Fishing for the period from May 24 to June 5 has been excellent. Striped bass, fluke, flounder and bluefish are plentiful and weakfish are big but tough to find.
The best fishing at this time is striped bass. Lots of bass from “schoolies” to “cows” are swimming in our waters from the inlet all the way into the Back Bay areas. Swimming plugs worked near the surface are taking fish on all the edges of the channels. Clam chumming the rips at the inlet area and the Moses Bridge is solid with action and a good number of keepers are being taken. Live bait fishing for the big fish is top notch with fish into the 40-pound range being caught this past week.
Bunker schools are well west of Fire Island Inlet but the run is worth it. At Lido Beach and Atlantic Beach, the bunker and bass were thick this week with most fish between 20 and 35 pounds. That body of fish should be working its way east and should be in our area in a week or two. It looks like another great year for striped bass fishing.
Fluke fishing is pretty solid with fish up to nine pounds just outside the inlet. The same pattern with big fish in the ocean and lots of little fish in the bay is now the norm. Depths of 45 to 60 feet seem to be most productive right now in the ocean. Squid/spearing combos are working well with big fish being taken on large strip baits fished on tandem hook rigs. The inlet and bay are loaded with smaller fish but a few keepers are also being taken. Slip-gut weed is a problem on the last of the ebb tide. For best results fish in the back-bay on the top of the flood and by the inlet on the ebb tide. In the ocean the tides don’t seem to matter much but a little wind is a must for a good drift.
Bluefish are roaming all over the place. In the early mornings they are chasing bait and the terns are working over the schools. There were schools of blues just off the Bay Shore dock on June 3. They can show just about anywhere so be prepared with casting and spinning tackle and some jigs to cash in on this action.
Flounder fishing is very good in the Sore Thumb pocket. Flood tide is best. Clam chum and good fresh sandworms are the ticket. Be patient and wait for the chum to work. Give a spot at least a half-hour before making a move. Fish up to three pounds have been caught this past week.
Weakfish are very spotty but very big when you find one. Jellyworm/squid combos have taken some nice fish. West Channel, Ocean Beach and Range Channel are the most productive spots. The slip-gut weed makes fishing these areas on the ebb tide a real challenge.
Some porgies have just started to show this past week. Bottom fishing should be good in a couple of weeks.

FISHING TIP OF
THE WEEK
When I have my sights fixed on catching a doormat fluke, I use large baits. My favorite is a whole squid. I buy the boxed type of squid because they are just about the perfect size. A five to eight inch squid is ideal. I rig the squid on a tandem hook rig. I tie the hooks about five inches apart. I place the lead hook through the tip of the mantel and the trailing hook through the eyes in the head of the squid. I fish this bait on a four foot leader about one foot above the bottom. A spinner blade or a pink colored skirt will sometimes make it more productive.

FISHING FACTS OF
THE WEEK
The number of white marlin crossing the equator of 41,177 tagged – 0.
The number of farmed salmon escaped from net cages in Scotland in January 2004 – 629,000.

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