there are lots of scup in the western end and they are being caught at Harts Island and the waters off Rye and Mamaroneck. Fluke to six pounds are being taken off Sands and Prospect Points as well as at Execution Light. Bluefish can be had from the bridges to Hempstead Harbor.
Bluefish are in the Sound off Huntington and Port Jeff as well as in many of the local harbors. Bluefish also have taken over the waters along the North Fork, from Mattituck to Orient.
Porgy fishing has been red hot in the Peconics with a nice little mix of small weakfish. Good porgy action off Orient and into Gardiners Bay. Stripers are being caught at the Race and the Gut, but it has been sluggish. Bluefish are chasing bait throughout the area, just follow the birds.
Shinnecock Bay offers fluke fishing both outside and in the bay at the East Cut. There are Spanish mackerel in the bay and stripers from the Ponquogue Bridge to the Inlet.
At Montauk, there are bluefish in the lake and stripers at the Point. A good number of fluke are still being taken from the Southside, and porgy fishing continues to be excellent.