Fishing for the week of July 6 to 12 was excellent. Striped bass fishing is top notch, fluke are plentiful, bottom fishing has gotten started and offshore fishing is solid.
Striped bass fishing is very good. The bait schools are moving back to the west so it is a little run to the fish but worth it. On July13, the bait schools were south of the Jones Beach Needle. There were plenty of bass and also big bluefish on the bait. I caught about 15 bass is a couple of hours. All the fish were between 20 and 30 pounds, nothing really big. I also had a bunch of big bluefish mixed in with these fish. There are also some big stripers inside and around Fire Island Inlet if you can catch some good live bait. Clam chummers are also taking fish on the rips and the West Bar.
Bottom fishing finally took hold. On July 11, I fished with David Messer and his kids, Ezra and Naomi. We caught a bunch of porgies and triggerfish. I was chumming with ground clam chum and fishing pieces of clam on the hook. It was pretty good action. The kids had a lot of fun.
Cocktail blues are all around the inlet in the early morning and evening hours. Large schools of small baitfish are keeping them on the move. There are some school bass mixed in with these fish.

Fluke fishing is pretty solid. In the ocean there are a good number of fish in the 3 to 5 pound range. There is still a big problem with dogfish from 35 feet of water on out. You have to fish tight to the beach to have a shot at the fluke. It seems that there are fewer dogfish to the west of the inlet so I think that is the best bet for choosing a fishing spot. There have also been some good catches of keeper fluke in the bay. West Channel has produced some good catches of keeper fluke.
Offshore fishing is excellent right now. There are big bluefin being trolled around the Texas Tower. Smaller bluefin are being trolled from about 20 miles on out. Shark fishing is red hot with lots of blue sharks, threshers and makos. My friend Tim Smith and his buddy Mike McGrath fished by the NA buoy and had blue sharks and a small mako. Some yellowfin tuna have been caught near the Canyon. It looks like a good year for the offshore blue water fishing.
Crabbing is pretty good at the docks on the north side of the bay. Small snappers are also showing around the docks so break out the snapper gear and have some fun.

FISHING TIP OF THE WEEK

When bottom fishing I find that clam pieces on the hook work best. Porgies and other bottom fish are great bait stealers and soft baits will often be ripped from the hook. I buy salted clams or make my own by soaking the clams in Kosher salt for a few days. The salt removes the water from the tissue and toughens the bait. The tough bait will stay on the hook and give you a better chance of catching these fish.

FISHING FACTS OF
THE WEEK
Amount of illegal shark fins seized from a Honolulu based longliner = 64,700 lb.
Weight of sharks that 64,700 lb of fins represent = 1.2 million lb. or about 18,000 sharks.

Good Luck and Good Fishing!
Captain Al Lorenzetti Skimmer Fishing Charters
(631) 661-2112
www.skimmeroutdoors.com