Black Sea Bass

Season in Long Island

Peak months: Aug, Sep.

OTW Long Island reports: first sea bass in early May 2022; sea bass in the hundreds on Captree boats and hot on ocean wrecks and reefs in August 2022; picking up in the Sound and Gardiners Bay in late August 2026; to 4 lb in the Sound in early October 2026; party boats still sailing offshore in late December 2023 (beyond nearshore range). (Our inference)

Season by region

Where to find them

Ocean wrecks and reefs off the South Shore (Captree, Freeport, Point Lookout boats), Montauk, Gardiners Bay and the Sound's rock piles. Shore fish from jetties and rocks are mostly small.

On the bottom right against structure: pier pilings, jetty rocks, reefs.

What to look for

Structure: pilings, rocks, live bottom. Many short fish mean you need to move to bigger structure.

What to throw

Bucktail or jighead with a 4 to 5 in paddle tail1/2 to 1 oz, 4 to 5 in tail. Slow hops along the bottom: lift, drop, let it touch, repeat.

Bait

Squid strips (about 3 in by 1/2 in), Cut mullet or bluefish, Shrimp, Crab. Two-hook dropper rig with 1/0 to 3/0 circle hooks on short droppers, sinker just heavy enough to hold the bottom.

Leader

Short 2 to 3 in droppers with 1/0 to 3/0 circle hooks.

Common mistakes

• Fishing open sand away from structure
• Keeping fish under the 13 in limit (many pier fish are short)

Landing

Swing small fish up; use a pier net for big ones.

Handling

• Sharp dorsal spines
• Sharp gill cover spines

Smooth the dorsal fin down from front to back before you grip it.

Keep or release

Good eating. Check the New York size, bag and season; many fish are short.

Recipes for black sea bass

Typical: unknown. Large: To 4 lb in the Sound (October 2026 report). NY record 9 lb (1993).

New York (marine waters) limits

• Minimum: 16 in
• Maximum: none
• Bag: 3 per angler (May 16 to Aug 31); 6 per angler (Sept 1 to Dec 31)
• Season: May 16 to Dec 31 (3 fish May 16 to Aug 31, 6 fish Sept 1 to Dec 31)
• Measured from the tip of the snout (or jaw), mouth closed, to the farthest extremity of the tail, not including the tail filament
• No separate party/charter rule is published

Last checked 2026-10-17. A summary, not legal advice; the official rules win. New York State DEC fishing regulations.

Sources

• On The Water: Long Island Fishing Report, May 5, 2022 (Angler knowledge)
• On The Water: Long Island Fishing Report, August 4, 2022 (Angler knowledge)
• On The Water: Long Island and NYC Fishing Report, August 27, 2026 (Angler knowledge)
• On The Water: Long Island and NYC Fishing Report, October 8, 2026 (Angler knowledge)
• On The Water: Long Island and NYC Fishing Report, December 28, 2023 (Angler knowledge)
• NOAA NEFSC Essential Fish Habitat source document: black sea bass (2nd ed.) (Official source)
• SCDNR species profile: black sea bass (Official source)
• NYSDEC Marine Recreational Angler Records Program (Official source)
• NYSDEC Recreational Saltwater Fishing Regulations: size, possession limits and seasons (fish table last changed May 12, 2026; shark table last changed Aug 27, 2025) (Official source)

All the fish of Long Island