UTERAtlantic bonito fishing in Long Island Sound and Montauk
In Long Island Sound and Montauk, Atlantic bonito peak August–September and are around July–October, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. August: Bonito off Montauk and the Race; small epoxy jigs.
No note for October — see the months around it.
Atlantic bonito in Long Island Sound and Montauk, month by month
- JanuaryNot here
- FebruaryNot here
- MarchNot here
- AprilNot here
- MayNot here
- JuneNot here
- JulyArriving
- AugustPeakBonito off Montauk and the Race; small epoxy jigs.
- SeptemberPeakAlbie season at Montauk; the biggest fluke of the year. False albacore off the Point and Shagwong from about the third week; doormat fluke on the ocean humps; snapper blues in every harbor.
- OctoberLeaving
- NovemberNot here
- DecemberNot here
Where to fish Atlantic bonito 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 bonito hold on.
What to use for Atlantic bonito
- Glass minnows (bay anchovies)Thrown by the handful as chum for Spanish, trout and ladyfish, or several on a tiny hook.
- Pilchards (whitebait)Free-lined or under a cork, hooked through the nose on a #1 to 2/0 circle hook. The one bait that catches everything inshore.
- Leader40–60 lb fluorocarbon
- Hook4/0–8/0
- Braid50–100 lb
Feeds in 58–76°F water, best at 62–72°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch Atlantic bonito in Long Island Sound and Montauk?
Peak season is August–September. Atlantic bonito are in Long Island Sound and Montauk July–October. August: Bonito off Montauk and the Race; small epoxy jigs.
Where do Atlantic bonito hold in Long Island Sound and Montauk?
Look on artificial reef, pass / inlet, beach / surf, wreck — around Sheepshead Bay, Freeport, Captree, Port Jefferson, Montauk, Orient.
What is the best bait for Atlantic bonito in Long Island Sound and Montauk?
Live bait: glass minnows (bay anchovies), pilchards (whitebait). Glass minnows (bay anchovies): Thrown by the handful as chum for Spanish, trout and ladyfish, or several on a tiny hook. Tackle: leader 40–60 lb fluorocarbon, hook 4/0–8/0, braid 50–100 lb.
Fish it with the tide in your pocket
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All about Atlantic bonito · Long Island & the Sound, the whole year