Stripers fire up across Long Island as tog season opens
Striped bass are the story on Long Island this week. White Water Outfitters in Hampton Bays reports very good fishing along the beaches and around Shinnecock Inlet, with fish up to 40 pounds. Jigs and live eels are working after dark. Bay Park Fishing Station in Oceanside tells of bass to 45 pounds from shore on plugs, all overslot, with bunker by day and eels at night around the bridges. Capt. Dave Paris on Sheepshead Bay drifted eels on Saturday night for five overslot fish. Montauk is the exception. Tight Lines Tackle called the striper bite there somewhat slow and inconsistent, though false albacore remain available. Trophy Hunter Montauk Charters said the albies returned after the nor'easter. On The Water's October 8 report opened with the line that the fall run is on. Tautog season is open, and Tyalure Professional Tackle & Gear reports Connecticut anglers had limits on opening day. Water temperatures read 63.7°F at Montauk, 65.1°F at Kings Point and 65.3°F at The Battery.
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What's biting
What's next
Expect the bass bite to keep building as bait moves along the beaches, inlets and back bays. River Bay Outfitters in Baldwin advises watching for birds, breaking fish and nervous water, and fishing early mornings, evenings and after dark for bigger bass. Flatwings, deceivers and sand eel patterns are their surf picks. Taylor Renee Charters out of Babylon reports live bunker and big swim baits working best at the inlets and off the beaches, with live eels producing at night around structure. Cow Harbor Bait and Tackle reports steady schoolie action on the Sound beaches, which suits light tackle.
Tide timing for planning today: at Montauk the next high is about 12:03 PM and the next low about 6:56 PM. At Kings Point the low is near 8:02 AM and the high near 2:08 PM. At The Battery the high is near 11:12 AM and the low near 5:43 PM. Moving water has been concentrating bait around Shinnecock Inlet per White Water Outfitters, so fish the tide change there. The moon is a waxing crescent, so the early evening is dark enough to carry into night-bite hours.
Fluke are on their way out. Bob's Bait and Tackle in Amity Harbor says fluke are still biting in Fire Island Inlet and the State Channel, and notes the season closes Thursday. LI Outdoorsman calls fluke reports tough. Check state regs before keeping any fish. Fishfinder II will fluke until the 15th, then switch to bass, with 7 p.m. striper trips starting Wednesday. The shamrock and Rip Tide III open boats are moving toward tautog trips this week. Black sea bass are still around too. Trophy Hunter Montauk Charters notes that keeper jumbos took extra running to find.
Context
Mid-October is peak fall migration for Long Island. Bass, bluefish and false albacore typically push through as baitfish move out of the bays and along the beaches, and the South Shore tautog season opens around now. This year's run looks on schedule. On The Water's October 1 report said a week-long nor'easter had scattered the albies while the bass woke up. The surf and inlet reports above show that bite has since arrived. Fluke are typically winding down at the same time, which is why the shops are already turning to tog and stripers.
Synthesized from real-time NOAA buoy data, USGS stream gauges, and current reports across regional fishing blogs, captain updates, and angler forums. Check local regulations before keeping fish. Never trust a single source for a trip decision.
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