Montauk bass bite fires as sand eels stack thick in the rips

The Point is absolutely on fire right now, and it's the kind of fishing that reminds you why Montauk earned its reputation as the striper capital of the world. We're seeing consistent bass action from the rips to the surf, with fish ranging from schoolies to legitimate cows pushing 40 pounds.

The standout pattern has been the nighttime eel bite. After sunset, the big girls are moving into the shallows to feed, and live eels fished on fishfinder rigs are producing bass in the 30 to 40-pound class. The key is getting your eels tight to structure — the boulder fields off the lighthouse and the rocky bottom around Shagwong Reef have been holding the largest fish. Use a 6/0 circle hook on 50-pound fluorocarbon, and let that eel work naturally in the current. The incoming tide after dark has been the magic window, especially on these new moon nights when the water really moves.

During daylight hours, diamond jigs are accounting for solid numbers. The 3 to 4-ounce AVA 007s in white and chartreuse are working best, jigged vertically in the rips when the current is running hard. You're looking at depths from 40 to 80 feet, depending on which rip you're fishing. The North Bar has been particularly productive on the incoming, while the South Rip fires on the outgoing. Mixed in with the bass are chunky bluefish to 10 pounds — these aren't the cocktail blues we'll see later in summer, but proper choppers that'll test your drag.

What's driving this action is the incredible concentration of sand eels we're seeing. These baitfish are stacked thick throughout the water column, and you can see them on your fishfinder as dense clouds from 20 feet down to the bottom. The sand eels are what's keeping the bass here instead of pushing further east, and they're also what's making the diamond jig bite so effective — that vertical presentation mimics a wounded eel perfectly.

The fluke fishing has picked up significantly as well. The south side drops in 30 to 50 feet are producing doormat-class fish, with several over 5 pounds reported this week. White Gulp Swimming Mullets on 3/4-ounce bucktails are the go-to rig, but don't overlook live peanut bunker when you can get them. The key is a slow drift and keeping contact with bottom — these big fluke aren't chasing, they're ambushing.

Water temperatures are sitting in the low 60s, which is perfect for this time of year. The cooler water is keeping bait concentrated and fish aggressive. We had some rough weather earlier in the week that stirred things up, but conditions have settled into that sweet spot where the water has good color without being too dirty.

Porgies are around in decent numbers, though they're not everywhere like they'll be later in summer. The productive spots are holding good fish in the 2 to 3-pound range, and they're hitting clam and squid strips on high-low rigs in 40 to 60 feet.

One thing I'm noticing is the absence of bunker. Usually by late June we're seeing more menhaden in the mix, but this year it's been all about the sand eels and squid. That's not necessarily bad — it's keeping the bass feeding actively rather than just following lazy bunker schools.

Looking ahead, we're coming into the full moon phase, which should really get the tides moving. That increased current flow typically fires up the rips even more, and I expect the diamond jig bite to get even better. The nighttime eel fishing should remain strong as long as these sand eels stick around. With water temps slowly climbing, we might start seeing some of those big bass push a bit deeper during the day, making the early morning and evening bites even more critical.

If you're planning a trip to the Point, bring both light and heavy tackle. The schoolie action on bucktails and small swimmers can be incredible, but you need the heavy gear ready when one of those 40-pound fish decides to eat your eel. This is Montauk fishing at its finest — when conditions align like this, there's nowhere else I'd rather be.