New York Metro &
New Jersey

Great Fishing (For everybody but me, at least)

Montauk is on fire!!! The fall craziness is in full swing out there. Several folks reported a massive bass blitz that lasted three days. And if you went a few hundred yards out there were tons of aggressive albacore, and to make things worse blues were mixed in both schools. Earlier last week Capt. Jim Hull took not one but two 40 plus inch fish. Farther west the action was pretty good also. Bob Robl from Fly-A-Salt reported some of the best bonito and albacore fishing he’s ever seen in the sound. Clients are scoring in the teens just about every day. Gets my heart pumping just thinking about it.

Me on the other hand. I spent the beautiful weekend, pulling the boat out of the water and winterizing it. Am I quitting for the year. God no!!! Not even a death in the family could cause that (Just kidding Mom.) I picked up a new (used) boat this weekend. 21’ SeaCraft. I’m in love again. A great boat. I’m so happy with it I could fill this whole column up with its benefits. The bad news. I’m broke again, but that’s nothing unusual. The really bad news is that while delivering my old boat to the marina to get brokered, I lost a bearing. So, I’m stuck in the middle Sunrise Hwy with one wheel in the middle of traffic. OK some of you are laughing. That’s OK it was pretty funny. Anyway, that’s how I spent all my free (fishing) time. Finally got out on Sunday but the wind was blowing too bad for any non-superhuman to fish. But holy moley, reading these reports, looks like I missed one of the best weeks of the year.

Crazy action in Montauk. Albies and Bonito in the sound. Spanish macs and albies in Jones and F.I. Great bass and blue fishing in the NY bight, and when you get sick of that albies are thick at Sandy Hook. The folks in Jersey are into them also and it seems that the mullet run is in full swing.

Wonder if I’d get fired if I took the whole fall off???

And don’t forget to email me your own reports. Tight lines all.

Tight Lines!

John McMurray

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New York & New Jersey's Fisheries

Western Long Island

False albacore in the sound!!, And loads of them according to Bob Robl of Fly-A-Salt. He sent me this report:

Doing well in Smithtown bay, both albies and bones, bonito right in Nissequogue and also stony brook, albies at points but even mixed with bones . Today all fish on spearing, Monday, Tues. albies on anchovies. Over 60 speedsters landed since last Thursday, probably close to last years total.

Even the shore casters are getting into the action as I’ve heard reports of albies showing at the entrance of Port Jefferson Harbor. If you can get a shot at them when they come close enough, albies are being taken by shore casters at the mouth of Nissequogue. Anglers are even picking spanish mackerel from the shore. Bluefish are beginning their fall feeding frenzy as blitzes are happening just about everywhere. There are still loads of peanut bunker around. Blues are mostly 4 to 6 pounds but the monsters seem to be congregating in the western portions of the sound. It won’t be long before we begin to see albies in the Western Sound as well. Nice schoolie action in Manhasset and Hempstead Bay was producing last week also. The South shore has been tough for surfcasters, but the guys in the boats are doing well with the albies.

Eastern Long Island

As I previously mentioned the fall action is in full swing in Montauk. If you want a grand slam, now is the time to get out there. Spoke to Captain David Blinkin of North Flats Guiding this week and he let me know that things pretty much broke loose this week. “The fall blitz is runing full steam,” he said. He reported a three day long striper blitz from Sunday through Tuesday. Most fish were above keeper size. Albies, David said, you can pretty much catch at will if you use the right fly. Lots of blues mixed in as well. According to David there are loads of bay anchovies around, 6-inch bunker, the occasional butterfish, and the blues are coughing up small squid. David said the action should remain consistent like this all the way through Columbus Day.

Also spoke with Capt. Jim Levinson of Double Haul Charters. According to Jim the bass were so think at points this week, that his clients were inadvertently snagging them, while casting into the schools. He sent in this report:

Hi John, The East End is doing what it is supposed to in the fall, large schools of albies (5-8lbs), bass to 35-36" and big nasty bluefish. If you are lucky you will find them all working over bay anchovies close to each other. Bass seem to be blitzing by themselves while the blue and albies can be mixed. Be prepared to lose flys if rigged for albies. If you are real lucky you find each species working by themselves, get tired of one on to another. Action is hot from Gardiners Island to the Point both north and south sides. Weather for the most part has been cooperative. Nice to see fly, light tackle and surf casters returning lots of keeper bass to fight another day. All kinds of flys working as well as floating to quick sink lines. Great time to come out and experiment, see what works. Sometime heavy boat traffic but for the most part all fisherman are being civil to one another.

Good to see guys releasing those fish. We’ve come a long way, but there’s still a long way to go.

Also spoke with Capt. Jim Hull of Shelter Island Light Tackle Challenge. I missed Jim’s report last week so we’ll include it in this weeks report. Apparently Jim had not one but two 40 plus inch fish!!! Last Thursday Archer Lord took a 42” fish on the South Side, along with 12 other bass, 5 albacore, 8 blues and three fluke. How’s that for a super grand slam. What an unbelievable day. Jim said the fishing has been red hot and the fall action is here to stay for a while. All the fish are on rain bait according to Jim. On Friday Woody Derickson from St. Louis managed four bass including another 41-inch specimen! He also took nine albacore and 6 bluefish. On Tuesday Ed Rice a great day with 11 bass to 37 inches, 5 albacore, and one blue. On Wednesday Frank T. along with Julie and Bridget took 9 bass to 30 inches, 4 blues and two albacore. Thursday, Mike Lewis and Ted Shaw had two bass to 31 inches, 1 albacore and ten blues. This Monday Jose Jardim and son Mike caught 14 albacore, 6 bass to 31” and tons of blues.

Capt. Don Kaye from Shinnecock Guiding also checked in with a report. He had this to say about this weeks Shinnecock action:

Before the past weeks' rain and wind arrived, angler Harvey Kaufman tested the Shinnecock waters and captured and released a few Stripers, one just under 38 inches. Some Bluefish were also brought to the boat, all between 4-6 lbs. chased a few small schools of Albies busting bait, but they were moving quickly and stayed up for only a few seconds each time. We'll keep at'em.

New York Metro

I you could get out there you were catching them this week. Bass and blue action in the AM remains red hot while albie action is getting better and better. The weakfish are even turning on to the cooler air temps. Capt. Joe Mattioli from On The Bite Charters checked in with this report:

The fishing has been red hot in the Raritan Bay for bluefish and Weakfish 4-6lbs, early morning and evening s have been producing bass catches to 12lbs, False Albacore have really turned on. Get them while their here! This fishing can't be beat, now is the time to get out there and catch the NY Bight Grand slam. I have dates available !

Dino Torino from Fin Chaser Charters also checked in with a report of the week’s action. He had this to say:

Hey John! Well what a week Bass Blue's & Albies. Still getting Bass & Blue's on popper's early in the A.M. & then running out to get the Speedster's. Fished David & his 14 year old son Michael Breesman & they both had there first Albies & slam. There's nothing like having a kid out (w/ a fly rod) & seeing his face when he hook's up w/an Albie. Monday took one of the boat's out to Montauk & had CCA S.I. President Joe Toth out for his first Montauk trip. Well, he was speechless when he saw all the Albies & Bass he hooked up instantly & said Dino I’m running out of backing. He's hooked on Montauk & asked when can we go back out East. Capt. Frank & I fished Tuesday here in the bite b/c the forecast wasn't looking good (& they were wrong) we had a great day w/Bass & Albies on popper's. Had Dr Carlos & Dr Barry out today & all they wanted was Albies, so off we went. Fish came up the best I have seen so far this year. Feasting on Bay Anchovie's that were all over. Dr Carlos was nice to my fly box using 1 fly all day & landing every fish that he hooked which was 14 fish. Dr Barry had a slow start but once he got his stuff together there was no stopping this man. They couldn't believe the fishery that we have here in the Bite. Well it's of to Montauk now. And John let's get together & tag some Albie's Capt.Dino. "FIN CHASER CHARTER'S" 718-356-6436

Nice!!! I’m in!

Dino’s partner Capt. Frank Crescitelli from Fin Chaser Charters also check in with a report:

Hey Johnny. Things sure are looking good in these parts. My report this week echo's last weeks. We have a cornucopia (I just had to use that word this time of the year) of bait and predators to match. The Albacore are showing excellent and the Bass and Blues are certainly holding their own. At this time of the year I'm doing one of my all time favorite things.....(If your a purist don't read on) Live chumming with the Peanut Bunker. It absolutely drives the Bass crazy. You could virtually use any weight rod you want because we get them feeding right at the boat and they're HUNGRY! It's loads of fun and I've got great video. Maybe we could post some on the site. At any rate things are great and fish gods are smiling, so go FISHING ALREADY! Until next week...Capt. Frank

Great report Frank. I see you keep a dictionary handy. Some of my favorites are “plethora,” “profusion,” “superfluous.” All great words to use this time of the year. Captain Ralph Burtis from Island Charters didn’t get me a report this week, but I saw him underway at Breezy Point last Sunday. Afterwards, almost as soon as I had moored the boat up and washed it down, he called me on my cell and yelled, Breeezy just lit up!!! Thanks Ralph. Anyway, after Ralph calmed down he said he was into blitzing blues up to 28”. Oh well. Can’t win them all.

New Jersey

The New Jersey waters are still pretty hot despite that awful fuel spill from the Navy Ship that took place last week. Captain Paul Eidman from Reel Therapy checked in with this report.

John... Environmentally speaking, it appears that the wrath of the fuel spill that was reported last Thursday has worked its way out. Fast action by the Navy, coast guard and local oil cleanup companies did their best(they were able to get 5,000 gallons of the estimated 30,000 gallons that were spilled) until the bad rain and windstorm hit right after the spill. This has acted to disperse the nastiness into the environment, namely water and the atmosphere. Although there is no evidence of the spill out on the water at this time, I am sure that the fish and wildlife of the area were, are and will continue to be affected. Things are really happening out on the water. The albie action has been much more steady and consistent as time goes on. Different sized fish are starting to show up with some running in the 9lb range! Stripers, weakfish and bluefish are all kicking some butt, however, we are bypassing this action at the moment to run down the speedsters. The mullet, peanut bunker, spearing and rainfish are all doing the fall thing in a big way. Yesterday, The Bill Primm charter had a mix of action, albies at first light, bluefish and weakfish before the weather went bad. I have dates available, so please call or email me to reserve your fall dates now. Take a kid fishin! Capt.Paul

Captain Gene Quigley from Shore Catch Guiding Service also checked in with a great report. He had this to say:

Hey John, Don't know what more I can say about the fishing down here. Sunday was the best Albie action I have seen yet this year. Classic busting fish as far as I could see just north of Barnaget. Anything you threw at them was snatched before you could even get in a strip - Chartreuse and white Jiggie's were deadly. Julio Beftian and his two partners landed 17 Albies in the 5 to 7 LB range in about 4 hours -- with one triple header and about three doubles. Not even counting the ones that got away! Monday morning was the same thing except Bass were just crushing mullet as they came around the jetty. Shell E. was out on the rocks and couldn’t decide weather to throw big Silicones at the Bass or little Jiggies at the Albies. Geez... I love this time of year! Our area is just infested with bait right now -- from 2 LB bunker to Mullet, Spearing and Bay Anchovies. Jim has been scoring with clients from the beach up in Southern Monmouth County every night with Bass in the low to mid teens. Fall is definitely here in a BIG way and the time is now to get out and fish. Gotta go John.....Fat Albie and Sir Striper are waiting! Capt. Gene

Ugh!!! You’re killing me Gene. Can’t believe I’m stuck here.

Reel Timer David Stingo sent in another great report of Jersey action. He had this to say.

So after my leave of absence of house work, I finally got out on the water. Well after putting a new battery in the boat, and some maintenance from my months worth of neglect. So this is what I saw Bait was everywhere! Peanut bunker, bay anchovies, spearing, sand eels, and mullet. Fish were everywhere! Blues (Snappers), Ablies, Bones, Spanish Mackerel, and bass. Pick your bait and you found your fish Snapper blues (1-2lbs.) were everywhere becoming annoying at times. Some BIG, BIG BIG BLUES were in the bunker schools didn't hook up but had a few follows. Albies, Bones and Spanish Mackerel were very spotty this and all the pods of Bunker made spotting them tough but wish some persistence we were successful. The bass I have heard of were on the mullet in the surf. So the recap: Big blues on bunker bass on mullet and the bones and albies and macks were on the anchovies and spearing. The sand eels I didn't see but they were all over my boat courtesy of the small blues. This probably sounds better then what it was I had three Albies over the weekend, my friend had a bone and an albie and another friend had the mack. Many of these fish were seen but they were hard to cast too. The majority of my fish were the small blues and well even with an 8wt they just didn't thrill me.

Rub it in why don’t ya. That’s all for this week. Get out there and snatch some of this action. It’s truly great. See ya next week.