UTERAtlantic cod fishing in Long Island Sound and Montauk
In Long Island Sound and Montauk, Atlantic cod are around November–April but never at the peak of their run, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. January: Winter cod on the Montauk party boats' wrecks and rock piles toward Coxes Ledge.
Not in Long Island Sound and Montauk this month.
Atlantic cod in Long Island Sound and Montauk, month by month
- JanuaryAroundWinter cod on the Montauk party boats' wrecks and rock piles toward Coxes Ledge.
- FebruaryAroundWinter flounder spawn in the harbors; cod on the wrecks. Blackbacks in the harbors and bays (mind the season); cod trips on calm days.
- MarchAroundFirst stripers stir; mackerel and cod. Warm afternoons in the back-bay creeks for schoolies; spring mackerel off Montauk if the run comes.
- AprilLeaving
- MayNot here
- JuneNot here
- JulyNot here
- AugustNot here
- SeptemberNot here
- OctoberNot here
- NovemberArriving
- DecemberAroundThe tail of the run on the south shore; tog to the end. Last stripers on the south shore beaches; tog until the season closes; winter cod trips start.
Where to fish Atlantic cod near Sheepshead Bay, Freeport, Captree
New York Harbor, Jamaica Bay and the lower Hudson; Long Island's south shore surf and inlets backed by Great South Bay and the Moriches and Shinnecock bays; the Peconic and Gardiners bays between the forks; Montauk Point's boulder fields and rips; and Long Island Sound — rocky reefs, harbors and the Connecticut river mouths on the north side, the Race at the east end. Offshore to the Hudson and Block canyons.
Fish Scouter charts 1,272 wreck, 3 artificial reef spots in the Long Island & the Sound map area — the kinds Atlantic cod hold on.
What to use for Atlantic cod
- SquidStrips on a bottom rig for snapper, grunts and porgies; whole on a deep-drop rig.
- HerringCut-plug for salmon: head off at an angle, guts out, two hooks in tandem so it spins slow behind a flasher or a banana weight. Whole and live on a circle hook for stripers where the herring run.
- Sand eelsFree-lined or on a light jig head for stripers, fluke and bluefish; strips teased on a fluke rig.
- Leader80–150 lb mono
- Hook8/0–14/0
- Braid65–100 lb
Feeds in 36–58°F water, best at 40–52°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch Atlantic cod in Long Island Sound and Montauk?
Atlantic cod are in Long Island Sound and Montauk November–April, but the calendar never marks a peak here. January: Winter cod on the Montauk party boats' wrecks and rock piles toward Coxes Ledge.
Where do Atlantic cod hold in Long Island Sound and Montauk?
Look on artificial reef, wreck, ledge / hard bottom — around Sheepshead Bay, Freeport, Captree, Port Jefferson, Montauk, Orient.
What is the best bait for Atlantic cod in Long Island Sound and Montauk?
Live bait: squid, herring, sand eels. Squid: Strips on a bottom rig for snapper, grunts and porgies; whole on a deep-drop rig. Tackle: leader 80–150 lb mono, hook 8/0–14/0, braid 65–100 lb.
Fish it with the tide in your pocket
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All about Atlantic cod · Long Island & the Sound, the whole year