I count June as summer even if the official day is the 20th. Other than having to wait until the 23rd for Black Sea Bass to open, just about everything that swims in our waters is fair game. Striped bass, blues, fluke, porgies, weakfish inshore and sharks, tuna, and mahi mid and offshore! It’s an exciting month to have the season firing on all pistons.
On the striper front, the migrators are moving east. Big bunker pods still to the west are keeping the tail end of the herd occupied and Jones Inlet and east are starting to get a taste of what all the early spring buzz has been about. Montauk has started to get some solid fish and the full moon on the 22nd is one of my favorite ones to fish off the point and even across to the southwest ledge of Block Island.
As is almost always the case, it’s all about the bunker. Other tactics will work in landing a nice cow but the tried-and-true tactic of drifting live bunker on the edges of pods rarely disappoints. Regulations still mandate the use of circle hooks when targeting striped bass with any live or dead bait. This being the case for years now, I rarely miss the rush of a set hook like the old days. The reason being, to make a comparison to the swing and misses of tog fishing, is the hookup ratio on circle hooks is exponentially higher. A new approach to fishing live bunker I became familiar with since last season is using a bridle instead of placing a circle hook in a bunker. While fishing the Manhattan Cup with Adrian Moeller of Rockfish Charters based in Howard beach we had some real success. The clip goes through the nostrils of the bunker leaving the entire hook exposed and first thing in a striper’s mouth on a bite. I haven’t done any extensive scientific work on this, but I can say my studies revealed there were much fewer phantom takes typically due to the bunker twisting on the initial bite.
Throwing plugs and jigging is another option and scratches the hook set itch. Large surface plugs such as docs and other spooks, pencil poppers, and bottle poppers are effective both when bunker and rolling fish are at the surface or you’re marking bait just below the surface. Large metal lip plugs that swim sub surface are a great choice as well. Last, but not least is the flutter spoon. The popularity due to its success in recent years is undeniable. Like a diamond jig on steroids, it triggers tremendous hits on the drop.
As exhilarating as the ocean bite can be, the back bay is still alive before water temps send bigger bass and blues in search of cooler waters in the ocean and to the north. Those savage gorilla blues spawning in May often linger through the middle of June in the back bay flats. Marshy areas are prime spots to throw a fly or surface plugs and small soft plastics on light tackle.
Fluke are a perfect species to target as well in the back bays and it’s surprising how many doormats are caught in skinny water. High low rigs tipped with spearing, gulp, or fish bites (the best performer) on bucktails are a proven winner for a setup. I typically use a 1 or 1 ½ ounce bucktail with a 1/2-ounce bucktail above it. You can also use a single baited hook instead of a 2nd bucktail.
June also marks the start of running to the deep. A trip all the way out to Hudson Canyon isn’t always necessary with mid to near shore waters alive with bluefin and yellowfin tuna. Mahi and sharks are around as well, with some as close as 10 miles. Regulations on sharks are constantly changing so be sure to check them before heading out on a shark trip. The last few years have been mind blowing in terms of how many giant bluefin tuna swim close to our shores. As of the writing of this report the Recreational Giant Bluefin quota has been reached. However smaller bluefin and yellowfin of all sizes are typically caught in June. Trolling for tuna is a great way to catch but catching them on jigs and poppers is an absolute thrill. Just be sure to stop in at your local tackle shop to insure you’re not outgunned on gear like many were last fall with so many tuna swimming through the striper grounds.
Go get ‘em!!!