Sports

OFFSHORE, IT’S ALL BLUE

INSHORE fishing around the shores of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut continues to offer a pleasant diversion from the hustle and bustle of urban living.

For those working the waters in the metro area, you can find blues, bass and weakfish close to shore, as well as a fairly decent supply of fluke. The offshore picture is starting with a bluebackground as blue sharks provide the bulk of the fish.

Bluefishing in the New York Bight has gotten a lot of attention lately. Party boats from Sheepshead Bay are doing very well at 17 Fathoms. Fluke boats seem to be concentrating on Sandy Hook side of the New York Bight and have enjoyed consistent action with the summer flatties.

The boys from Bernie’s Bait and Tackle Shop on Emmons Ave. in Sheepshead Bay have completed all the work on their new shop in time to tell us that weaks and bass have been more active at night, especially in Jamaica Bay. Bluefish in mixed sizes are being caught throughout the bay.

There are bluefin tuna at the Mud Hole, and starting next Friday, the National Marine Fisheries Service is allowing us to keep some school-sized bluefins (those under 47 inches). Right now, the only bluefins you can keep are the large school and small medium-sized fish. Of course, you need a special tuna license to keep any bluefins. We’ll give you more information on the subject in next Wednesday’s column.

Bluefish to eight pounds are being caught off Staten Island at Great Kills and in Raritan Bay. Bass, blues and weakfish are moving through the Narrows, with some being taken around Liberty State Park.

Bass and blues are moving up the East River and into the Sound. Stripers to 36 pounds were caught at the bridges and off Hart’s Island. Cocktail blues are invading many of the western bays and harbors. Fluke can be had around City Island and Sands Point.

There are bass taken on chunks at Execution Light and fluke to seven pounds taken at Sands Point. Fluke and bass were on the menu for anglers working the waters from Glen Cove to Huntington.

For anglers along the South Shore, there were a few makos taken 35 miles south of Jones Inlet. There were lots of blue sharks to be had in this area, as well as by the Virginia Wreck and Rock Piles. There were reports of school bluefin at Cholera early in the week.

Fluke fishing provides the bulk of the action in Great South Bay and Moriches Bay, while those seeking weakfish tell us this fishing has fallen off. In Shinnecock Bay, there are blues by the canal, while the fluke fishing was a hit-and-miss proposition for most of the week. Stripers were being caught on plugs east of the inlet early and late in the day.

Off Montauk, the striper fishing is your best bet, with most of the charter skippers telling me their customers have no problem limiting out. Fluke fishing is on the rebound around the Point, having dropped off due to east winds and the new moon. There are plenty of blue sharks offshore, and we hear that the Viking Fleet has had some extraordinary catches of codfish on its overnight trips.