July Fishing Forecast • Sea Bass Fishing Is Hot • Offshore Report • New Regulation Updates • And So Much More...

Posted by Joe Wolf on June 25, 2023

It’s Official. The new emergency striped bass slot size regulation of 28-31 inches is now in effect. (6/20/23) Circle hooks are also mandated when “bait fishing” for Striped Bass.

If you have a boat. head out to the ocean, and try for some big Striped bass. the bunker schools are close, between 30 and 60 feet of water. the bunker seems to be balled up close to the bottom, getting yourself a fresh bunker and get it to the bottom. Bass coming over the rails have been 40 plus pounds. make sure once you snag your bunker you get him in and on to a in-line circle hook, before you send him back down.

Striped bass can still be found all over the island, while most are in the inlet fish can still be caught throughout our bays and the ocean. A Patchogue local just recently reported an excellent pick of bass up to 54 inches in the Moriches inlet and plenty other slot and over slot fish. These fish were all caught with large sand worms on bait hooks. Flutter spoons have also been a favorite amongst anglers, the gold, sliver and neon patterns have had great success. This method often requires deeper water in order to work the lure properly. At our local docks bass have also been found with mainly bait such as bunker or mackerel.

As of Friday, June 23, Black Sea bass is officially open for the 2023 season. Sea bass can be found all over the island on rock piles and structure. The best way catch these fish is a simple hi-lo rig with bait such as clam or squid. Another popular way to catch sea bass is jigging. Jigging is a fun and active way to get these fish. When jigging a tubeless hammered diamond jig will work well. Many fishermen favor gold and silver diamond jigs.

Bluefish continue to dominate the island with fish being pulled out of our local docks, inlets and bays. Many of these fish have been caught in and around bunker pods. A great way to target these fish is bunker chunks or live lining a whole bunker. Diamond jigs and sp minnows will also do the trick.

Blowfish and kingfish have also been reported at the Local Docks. The best way to target these tasty fish are clams on a simple high low bait rig.Both species have no size or number limits and both are great to eat.

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Crabs Are In!!! Fun to catch and great to eat!! Traps and nets work well. Bunker and mackerel make a fine bait.

Porgies continue to be caught in the Artificial Reefs, South Shore Inlets, North Shore beaches and Peconic Bays. Clam is doing well, sandworms or lug worms are also producing some fine quality fish. #1 or 2 porgy hook is the tackle of choice.

With the resent change in water temperatures, we should see bait staying in shallower water. With the bait closer to shore, it will keep some of the bigger fish near by too. In the Bays "fluking" is picking up. Favorable tides this week produced a lot of fish being pulled up, but we are starting to see a big gap in the keeper to short ratio.

Fluke fishing has picked up significantly in our local waters as the temperature continues to pick up so has the fluking. Places such as the moriches inlet and bay have shown a solid pick of keeper fish. The smiths point Narrow Bay and the South Shore Inlets have also shown a good pick of quality fish. The best way to catch fluke is a hi-li bucktail rig with gulp on both the teaser and the bucktail. When fishing these locations a bucktail no larger then 2oz will do the trick. When fishing this kind of rig it is always good to keep the bucktail moving in the water by simply jigging. Bait such as squid, spearing and fluke belly are all great alternatives to gulp. All of these baits can also be used on a bucktail rig

Fluke and weakfish are still being caught in the bays and inlets. For fluke bucktails with squid and spearing are a great option for these fish. Berkley Gulp is a great option as an artificial bait and there are many unique colors and patterns that work great for fluke and weakfish. Weakfish can be caught using similar methods but be sure to use pink bucktails or gulp .

SEA BASS IS OFFICIALLY OPEN - BE AWARE OF NEW REGULATIONS
Sea bass- 3 fish at 16-1/2 inches

#sea bass hi-lo reg • #Sea bass habitat

Sea bass are a fun game fish that provide a good fight and an even better meal. The best way to target these fish are bait Rig with clam. Diamond jigs with no rubber tail are another fun way to catch these fish. When targeting these fish be sure to fish near structure or Artificial Reefs because these fish use it for cover and feeding

Surf Report: The surf bite has been steady with nice shots of bass and bluefish on both the South Shore Inlets and sand beaches and jetty’s. Both day and night time are good bets for catching. During the day fishing bait or throwing bucktails, tins and plugs will give you good results. At night it’s best to fish jigs, swimming plugs and soft plastics. Just be sure to have plenty of back up lures when bluefish are thick or just move to a different spot if you’re looking for bass. Bunker and sand eels have been the main baits along the beach as well as peanut bunker, so lures imitating those baits will do you best. The size of bass being caught is quite encouraging being mostly over slot size fish but finding a few legal fish to take home is quite doable.

Bluefish are still all over our waters with places like Patchogue's Mascot Dock , sayville and bluepoint docks all showing plenty of large fish. At these docks most fish are caught on bait such as bunker and mackerel chunks. Diamond jigs are also a favorite among dock anglers. In the moriches and Shinecock Inlet there has been lots of large bluefish with most being caught on bucktails and bunker. . Lures such as poppers and darters have also had great success in the inlets.

Nick Lipuma with a 15lb Tilefish

Shop guy-Cole and his dad Kevin, with friends, Dana and Nick, took a trip to the "The Hudson Canyon," They fished about 400' of water and baited several tilefish to 20lbs.

For those offshore guys June/July 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

Freshwater fishing on the island is at its prime. The Great Patchogue Lake hold good size bass , pickerel and blue gill. Night crawlers on a small bait hook with a bobber is a great way to catch these fish. Lures such as spinners, poppers and artificial worms are all great and fun options.

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

Just a reminder. All anglers 16yrs and older are required to register for saltwater fishing or purchase a license for freshwater fishing in New York State.

You need to register before saltwater fishing. It's easy and it's FREE for NYS residents and all visitors. To fish our local lakes and ponds, a Freshwater License is required. Basically, a NYS resident, Freshwater License, is available to purchase for a days fishing ($5.00) a week ($12.00) or a season (one year from date of purchase for $25.00.-Senior [70 or older] $5.00. ) Additional discounts are available for active military, disabled vets and more...... Non-Resident Freshwater Fishing Licenses are also available for a fee from $10.00-$50.00.

Stop down at J & J Sports and we'll issue you a licenses or marine registry. To purchase a license or register online- click HERE. There's nothing worse than getting a ticket just because you went fishing. Have a smart phone? Here's an idea:

It's a good idea to "snap a shot" of your license so it's always with you in case of loss or its destroyed.

Get Your Sporting Licenses or Register for Marine Fishing
Buy your sporting license online or
By Phone: 1-866-933-2257

Send your reports, photos or your favorite fish recipe to: REPORTS@JJSPORTSFISHING.COM

Don't forget to include, names, location and details (when possible: lures or bait used, tides, etc….) comments or questions are welcome. Call (631) 654-2311

Fun Fish- Long Island is full of "other" types of fish that are not only fun to catch but fine to eat too. Did you ever try Triggerfish? A tough critter with even a tougher skin. However, once cleaned <Fillet A Triggerfish Video> they are a fine meal. Plenty of Blowfish around too. <Fillet A Blowfish Video> Called "chicken of the sea" because they are a tasty treat. Easy to catch and (if big enough) a great meal. Don't underestimate the tenacity and taste of Sea Robbins. <Fillet A Sea Robbin Video> These scrappy critters are plentiful and tasty too. Catch them on bait or lures with a light tackle combo for an exciting time. More Fun Fish Facts on the attached PDF sheets:

Attached is a list of some "Fun Fish Facts Around Long Island." Most are edible and plentiful too. So enjoy the summer and tight lines. (PDF)

Attached is an additional list of more "Fun Fish Facts-2 Around Long Island." Most are edible and plentiful too. So enjoy the summer and tight lines. (PDF) Updated