Fall Run Preview 2025 - Part I

Summer may have just officially ended, but for Long Island’s East End anglers that just means the heralded “fall run” is now clearly on the horizon. Even better, this fall has the potential to be a solid one as a cooling trend through late August and much of September lowered water temperatures enough to get our local baitfish trickling out their creeks and back-bay flats a week or two earlier than usual. This should help build a living chum slick in the main channels of our bays that will soon be fanning out into more open water before heading down the ocean and Long Island Sound beaches with the start of their southbound migrations. The end result, if all goes well, should be blitz-fishing conditions from mid-October through Thanksgiving.

Indeed, early indications are already on a positive track with false albacore having put in their initial appearances as of late September at Shinnecock Inlet, Plum Island, Montauk, and the easternmost North Fork beaches. Another positive sign has been an uptick in Peconic Bay weakfish action with some in the 20 – to 25-inch class now mixing with the typical late summer schoolies that tend to fall a few inches shy of the 19-inch minimum size limit for the species. Some larger blues to 15 pounds have also begun to show at Montauk, Plum Gut and The Race, another sure sign that things are moving in the right direction. 

Looking ahead, blackfish, stripers, porgy and sea bass are also on the roll card, as well as some hot nearshore and offshore action with tuna and other monsters of the deep. Following is a quick round-up of what to expect and rough timelines for the major players, so inspect your gear and double-check your drags because lunkers are always a possibility this time of year. Before heading out, however, be sure to check the latest DEC marine recreational fishing regulations. You can find them at: https://dec.ny.gov/things-to-do/saltwater-fishing/recreational-fishing-regulations.

PRIMARY PREDATORS

False albacore are proof-positive that the fall season has arrived. Michael Giagangacova caught this one a while back from a North Fork Long Island Sound beach. Credit: OutdoorTom.com photo.

False Albacore: As mentioned, false albacore are already on the scene to some degree. Action has been hot under the light at Montauk Point but sporadic in most other areas so far. Look for the second week of October as a logical starting point for serious albie searches, especially along the Long Island Sound beaches. Once catches gain a little consistency, you can expect to encounter “Fat Albert” on a regular basis through at least the third week of November barring any serious storms.

The book on little tunny is pretty simple in terms of lure selection. Deadly Dicks, Epoxy Jigs, Albie Snax and , for fly-casters, Epoxy Minnows and Albie Whore patterns, are among the standards. For the tins, a fast retrieve that occasionally breaks the surface usually works best. With the Albie Snacks, a twitching retrieve a foot or two below the surface has a lot of charm if  you need to go a little slower. Fly-casters will find Epoxy Minnows can work wonders with shy feeding pods while an Albie Whore pattern really stands out in a crowd to draw aggressive reaction strikes under blitz conditions.

Bluefish: The yellow-eyed demons have not been particularly plentiful in recent years, but they do seem to be enjoying a little bit of rebound – especially in the “gator” category. Already, bluefish to 15 pounds have been caught at Plum Gut, The Race and Montauk, with some beasts also showing up around Jessup Neck inside Peconic Bay and at Shinnecock Inlet early or late in the day. 

It's always a coin toss as to what the fall season will bring with the choppers these days, but you’ll want to be prepared to battle the biggest and fiercest blues of the season at this point. For explosive action in the surf or along the North Fork’s Long Island Sound beaches, Al Gag Heirloom Poppers,  Cotton Cordell Pencil Poppers, and Gibbs Polaris Poppers are tough to beat during a serious blitz or when working on big fish in shallow water.

For casting far off the beach into the wind, or targeting blues that are feeding below the surface, large tube-tailed diamond jigs are a great choice since you can throw them a mile and they are nearly indestructible.  Fat Cow Fishing Bucktail Jigs, tipped with red, white or chartreuse Fat Cow Eel Tails, work well, too, especially around the inlets or in strong currents like you’ll find at Shinnecock Inlet, Plum Gut and The Race.

From Montauk Point to the shallows of Shinnecock and Peconic bays, the fall season sees stripers aggressively on the prowl. OutdoorTom.com photo

Stripers: As we are sure you know, the number of juvenile stripers has been down for several consecutive years now, and the possibility of some serious mandated reduction of fishing effort on the species is likely for next year. As of now, though, they remain fair game and fall is when the odds of connecting with keepers reach their apex in our waters. 

Look for catches to improve on the graveyard shift through early October, and daytime scores to catch up later in the month. The third week of October through Thanksgiving usually sees the action peak across the East End so plan to match some vacation time to the start of outgoing water during this period, especially if you like to hit the inlets.

Top offerings for fall stripers in our area include single-hook diamond jigs, a variety of soft-plastic swim jigs such as the No Live Bait Needed series. Also, for surface action, anything that floats and pops is worth a try during a blitz, but we like Atom Striper Swipers and Gibbs Pencil Poppers as steady producers. 

To tease solid keepers and some true heifers out  from amongst the herds of smaller fish, it’s also a good idea to carry along a couple of bone-colored Doc Spooks. Throw the 7-inch size if you are lucky enough to find the fish still inside the bays or in relatively shallow, mellow water. For fishing up-front in a rough and tumble surf, out in the rips, or simply working over bigger bass, go with the 9-inch version. Keep in mind it is important with both size Docs to work them so they glide left and right in a walk-the-dog style from a sharp downward snap of your rod-tip as opposed to popping them like a pencil popper. It’s that glide that really catches the attention of trophy fish.

In marine waters (south of the George Washington Bridge),  New York’s striper season runs through December 15 with a slot-size of 28 - to 31 inches and a one fish possession limit.

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