Montauk, NY


There is a sign located outside Monatuk Harbor that reads, "Fishing Capital of the World". 
While there are many other locations up and down the Striper Coast that can also boast that they are also top destinations, Montauk is king.  And in the Fall, it is ruler supreme. 

Big plugs coupled with a North wind can convince any surf fisherman that Montauk is King in during the Fall run.  If the wind blowing 20 - 30 knots out of the North-West, call in sick...  you should be in Montauk.
Resident stripers, living in Long Island Sound, move throughout the area following bait all summer are eventually joined in the Fall by the migratory stripers, moving south from New England. 

These northern fish will feed in the area from September into November, then head south to the Chesapeake Bay and south Atlantic states for the winter.
Bluefish usually are available in good numbers until the middle of October. Although usually found in schools of similar-size individuals, the fish often are mixed, with some 12 to 15 pounders showing up in places where you're also catching fish half that size.

Seasonal Activity

MAY

In May the water temperatures are cool and the fish are migrating. May can be excellent depending on how consistent the weather patterns are.
JUNEIn June we usually see a good population of sand eels, and when the stripers find them fishing can be superb. Montauk gets overlooked by most anglers during May and June.  Small crowds.
JULYJuly is a slow month due to high water temperatures and a lack of bait. Fish can still be found on night tides, and every now and then some cows take residence in one of the many boulder-invested areas. The trick is finding them.
AUGUSTThere is a lack of effort by other fishermen and cows to be taken for those surf rats that are willing to crawl on rocks, and take long hikes in the middle of the night to find the fish. If you plan to book Montauk in August I recommend that you already have some casting skills, and are in decent shape to take the long hikes, and do the required rock hopping. August is a night only trip in most cases.
SEPTEMBER & 
OCTOBER		The bass and blues are migrating. The bait is everywhere. All out blitzes of stripers and blues are fairly common. What a time to be a Montauk surf fisherman!!
NOVEMBER & DECEMBERThese months were excellent in the 2001 season due to mild weather patterns, but have been very iffy throughout the last decade. Wind and weather play a large role, and I may recommend another location if they are not conducive to catching fish.

 

Last updated on 02/12/2008 by corey