Ready For Offshore? • Local Fishing Update • Crabbing Has started • How To Clean A Blowfish

Regulation update: 6/7/23 As some of you may have heard, there is talk of a new emergency striped bass slot size regulation of 28-31 inches that is poised to go in to effect. BUT NOT YET!!!
As of right now this is only a dictate from the Atlantic State Marine fishery Commission (ASMFC).
The current regulation of 28"-35" slot size stays in effect until New York state adopts this rule from the ASMFC. Currently NYS has until July 2nd to ratify this proposal.
However, until a decision is finalized by the NYS DEC the current slot of 28"-35" inches will remain in place.

Striped Bass action has been very very good with many anglers seeing some nice fish from Patchogue river to the inlets while drifting clam or bunker chunks , for best results anglers have been going more towards the evening hours.

Surfcasters are finding luck after daylight hours too. Bucktails and rubber shads are doing well in the inlets. On the beach, swimming plugs like sp minnows, darters, and super strike swimmers are working well. Try fishing the top of the tides. It seems that the outgoing has had an edge over the incoming.

Plenty of fish have also been found in the inlets with both Shinecock Inlet  and Moriches inlet showing keeper sized bass. Live bait such as bunker, on a circle hook, is another effective option. Local fishermen have also reported bass have been caught at our Local Docks such as mascot and West Sayville Dock with most reports coming early in the morning. The Patchogue River has also been holding bass due to the large schools of bunker going in to the river for safety.

Note: Seabass opens June 23rd.  It's expected to be a spectacular season

Blues have been roaming the south shore inlets.  The Patchogue's Mascot Dock  are seeing a fish or two coming up on chunks. The best bet for getting into some blues recently has been around inlets. Fire island, Moriches and Shinecock Inlet  are all holding blues anywhere from cocktail size to over 10 lbs. Try the bay side of Smith Point County Park , It has been productive too. You can use baits like bunker or mackerel chunks or lures like diamond jigs or bucktails or Top water Poppers.

South shore Fluke fishing has pick up this past week .  Moriches and Shinnecock bays are also seeing better action. This action should continue to improve as the next wave of Fluke will enter our south shore bays "reel" soon. Try focusing efforts around the last 2 hours of the incoming and the first 2 of the outgoing tides. 

Fluke fishing continues to pick up with plenty of keepers being pull up locally. One fish over 8.5lbs caught right in the moriches bay. Reports from the east end and on the north shore have produced fish up to 10lbs .

The smith point Narrow Bay has been been holding good sized fish too. The best way to catch fluke would be a hi-lo with a buck-tail , if you are fishing in the bay a 2oz buck-tail would be more than enough. When using this rig it’s always good to add a teaser which can include gulp or bait such as squid and spearing. Fluke belly is also a great option because it’s proven as a durable bait to stay on the hook longer.

North shore boats between Huntington and Mattituck have been hitting the grounds hard between 20-50 feet of water and cashing in. Most keepers are hovering around the 19-20" mark but some larger doormats have been mixed. Bucktails and fluke rigs are seeing equal action. Most popular baits are spearing, squid, and various gulp baits. 

Porgy fishing is starting to get hot in the North Shore and south shore inlets . Sandworms and clam are equally working very well. Using clam chum can help keep the fish in your area during a bite. The tide has not had much of an impact on the fishing but it would be wise to fish during the moving portions of the tide. A simple hi-lo set up is the "go to rig" for Porgy fishing. Peconic bays continues to produce at an impressive rate of jumbo porgies.  Well worth a trip!

Weakfish are still being pulled from our local waters usually while Fluke or Porgy fishing.  Truly a nice surprise.  Same baits apply.  Sandworms, clam or squid will all do well.

Weakfish this year has been lively!  with large fish being found almost all over the island. Near bouy 34 in the great South Bay plenty of large weakfish have been caught. Most anglers who have had success with them say they are filled with squid. So using squid strips on a hi-lo bucktail rig may be effective. Pink and white gulp is another great choice for weakfish. Further east in the peconic there has been dozens of weakfish caught mixed in with the porgy schools.

Don't forget Long Islands "fun fish." Sea robins are plentiful, Blowfish are making a showing and this week we heard of triggerfish in Shinnecock canal. Any bait will do fine.  This bottom feeders are fun to catch and fine to eat.

We receive numerous questions on how to clean a blowfish. We posted this video before but worth repeating. Enjoy!

Crabbing- has starting.  It should only improve over the next couple of weeks.  Traps and nets are both producing but traps and doing a little better during the day and netting these critters is better at night.  Bunker is a great bait and so is mackerel.

For those offshore guys June is the start of the Shark and Tuna bite. A consistent spot has been the Combria wreck out of Shinnecock. Don't forget a permit is required for Tuna and Shark fishing. https://hmspermits.noaa.gov/permitList

Click here for: Atlantic Bigeye, Albacore, Yellowfin and Skipjack Tuna Recreational Minimum Sizes

Read more "Stories and Reports" from J&J Sports Blog Posts: Click Here

Lake fishing locally have been active. Most customers have been using nightcawlers or live shiners. Species being caught are Largemouth bass, Yellow Perch, Bluegill and crappie. A few trout are still being caught at west lake as well as upper lake.