August is one of the most productive months for fishing the South Shore of Long Island. Warm water temperatures, abundant baitfish, and a wide variety of species create opportunities both inshore and offshore. Whether you’re casting plugs along the beaches at sunrise, drifting the reefs for fluke, or running offshore in search of tuna and mahi, August offers a great shot and finishing up summer with some amazing catches.
The back bays, inlets, beaches, and nearshore reefs remain busy throughout August as peanut bunker, spearing, mullet, and squid attract predators. While the summer heat can make daytime fishing challenging, the first and last hours of daylight often produce solid action.
Fluke continue to be one of August’s most popular targets. Although many of the smaller fish have moved offshore, quality keeper fluke can still be found on ocean structure, artificial reefs, wrecks, and hard-bottom areas in 40 to 90 feet of water. Drifting bucktails tipped with Gulp soft plastics or fresh squid and spearing combinations often find success. Slow drifts during moving tides generally produce the best catches. Employing a drift sock (looks like an underwater parachute) can make this possible during moon tides.
Black sea bass fishing also remains strong throughout August on mid-shore wrecks, rock piles, and reef sites. Fish averaging two to four pounds are common, with larger “knothead” sea bass providing plenty of excitement. Diamond jigs, baited hi-lo rigs, and bucktails all work well when fishing structure.
Porgies, or scup and recently the new name of Golden Sea Bream, continue to provide steady action around bridges, reefs, and rocky bottom. They are an excellent option for families and anglers looking to bring home fresh fillets. Small clam baits on lightweight tackle produce fast action throughout much of the month.
Although daytime striped bass fishing slows during the heat of summer, dedicated anglers know August can still produce quality fish. Montauk is pretty much one of the few spots in August that bass are caught during the day and typically while trolling. Surf fishing during low-light periods or after sunset can be productive.
Oceanfront beaches, inlets, and areas with moving current are great spots to cast for bass that move in to feed under the cover of darkness. Live eels remain one of the top producers for trophy fish, while swimming plugs, darters, needlefish, and soft plastics account for plenty of catches.
Snapper blues fill the bays during August, providing nonstop action for young anglers and light-tackle enthusiasts. These small bluefish aggressively attack small tins, and the classic snapper poppers.
Larger cocktail and chopper bluefish patrol the ocean beaches and nearshore waters, frequently feeding on schools of bunker. Surface feeds can erupt without warning, giving anglers exciting opportunities to cast poppers, metals, and epoxy jigs into feeding frenzies.
For anglers with larger boats, August opens excellent opportunities within 10 to 30 miles of the beach.
Schools of false albacore and bonito may begin making early appearances toward the end of the month, particularly around bait concentrations. Spanish mackerel have also become increasingly common along the South Shore during warm-water summers, offering fast-paced action on light spinning tackle.
Sharks are abundant throughout the nearshore waters. Catch-and-release fishing for brown, sandbar, and dusky sharks has become increasingly popular among experienced anglers who practice proper handling and quick releases.
August is considered prime time for offshore fishing. Calm weather windows allow boats to make runs to offshore canyons, temperature breaks, and productive offshore grounds.
Yellowfin tuna often become the primary target. Trolling spreader bars, plugs, and diving plugs around temperature breaks consistently produces fish. Once tuna are located, anglers frequently switch to jigging or casting poppers and stickbaits for explosive surface strikes.
Bluefin tuna continue to offer outstanding opportunities both nearshore and offshore. Depending on seasonal regulations, fish ranging from school-sized tuna to giants may be found feeding on bunker schools, sand eels, or mackerel. The trophy category for bluefin is closed for the year but catch and release is allowed. Successful anglers rely heavily on electronics to locate bait and feeding fish before deploying live bait, jigs, or topwater lures.
Bigeye tuna are another prized catch during August, particularly along canyon edges during overnight trips. These powerful fish often feed aggressively after dark, making nighttime chunking and jigging productive techniques.
Mahi-mahi providehard-fighting action around lobster pots, floating debris, and weed lines. Light spinning tackle and small bucktails tipped with bait make for exciting sight-fishing opportunities when schools gather beneath floating structure. Once someone hooks one it’s typically only a few seconds before everyone else on the boat is hooked up. The colors of streaking mahis in blue water is an amazing thing to see.
White marlin and occasionally blue marlin also patrol the offshore canyons during August. Trolling ballyhoo, skirted lures, and dredge spreads gives anglers a legitimate chance at catching one of sport fishing’s most iconic gamefish.
August weather can change rapidly, making preparation essential. Early departures often provide calmer seas before afternoon southwest winds develop. Careful monitoring of marine forecasts, fuel planning, and safety equipment should always be priorities for offshore trips.
Inshore anglers benefit from fishing moving water during dawn, dusk, or nighttime hours when water temperatures are cooler and gamefish are more active. Matching local baitfish and paying close attention to bird activity can quickly lead anglers to feeding fish.
From casting bucktails for fluke on ocean reefs to battling tuna hundreds of feet over canyon depths, August showcases the incredible diversity of the South Shore of Long Island fishery. Few places on the East Coast offer the opportunity to catch striped bass before sunrise, fill a cooler with sea bass by midday, and battle tuna offshore the following morning.
Enjoy the end of America’s 250th summer, the fall run is just around the corner!