Fishing Forecast - September Full Moon

Fall is in the air. Lucky for us, it's also in the water. The fall run has kicked off in a big way the last couple of weeks. Albies and bonito have taken over the oceanfront. The tautog bite is picking up. There are some great fishing opportunities offshore. The striped bass has been pretty lackluster for most, but it should pick up with the chilly nights and some northerly winds in the forecast this week. The annual "bass rafts" are beginning to show out front, with tightly-packed schools of bass slurping up tiny bay anchovies. There is a ridiculous amount of bait around, both in the bay and out front. In addition to small bait like peanut bunker, bay anchovies, silversides, etc., there is also some bigger bait like mature bunker squid, and mullet around. These cool nights will continue to drive bait out front to fuel the fire. It's really good right now, but it should only improve over the next couple of weeks.

Hardtails and Striped Bass

The hardtail fishing is excellent right now. It varies so much from year to year, and we're fortunate this year, at least up to this point, to have probably the best albie fishing in the northeast. Yes, I knocked on wood. Just about everywhere out front and even a ways up the bay, albies are taking over. The bonito bite is pretty good, too. For both species, all of the usual tactics have been getting it done. Metal/Epoxy Jigs are always a go to. Don't forget how versatile these are. If you aren't having luck but you have fish around, always try changing the how before you change the what. An epoxy or metal can be ripped across the surface causing a commotion, lazily swam back anywhere in the water column, or dropped vertically as if you're fishing for bluefin. All of the above catch fish, and changing where you are in the water column can be the ticket on days the fish are around but not quite cooperating. Albie Snax are the other go to. Again, they can be very versatile. They fish great fast or slow, straight retrieve or twitchy. You can also put them on a jighead to get them down in the water column. Small soft plastics like the 2" Jygpro Swym and 4" RonZ are also a fun way to catch. It's been a great season for fly fishermen, too, so make sure you're loaded up on Albie/Bonito Flies.

Neighbor Timmy with a great bonito from this week

The bass fishing is starting to take shape after a pretty lousy August for many. Just in the past few days there have been a lot more positive reports than the prior couple of weeks. The bite from the surf has been decent if you can avoid the sharks. For boat and kayak guys, it hasn't been much better. Again, it's all only getting better, and has already started to. During the day, you'll often see breaking fish during the fall. You should always have some topwater with you this time of year. Pencil Poppers like the 247 Sea Special, 247 Fish Stick, Cotton Cordell, and Tsunami Talkin Popper. Having some small spooks like the Rebel Jumpin Minnow is also a good idea. Albie Snax work for everything this time of year, as do Metal/Epoxy Jigs - both of which will do very well on bass right now. Another great tactic, especially for finicky fish on tiny bait, is to use a Striper Fly behind a Larry Lurz Casting Egg. Cast into a raft and just let the fly settle. It shouldn't take long to hook up. From the surf, Needlefish and Minnow Plugs are both performing. There are a decent amount of mullet around, which has been fueling a solid minnow plug bite. Using a teaser above your plug like a fly or Red Gill is a great way to increase your action on a nightly basis from now through the end of your season.

Jon with a slammer out at Block last week!

Offshore

While the bluefin reports have fizzled out for the most part, there is still some great fishing to get into offshore. There are still rec-sized bluefin around to be caught, but it isn't steady like it was a few weeks ago. If you do get out there, Trolling Bars to locate fish isn't a bad idea. Make sure you have some Tuna Poppers handy to throw at dolphin pods or breaking fish. There have been reports of yellowfin in some midshore grounds, so keep that on the radar. I haven't heard anything very consistent, though. In general, jigs like the UVT Captain Corey's, Hogy Sandeel Jig, and Point Jude Deep Force Jig have been producing and will do so if you can get on a pile of fish. The really good fishing right now is being provided by mahi. There is both great quality and quantity right now. Any floating structure like lobster pots, weather buoys, or even garbage is likely to hold some life. Metal/Epoxy Jigs and soft plastics like Albie Snax, Albie Snax XL, or Paddletails. They also respond well to live or cut bait, so loading up on peanut bunker, butterfish, or something similar isn't a bad idea. You never know what you'll see out there in September, so be prepared for anything if you make it out!

The Tveit brothers with some great mahi fishing last week!

Tautog

If these chilly mornings don't get you itching for tog, I don't know what will. I know the season reopens in August, but I personally can't find the motivation until I start feeling the colder temps settle in. And then, like a switch, all of a sudden it feels like togging time. The bite has been good and will surely keep improving as we head toward October and things continue to cool off. You should be able to find fish at any depth from as shallow as 5ft to well over 60ft. Both Tog Jigs and Tog Rigs will get the job done. In general, use a tog jig in shallow and/or slow moving water and use a rig in deep and/or fast moving water. The weight is determined by the current and depth you're fishing. You want to use as little weight as you can get away with while still maintaining good bottom contact. Colors (for your jigs) seem to depend on the day - a general "blend in or stand out" mindset is probably the right approach. Some days you'll want dull browns, greens, and oranges to be inconspicuous. Other days, bright yellows, oranges, chartreuse, or pink may get more bites. Tog are very curious critters, so if they see something that they aren't used to seeing, it will get their attention.