Locations

LONG ISLAND
"THE SURF FISHING CAPITOL OF THE WORLD!"

Bill Wetzel
N.Y.S. Licensed Guide

Call 631-987-6919
For Booking

There are many surf fishing opportunities on Long Island - from quiet back bays, to the pounding surf and rocky shoreline of Montauk, to the sandy beaches of the South Shore. Each has their own type of structure, and provide the surf fisherman with vast opportunities. The following is a guide to help you customize your trip.

MONTAUK THE MECCA
Montauk is a surf fisherman’s dream. Here we can fish back bays, sand beaches, and go rock hopping all in the same trip. There are spots for every tide and every wind, so usually I can put you on to some fish.

MAY	In May the water temperatures are cool and the fish are migrating. May can be excellent depending on how consistent the weather patterns are.
JUNE	In June we usually see a good population of sand eels, and when the stripers find them fishing can be superb. Montauk gets overlooked by most anglers during May and June, and it’s a pleasure to catch fish without the crowds.
JULY	July is a slow month due to high water temperatures and a lack of bait. Fish can still be picked on night tides, and every now and then some cows take residence in one of the many boulder-invested areas. The trick is finding them.
AUGUST	Ahhh August! This is perhaps my favorite month to fish. There is a lack of effort by other fishermen and cows to be taken for those surf rats that are willing to crawl on rocks, and take long hikes in the middle of the night to find the fish. If you plan to book Montauk in August I recommend that you already have some casting skills, and are in decent shape to take the long hikes, and do the required rock hopping. August is a night only trip in most cases.
SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER	What can I say about these months? The bass and blues are migrating. The bait is everywhere. All out blitzes of stripers and blues are fairly common. What a time to be a Montauk surf fisherman!!
NOVEMBER & DECEMBER	These months were excellent in the 2001 season due to mild weather patterns, but have been very iffy throughout the last decade. Wind and weather play a large role, and I may recommend another location if they are not conducive to catching fish. Whatever time you may choose expect to learn more and fish harder then any other area because, Montauk is the surf fishing capital of the world

SOUTH SHORE
Long Islands South Shore is loaded with open sand beach and grassy back bays. Generally I take my charters from Long Beach to Robert Moses although an occasional special trip may be made to Smith Point or Shinnecock. I especially like to walk the flats of Shinnecock in May and June for some sight fishing.

MAY
In May the water temperatures are cool and the fish are moving in and out of the open surf, and back bays. If you book the South Shore in May we will probably bounce around from the light tackle back bays to the heavier tackle open surf, and you will get an education on both of these opportunities.

JUNE In June I like to concentrate on the good run of weakfish. Many nights we will not move from spot to spot because I have found where the weakfish have been holding. The 2002 season has been another great season for weakies 6- 10lbs! Going in the back bays of the South Shore really during June depends on the wind, and the mosquitoes, which can make things unbearable this month.

JULY July is just an all around off month and the fishing is slow. If you book this month I recommend a late night tide.

AUGUST I usually stay away from the South Shore in August because the North Shore and Montauk are so good. That’s not to say August isn’t good on the South Shore, I just prefer fishing elsewhere.

SEPTEMBER &
OCTOBER Two excellent months on the South Shore! The fish are migrating and mullet, white bait, and bunker are getting pushed on to the open beaches. I am usually booked for Montauk on the weekends during these months, but available weekdays. If you happen to book during a Nor’easter it’s probably going to be more than a 6-hour trip because the fishing can be phenomenal.

NOVEMBER I like to concentrate on the open beaches this month, as they can be explosive, especially in the Long Beach area. This is a month that I pound the South Shore beaches, as the fish push the peanut bunker right into the surf. I do a lot of blitz fishing this month and on some days we will follow the birds in my buggy for miles and miles.

DECEMBER December can be iffy and is really day-to-day depending on the weather patterns. Yes iffy, but some of my best days and nights have come in December.

NORTH SHORE AND BACK BAYS
Generally I tend to concentrate on the back bays of the North Shore. This is light tackle paradise and fly rodders are welcome. When I say light tackle I am talking 7-foot rods and 8 to 10 pound test line with a light-spinning reel. Most of these areas require some walking, but it is well worth it, as you will enter Back Bay gems in the way of marshlands that hold plenty of bait and yield plenty of bass. The Long Island Sound isn’t out of the question either as it has plenty of structure and plenty of bass. Some days we will enter the back bays and the Sound during the same trip. If you like quiet skinny water this is the trip for you.

MAY
&
JUNE
May and June are perhaps my favorite months to fish the North Shore as the back bays are loaded with bait. Bass key up on the mouths of draining marshes and the surface action can be great as the bass explode on surface plugs like pencil and Polaris poppers.

JULY The back bays hold a good population of juvenile spearing in July. The fishing can be decent, but the fish are usually small 15" to 20" as the water temps are warm.

AUGUST The snapper’s move in to feed on the loads of spearing during August, and when the striper finds them, it can be red hot for dusk, dawn and night fishing. My Back Bay plug of choice during August is the black and silver Red fin. It’s a rush to hear a stripers explode on those plugs in quiet back bay water in the middle of the night.

SEPTEMBER &
OCTOBER September gets the nod over October for the back bays. During September the back bays continue to hold a good population of resident fish. By October it can be spotty and efforts are better spent in Montauk or the South Shore. Of course there are exceptions from year to year, week to week and even day to day. I’ll give you the scoop when you book or check out my reports.

NOVEMBER The back bays are either void of life or will be very good if a population of fish has pushed or found bait in one of the Back Bay areas. Here again it’s day to day and I’ll let you know, or take a look at my report section.

As you can see Long Island provides a wealth of surf fishing opportunities. All the areas are fished differently, and I try to cater to your individual needs, so you have a great time, catch some fish, and learn a heck of a lot. --Bill