Newsday, NY side of LIS 8/12/05

1. Western Long Island Sound: The typical summer trio of fluke, bluefish and porgies are providing nice targets. Fluke are along the points on the North Shore and off Hart's Island, according to Jack's B&T, taking basic squid and spearing or live killies. Porgies are on just about any structure in 15 to 25 feet of water and bluefish are attacking chunks in all of the bays and harbors and between the bridges.

2. Huntington/Northport bays: All the peanut bunker and snapper bluefish are providing bait for big fluke. Rusty Schneiderman caught a 10.32-pounder Wednesday on a bucktail fishing the Noli Eileen out of Huntington and Monday, Harry Larsen had a 9.53-pound fluke as part of his limit fishing bucktails off the Lilco dropoff, according to Four Winds. Cocktail blues are all around with bigger ones and stripers in 40-50 feet of water.

3. Smithtown Bay: Fluking is good off Cranes Neck with fish to 23 inches, according to Swaine's B&T, as Dave Ciotti surfcasted using live killies in 12 feet of water and Rich Doyle reported a mix of fluke and bluefish. Melanie Cozzolino, 11, caught her first keeper of the season, a 22-inch, 2-pounder on squid and spearing. Harrold and Louis Townsend limited on porgies with bluefish banging against their boat and John Tartaro hooked a 16-pound bass off Long Beach.

4. Port Jefferson to Mattituck Inlet: Bill Fulta took a 28-pound striper near Broadway Beach in Rocky Point using clams Sunday, according to Rocky Point Fishing Stop. Bluefish are gorging on peanut bunker along the shore with fish to 10 pounds and some stripers taking bunker chunks in the Middle Grounds. Porgy fishing is still quality over quantity in deeper water. Nice sea bass action, mostly to the east.

5. Orient Point to Fishers Island: The heat is limiting the best bass action to around sunrise and sunset, but the Gut and Race are filled with bluefish the rest of the time. The blues are being taken on diamond jigs, according to Wego Fishing. There are some big 2-pound porgies off Plum Island.

6. The Peconics and Gardiners Bay: There's still a nice pick of fluke off Gardiners and around Shelter Island with fish to 5.5 pounds taking squid and sand eels. Anglers are pounding limits out of the porgies, getting big blackback scup off Gardiners, according to Wego. Two- to 5-pound blues are at Jessups on the flood tide and a few keeper-size weakfish have been taken around buoy 16 off Noyack.

7. Montauk Point: The Oh Brother caught a 440-pound hammerhead shark and Rainbow Runner took a 486-pound mako. Also a lot of nice threshers out there. The local bluefins have moved on but there are still a few offshore with yellowfins and longfins. The heat is hampering the striper bite. Not a lot of big fluke but a nice pick of fish to 4 pounds.

8. Shinnecock Bay: Capt. John McEntyre and crew on Doctor Roof hit 18 mahi to 30 pounds and a 45-pound albacore about 65 miles offshore Sunday and the gang on Snoozer had three ablacore and a yellowfin west of the dip, according to Molnar's Landing. The Hey Jude has been limiting out on fluke to 6 pounds just about every day at Mecox using squid and spearing. There are also sea bass to 4 pounds at the sea buoy.

9. Moriches Bay: Mastic B&T reports plenty of fluke outside and inside the inlet hitting when the cool water comes through at the top of the tides. A few stripers are still being taken in the inlet and triggerfish are along the rocks taking clams. Snappers are in the creeks and crabbing should perk up with the full moon next week.

10. Great South Bay/Fire Island Inlet: Bruce from Augie's reports a lot of exotics drawn in by warm water with bluefin and mahi in about 60 feet of water. One boat had a white marlin only 5 miles from the inlet while trolling for bluefin and Augie's also had a report of a 4-foot wahoo at the Virginia wreck. Fluking has slowed in the ocean but the bay is filled with fish. Capt. Ken Higgins on the Laura Lee in Captree reports 400-500 fish caught per trip lately with 50-80 keepers.

11. Jones Inlet/Western Bays: The crew on Outer Line brought back 15 tuna, including a 97-pound yellowfin, a sign that the Canyon is primed, according to Woodcleft Fishing Station. Quite a few white marlin reports and bluefin tuna from 65 feet of water all the way to Cholera. Fluking is good with deeper waters working best for keepers. Nice stripers are around the bunker schools, taking chunks or live bait.

12. East Rockaway Inlet: Bay Park Fishing Station adds to the terrific Canyon reports with Momentum coming back with a 214-pound bigeye and yellowfin to 60 pounds and Fish On taking a 100-pound swordfish and a 200-pound bigeye last weekend. Also lots of yellowfin and longfin. Keeper fluke at Atlantic Beach Reef and off Rockaway Beach, with some stripers.

13. New York Bight: Alan Rubin was on the Bullet out of Sheepshead Bay, fluking, when he fought a 19-pound yellowfin for half an hour and got it in the boat. The fluking was good that day, too, he reported. Weakfish are coming up as The Angler reported Marie Koumbis took an 11.5-pounder surrounded by 10-pound blues on jigs. [org pub Newsday, Tom Rock]