Fisherman's World 8/3

• Striped Bass: Hot weather has settled in. It's bluefish, fluke, snapper, and porgy time, yet there is still good striper fishing, at night and at daybreak. There have been stripped bass in the Norwalk harbor along with some small, medium, and large bluefish, under bunker schools, from the mouth of the harbor all the way to the 95 Bridge. Each morning there seems to be some action but in a different area of the harbor. Large swimming plugs, live bunker, and bunker chunks are the bait. Chunking on the reef's can be very good, if anchored in the correct spot and the correct tide, using fresh bait, with the right weight, (as usual). Budd's reef, 28C, 11B, between the OB buoy and can 13, and can 13 have had been good. Longneck Point, Green's Ledge, Middle Passage all have hot action at times.
• The bluefish have been popping up on the surface, in middle passage, and the Cockenoe reef area, keep your eyes open. The most success has been on popping plugs and it is a very exciting way to fish. Trolling plugs in mid-sound, also a mix in bass and blues. Note: John Desmond (Desmond Builders) was out trolling, south of middle passage (Copp's Island) 70ft of water, trolling 100yds of wire with a Rapala trolling plug, 52" striped bass, measured and released, Nice going John. We haven't had a 52" bass caught in Norwalk in a decade.
• Also night plugging in the Norwalk Island has been very good, small swimming plugs, flies, and for fly fisherman- deceivers, have been excellent, the fish are feeding on spearing (aka white bait or shiners, or silver sides). Bett's Island, Grassy Island, Goose Island, Cockenoe Island has also been productive. Don't forget tube and worming is still an excellent way to bring home fish, and keep cool while moving in this hot weather.
• Largest fluke of the weak-8lbs. South Norwalk Boat Club had a tournament last weekend 1st largest was 6 lb 5oz. Jim Izzo, 2nd place was Jason Velicky- 5lb oz. 3rd place was Scott Martin 5lb and change. Fluking has been very good at 11B, fluke in all depths, but the majority of the larger fish have been coming from 40-80ft of water. 25-50ft of water south of the Norwalk Island from Cockenoe to Green's ledge nice fluke from 3-5lbs. If you hit a spot where the fish are mark the spot with the GPS or a marker Bouy. The OB Buoy still has a lot of fish but there has been a lot of pressure there. The west side of 11B has been very good and should continue until the end of fluke season.
  
• For those of you who do not want to travel far there are some fluke at Peck's Ledge in the hole, in the hole inside middle passage, and the hole by the Shoren Country Club. Fresh Bunker strips, Fresh Squid, with spearing or a sand eel has been excellent. Also the snappers are in so use live snappers as bait, fish with a fish finder rig and 3-4ft of 30lb flourocarbon is great bait for fluke, and you will also catch blues and bass. Otherwise the buck tail teaser rig has been the most productive. As always Note to remember: fluke do not bite well, if at all, wind against tide. It is not good to fluke fish with an outgoing tide, and an east wind or vice versa. It is best to fish on nice days not windy days. Drifting too fast for fluke is also not productive, over 1.5 knots it gets difficult.
• Porgy's are all over the place. Some jumbo porgy's, at the 42ft rock, you will see it on your chart or GPS. Fish a few 100 yards west of that, 50-55 ft, you should do well on jumbo porgy's and sea bass. Also in the shallow water inside the Norwalk islands, can 7 on the North side of Bett's Island. And in the general vicinity of can 7 and Peck's Ledge and Can 2 off of Cockenoe island, thunder rock reef, also has large numbers of porgy's at times, with half throwbacks in these areas. Clam chumming with a chum pot is a must. The bait to use is clam bait or sandworms, and of course anchoring.
• The Snappers are in mom and dad, time to bring the kids! The limit is 10 per day each person.
• Tuna: Most of our customers and friends who headed out to Montauk to the canyon's (Block Canyon, aka fish tails) have been catching numerous Yellow fin, Albacore, Durado (aka Mahi-Mahi), with a few Big eye and Marlin mixed in. Mostly trolling, we had one good report on the west wall of the fish tails.