Black sea bass and fluke are the heartbeat of East End inshore fishing. They are accessible, abundant, hard-fighting on light tackle, and among the finest table fare anywhere in the Atlantic. They also happen to live in some of the most productive — and visually spectacular — water in the Northeast: the rips and rocky bottom around Montauk Point and the structure-rich shoals encircling Block Island. This is how we fish them.
The GeographyWhy Montauk Point & Block Island
Montauk Point is the easternmost tip of Long Island, jutting fifteen miles into the open Atlantic where Long Island Sound, Block Island Sound, and the Atlantic Ocean converge. That convergence creates the famous Montauk rips — long, standing waves of water generated when the tide moves across the irregular underwater terrain. The rips concentrate baitfish; the baitfish concentrate predators; the predators are why we are here.
Block Island sits twelve miles east of Montauk across Block Island Sound. The island is ringed by reefs, ledges, glacial boulder fields, and — since 2016 — the five turbine bases of the Block Island Wind Farm, which have become some of the most reliable artificial structure in the Northeast. Black sea bass colonize structure aggressively; turbine bases, wrecks, and boulder piles around Block Island hold tremendous biomass through the summer and fall.
A typical inshore charter day works both. We depart Montauk Harbor at first light, fish the morning bite on the Montauk rips and Pollock Rip, then run the ten miles east to Block Island for an afternoon shift on the ledges and wind farm structure. Both species — black sea bass and fluke — are present in both fisheries, but the productive depth, drift technique, and bait choice differ.
The SpotsWhere We Fish
Pollock Rip
Pollock Rip sits roughly four miles southeast of Montauk Point — a sharp underwater rise where the tide accelerates over a hard-bottom ridge in 50–80 feet. It is one of the most consistent fluke and black sea bass spots within close range of the harbor and is our default first stop on most inshore days. The rip itself runs east-west; we drift across it with the tide.
The North Rip & Great Eastern Rock
The North Rip lies directly off Montauk Lighthouse on the north side of the point. The famous boulder known as Great Eastern Rock — a glacial erratic sitting on the bottom in 40 feet — anchors the structure. The current tears across this area on either side of slack tide. It is one of the most productive black sea bass spots in the Northeast and a reliable summer fluke drift.
The Southeast Grounds (Frisbee & Co.)
"The Southeast" or "SE Grounds" refers to a broad band of fluke water southeast of Montauk Point in 60–110 feet, including notable contours like the Frisbees, the Coxes Ledge approaches, and the deep sand-bottom drifts that fluke move to in mid- and late summer. This is where we run for trophy doormat fluke when the inshore fish push deeper in July and August.
Southwest Ledge (Block Island)
Southwest Ledge is the headline reef on Block Island's southwest corner — a rugged underwater ridge dropping from 30 feet to 90+ in a quarter mile. The ledge holds enormous numbers of black sea bass year-round and is a primary striped bass spot in spring. Drifting the ledge edges with bait is a near-guarantee for a sea bass limit.
Block Island Wind Farm (BIWF) Bases
The five turbine bases of the Block Island Wind Farm sit about three miles southeast of Block Island in roughly 90 feet of water. They are now legally established no-anchor zones with significant mussel-and-barnacle growth on the bases — which means food, which means a black sea bass paradise. We drift past the structures on the up-current side, drop bait or jigs along the base, and reel into 2–4 lb sea bass back-to-back.
The Hooter / Block Island North Rip
The water north of Block Island — known locally as "the Hooter" for the buoy that marks the navigational hazard — is a vast area of mixed bottom from 50–90 feet. It produces fluke drifts on the sand pockets between rocks and black sea bass anywhere structure pops. It is a favorite afternoon spot when the SW wind on Block's south side gets uncomfortable.
The TargetsTwo Species, Two Patterns
Black Sea Bass
Hard-bottom structure dwellers. 1.5–5 lb fish on a typical drop, with citation 5 lb+ "humpheads" common around wrecks and the Wind Farm bases.
Fluke (Summer Flounder)
Ambush predators on sand and mixed bottom. Keeper fluke run 18–22 inches, with doormat 24"+ fish prowling the SE Grounds in July–August.
Method OneHow We Fish Black Sea Bass
The Rig — Hi-Lo with Bait, or Bucktail with Squid
The classic sea bass setup is a two-hook hi-lo rig tied with 30 lb fluorocarbon: an 8/0 wide-gap hook on top, a 5/0 or 6/0 on the bottom, with a bank sinker heavy enough to keep the rig vertical in current. We bait both hooks with a combination of fresh squid strip and a chunk of skimmer clam — the squid for visual appeal and durability, the clam for scent.
On structure-rich drops like the Wind Farm bases, we will swap the bait rig for a 3- to 5-ounce bucktail jig tipped with squid or a Gulp! grub. The bucktail gives us active control of the drop — we can lift, swim, and pause the jig in the strike zone where a static rig would just sit. The biggest sea bass of the day frequently eat a moving jig, not a static bait.
The Drift
Sea bass fishing is structure fishing. We position the boat up-current of the target structure, drift down across it, and drop the rig the moment the spot lights up on the sounder. The bite is fast — sea bass live on structure and feed aggressively on anything that drops past — and the trick is feeling the strike and lifting immediately to pull the fish away from the rocks before it dives back in. Hesitate and you are cut off.
A productive sea bass drift looks like a controlled chaos: the captain holding GPS position on the up-current waypoint, anglers feeling for the bottom, the rig hitting structure, two rods doubling over at once. We re-set the drift every five to ten minutes — sea bass are quick to wise up, and a fresh drift on a fresh angle produces fresh fish.
Method TwoHow We Fish Fluke
The Rig — Bucktail and Teaser, or Classic Fluke Rig
Fluke fishing is, more than anything, a presentation game. The most consistent rig for serious fluke fishing is the bucktail-and-teaser: a 2- to 4-ounce white or chartreuse bucktail jig on the bottom, with a small fly or small bucktail "teaser" tied on a dropper loop 18 inches up. We tip the bucktail with a fresh strip of squid or a fluke-belly strip, and the teaser with a smaller squid strip or a 4-inch Gulp! grub.
On the classic fluke rig, we run a single 4/0–6/0 long-shank hook on a 36-inch fluorocarbon leader behind a fluke spinner or sinker slide, baited with a spearing-and-squid combo or, for trophy fluke, a live killie under a sea robin or fluke belly for a "fluke sandwich."
The Drift & The Lift
Fluke fishing is a drift fishery. We drift with the tide across sand and mixed bottom in 50–110 feet, using a drift sock to slow the boat when current is moving fast. The boat should drift at about 1.0–1.5 knots — slower than that and the bait won't trigger; faster and it skips over the fish.
The technique with a bucktail: maintain bottom contact, lift the rod tip 12–18 inches on a slow cadence, let it drop back, repeat. The strike almost always comes on the drop. Fluke attack from above and grab the falling jig sideways. The trick is to feel the weight of the fish before setting the hook — a snap-strike on a fluke pulls the jig out of its mouth. Lift slowly until the rod loads, then come tight.
For trophy doormats on the SE Grounds, we live-bait with peanut bunker, snapper bluefish, or sea robins on a 6/0 single hook, drifted slowly across deep contours. Big fluke eat big baits — a 7-pound doormat hits a 6-inch snapper without hesitation.
Book an Inshore Charter
Half- and full-day inshore charters out of Montauk targeting black sea bass, fluke, striped bass, and bluefish. Half day $1,500, full day $2,500. Family- and kid-friendly, with all tackle and bait included.
The SeasonWhen to Book
- Mid-May: NY black sea bass and fluke seasons open. Early-season fish push onto Block Island's shallow ledges first. Cool water — fishing is slower-paced and very rewarding.
- June: Fluke fishing peaks inshore — the Pollock Rip, Great Eastern Rock, and Block Island shallows all fire. Sea bass move onto the Wind Farm bases.
- July–August: Trophy doormat fluke move to the SE Grounds. Sea bass on the deep structure and Wind Farm. Best multi-species days of the year (fluke, sea bass, scup, striped bass on a single trip).
- September–October: Sea bass remain on structure. Fluke begin to push offshore but trophy fish still possible. Striped bass blitz conditions add a third species to most charters.
- Early November: Sea bass remain on the Wind Farm and Southwest Ledge through the end of the season.
The BoatWhy We Fish the Edgewater
Our inshore program runs out of the 37' Edgewater 370 CC — a quad-engine four-stroke center console with a hull built specifically for the kind of rough water Montauk Point throws at you on a windy summer afternoon. We can hold position on a structure drop, drift comfortably through a chop, and run the twelve miles to Block Island in under twenty-five minutes. The boat fishes four anglers in comfort and six in close quarters, with rod-holder rocket launchers, a 50-gallon livewell, and a full electronics suite (Garmin/Simrad chartplotter, sounder, autopilot, radar) for finding fish and finding home.
What to ExpectThe Reality of an Inshore Day
Inshore charters are the most accessible fishing we offer — appropriate for families with kids over 8, first-time anglers, and serious sport-fishermen alike. A typical half day runs four hours, full day eight hours. All tackle, bait, bottled water, and Coast Guard-required safety gear are included. We process and bag your catch at the dock; we recommend bringing a cooler with ice if you plan to take fish home.
Wear non-marking shoes, layered clothing (it is 15 degrees cooler offshore than on the dock), sunscreen, polarized sunglasses, and a hat. The boat has a full bimini top for shade and a head. We follow current NY DEC and federal regulations on size and bag limits, and we encourage selective harvest — keep what you'll eat fresh in the next two days, release the rest carefully.
Hamptons Charter Co. operates inshore fishing charters out of Montauk and East Hampton, New York on the 37' Edgewater Bounty. We fish Montauk Point, Pollock Rip, and the waters around Block Island for black sea bass, fluke, striped bass, bluefish, scup, and more from mid-May through early November.