Noreast.com, Western Sound, 7/15

• We are still experiencing consistent action in the western Sound. The only difference from a few weeks ago is that the bluefish are dominating the bite. We are seeing monster bluefish to 18 pounds push bunker schools all over the western Sound. There are still plenty of smaller bass around; the problem is they are less likely to compete with the bluefish for your chunk! John Knight at Hudson Park B&T was happy to report that anglers are slamming these monster bluefish right in his own backyard. Jerry Gatto landed a 12 and a 15-pound bluefish earlier in the week. Most anglers are finding success by drifting with the working schools.
  
• The fluke bite is holding strong off the local points, with some bigger fish coming from some spots most fluke fisherman ride right over on their way to the “usual” spots. “Fishermen are creatures of habit, it’s one of the hardest things to do, but you have to be willing to give up a morning and try some new spots,” John said. The bass are holding tight to the rocks, which makes for an awesome time for those using light tackle. “Now is the time to break out the plugs and bucktails,” John said, and I couldn’t agree more.
• Captain Steve from the Molly Roze was glad to see that there is still plenty of action to be had in the western Sound. The only downside is that most of that action has been caused by the bluefish! “We had some monster fish to the mid-teens this week, but the bass are far and few between,” Steve said. The bluefish can be found from Mamaroneck to Greenwich and all the way across the Sound in Oyster Bay. “If you have some chum on your boat, you will catch bluefish,” Steve joked. Steve also reported that the fluke bite has been decent in his neck of the woods, especially in the early morning before the boat traffic kicks in. The porgies are scattered all over the place with the arrival of these big bluefish, but give them some time to spawn, then they will get their appetites back.
• John at Jack’s B&T was happy to report some very good western Sound action in and around City Island. We have plenty of bait packed into the western Sound and the predators are taking notice. The bluefish have been very consistent in the middle of the Sound or on any school of bunker that can be found in the early morning or evening. The bass continue to stage behind Execution Lighthouse as well as Hart’s and Pea Island. The porgy bite has been decent off Rye and Sand’s Point near the Perry Como mansion. John was also happy to announce that the snappers have started arriving in the western Sound. This is great news for the kids, as well as all the fluke fishermen that live-line snappers for doormat fluke! John also reported a huge influx of blue claw crabs this week, so get your nets out and catch them up!
• Captain Joe from Moontide Charters was out hammering away at the fluke and bluefish this past week. “We had some very nice fluke right off Matinecock Point,” Joe said. It took some time to cull out some keepers, but the action was very consistent during each drift. The bluefishing is getting “stupid”, with every school of bunker holding fish. “The bunker are being corralled and pushed all over the western Sound,” Joe said. The good news is that there are still some bass holding under these schools waiting for the leftovers. Give Captain Joe a call to get in on some awesome western Sound fishing.
• John from Glen Cove Sports reported plenty of action for all types of fishermen! “We have plenty of bait which equals plenty of fish,” John said. The cocktails and schoolies are still cruising up and down the beaches attacking anything that moves. Jim McDonald experienced this first hand by landing six bluefish to 12.9 pounds while fishing a cigar minnow off Crescent Beach. Louis Pappas also found success, while diamond jigging off Oak Neck he landed a 29-inch bluefish. The fluke and porgies are also showing in good numbers off the local points. Tony Castro fished clams off Matinecock and limited out on scup to 3.5 pounds. Birdy started out fluke fishing off Matinecock, and after landing a few porgies on his fluke rigs he switched to porgies and ended up limiting out! The catch of the week went to Frank Barberi, who fished a “fistful” of clams off Crescent Beach and landed a 42.5-pound striper!
• Captain Chris from the Island Current Fleet was out with the Bedford Anglers on Sunday, and had some very good success while fluking off Matinecock and Prospect Points. “The fluking was a little tough with the wind against the tide, but the fish were hungrier than the conditions,” Chris joked. The Island Current II was busy pounding away at the bluefish off Bayville and Peacock Point. “The bunker are just being stampeded by big bluefish in the western Sound,” Chris said. The bite stayed very strong right up to Thursday, when things started to slow down a bit. The night fishing is still very good, with plenty of bass mixed in with the bluefish. The porgy fishing has been tough with all these big bluefish cruising around in search of an easy meal. The porgies are also just coming off their spawn and hopefully it won’t be long before they are feeding in their usual spots. Captain Chris has some great weekday specials for private charters, so give a call to book your next outing aboard the Island Current Fleet!
• Captain John Marino from American Sportfishing Charters had another successful week of fishing in the western Sound. Friday, Captain John headed out with Greg Gulbransen and his son Scott. They started out the day by landing a 12-pound striper in some very skinny water. Once the tide started moving they headed out to deeper water, which produced three small bluefish. They finally hit pay dirt when Captain John fished a live bunker in a working school and a beautiful 24-pound striper inhaled it! 10-year-old Scott landed his biggest bass every with his father. Congrats to both. Captain John is running his patented light tackle fluke trips as well as his instructional trips which are a must for both the novice and seasoned angler.
• Captain Pat from the Shamrock IV also had a very good week with the bluefish. “We had some non-stop action with bluefish this week,” Pat said. Most of the fish were cocktail sized, with the occasional teen sized fish in the mix. A few stripers also made an appearance, especially during the evening trips. The fluke fishing has been good, but there is a very high short to keeper ratio with the new limits. Captain Pat is available for private charter, so give him a call to book the date aboard the Shamrock IV. (Craig Koproski)