Surf City Steve's Complete Ocean Beach Report - November 25, 2025
What's up, surf tribe! Steve here, coming at you from the sand with the late-November report. Man, what a time to be alive and fishing the beach. The action has been absolutely insane when it's on, and yeah, it's been frustrating when it's off, but that's surf fishing in late fall. Let me break down what's happening from Robert Moses all the way to Southampton.
The Current Vibe - Bunker, Bass, and Bluefin
Okay, so here's the deal. We're in the middle of what might be some of the best days of fishing we'll ever see in our lifetimes. I know that sounds dramatic, but hear me out. We've got massive striped bass, giant bluefin tuna tearing through bunker pods close to the beach, and when the conditions align, it's absolute chaos in the best possible way.
The key to everything right now is bunker. Where you find bunker on the beach, you'll find bass. The challenge is that the bunker schools are moving, and intercepting them at the right place and right time has been the biggest challenge. Some days you hit it perfect and it's lights out. Other days you're walking the beach for hours and seeing nothing. That's the game.
Water temps are in that sweet spot—upper 40s to low 50s—where the bait is still around but starting to thin out. The bass know this, and they're feeding aggressively while the opportunity is there. We're seeing fish from schoolies all the way up to legitimate 40-pounders. The average has been in the teens to mid-20s, but those big girls are definitely in the mix.
The moon just passed new on November 20th, so we're building toward the full moon on December 4th. The tides are moderate now but will strengthen over the next week. That increased tidal flow will push more bait and create better feeding opportunities.
Weather-wise, we've got a situation developing. There's a blow coming Wednesday night that's going to make things ugly through Friday. West winds 20-30 knots, seas building to 4-6 feet. Tuesday and Wednesday morning are your windows to fish before it gets nasty. After that, you're looking at Saturday before conditions improve.
Robert Moses to Kismet - The Western Beaches
The western end has been producing, but you gotta move. The blitzes have been happening, but they're not staying in one spot. The bunker schools are cruising the beach, and the bass and blues are following. When you find them, it's game on for 15-30 minutes, then they move.
Topwater has been deadly when the blitz is on. Pencil poppers, standard poppers, and surface swimmers are all getting crushed. The visual of a 30-pound bass exploding on a topwater plug never gets old. When the fish are down or the blitz hasn't materialized, go subsurface. Large profile swimmers in bunker patterns, big soft plastics (6-8 inches), and heavy bucktails with trailers will all produce.
The Robert Moses area has been good early morning. Get there at first light, and you'll have a shot at the early bite before the crowds show up. The beaches from Kismet to Saltaire have been hit or miss, but when it's on, it's really on.
Central Beaches - Ocean Beach to Moriches
This is my home turf, and it's been lights out when conditions align. After what I'm calling the "week of famine" in mid-November, the bunker-fueled daytime blitzes came back strong. I finally intercepted them in the right place at the right time, and it was everything I'd been hoping for.
The fish eating bunker have been ranging from low teens all the way up to 25 pounds, with some bigger fish mixed in. A variety of topwater lures have been taking the lion's share of fish—poppers, pencils, and surface swimmers. Large profile swimmers in white, bunker, and mullet patterns have also been effective.
The fly rod has been producing for those who are into it. Finding bunker close to the sand has been the ticket. Big bunker patterns, large deceivers, and sand eel imitations are all working. The key is getting the fly into the zone and stripping it aggressively. Some big fish—30-pound-class bass—have been landed on the long rod.
The area around Moriches Inlet has been active. The inlet mouth and the adjacent beaches have been holding fish. The inlet creates current and concentrates bait, and the bass know it. Fish the last two hours of outgoing and the first hour of incoming for best results.
Eastern Beaches - Westhampton to Southampton
The Shinnecock area has been giving up fish for those willing to put in the work. The reports indicate striped bass are still being caught along the local beaches, though it's not the wide-open fishing of October. The fish are there, but you need to be methodical.
The beaches east of Shinnecock Inlet toward Southampton have been producing, especially early morning and late afternoon. The midday lull is real out here. Plan your sessions around dawn and dusk, and you'll increase your success significantly.
The Shinnecock Inlet area itself has been active on the outgoing tide. The ocean side of the inlet creates tremendous current and concentrates bait. Bass and blues have been working the edges. It's worth targeting if you're in the area.
Techniques and Tactics - What's Working Now
Topwater: When the blitz is on, this is the play. Pencil poppers in the 2-3 ounce range, standard poppers, and surface swimmers. Colors don't seem to matter as much as action. Work them aggressively with sharp pops and pauses.
Swimmers: Large profile swimmers (6-10 inches) in bunker, mullet, and white patterns. These are great when the fish are around but not blitzing on top. Retrieve them with a steady swimming action, occasionally pausing to let them flutter.
Soft Plastics: Big paddle tails and shads in 6-8 inch sizes. White, chartreuse, and bunker patterns. Fish them on heavy jig heads (2-4 ounces depending on conditions) and work them with a steady retrieve or slow bounce along the bottom.
Bucktails: 2-4 ounce bucktails with pork rind or soft plastic trailers. White and chartreuse are go-to colors. Bounce them along the bottom or swim them through the water column.
Fly Rod: For the fly guys, big bunker patterns, large deceivers (6-8 inches), and sand eel imitations. 10-weight or heavier rod, intermediate or sinking line. Strip aggressively and be ready for violent strikes.
Reading the Beach - Where to Fish
Birds: This is your number one indicator. When you see diving terns or gulls working, get there fast. The blitzes are short-lived, and you need to capitalize when they happen.
Bunker Schools: If you see bunker on the beach—either jumping or just visible in the water—fish there. The bass won't be far away.
Structure: Jetties, groins, and any structure will hold fish. The structure creates current breaks and concentrates bait. Fish the up-current and down-current sides.
Cuts and Troughs: Look for deeper water close to the beach. The bass will use these as highways to move along the beach and as ambush points to feed.
Inlet Mouths: Fire Island Inlet, Moriches Inlet, Shinnecock Inlet—all are worth targeting. The current concentrates bait, and the fish know it.
Three-Day Forecast & Surf Conditions
Tuesday, November 26:
South winds 5-10 knots, seas 2-3 feet. Rain likely in the afternoon. This is a fishable day—probably your best shot before the weather goes south. Morning will be prime. Get out early, cover water, and find the bunker. The surf will be manageable, and the fish should be active.
Surf Fishability: 8/10
Wednesday, November 27:
Southwest winds 5-10 knots in the morning, building through the day. Seas 2-3 feet building to 3-4 feet by evening. Rain likely. Fish the morning, be off the beach by early afternoon. The conditions will deteriorate fast Wednesday afternoon and evening.
Surf Fishability: 7/10 (morning only)
Thursday, November 28 (Thanksgiving):
West winds 20-25 knots gusting to 30, seas 4-6 feet. The surf will be big, messy, and dangerous. This is not a day to be on the beach. Even if you could fish safely, the conditions will be too rough to fish effectively. Stay home, be with family, eat too much turkey.
Surf Fishability: 2/10 (not recommended)
Surf City Steve's Pro Tips
Mobility Wins: Don't plant yourself in one spot and hope the fish come to you. Cover beach. Move with the birds. Follow the bait. The fish are mobile, and you need to be too.
Match the Hatch: If bunker are on the beach, throw bunker patterns. If sand eels are around, downsize your presentation. The fish are feeding selectively right now.
Timing is Critical: Early morning and late afternoon are prime time. The midday lull is real. Plan your sessions accordingly.
Respect the Ocean: The blow coming Wednesday night through Friday is serious. Big surf, strong currents, dangerous conditions. Don't take unnecessary risks. There will be other days to fish.
Enjoy the Moment: We're in the twilight of the season. Every fish, every blitz, every moment on the beach is a gift. Soak it in, take some photos, and be grateful.
The Bottom Line
This has been an epic fall, and it's not over yet. The fishing is still excellent when you find them. The bunker are here, the bass are here, and the opportunity is here. We've got maybe two to three more weeks of viable fishing before the water gets too cold and the bulk of the fish move on.
Get out Tuesday, hit it hard Wednesday morning, then sit out the blow. When the weather clears Saturday, get back after it. The season is winding down, but there's still time to make memories.
The beach is calling, tribe. Answer it.
Tight lines and clean waves.
— Surf City Steve
Surf Rat Since '95
Living the Beach Life
What's up, surf tribe! Steve here, coming at you from the sand with the late-November report. Man, what a time to be alive and fishing the beach. The action has been absolutely insane when it's on, and yeah, it's been frustrating when it's off, but that's surf fishing in late fall. Let me break down what's happening from Robert Moses all the way to Southampton.
The Current Vibe - Bunker, Bass, and Bluefin
Okay, so here's the deal. We're in the middle of what might be some of the best days of fishing we'll ever see in our lifetimes. I know that sounds dramatic, but hear me out. We've got massive striped bass, giant bluefin tuna tearing through bunker pods close to the beach, and when the conditions align, it's absolute chaos in the best possible way.
The key to everything right now is bunker. Where you find bunker on the beach, you'll find bass. The challenge is that the bunker schools are moving, and intercepting them at the right place and right time has been the biggest challenge. Some days you hit it perfect and it's lights out. Other days you're walking the beach for hours and seeing nothing. That's the game.
Water temps are in that sweet spot—upper 40s to low 50s—where the bait is still around but starting to thin out. The bass know this, and they're feeding aggressively while the opportunity is there. We're seeing fish from schoolies all the way up to legitimate 40-pounders. The average has been in the teens to mid-20s, but those big girls are definitely in the mix.
The moon just passed new on November 20th, so we're building toward the full moon on December 4th. The tides are moderate now but will strengthen over the next week. That increased tidal flow will push more bait and create better feeding opportunities.
Weather-wise, we've got a situation developing. There's a blow coming Wednesday night that's going to make things ugly through Friday. West winds 20-30 knots, seas building to 4-6 feet. Tuesday and Wednesday morning are your windows to fish before it gets nasty. After that, you're looking at Saturday before conditions improve.
Robert Moses to Kismet - The Western Beaches
The western end has been producing, but you gotta move. The blitzes have been happening, but they're not staying in one spot. The bunker schools are cruising the beach, and the bass and blues are following. When you find them, it's game on for 15-30 minutes, then they move.
Topwater has been deadly when the blitz is on. Pencil poppers, standard poppers, and surface swimmers are all getting crushed. The visual of a 30-pound bass exploding on a topwater plug never gets old. When the fish are down or the blitz hasn't materialized, go subsurface. Large profile swimmers in bunker patterns, big soft plastics (6-8 inches), and heavy bucktails with trailers will all produce.
The Robert Moses area has been good early morning. Get there at first light, and you'll have a shot at the early bite before the crowds show up. The beaches from Kismet to Saltaire have been hit or miss, but when it's on, it's really on.
Central Beaches - Ocean Beach to Moriches
This is my home turf, and it's been lights out when conditions align. After what I'm calling the "week of famine" in mid-November, the bunker-fueled daytime blitzes came back strong. I finally intercepted them in the right place at the right time, and it was everything I'd been hoping for.
The fish eating bunker have been ranging from low teens all the way up to 25 pounds, with some bigger fish mixed in. A variety of topwater lures have been taking the lion's share of fish—poppers, pencils, and surface swimmers. Large profile swimmers in white, bunker, and mullet patterns have also been effective.
The fly rod has been producing for those who are into it. Finding bunker close to the sand has been the ticket. Big bunker patterns, large deceivers, and sand eel imitations are all working. The key is getting the fly into the zone and stripping it aggressively. Some big fish—30-pound-class bass—have been landed on the long rod.
The area around Moriches Inlet has been active. The inlet mouth and the adjacent beaches have been holding fish. The inlet creates current and concentrates bait, and the bass know it. Fish the last two hours of outgoing and the first hour of incoming for best results.
Eastern Beaches - Westhampton to Southampton
The Shinnecock area has been giving up fish for those willing to put in the work. The reports indicate striped bass are still being caught along the local beaches, though it's not the wide-open fishing of October. The fish are there, but you need to be methodical.
The beaches east of Shinnecock Inlet toward Southampton have been producing, especially early morning and late afternoon. The midday lull is real out here. Plan your sessions around dawn and dusk, and you'll increase your success significantly.
The Shinnecock Inlet area itself has been active on the outgoing tide. The ocean side of the inlet creates tremendous current and concentrates bait. Bass and blues have been working the edges. It's worth targeting if you're in the area.
Techniques and Tactics - What's Working Now
Topwater: When the blitz is on, this is the play. Pencil poppers in the 2-3 ounce range, standard poppers, and surface swimmers. Colors don't seem to matter as much as action. Work them aggressively with sharp pops and pauses.
Swimmers: Large profile swimmers (6-10 inches) in bunker, mullet, and white patterns. These are great when the fish are around but not blitzing on top. Retrieve them with a steady swimming action, occasionally pausing to let them flutter.
Soft Plastics: Big paddle tails and shads in 6-8 inch sizes. White, chartreuse, and bunker patterns. Fish them on heavy jig heads (2-4 ounces depending on conditions) and work them with a steady retrieve or slow bounce along the bottom.
Bucktails: 2-4 ounce bucktails with pork rind or soft plastic trailers. White and chartreuse are go-to colors. Bounce them along the bottom or swim them through the water column.
Fly Rod: For the fly guys, big bunker patterns, large deceivers (6-8 inches), and sand eel imitations. 10-weight or heavier rod, intermediate or sinking line. Strip aggressively and be ready for violent strikes.
Reading the Beach - Where to Fish
Birds: This is your number one indicator. When you see diving terns or gulls working, get there fast. The blitzes are short-lived, and you need to capitalize when they happen.
Bunker Schools: If you see bunker on the beach—either jumping or just visible in the water—fish there. The bass won't be far away.
Structure: Jetties, groins, and any structure will hold fish. The structure creates current breaks and concentrates bait. Fish the up-current and down-current sides.
Cuts and Troughs: Look for deeper water close to the beach. The bass will use these as highways to move along the beach and as ambush points to feed.
Inlet Mouths: Fire Island Inlet, Moriches Inlet, Shinnecock Inlet—all are worth targeting. The current concentrates bait, and the fish know it.
Three-Day Forecast & Surf Conditions
Tuesday, November 26:
South winds 5-10 knots, seas 2-3 feet. Rain likely in the afternoon. This is a fishable day—probably your best shot before the weather goes south. Morning will be prime. Get out early, cover water, and find the bunker. The surf will be manageable, and the fish should be active.
Surf Fishability: 8/10
Wednesday, November 27:
Southwest winds 5-10 knots in the morning, building through the day. Seas 2-3 feet building to 3-4 feet by evening. Rain likely. Fish the morning, be off the beach by early afternoon. The conditions will deteriorate fast Wednesday afternoon and evening.
Surf Fishability: 7/10 (morning only)
Thursday, November 28 (Thanksgiving):
West winds 20-25 knots gusting to 30, seas 4-6 feet. The surf will be big, messy, and dangerous. This is not a day to be on the beach. Even if you could fish safely, the conditions will be too rough to fish effectively. Stay home, be with family, eat too much turkey.
Surf Fishability: 2/10 (not recommended)
Surf City Steve's Pro Tips
Mobility Wins: Don't plant yourself in one spot and hope the fish come to you. Cover beach. Move with the birds. Follow the bait. The fish are mobile, and you need to be too.
Match the Hatch: If bunker are on the beach, throw bunker patterns. If sand eels are around, downsize your presentation. The fish are feeding selectively right now.
Timing is Critical: Early morning and late afternoon are prime time. The midday lull is real. Plan your sessions accordingly.
Respect the Ocean: The blow coming Wednesday night through Friday is serious. Big surf, strong currents, dangerous conditions. Don't take unnecessary risks. There will be other days to fish.
Enjoy the Moment: We're in the twilight of the season. Every fish, every blitz, every moment on the beach is a gift. Soak it in, take some photos, and be grateful.
The Bottom Line
This has been an epic fall, and it's not over yet. The fishing is still excellent when you find them. The bunker are here, the bass are here, and the opportunity is here. We've got maybe two to three more weeks of viable fishing before the water gets too cold and the bulk of the fish move on.
Get out Tuesday, hit it hard Wednesday morning, then sit out the blow. When the weather clears Saturday, get back after it. The season is winding down, but there's still time to make memories.
The beach is calling, tribe. Answer it.
Tight lines and clean waves.
— Surf City Steve
Surf Rat Since '95
Living the Beach Life
