NY side of LIS, 9/9/05

1. Western Long Island Sound: A lot of blues spread around with big fish amongst them. Even the snappers are huge, to 14 inches in some cases. And since the blues are on the L.I. side of the Sound, the porgies have run to the Connecticut side. Jack's B&T in City Island reported slow fluking, but there should be one last hurrah for the species next weekend.

2. Huntington/Northport bays: Great fluke action with some 15-17 inch shorts but plenty of keepers with a few 5-pounders mixed in. They're biting on both sides of Huntington Bay, as well as Cold Spring Harbor and Oyster Bay. Four Winds B&T reported a nice mix of blues and keeper bass south of 11B in 50-60 feet of water. Porgy fishing hasn't been very consistent.

3. Smithtown Bay: Sean Barron and his dad had fluke to 25 inches using killies off West Meadow Beach and Steve from BLT Cafe in St. James had five fluke to 22 inches in the same area, according to Swaine's B&T. Bluefish from cocktails to 8 pounds are in and out and some keeper bass are in Stony Brook Harbor with a lot of schoolies. Chumming is the key to porgy fishing, but that draws bluefish.

4. Port Jefferson to Mattituck Inlet: Jigging for bass and blues is producing good action in the Middle Grounds, with the stripers getting bigger each day. The Celtic Quest reported the sunset bite on porgies has been fantastic. Fluking took an upswing in the past week. Over the weekend, Mark caught a 10-pound fluke, then followed it with keeper sea bass and stripers on the Capt. Bob in Mattituck.

5. Orient Point to Fishers Island: The bass bite has gotten better and should continue to improve through next weekend's full moon. Eels and dark bucktails at night are hitting the majority of the 30-pounders. Bluefish are mixed in and can be diamond jigged in the Gut or Race. Porgy fishing is very good all the way out to Fishers, and when the tide is slack in the Gut, there are a few jumbos, according to Wego Fishing.

6. The Peconics and Gardiners Bay: Not a lot of big weakfish, but some good keepers being taken on squid and diamond jigs by Greenport and Roses Grove. Plenty of cocktail bluefish with some bigger ones at Jessups. Porgies are everywhere and still being taken in terrific size and number.

7. Montauk Point: Surfcasters caught some bass yesterday just east of Ditch Plains and on the north side at Lazy Point, according to Freddie's B&T. The north bar and false bar have also been producing in the middle of the night. Under the light has been tough with the large heave that has also slowed the traffic for offshore boats (though the ones that do get out are doing well with tuna and sharks).

8. Shinnecock Bay: Limiting out on fluke has become work, but some anglers are sorting through the shorts poised for their fall dash to the ocean. It's been a remarkably consistent year for fluking here, and there's no reason it shouldn't end with a bang this month. Ocean fluke anglers are taking some fish to 8 pounds, along with nice sea bass off the wrecks and rockpiles.

9. Moriches Bay: The fluke are moving; on Tuesday, Julius and his wife had four keepers at Buoy 14, but Wednesday, there was nothing there and they caught their keepers at Buoy 4. Silly Lily's reports squid and spearing still working the best, usually three hours before high water. Plenty of schoolie bass in the cuts, and weakfish are biting by Buoy 31.

10. Great South Bay/Fire Island Inlet: Fluking had been pretty good over the holiday weekend but a roll of waves the last few days has turned them off, according to Augie's in Babylon. Expect a good fall run in the next week. A lot of big bluefish are inside the bay and blowfish and kingfish are being taken on the north side of the bay. The water is still a little warm for the fall bass explosion, but with the loads of bait around, it could happen any day.

11. Jones Inlet/Western Bays: Since the heat wave ended, the fishing has come back to respectability. Fluking is still fraught with shorts but the action is terrific and there are 3-5 pounders. Scotty's reported one boat anchored near Point Lookout Bridge taking 25 nice sea bass to 16 inches and two 3-pound triggerfish. Stripers are still small but the evening bite is starting to stir.

12. East Rockaway Inlet: Bay Park Fishing Station reported some nice ocean fluking last weekend as the gang on For Reel took 16 keepers to 7 pounds, and the Donna Rosalie had a limit at Cholera with only a few shorts. Offshore has been slowed by the ocean storms, but over the weekend, the crew of Momentum had an 80-pound bluefin and a 100-pound yellowfin from the east wall of the Hudson while the 50-50 was on the west wall hooking longfin, a hammerhead shark and a '-pound swordfish.

13. New York Bight: Bluefish are feasting on the bodies of bait, busting the surface with fierce action. Poppers will snag some to 8 pounds if you come across a blitz. Fluke action in Jamaica Bay has been good, but the by-catch of sea bass and porgies has been even better with scup to 2 pounds and in good numbers. [by tom rock]