Western Long Island and NYC Fishing Report- July 27, 2023

More and bigger cobia are caught around bunker schools, ocean fluking is great around the reefs and wrecks, and offshore anglers find quality yellowfin and mahi.

by Nick Cancelliere

Western Long Island and NYC Fishing Report

  • Cocktail bluefish blitzes and a new wave of gators in the West Sound 
  • Tons of spearing and other bait in the bays, easily spotted by bird action 
  • More impressive cobia catches this week 

Petey Trovato from Lindenhurst Bait and Tackle reports:

“Fluking has stayed really good but its definitely tapering off from the past couple of weeks. Yesterday I went out on the beach and only caught sea robins, black sea bass, and surprisingly a blackfish. There’s a lot of bait in the bays though so it could be the heat slowing down the bite. Best bet is to get out in the early morning or night time when the water’s cooler.” 

Brandon Weitz from Causeway Bait and Tackle in Wantagh told me: 

“Tons of cobia on the bunker pods right now. I haven’t heard of any inside yet, but last year some were reportedly caught in the bays. I’ve caught 3 so far this season. Fluking is still good but this heatwave will probably mess things up. There’s  plenty of bait around though so we’ll have to see. Huge sharks are in the surf still, I caught and released a big sand tiger last night.”

Brandon Weitz (@bweitz1) of Causeway Bait and Tackle with his first ever NY-caught cobia… and a nice one at that!

Jamie from Bay Park Fishing Station in Oceanside said: 

“Cobia are being weighed in regularly, some over 50 pounds! Most are getting caught on bunker pods in 60 to 80 feet of water off Long Beach and Rockaway. Offshore, the yellowfin bite has been good. Rich Knoop and crew reported 5 caught during an overnight canyon trip. The fluke bite has been consistently good at wrecks with gulp and whole squid being the baits of choice. A few boats have reported sighting a lot of squid in the water, some chasing their lures on the way back up. Bay Park is open 7 days a week, we have everything you need for inshore and offshore fishing!” 

Paul Mccain from River Bay Outfitters in Baldwin said: 

“I was out on the South shore bays twice this week on my boat and there were birds everywhere. There’s so much bait in the back bays but hardly anything on them. Looks to be mostly spearing – pods and pods of them. I saw some small bluefish get caught but they were down deep and not blitzing on the surface. I also had a lot of fluke action at Jones Beach, mostly under keeper size, but still plenty of fun, especially on a fly rod.

On the flats in 2 feet of water, I saw a ray anywhere from 3 ½- to 4 ½-feet wide, which was pretty crazy to see. They were all over the surf last week and now it looks like they’re making their way into the bays.” 

John from Freeport Bait and Tackle reports: 

“Cobia and sharks have been getting caught just a few miles out. A big hammerhead was caught recently. The fluking continues to be great on the reefs. We’ve got Gulp and bucktails in stock for you to catch ‘em up!” 

Gypsea Charters in Brooklyn reports:

“Excellent fluking over the past week, with many anglers managing limits. The short action has been plentiful as well, keeping rods bent for the majority of the day. We will continue fluking by reservation only throughout the remainder of the summer. Big fish of the week was caught by regular, Jonathan, weighing in at 8 pounds, 10 ounces.”

Limits of quality fluke hit the deck for anglers aboard the Gypsea over the past week. (@gypseacharters)

Rockfish Charters in Queens reports:

“We’re currently fishing for bluefin mid-shore and yellowfin and mahi offshore, as well as striped bass in Manhattan. Fishing this past week was a little inconsistent, but with this full moon approaching, things should get going again. Call (347) 661-4501 to book a trip.”

 

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Here’s what anglers have been posting on social media: 

 

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I don’t have much to add, as I’m currently upstate for some pike fishing, fly fishing, and taking in as much of the cool mountain air as I can. The 50 degree mornings up here make me wish it was Fall already. When I return, I’ll likely get back into my fluke haunts. However, that won’t be until this heatwave tapers off. It’s looking miserable this weekend.  

What I have heard around the wire from my angling circle is a new wave of big blues infesting the back bays of the Long Island Sound, a decent fluke bite in the surf and from piers, and some epic shark action at night casting chunked heads or tails of bunker, bluefish, and even cobia.

Puffers, triggerfish, and other fun exotics are all within casting distance of land and my hope is that I’ll start hearing reports of pelagics off the inlets and beaches soon. Spanish mackerel, frigate tuna, bonito and other speedsters are plenty of fun on light tackle. It’s going to be too hot to kayak, so I’ll probably be walking the beach in the early morning with an epoxy jig, throwing it as far out as I can and reeling it back on a quick retrieve for whatever bites. Once the heat subsides maybe I’ll take my kayak out to the back bays and prowl for these big bluefish my buddies are catching.

What’s Biting?

We’ve had a pretty solid run of gator bluefish showing up on the West Long Island Sound recently and back bay anglers can be treated to some epic blow ups on topwater. If you can’t find the blues, troll around with plugs and spoons and keep your eyes open for birds.

Depending on how hot the water gets, the best windows are going to be early morning for most fish. As other anglers have reported, there is a ton of bait right now, but not an equal amount of predation going on. Water temperatures well into the high 70’s could be responsible for slow bites. Look for deeper, cooler water to entice bites from fish that may be sluggish, and pick earlier or later windows to fish. Work lures slower to entice lazy fish, and be sure to reduce your fight time when practicing catch and release due to the warmer, less oxygenated water.

See you in August. Good luck and tight lines.  

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