Jutting out from the East Coast into the Atlantic, Long Island is the perfect launchpad for charters chasing big game fish. With good access to deep canyons, wrecks, and reefs, the deep sea fishing Long Island has will see you chasing Tuna, Marlin, Sharks, and Swordfish. And, you don’t have to venture far — some of the canyons are just a few miles from the coast.

What fish to catch and where to get it

Long Island will see you wetting your line for a variety of fish. The list has ‘Jumbo’ Black Seabass, giant Porgies, Pollock, and Cod for starters, and if you want heavyweight players, offshore wrecks will reward you with Yellowfin and Bluefin Tuna, Sharks, and Mahi Mahi.  

Head south of Long Island and you’ll reach one of the steepest drop-offs in this part of the ocean. The New York Bight is an indentation in the ocean floor, where depths plunge from 60ft to well below 300ft. These numerous canyons are passageways for migratory species, including Mako and Thresher Shark, as well as Tuna. Sink the bait deep down and you can soon end up with Porgy, Seabass, Cod, or even Swordfish.

Once you make it past the 20-mile mark, you can catch a good deal of Bluefin and Yellowfin Tuna. They start showing up in late July, making summer even hotter. However, if you want better chances of landing these brutes, best travel 60 miles offshore where canyons and wrecks produce amazing Tuna fishing.

Anywhere between 55 and 85 miles out, you will find wrecks scattered around the ocean where you can target apex predators and bottom dwellers. Party boats regularly visit these places, so if you want to recreate the ‘Great Gatsby’ atmosphere, take your friends out for a brawl with Seabass, Cod, and Pollock. Stock up on heavy tackle, though. Blue Marlin and Bluefin Tuna can gatecrash your party out of the blue.

Block Canyon, Hudson Canyon, Atlantis Canyon, and Georges Banks are well-known hot spots that produce amazing big game fishing, but require skills and effort. You should pair up with a local who has fished these places before. Since it takes a couple of hours to reach some of them, you’ll have the best chances on an overnight trip.

How to get fish

If you want to get the most out of your trip, you’ll either do bottom fishing or trolling. Drop the bait near canyons and wrecks to entice Seabass and Cod. Seabass can be caught at various depths, often with the same method. Use Clams or Squid as bait, or work 6- to 8-ounce diamond jigs. The Cod season explodes in December and you can often get them by jigging or using fresh Clams.

Trolling will give you good chances of getting more fish. The conditions around Long Island make slow trolling with large lures irresistible to Tuna. You can catch no less than four Tuna species here, including Bluefin, Yellowfin, Bigeye, and Albacore. Early in the season, trolling lures will produce good results, and you should switch to bait and chunking later in the summer. Troll around floating debris and you can also hook into Mahi or Wahoo.