Sand-Eel Fluke & Drop-and-Stick Porgy: Your May–June Forecast

Striped bass get most of the headlines in May, but for the anglers who book me for a mixed-bag morning, the back half of May and all of June are the sweet spot for two species that get overlooked: summer flounder (fluke) and scup (porgy). After this winter's cold hangover, both fisheries are pushing through a slow opener — but the water temps and forage signals say the second half of May should be a flip-of-the-switch moment.

Fluke: the sand-eel pattern is everything

If you remember one thing about Long Island Sound fluke fishing this time of year, remember this: find the sand eels, find the fluke. Sand eels are slim, silvery baitfish that bury in sandy bottom and come up to feed on the tide. When they're stacked on a shoal, every fluke for half a mile knows about it. They move onto the same flats, lay flat on the sand looking like the bottom, and ambush the eels as the current rolls them past.

The shoals between Mount Sinai and Smithtown Bay hold sand-eel pods that pulse in and out with each tide cycle. We work them by drifting downcurrent with a fluke rig — a teaser and a bucktail tipped with a Gulp swimming mullet or a strip of squid. The drift speed matters: 0.4 to 0.8 knots is the sweet spot. Too fast, the fluke don't bother committing. Too slow, your bait sits motionless and looks unnatural. I tune the drift with the drift sock and a little bit of trolling-motor finesse.

What to expect by species

• Keeper-class fluke start showing up reliably in late May, with the bigger fish (5+ pounds) usually appearing in the first two weeks of June.
• Short fluke are everywhere right now — useful for kids and first-timers because the bite is fast and the action is constant.
• Sea robins and skates come with the territory. We unhook them quickly and put them back.

Porgy: drop, stick, fish-on

If fluke is finesse, porgy is the opposite. The Long Island Sound porgy fishery May into June is what we call "drop-and-stick" fishing — you drop the rig, it sticks to the bottom, and within seconds something is chewing it. It's the easiest, most fun bottom fishing I do all year, and it's perfect for anyone who wants action without a steep learning curve.

The rig is simple: high-low porgy rig, small octopus hooks, half a clam or a piece of squid strip on each. We anchor over a rocky patch, drop, and let the porgy come to us. When the bite is on, two-bait double-headers are the norm. Limits don't take long.

The best porgy bottom in our zone runs in 25–45 feet of water — patches of broken rock and shell on the edges of the sand flats. Tide matters here too: a moderate run, either incoming or outgoing, fires up the bite. Slack water shuts it off pretty cleanly, so we time our drops around the tide swing.

If you've got kids on board and you need them catching something within two minutes of the bait hitting bottom — porgy time is your time.

Why May–June is the right window

By July, the water heats up further, the fluke push deeper and slow down a bit during midday, and the porgy bite settles into a more even rhythm. Late May and early June is when both species are at their hungriest — they've come off a long winter, they're feeding heavily, and they're not yet pressured by every center-console on the Sound. We typically have water to ourselves on weekday mornings.

This is also the window where a half-day trip can produce a true mixed bag: a couple of stripers in the morning, then a quick reposition to the shoals or the porgy rocks, and the box goes home with three species in it. Bring the whole family — there's something on the end of the line for everyone.

What to bring (or what's provided)

I supply all rods, reels, terminal tackle, and bait. You bring sunglasses, sunscreen, closed-toe shoes (required), water or snacks, and your fishing license if you don't already have a Marine Registry number. Nothing else needed. Half-day trips run roughly 4–5 hours, leaving Mount Sinai Marina around dawn — that early start is exactly when both species are most active.