As we approach late September, the waiting game continues for the striped bass to arrive here in Montauk. Even at the old reliable “southwest ledge” of Block Island, they have been thin lately, even with the abundance of bait that has been in the waters of Montauk, Block island, and the midway. The radar tower shoreline has been producing plenty of fluke, with many keepers being netted by anglers. This spot is a patch reef that runs parallel to the coastline directly off of the radar tower, and is known to hold keeper sized fluke and seabass this time of year. Make sure to use proper seized weights and baits depending on the speed of the tides! The false albacore and green bonito are still chasing bait schools around Gin beach, shagwong point, the point rips, turtle cove, and ditch plains. Most anglers enjoy using light spinning rods with small peanut resin jigs. These fish are also tons of fun if you are skilled with casting a fly! 

 

Out in the deep blue, the Atlantis canyons are continuing to hold plenty of Bigeye tuna, yellowfin tuna, and swordfish. The warm eddie that stood in the veatch canyon for a few days is currently making its way west, bringing the pelagic gamefish with it. A few important factors that are crucial when searching for fish offshore, especially in the canyons, are bait concentrations, surface temperature, bottom features, bird life, and temperature breaks. All of these factors are signs of life that usually indicate where gamefish are active. This time of year, chunking is beginning to be a very effective strategy, both during the daytime as well as night. The swordfish, also known as the “gladiators of the deep”, tend to rise in the water column at night, chasing small squid and other baitfish. Further inshore, yellowfin tuna have been swimming alongside the commercial draggers, eating the scraps that are tossed over the side of the commercial vessels. A few draggers have been fishing the coimbra wreck area, which is about 45 miles southwest of Montauk. When fishing alongside the commercial boats, remember to respect their work and to not get too close to them!