The Montauk striped bass run is on, and the fishing has been strong this week. Bass are stacked around the Point, the rips, and along the south-side beaches, taking bucktails, jigs, and live and chunk bunker on the moving tides. The rip bite has been best around the tide changes, and the beach bite has produced at first and last light.
Summer flounder (fluke) are biting well over the sandy bottom and along the structure edges in the surrounding waters, with Gulp-and-bucktail combos and squid-minnow rigs drifted on the moving tide producing keeper-class fish. Black sea bass are stacked on the wrecks and reefs for steady bottom action and good eating.
Porgies (scup) are thick around the rock piles and structure and offer fast action for anglers of all ages. Bluefish are mixed into the bass blitzes and along the beaches, providing toothy, fast-paced fun on plugs and jigs — heavier leader recommended.
Offshore, the early-season tuna and a few mahi are starting to show at the deeper edges for boats making the run on the weather windows. The nearshore bottom fishing has been a reliable fallback when the wind keeps boats close.
The striper bite is the headline and should hold strong through June. Fish the rips around the tide changes, work the beaches at low light, and keep the fluke and sea bass gear aboard for the bottom bite.