Port Jefferson area fluking

[BoatGuy]

I have went out a number on times for fluke. They seem non-existent in the Port Jeff area. I thought it was me.

But walking the pup in Port, I saw the Captain of one of the big party boats. I asked about fluke. He said (paraphrasing) "They were extinct in the sound. Porgy and Black Sea bass is what we target"

Anyone in this area doing better?

 

[Fluke Whisperer]

Last weekend my grandson pulled in a 24.5 6lb from there, the rest were shorts. I have given up on flunking the sound,
I will be headed up to R.I. this month where I will launch from Point Judy fish Block and head over to Montauk.
When my grandson pulled up that 6 lber I thought it was going to open up, it's baffling as to what is going on, too many veritable s to pin point one specific reason for the decline.

 

[holty]

I have fished out of Huntington for over 50 years. I fish for all species from Lloyds to Crab Meadow and across to CT. When fluke showed up in the sound years ago they became my passion. I wanted that 10 lber......... and still do. Over the last 10 to 15 years early season success has wained as the season progressed with each year worse than the previous one. At our last fishing club meeting in early March, our guest speaker( I don't remember his name) said the problem could be NYC use of chlorine to clean their sewer system. He surmised the sound is just not able to flush itself properly with the cities continual use of chlorine. I do know our water is very clear. When doing the beach thing with the grandkids you can easily see your toes when standing in water up to your neck. I still keep heading out to the grounds though. My best days last year were in the middle of July in the deep drop offs. I will be there again.

regards Holty

 

[BennyV]

Last two years were borderline abysmal. Could it be draggers and/or something cyclical? Maybe. I don’t know enough about the science of fluke to make a judgement.

 

[Flukinit]

I wrote a thread about awhile ago. I used to have a 19' cc I trailered to Mt. Sinai and Mattituck. Had some great trips including what was probably my best day ever out at Buoy 5 with Pete and Kenscot. Hammered away at fish all 4+ lbers on 1oz jigs. Was unreal!!
Now to the downfall of fluke to me and I'm not expert but I definitely think Sandy had something to do with it as after that hit the following summer was bad it only got worse from there.
Talked with a local excellent Capt out if Stony Brook on day as it was just me and him on his boat. He also thinks Sandy had something to do with it as well as just a migratory things as now you see Nantucket is the fluke Mecca. And I know fishing to the West on the beach is off as well as several of my friends have boats in the Howard Beach area and that bite has been off for years there as well.

 

[george]

I'm in the process of doing a deep dive into flatfish in the Long Island Sound. Sadly it appears that the fish are not entering the sound and they're going north. Just look at what they're doing in NH. I know they always get bigger fish there, but they have a huge body of fish there.

I fish Smithtown Bay and I've had to work at it but I be had a decent year so far but nothing like a few years back. We had a decent shot of fish, just like last year, but no real second wave. There's plenty of ballot bass and bless around, but I've been limited to flying just a few tides in dips I be found over the years.

If the weather agrees I'll be there tomorrow report back.

 

[BoatGuy]

Last year, I caught fluke, but few keepers. This year a few shorts. It seems to be getting worse and worse. I kept thinking all the shorts will be bigger next year. Now few are there.

I just wanted to see if others were doing better and if it was me, or there was something else. I miss flounders. Hope the fluke don't go the way flounders did.

Just seeing if it is the area or something others are seeing around the island. South shore better?

 

[Snapprhead27]

Last year, I caught fluke, but few keepers. This year a few shorts. It seems to be getting worse and worse. I kept thinking all the shorts will be bigger next year. Now few are there.

I just wanted to see if others were doing better and if it was me, or there was something else. I miss flounders. Hope the fluke don't go the way flounders did.

Just seeing if it is the area or something others are seeing around the island. South shore better?

I went out of the South Shore last week, maybe a dozen or so keepers on the boat. We stayed in the bay, had to pick through shorts and robins.

 

[BoatGuy]

I'm in the process of doing a deep dive into flatfish in the Long Island Sound. Sadly it appears that the fish are not entering the sound and they're going north. Just look at what they're doing in NH. I know they always get bigger fish there, but they have a huge body of fish there.

I fish Smithtown Bay and I've had to work at it but I be had a decent year so far but nothing like a few years back. We had a decent shot of fish, just like last year, but no real second wave. There's plenty of ballot bass and bless around, but I've been limited to flying just a few tides in dips I be found over the years.

If the weather agrees I'll be there tomorrow report back.

I would be interested in to the results of your deep dive into fluke.

 

[BoatGuy]

Talked to local bait shops. I am sure they are not happy about the lack of fluke as they probably selling less spearing. But they too admit that fluke in the Port Jeff area is virtually non-existent.

All the party boats seem to target porgy.

 

[holty]

Fished the last of the ebb to slack and start of flood in the deep drop offs at Lloyds. The S/SW wind made for a perfect drift. The fish should be there and they were. BUT..............of the 15 or so fish I caught most were 16 to 17". Two fat 18 1/2" went back as well. Very depressing.

regards Holty

 

[BennyV]

Kind of unreal.

 

[george]

That actually sounds positive to me. Watch for a short run of good fish.

 

[BoatGuy]

That actually sounds positive to me. Watch for a short run of good fish.

I guess every year we caught shorts in the range holty mentioned and think "Next year will be better." They will grow up and fishing will be good again. But it seems to be getting worse. At least for fluke.

I have always caught bigger fluke early in the season. The bigger fish follow the bigger bait. So I hope you are correct that there may be a short run of good fish.

 

[george]

I guess every year we caught shorts in the range holty mentioned and think "Next year will be better." They will grow up and fishing will be good again. But it seems to be getting worse. At least for fluke.

I have always caught bigger fluke early in the season. The bigger fish follow the bigger bait. So I hope you are correct that there may be a short run of good fish.

I agree, the first wave that would traditionally bring bigger fish was usually very early in May. I also agree it's been steadily getting worse in recent years. But then we'd get the smaller ones followed by another shot of bigger fish. I don't recall the smaller fish last year at this time so I'm hopeful we will see some bigger fish soon.

 

[poorrichard]

We never got the second wave of Fluke last year. I fish the Port Jeff area often. The early season-last year was OK. We never got the second wave of fish that usually arrive the 2nd or 3rd week of June. They seemed to stay on the east end and did not travel down the beach

I was very optimistic that this season would be good. Draggers weren't working this spring with the restaurants closed because of covid. Yet the fluke fishing this year was poor. I gave up a couple of weeks ago, mostly sea robbins and a few shorts. No keepers at all.

When the Port Jeff Party Boat fleet was finally able to sail they went after porgies. No Fluke trips at all. That tells us all we need to know

Also heard the local draggers are having a difficult time filling the fluke quota. It is 140 lbs per trip.

 

[BoatGuy]

Yet the fishing on the south shore was good. I went on a friends boat. We banged fluke all day. Had three keepers.

Did the squid and bait stay on the south shore? Predators follow the food source.