(Above) Ben Ravin shows off a quality sea bass he caught this week. There are lots of shorts around, but the less-frequented wrecks and reefs are holding bigger, keeper-size fish.

Eastern Long Island Fishing Report

• Where’s the bunker?! Huge bluefish have become the primary prey on the south shore.
• Shark bites galore. Humans have apparently become the other primary prey.
• Resident stripers take the stage.

Captree Bait and Tackle reports:

“Lots of folks have been catching fluke dinners right here off the pier. Paul and his boys were able to take home a 5.2 pounder that ate a baited spearing. Lori caught herself an 8.8 pound doormat on the Captree JIB VI earlier this week. One angler sent in a video of a long line of albacore tuna brought to port. On another note, Fire Island inlet was recently dredged, and the transit is much better than it was. The lowest depth that SeaTow GSB read was 15 feet about a third of the way through the outgoing.”

The Fishfinder of Captree reports: 

“We ran a 10 p.m. trip last night for striped bass, and we ended up catching a lot of slot-size and over-slot linesiders. Live eels and bass assassins were both getting the job done. Some quality bluefish also came over the rail, making for a nice mixed bag in the cooler. We had a light crowd for yesterday evening’s fluke trip, but the fish were not sparse! The pool fish was five pounds, and the sunset was beautiful. Bucktails and bait have both been bring in the flatties. We’ve been seeing a good amount of fish over five pounds this week. We’ll be targeting fluke every night until further notice, from 5-9pm.”

Capt. Dave Flanagan of North Island Fly in Northport reports:

“I took Adam and Derek out earlier this week to target some big blues and stripers on the fly. The boys picked their fair share on some larger presentations.” Check out Dave’s website to book him for a charter at www.northislandfly.com.

Captain Stu Paterson of Northport Charters reports: 

“Elaine, Mike and Tim joined me aboard the FV Sashimi the other day before the rain hit. We had a solid session, catching some quality porgies and keeper fluke. Kids camp is in full swing now, with lots of local gamefish coming over the rail. They’ve been able to take home full bags of fresh filets for the grill.” Call/text Stu at 631-707-3266 or check out Stu’s website to book a trip: northportcharters.com.

• Looking for the Western L.I. and NYC Fishing Report? Click here to read what’s happening around Nassau, Kings and Queens counties!

• Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain on Long Island!

The Celtic Quest Fishing Fleet of Port Jefferson reports: 

“We took a bunch of folks out for a fireworks cruise this week, and it did not disappoint! Do fireworks every disappoint though? The fishing was also stellar. All week we saw a great pick of porgies and sea bass, with lots of keepers going to the icebox to take home. We had a lot of kids out this week, and wouldn’t be surprised if we created a lot of lifetime anglers with the awesome fishing we experienced. A keeper striper came over the rail earlier in the week, and a few winter flounder were willing to chew on our anglers’ clams.” Call them at 631-928-3926 for booking info, or check the website/Facebook for more info.

Bill at Chasing Tails Bait and Tackle in Oakdale reports:

“As the bass fade out of our waters, the fluke are moving in! Flatties are staged up on the flats and channels, with some impressive fish being caught already. Shop rigs are flying out the door, bucktails with a teaser being the most popular setup. Presentation is key, so keep your rig moving,  finicky fish love going after teasers. The classic squid and spearing combo will always work, and live killies are even better. Sea bass action is red hot on the local wrecks and reefs. Easy limits and some big knuckleheads are coming over the rails. Slow pitch jigs, bucktails, and epoxy jigs are putting in work for the lure anglers. Bluefish are still lurking around, smashing bait schools and destroying tackle. Poppers are the most popular for them, although they love shiny lures like diamond jigs and spoons just as much. Bass can be found here and there on the south shore, working schools of sand eels and spearing. The north shore is still loaded up with nice fish eating bunker, sand eels, and spearing. Weakfish are popping up still, eating their usual bright pink lures. 

In the fresh water, bass action is non stop! Big bucketmouths are eagerly taking big baits down. Swimbaits topwater presentations will grab their attention. White it’s hot out mid-day, toss a jig or Senko, slow and low. Pickerel are out doing their thing, chomping down big presentations. Schooled up panfish are plentiful, and make for a great day of fishing for anyone young or old. They love worms under a bobber, or set on the bottom with a small split shot weight. if you prefer lures, toss an inline spinner or Trout Magnet jig. They’re a ton of fun on a small fly rod too; poppers and big bushy dry flies get inhaled quickly! Trout are most active in the early mornings and evenings for the bug hatches. Match the hatch and you’re in for a great time! Late morning to late afternoon they’re going to be on the bottom, snatching up nymphs.”

The Peconic Star of Greenport reports:

“The supermoon tides made for some difficult fishing yesterday, and one can expect similar tides through this moon phase. Folks still put a catch together to bring home though. Some quality sea bass came over the rail, and lots of scup were available for the picking. The fish are definitely in their summer haunts here on the north fork. Skilled anglers are able to catch through these monster tide swings, but the fishing can be slower for the rookies. Regardless, everyone has been going home with a fish dinner. We’re running full day trips daily, from 7:30-3. The weekends have half-day options, from 7:30-12:30, targeting a mixed bag.” For booking info, call Captain Paul.

Capt. Phil of Fishy Business in Orient reports:

“We had a couple different groups out this week who experienced some solid action. We released a bunch of overs and unders (stripers), and managed a few slots to take home. The bluefish were there as well, and supplemented the take-home catches.” They sail out of Duryea’s in Orient. Give Phil a call to book a trip!

Rosie Fishing of Moriches Bay reports:

“The fluke fishing this week has been awesome, with a number of fish to 7+ pounds coming over the rail. 3 days ago, we had a 7.8 pounder come up to win the pool. It was one of many quality fluke. Two days ago, we had a 6 pound weakfish hit the deck. The last of the outgoing and low tide has been killer. Keep an eye on our Facebook page for sailing times and reports, and give us a call for booking info.”

• Looking for the Western L.I. and NYC Fishing Report? Click here to read what’s happening around Nassau, Kings and Queens counties!

• Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain on Long Island!

Nick from Haskell’s Bait and Tackle in East Quogue reports:

“The fluking has been improving daily. The incoming tide has been producing best, with fish coming from both the deeper spots in the bays and the flats. There are cocktail bluefish all over the inlet. Striped bass action has been solid around Ponquogue Bridge, with some decent fish coming up on live bait. There’s not many bunker schools out in the ocean yet, but there are plenty to the west. We’re waiting for them to arrive. The reef is holding some keeper sea bass and giant porgies. Again, the incoming is your best bet. There have also been some reports of  mackerel and bonito out there too; they’re taking small jigs. On the beach, there’s plenty of bass chewing on shellfish up front; a black drum was caught off the Quogue beaches.

Offshore, fishtails and the dip have been producing small yellowfin and some bigeye tuna. There have been a few blue marlin up to 300 pounds. There’s nothing very close yet. Some yellowfin were also reported southeast of the Coimbra, hanging under the sandeels in warmer water.”

The guys at Whitewater Outfitters in Hampton Bays report:

“Fluke fishing has been improving. Bay or ocean, you can’t go wrong. Check the ocean for some big mamas. A cobia was taken in the bay, near the bridge. The angler was drifting a live spot. Striper fishing has remained quite strong in the inlet. There are still some nice fish to be had. The large weakfish are pretty much gone, their place taken by smaller weaks. Somebody shot a sheepshead in the bay this week; that’s not a very common sight on the east end. Sea bass fishing has been pretty dismal. It’s mostly shorts out there. If you want to find some keepers, your best bet is running off towards the deeper, less molested wrecks. They’ve been seeing a lot of pressure.

Offshore, the canyons are producing consistently during the weather windows. Warm water has pushed in closer, and so the fish have too. Bigeyes and yellowfins are the primary quarry these days, but there are bluefin scattered about nearer to shore. White and blue marlin have also been getting caught. There was a great weather window for them recently, when the canyon water was 82 degrees.

Jeff from the shop has also been targeting largemouth lately, and says the bite has been solid. Fish are on the bottom, willing to hit most large baits that swim by. Jeff said chatter baits have been his weapon of choice.”

The Shinnecock Star in Hampton Bays reports:

“We’ve been finding some big fluke in some skinny water. Alan took both pools early in the week, with a seven pound fluke in 6.5 feet of water. The Wallace family kept us entertained that day, and the good fishing kept them entertained alike! Mackerel, sea bass, porgies, and more have been making it home for delicious meals. We pulled up a bit of seaweed covered in Gooseneck barnacles, whose “cirri” act like multiple feathery flagellum underwater. They danced beautifully when submerged. The bay fishing has produced bag limits consistently all week. Come get some while the getting’s good!” They’re sailing out of Oaklands Marina daily from 7am-2pm. Text or call Capt. John for booking info.

The Hampton Lady of Hampton Bays reports:

“Our 5-7 p.m. reef trips has been awesome lately, with all sorts of critters coming over the rail. They are green trips for kids, with super fun bottom fishing. The ocean has been producing lots of seabass, porgies, cod pollock and fluke. The fluke bite in the bay has been keeping the meat coming in when the ocean is too rough. Half-day and happy hour trips have been very productive! We’re sailing 6am-2pm, text Capt. James for reservations.”

Montauk’s Viking Fleet reports:

“Before the weekend, we saw some excellent fishing on the Starship. Porgy fishing was red-hot, producing constant double headers and jumbos. Sea bass fishing produced more keepers than throw-backs, up to four pounds. The bite is best when the tide is moving, and we were catching fluke, scup, sea bass and cocktail blues. Pool fish were a 3 pound porgy and a 7.5 pound fluke.” Call the office for reservations or book online.

Chris Albronda from Montauk reports:

“This week was not quite on par with last. The striped bass moved into their Block Island haunts on Monday. Local striper fishing was phenomenal just prior. Bottom fishing continues to improve daily; the striper’s egress will expedite the bottom bite. Offshore, the tuna fishing has been insane. Sunday looks prime for yellowfin and bluefin tuna.” Shoot Chris a text at 631-830-3881 to book a trip.

Bill Wetzel of the Surf Rats Ball reports:

“Steve sent in a report from Montauk on July 3. He fished through the sunset, from 7 till 11, during the big heave the supermoon provided. He raised a couple slot fish on a pencil popper, and picked a couple more after dark on a rigged eel. He didn’t catch anything huge, but had a fun time bending the rod on a bunch of fish.” Subscribe today at www.longislandsurffishing.com.

Eastern Long Island Fishing Forecast

PSA – Omega, who harvests Menhaden for fish oil pills, has been demonized over the years for rampant overharvesting, and rightfully so. Currently, they claim the Chesapeake menhaden fishery is in great shape, and that their activity is not negatively affecting the stocks. HOWEVER, they just sent a fleet of boats 250 miles up the coast to NY/NJ to hunt our waters. If you’re wondering why the bunker has been so sparse lately, I don’t think you need to look any further than that gluttonous company. For the past five years, we’ve been inundated with large schools of the foot-long baitfish, and with them come larger predators. Shark fishing in NY is at an all-time high; whale watching is now a prominent and accessible activity for the common man, who can’t afford the time or money required to go on a whale watching boat. We need only head to the beach for 15 minutes to see them spout and feed most days. New fish have entered our nearshore waters in great numbers, such as cobia, cownose rays, giant bluefin tuna, marlin and more. The resurgence of bunker has literally rejuvenated the coast.

It seems like this golden age of marine magic could be coming to an abrupt end. The insatiable appetite of Omega Protein seems to be destroying the ocean once again. At least they have the word “SUSTAINABLE” plastered in huge letters on every page of their website. Cool.

Fortunately, there are quite a few organizations trying to keep them in check by calling out their BS. If the Chesapeake stock is so healthy, why are they gassing up ships for 250 mile missions to other regions of the US? Suspicious.

All I know is that I haven’t seen a whale in a month, and the number of bunker schools along the south fork has dwindled immensely. Things are not looking good.

But fisheries science is not a perfectly predictable one. We’ll see how this pans out. I’m just bringing it up right now, to put it all in your brains.

Something else I wish I had stated aloud regards the shark bites. Man, I wish I could’ve bet a thousand dollars that this year would produce more shark bites than ever. I was certain of this potential, and I’d have made a pretty penny placing that bet. Where there is virtually no bunker, schools of large bluefish have taken the helm. My friend Justin caught a 15 pounder this morning, plus a handful of other gators. I’ve been watching these bluefish from the air for the past couple weeks. They are regularly being hunted by something large, which I haven’t seen. I imagined sand tigers, and other drone pilots have confirmed this with actual footage. See On The Water’s recent instagram post for proof. Large sand tiger sharks are hunting these 3-foot-long bluefish rather than the foot-long bunker. The bluefish are right near the beach. Swimmers are right near the beach,

“You go in the water. Shark’s in the water… our shark”

They’re regularly hunting larger prey now. They’re looking for those big bodies. They’re inclined to swim close to humans to investigate. Whereas the palm of a hand could conceivably be construed as the body of a bunker, NOW a whole human arm (or side-view of a torso) could easily be mistaken for the belly of a bluefish. Even if the sharks have no interest in chewing on us, they’ll likely come to investigate a stationary swimmer wading in chest-deep water. And that exact scenario seems to be playing out right now. There were 4 “bites” in two days around July 4th. Apparently we’re about to surpass the amount of “negative shark encounters” Long Island experienced the entirety of last year, and it’s only early July. It’s a freaky trend. In my mind (and you’ll understand this if you’ve ever seen one), the sand tigers protrusive teeth scrape these swimmers when the shark investigates a human. I could be wrong, but I don’t believe these are true, intentional bites. They are side-swipes, which certainly suck. But hey, at least you have a cool story and are hardly injured. Regardless, that’s not really what you want.

All I can say is stay safe, swim near the lifeguards, don’t chill near any fish schools, and always be alert. When you’re swimming in the ocean, you are literally in the wild. NEVER ASSUME YOU ARE SAFE IN THE WILD. Fortunately for us as fishermen, we’re no stranger to the caution and respect nature necessitates. It’s worth mentioning though, so I felt it was important to include in my report. Stay safe.

I’ve been saying for weeks that “I expect the bunker to show up any day now.” It hasn’t come to fruition. I’m getting nervous that they won’t really show, but I’m still hopeful so I’ll say it again. I think the bunker will show up in great numbers very soon.

The surf is so clear lately. There is no question that the amount of clear-water days we’ve experienced this year far surpasses any recent year. Great visibility is definitely the norm so far. I’d love for that to continue. What it does is create sight fishing opportunities in the surf. Years past would provide like 1 or 2 sight fishing days every 2-3 weeks. I’ve sight fished stripers every day this week. Tomorrow I will sight fish more. We have light winds, consistent east swells and conditions specifically tailored for calm seas and clear water. Use them. Enjoy that. The amount of fish I’m seeing in the wash is amazing.

I mentioned the presence of gator blues early on in my rantings. They’ve been here consistently as well. I love that. I’m not focusing on them, but having them as an option for a quick workout is an amazing thing. Get them while the getting’s good. I don’t expect them to stick around forever. Once the bunker show (if they show), these blues will hang pretty tight to them if they’re still around. From what I’ve seen in years past, that makes for opportunities in the morning, decreasing steadily throughout the day as the bunker move away from the beach. Surf guys, you’ll want to be out there in the morning for your best bites at anything but stripers and fluke.

Last year, the cobia craze chose Fire Island and Jones Beach as its epicenter. It was a bit west and a bit less fiery the year prior. I’m hoping for another productive cobia bite, and I want it here in my backyard. I’m going to keep saying that. Try to manifest it, or whatever. Namaste.

Hearing about black drum in Quogue gets me excited too. I’ll take one of those, whenever, please and thank you. Plus the cobia and sheepshead in the bay… who knows what the heck’s next? Give me those redfish or tarpon already. Again, please and thank you. Manifesting.

With the great ocean conditions this next week, I expect to hear some exceptional reports from the offshore grounds next Thursday. I’m looking forward to it. 

Whatever you’re after, I wish you the best of luck. Stay safe, and catch ‘em up.