Updated: Historical report for the week of October 8, 2026 (original publication date preserved; reorganized October 27, 2026) · Next update: None. This archived week will not be updated again; for current conditions, read the latest Long Island NY fishing report.
This Long Island NY fishing report covers the week of October 8, 2026, when the South Shore and the Sound were both alive with the fall run. Bunker were in the bays and along the beaches, and stripers were following them. The new moon that weekend was expected to add strong tides to an already active pattern.
What’s Hitting
Striped bass were on the move along the South Shore beaches, Fire Island Inlet and the Sound, feeding on bunker and sand eels. False albacore were off the beaches and inlets with bluefish mixed in, and blackfish season was underway on the rocks and wrecks. Porgies and sea bass were still around, and fluke held on the wrecks. The common driver was bait: where bunker and sand eels concentrated, the predators followed.
Where to Find Them
Jones Beach, Democrat Point, Captree and Fire Island Inlet were the places to start on the South Shore, with Shinnecock Inlet and Montauk also productive. On the north side, Orient Point and the Sound shoreline held stripers and tog. The wrecks off Fire Island held sea bass and fluke.
The Great South Bay and Moriches Bay offered calmer water for smaller boats, with bluefish, weakfish and the occasional striper, and they held bait when weather turned.
Tides & Conditions
The new moon brought strong tides to the inlets. The incoming tide carried bait, and fish gathered at the inlet mouths. A northeast wind could make the surf rough, and rough surf often concentrates bait and triggers aggressive feeding, though it also raises the risk for anglers on jetties and open beaches. Planning around wind direction was as important as reading the tide.
Tackle & Tactics
Bucktails, soft plastics and swimming plugs worked for stripers. Metal lures and small jigs were the choice for albacore and blues, retrieved fast to match fleeing bait. Blackfish took green crabs on a small hook fished on the rocks, and fluke responded to a bucktail with a strip of squid. Matching lure size to the bait present, bunker or sand eels, made a noticeable difference. Our striped bass fishing guide covers fall-run presentations.
Local Intel This Week
Public access included Jones Beach State Park, the Captree State Park boat basin, Robert Moses State Park and Democrat Point. Fish were concentrating at the inlets and around the bait schools. Striped bass and tautog rules are strict and change; check current state and federal regulations and seasons before keeping fish, including New York DEC rules. This report records conditions from that week and should not be read as current.
This Week’s Tip
Watch the beach for bait. If you see bunker flipping at the surface or birds working, stripers are likely close. Match your lure to the bait in size and profile, and cast past the commotion rather than into its center.
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