NY Fishing Reports for July 2008

[bunkerjoe4]

Important when registering on our site use an active email address so you can activate account to be able to post.

Please post fishing reports here.......as little or as much detail as you want to give.

Please note: NO SPOT BURNING! Posts burning spots will be Edited or DELETED!
Some veteran fishermen have put in years developing and learning about certain spots.Some of these spots can only handle a few guys at a time. We are losing enough access as it is, due to the unfortunate behavior of a few selfish people. No sense in making it worse.

For some areas, it would be wiser to say:
OutFront (Ocean) OR -- OutBack (Bay) -- if you feel too many people will figure out what you are talking about. "Spot burning" also could involve mentioning something specific only to that area. If you do this, your post may be edited, or deleted. Remember that thousands of people could potentially read these posts. You don't want to be fishing next to ALL of them at the same time!


IF you are fishing an area that is NOT residential, being vague is less critical. For example, it's acceptable to say (Any)Park, or (Any)Bay, or mention a specific state park that has loads of parking and can handle the crowds.


If you are unclear on this concept, ask yourself:


If I name this place on the internet, will it be too crowded for me to enjoy tomorrow when people hear I got 30 fish here today?


If the answer is "Yes", then you should probably not be so specific.

We post these reports so our community will have a sense of what is working, what is not. We want to show people how to catch fish, rather than where.Even if you struck out or got skunked, it would be helpful to hear that as well.

If you have any additional details you would like to share - weather conditions, tide (incoming, outgoing, ebb, flood) water temps, bait present, or other mention of techniques or plugs used - feel free, as long as you are not overly specific about location.

Some acronyms -

BP -- Breezy Point

CB -- CrossBay Bridge
CI -- Coney Island

FB -- Floyd Bennett
FI -- Fire Island
FT -- Fort Tilden Park
FW -- Fort Wadsworth


GSB - Great South Bay
GK- Great Kills


Jones -- Jones Beach/Debs
WE -- West End

JB -- Jamaica Bay
LB -- Long Beach

MB -- Manhasset Bay
MI -- Moriches Inlet or nearby
MPP -- Marine Parkway Bridge


LNB - Little Neck Bay
OB -- Oyster Bay
PB -- Peconic Bay

RM -- Robert Moses

SB -- Sheepshead Bay

Shinny -- Shinnecock Inlet or nearby
SI -- Staten Island
ST -- Sore Thumb

NS -- North Shore
SS -- South Shore




Mecca -- if you gotta ask where that is, can't help ya :D

[bunkerjoe4]

Week in Review 6-30-08

New Jersey

Well folks it has been another spectacular week for NJ surfcasters. It has slowed down a bit since last week, but there are still big bass to be taken by surfcasters, right place, right time.

The bunker are still rolling through. However, ocean temps are heating up. This MAY be the last week we will get a shot at those big bass. You never know, but you will only have a chance if you are out there casting.

Again, best times are late afternoons. The bite had been shutting down at dusk, but not always. Some of our more experienced members are catching bass in the dark.

There has also been a slight change in that some big bass are now feeding in the early dawn hours. If you want a shot at these, particularly after a strong S or SE series of swells, your best chance is between 4-5am, bait fishing or plugging.

Guys in boats are catching them as well, but not always. Many times they will come upon pod after bunker pod, with no fish on them.

Anglers seeking fluke are hooking up, but it is disappointing to have to throw back so many until you get a keeper.

On the lighter side, thresher sharks and cow nose rays have shown up along our coast. They are mingling nearshore, the sharks with the bunker, and the rays in the surf. Don't be alarmed if you see 2 fins the same distance from each other, it's probably a ray. They are very strong. If you are bait fishing, it's likely that the bigger rays will spool you. If you manage to bring one in, they put up a great fight.

There have also been some exotic and tropical species spotted. A few people are catching triggerfish. I was walking near an inlet the other day and saw divers come up to surface, saying they had seen an angelfish. You never know what you might find out there as the water heats up.


Recently our surf fishing community has been plagued by closings of certain popular areas, and bad press given to fishermen. Most of us respect private property, and clean up after ourselves. It's always a few bad apples that make others mad at us.

If you are out there and see someone has left garbage in your favorite spot, be the bigger person and bring some of it home with you. We all benefit in the end. :thumbsup:

Good luck out there, folks. Catch 'em up!

New York

Again, there is more action in the back bays, though still spotty. The ocean is providing some good action for surfcasters willing to put in their time. Learn the water you are fishing in. Go there at extreme low tides, if you can, so see how things are set up. You will be a better surfcaster because of it.

Guys are still using bait to catch bass in the NY coastal waters. A lot of action is moving to the ocean as the bays are heating up. I would concentrate my efforts around the inlet areas, and the ocean where the inlets are. Back bays will still produce if you find areas that are accessed by deeper channels, cooler water.

The fluke continue to be a major disappointment, though people are catching quite a few. Again, many anglers feel it's wrong to throw back a 5 lb fish, because it's not big enough for this year's regulations. I can definitely agree with this.

The next time they have meetings, go there and voice your protests.

Montauk has turned on for those who know their way around there. Quite a few folks go there for a day or 2, find no fish, and declare Montauk unfishable.

It is a very tough place to fish.

Since hordes of people visit it, maybe that's for the best. Anyone who wants to get good at fishing Montauk has to put their time in and study the place, low tide. (Or hire a guide at $300+ :D)

Beautiful weather out there, folks, despite the storms. Get out there and enjoy it, bring the family, and catch 'em up!

[pinhead44]

Fished in the front of FI yesterday, too weedy, no bites.

[stormchaser]

Fished the shinny area after hearing the reports. All the blues you could reel in, and one bass 27". Blues on metal, bass on swimmer near dusk.

[bunkerjoe4]

Week in Review 7-7-08

NJ WIR 7-7
Well folks it has been another interesting week here in NJ. A plane crashing in the water, a sunken boat, dead whale washing up on shore -- anything but fantastic fishing reports. :)

Some of out members are still catching bigger fish, but I feel the Spring bass run is almost over, save for a blitz here and there. The ocean temperatures are warming, and huge pods are quickly swimming North to cooler waters.

The hype surrounding those blitzes was amazing. Some folks believed that everyone was catching all they could carry, and some folks in South Jersey thought that many people up in the Northern part were culling and wasting fish.

Lots of rumors flying around. Reminds me of the game we used to play at camp when we were kids - telephone. You would say a phrase, and repeat to your buddy next to you. By the time the phrase circled the campfire, it was entirely different.

This also reminds me of the misperceptions and animosity between surfcasters and boaters sometimes. I'll try to address that in another thread.

Bluefish action offshore slowed down for a few days, probably due to them spawning. They should return with a vengeance. Before this, captains were saying this has been one of the best years for near and offshore bluefish action.

Fluking has been fast and furious, with many caught, few keepers. Many are becoming frustrated, and privately feeling they got screwed with the new regs. I would tend to agree, and again encourage people to get involved the next time there are hearings.

The partyboat fleet is really taking a beating over this. Coupled with the high price of fuel, many are barely getting by.

There seem to be less boats fishing on a regular basis, and I think the economies that depend on this traffic will be hurting this year.

As to back bay action, there are now more peanuts showing up, which should encourage action during the hot summer for those fishing at the right place at the right time.

Another plea for conservation of bigger bass: Even though the law allows you to catch and keep 2, if you do catch 2 of these giants, and ALSO fish on a regular basis, please consider whether to keep them or not. I have a feeling these last 8 weeks may have an impact on future bass populations, but it's too early to have any definitive data. More on that in another thread.

NY WIR 7-7

The back bays are providing some great fluking and bluefish action, for those drifting around the channels, cuts, points, lumps,and other structure. It's very sad to see the size of some of these fluke thrown back that are not the required 20.5". Please consider getting involved when the next meetings are scheduled to voice your opinion.

Bass are starting to show in greater numbers, and are being caught on bunker, clams, and various plugs during low-light periods. If you can find concentrations of bait, chances are the fish are not far behind.

There are also reports of sandeels and large spearing in the bay and surf spots, so there is plenty of food for the predators.

2 dead fishermen were pulled in at Jones Beach. Please be careful out there, and know your limits.

The sea is a powerful force, and to second guess her actions or weather is not always advisable.

We have several weather, tide, and ocean wave links poster here in these forums. Please take advantage of them, if you haven't already. You should also try to familiarize yourselves with wave height and duration, very important if any bad weather patterns are coming in.

Good luck out there, folks, be careful, and catch 'em up!

[stormchaser]

Late afternoon bite at shinny. Less blues this time, my arms weren't as tired as yesterday, ;) but still a decent bite on metal. Had one bend my rod in half, no jump, stayed deep, maybe a bass, but lost it. Kastmasters and krocodiles.

[pinhead44]

Fished out front Jones tonight. Very weedy, one robin on a black bomber.

[bunkerjoe4]

OK folks, the winner for the June NY fishing reports plug giveaway is pescador29. :clapping:

Pescador, please e-mail me the address where you want it sent. The plug will be a Davis topwater swimmer, similar to the ones fishlipper is using. You will be getting a green one. If anyone has not yet checked out the thread for Davis lures, go take a look. He's a good plug-builder, sells them at reasonable prices, and as shown, they do catch fish.

http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=78 (http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=78)

Congrats to all others who have been in the right place at the right time and have caught those big bass. Even more congrats to those who caught 10 or 20 of them at a time, and released them.:thumbsup:
Attached Thumbnailshttp://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=1610&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1213203990 (http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=1610&d=1213203990) http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=1611&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1213203990 (http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=1611&d=1213203990)

[pescador29]

Many many thank yous bunkerjoe! I sent you an email. I have been fishing brooklyn near Sheepshead bay. great kills is dead now, no fish for many times going. but sheepsheads has small bluefish where the penuts are, we are catching them on small bunker pieces. I am sad because no more 12lb bluefish, but maybe in the fall they will be back. Many thanks for choosing me, I never win anything. pescador

[BassBuddah]

Jones area, shads and topwater, no fish, but the weeds seemed to have cleared up a bit.

[stormchaser]

Fished a back bay closer to home tonight. Swimmers and bombers.:skunk:

[stormchaser]

With the problems at Shoreham, I have been fishing the Long Beach an Sunken meadows NS areas. Last night got into some bluefish action on swimmers and poppers, many many bluefish, no bass, my arms are tired! :D

[pinhead44]

Fished near Jones last night, only 1 small blue topwater, but it's not as weedy as it was.

[bunkerjoe4]

NJ WIR 7-14-08
Well folks, it has been an interesting week for NJ fishermen. The Spring Bass run is basically over. Some sharp anglers have been catching a few big bass, one at a time, the old fashioned way - by blind casting hundreds of times in select locations in the dead of night. Good for them, some very big bass have been caught and released. :thumbsup:

However, the warming ocean waters have let the innate biology of the bass direct them to cooler waters up North, mainly LI Sound, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Maine waters. We will still get some decent bass for the next week or 3, but the bulk of the fish have moved on, following the huge pods of bait.

As to fluking, fluke are definitely getting fatter on the rich nutrients offered by our bays and sea floor, and abundant small baitfish. There are many promising schools of peanut bunker spread throughout the bays, which will help to turn on the action in the summer heat as they grow bigger.

The spawning bluefish are mostly done now, and are hitting anglers' rods with a vengeance. Steel leaders are a must, as some of these choppers are huge. I feel this will be a year where we have record sized bluefish in the fall surf.

Croakers/kingfish have invaded the South Jersey surf, and according to some reports ;), so have dogfish. Pieces of clam or gulp on a hi-low rig will work for these. They are great fish to introduce the kids to fishing, because they are relatively easy to catch in the morning and evening. And, there are still fat fluke available on the lumps offshore if you can get away from the dogfish. Spike weakfish are also starting to hit in the back bays.

Offshore fishing has turned on, with some nice reports of yellowfins, and some bluefins, being caught in the bluewater canyons. It's hit and miss, but the reports are becoming slightly more consistent now.

Along with pelagics, those targeting sharks are doing well, with threshers and browns being caught 1-3 miles from the beach in some instances. Another caution to surfcasters to be careful if you catch a cow nose ray. They will pull your rod in the water if you are not paying attention.



NY WIR 7-14-08

New york waters still hold quite a few large bass, particularly the inlets and NS Long Island areas. They are more available to boaters than surfcasters, but as the waters are slightly colder than NJ, the bass may hold for a little longer in certain areas.

Montauk has been producing some decent catches at the right times, and the groundfish fleets have been having a decent fluke bite. More compelling are the extended trips, such as the Viking and others, where the catches are simply great for this time of year, with big cod and other species providing fast and exciting action.

Another note of caution, as a dead boater was pulled out of the waters off of Long Beach the other day. Please double check you have all your safety gear before starting a trip. Bringing AND using it could prevent a tragedy.




The last thing I want to mention is Access. There are several threads here, and on other sites, that mention our surf access is in clear danger of being taken away. I ask anyone who fishes to read these threads, and help us out with a phone call or e-mail, if you please.

Due to the poor behavior of a few, some towns have had it and are trying to find devious ways to restrict access -- from not allowing fishermen to carry rods in LI -- to claiming jetty fishing is "dangerous" in NJ, and should be banned.

Many of these regulations are designed to circumvent the "Public Trust Doctrine" which in simplest terms states the land bordering the seas is available to anyone, at any time, for free and unrestricted access, up to the mean high tide line.

We will all lose if access is lost, because that pushes people into other areas, and makes things even more crowded. Please join us in fighting for the rights of fishermen, even if you don't surf fish, or live in another state. Thanks to all those who have sent e-mails, but remember - please don't accept complacency - this is happening as we speak, and may not be reversed if we lose access.

Here are the links to other threads:

NJ losing access:
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...ead.php?t=1009 (http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=1009)

NY losing access at Shoreham Beach, LI:
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...read.php?t=990 (http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=990)

http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/images/misc/progress.gif

[BassBuddah]

Front of Jones last night, the tropical hurricane is shaking things up, lots of weed in the water, nothing doing.:skunk:

[stormchaser]

Shinny last night, rough water, only got a few casts in before I decided to bag it.:skunk:

[BassBuddah]

NS area, mid shore, caught 2 decent blues to 7lbs before sunset, and then some big slab porgies on clams after dark. They are in the Sound, good frying size. :thumbsup:

[stormchaser]

Shinny early AM, first light, a few small blues on metal. No bass, was throwing bucktail for them before I switched to metal around dawn. On the bright side, water had calmed down a bit, little cleaner than it was last time.

[BassBuddah]

Got a tip from a friend, early today went to search for some schoolie action in one of the parks in the back of jbay, deep water channel. fished the incoming, bombers and poppers, but couldn't raise a bass. Got about 12 small blues, good action.

[voyager35]

Took a trip to check out the bluefish action in Jamaica bay today. My cousin was bragging so much, I wanted to see for myself. I was looking for bass, but we only got one 27" on a pencil. We were inundated with bluefish 5-10lbs once we found the bait. Breezy, but a great day on the water, my arms are tired.

[bunkerjoe4]

NJ WIR 7-21-08

Well folks we are now settling into the "summer doldrums" pattern.:)

Fish are around, but the prize that many are looking for, striped bass, has become more difficult to locate and catch a decent one. The seasoned fishermen are still hooking up, but even they have nights in a row without success. Those catching fish right now are truly dedicated, and use their years of experience and flexibility to figure out what works best for that night. This changes depending on time of tide, bait present, and stage of the moon.

Coming off the full moon, fishing should improve this week. The fluke are getting bigger, but people are still upset at all the throwbacks to get through to a legal keeper. Bluefish have not started to attack lures and bait in the surf, and this is a little later than last year, but boaters are pulling them in from 1-5 miles offshore. They should make their presence know to surfcasters within the next week or so, and maybe sooner to night fishermen.

Weakfish are more abundant in the back bays, and cow nosed rays and sharks are becoming more prevalent. Please be very careful if you hook a big ray, folks. Most can be handled and released without freaking out, but some can cause damage, and terrible infections if you get spiked by one. Proceed cautiously.

Offshore, there is a good tuna bite developing, with tuna up to the 250lb class reported by those who can afford the fuel for the long canyon trips. Most tuna caught are smaller than this.

Some smaller bluefin have been taken on the inshore lumps, and these areas should be considered before making the far offshore canyon treks.

The one thing I want to mention in this week's reports is that there are literally thousands of sea robins being caught every day by anglers who really are not happy about it. Combined with the less desirable skates and dogfish, people consider all of these fish trash, and quite often discard them right on the shore line or jetty area. Although they may be a nuisance, they are part of the food chain.

I know dogfish are supposed to be endangered. I disagree with this premise, but it's the law that we are not allowed to keep or discard them. Again, even though many may not agree, I recommend we all follow the laws and regulations. The time to change something like that is when the next assessment hearings come up. Register your protests then.

In the meantime, please consider the enjoyment of others if you really feel you need to kill these fish and just leave them lying around. It's just not respectful, or sportsmanlike.http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/images/icons/icon3.gif Beyond that, you can actually eat these fish if they are big enough (of course not the dogfish). If anyone can try to post some recipes for sea robins and skates, I would appreciate it.

For the kids, snapper bluefish are getting bigger in the back bays. In a week or 2, you will be able to take your younger children fishing for snappers, a great summertime introductory experience. For those who like good fights for the kids on light tackle, porgies are now available in some back bay areas, and croakers and kingfish are available in some southern surf areas for those using small pieces of clam or fishbites.


NY WIR 7-21-08

The back bays are still producing bass during low light periods. There are now roving schools of bluefish moving around and slashing the developing snappers and peanut bunker.

There are also some very nice sized jumbo porgies to be found in certain back bay areas.

Out front, the inlet areas have again been the best producers, and areas near Montauk and further north giving folks the best chance for a bigger bass, with a record caught a few days ago in Rhode Island. :clapping:

Although fluking is frustrating, more keepers are being caught, particularly in the LI sound area.

Finally, the distant hurricanes are producing a significant swell out there, and some strong rip currents. Several drownings have recently happened because of this. Please be ever-watchful if you or your children are out there. Don't just leave it up to the lifeguards.

It only takes a few seconds for something to change from "serious" to "tragedy". Please be extra careful out there this week, folks. It always saddens me when I read these drowning and accident reports.

http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/images/misc/progress.gif

[stormchaser]

Demo area last night 7-9pm, one bluefish 8 lbs on krokodile, then one a half hour later similar size on pencil. That was it.

[pinhead44]

RM area yesterday for a few hours incoming, 2 small bass on clams.

[pinhead44]

Haven't been posting too many reports because the fishing has really sucked, lot different that last year. :skunk: Finally got a 27" bass on clams this morning fishing a Fire Island inlet in the back side, bass hit at 5am. After sun came up, there was nothing else, not even bluefish.

[stormchaser]

I haven't had much luck in the past few days either. Rough surf, lots of weeds, bad tides. Did manage one shad on my teaser rig near an inlet the other night before dark, but that was it. On the plus side, many of the places I scout have snappers, like joe says. Good time to take the kids to the commercial docks for some snapper action.

[pinhead44]

Fishing near the Rockaways, rough surf figured I would try clams, 2 bass to 25" on clams and 8 oz sinker, bass were pretty fat. Skies looked bad, and I took off.

[bunkerjoe4]

NJ WIR 7-29-08

Folks, we are still continuing with the lazy hazy days of summer. It's hot and humid, punctuated by some severe thunderstorms and fantastic lightning displays.

Fishing has slowed down, and less people are fishing as a result. You can still pick through short fluke, and more keepers are being reported, but it's still a pick. Although the bluefish are done spawning, they have not turned on to the degree they had by this time last year, either for the surfcaster or the nearshore boaters.

I had wrongly predicted that they would have by now, based on notes in my log. We can't always be right, and conditions change from year to year. :embarassed:

There is an interesting trend to the water temperatures this year. The water from the Shark River area to the North has heated up, while the water to the South, particularly South of Absecon Inlet, is slightly colder at times. The South wind has helped to keep temperatures down, and sometimes this puts the fluke bite off. Nonetheless, some dedicated and experienced captains are still pulling in some nice fluke, one or 2 at a time.

Offshore, tuna are still a good bet, but the action there is spotty. One day is a bonanza, while another is a bust. Bigger tuna in the 250 lb class are finally being caught. The end of August and beginning of September should continue to bring in hotter tuna action. I remember the days when giant 500 lbers were caught in the Mud Hole, and look forward to hearing reports of at least a few larger ones each year.

Weakfish are still being caught in the back bays, but the action is spotty. Croakers are also continuing to put on a good show in our surf, with the hotter winds and water bringing in a few more tropical fish to the jetties.

On the plus side, the bait - peanuts, snappers, spearing is getting bigger, which should draw hungry predators into feed. Speaking of predators, there are a lot of sharks around, including a small great white caught off Monmouth County last week.

And -- There is encouraging news about small schoolies, which have been conspicuously absent from the MoCo and OcCo surf areas. A sprinkling are beng caught here and there at night, and in low-light.

NY WIR 7-29-08

NY is also in a slower summer fishing pattern, with much the same as I described above. The main body of bass has moved beyond NY. They are now catching them in New Hampshire and Maine, and the action in those areas should only get better.

Meanwhile there are some smaller bass around if you are out in the dark, and can find large schools of bait with few other people coming in to spook them. Many of the NY bay areas have been plagued with weeds during certain tides. This can be irritating, and aggravating because of the randomness.

Note for fishermen in all states:
Due in part to the hurricane season, and some of our summer weather patterns, we have had a greater degree of rip currents near area beaches, and quite a few people have lost their lives. This is common for his time of year, but seems more tragic than usual.

If you know anyone who is a new swimmer, or are near anyone like this, it's important not to show panic. Exercise care to stay away from areas with rip currents, just as you should try to stay inside during severe thunderstorms. Several people have been struck by lightning.

Please folks, be careful. If you know someone who is not sophisticated or savvy about the water, please try to educate them as to the dangers, if possible.

[pinhead44]

Late afternoon bite at Breezy, threw bass assassin with gulp shrimp teaser, trying for bass, but was inundated with sea robins and short fluke.

[pescador29]

Cuaght 22 fluke yesterday south beach staten island killy and squid. not one keeper!! Many many jellyfish, no good for swimming.

[BassBuddah]

NS this morning 4-6, somewhere near the Shoreham area. Cocktail blues crashing bait early, looked like baby weakfish. Good light tackle action for awhile.

[stormchaser]

Rockaways yesterday, pm bite. Some short fluke and few keeper weakies using pink fin s.

[pinhead44]

Heard good things about Shinnecock, so I went. Slow bite, no bass, couple cocktails, and some guys pulling in short fluke and small seabass. Lots of bait around, maybe just an off night.