UTERMahi-mahi fishing in Long Island Sound and Montauk
In Long Island Sound and Montauk, mahi-mahi peak August–September and are around July–October, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. August: Mahi under the pot buoys in the warm eddies south of Montauk.
No note for October — see the months around it.
Mahi-mahi in Long Island Sound and Montauk, month by month
- JanuaryNot here
- FebruaryNot here
- MarchNot here
- AprilNot here
- MayNot here
- JuneNot here
- JulyArrivingFluke, porgies and sea bass; bluefin off Montauk. Hi-lo rigs and clam for porgies and sea bass on the Sound rock piles; bluefin on the sand eels south of Montauk; makos and blues on the chum.
- AugustPeakMahi under the pot buoys in the warm eddies south of Montauk.
- SeptemberPeak
- OctoberLeaving
- NovemberNot here
- DecemberNot here
Where to fish mahi-mahi 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 mahi-mahi hold on.
What to use for mahi-mahi
- BallyhooRigged on a wire or mono trolling rig, skipping or swimming, behind a skirt or naked.
- 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.
- Blue runners (hardtails)Nose-hooked and slow-trolled on a wire stinger rig for kings; bridled for sailfish and cobia.
- Leader40–60 lb fluorocarbon
- Hook4/0–8/0
- Braid50–100 lb
Feeds in 72–88°F water, best at 76–84°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch mahi-mahi in Long Island Sound and Montauk?
Peak season is August–September. Mahi-mahi are in Long Island Sound and Montauk July–October. August: Mahi under the pot buoys in the warm eddies south of Montauk.
Where do mahi-mahi hold in Long Island Sound and Montauk?
Look on wreck, artificial reef, ledge / hard bottom — around Sheepshead Bay, Freeport, Captree, Port Jefferson, Montauk, Orient.
What is the best bait for mahi-mahi in Long Island Sound and Montauk?
Live bait: ballyhoo, pilchards (whitebait), blue runners (hardtails). Ballyhoo: Rigged on a wire or mono trolling rig, skipping or swimming, behind a skirt or naked. Tackle: leader 40–60 lb fluorocarbon, hook 4/0–8/0, braid 50–100 lb.
Fish it with the tide in your pocket
Fish Scouter scores mahi-mahi for this hour on this water, draws every reef, wreck and access point near you, and keeps your spots. $9.99 a month, 14 days free.
Start 14 free daysMore
All about mahi-mahi · Long Island & the Sound, the whole year