Fishing Report

Aboard the Prime Time III out of Orient by the Sea Marina on Monday, Capt. Mike Boccio called the bottom fishing “outstanding” with a mix of porgies to three pounds and black sea bass in the two-to-three-pound range. The party boat expects to continue its 8 a.m. sailings into November when tautog fishing heats up. Night trips are producing plenty of stripers again, mostly in the 15-to-20-pound class with some bluefish early and late.

Steven at We Go Fishing (now moved one mile east of the Port of Egypt and opposite Goldsmith’s, but still on Main Road in Southold) said reports of false albacore north and south of Plum Island have beach anglers thinking about future blitzes. Meanwhile, the water remains extraordinarily warm with summer species still abundant. At one point last week, a temperature of 74 degrees was reported, and there was chatter about mako sharks off Shinnecock. Striper action along the beaches is still quiet, but there are some large bluefish around. As far as scup are concerned, if you fish the right areas, you “can’t miss.”

Linda Czech at Jamesport Bait and Tackle in Mattituck was concerned about anglers “pigging out” with coolers of large blowfish (northern puffers), and taking more fish than they need. These “chickens of the sea” run up to one and a half pounds. Snappers are still small, and crabbing activity has dropped off, as it usually does after Labor Day when vacationers go home. There are rumors of albacore here and there, and scup are ubiquitous.

In the Peconics, look for the porgies around Rogers Rock and off Roses Grove. Phil Loria at Captain Marty’s Fishing Station in New Suffolk told us boats did very well on Sunday with catches of scup to 14 inches. There are still summer weakfish off Nassau Point and in the South Race, the largest squeteague running 22 inches. One angler fishing for snappers off the boat dock wound up releasing a nice, short striper, too. Blowfish are mostly in the North Race.

Stan Hentschel at the Rocky Point Fishing Stop explained beach anglers did quite well over the weekend, fishing bait locally and tallying blues in the 10-to-12-pound range. Scup are also plentiful and, on the Middle Grounds, are mixed with sea bass. At the Fire Island National Seashore anglers over the weekend were treated to an adventure with a pod of school tuna. Practically all got “spooled,” but Sean Jensen did manage to subdue a 33-pound bluefin on a pencil popper after turning it.