Montauk Point cheat sheet
Every fish, the registry and the slot, the rigs and the one box of tackle. One page to take to the water.
Montauk Point
The autumn run (September to November) is the trip. False albacore and bonito peak September to October. Spring gives a quieter striped-bass run.
Registry, not a licence
New York does not sell a saltwater licence. Enrol, free, in the New York Recreational Marine Fishing Registry at dec.ny.gov (DECALS) or by phone, and carry the proof. A charter covers it for the trip.
Striped-bass slot
One fish a day, 28 to less than 31 inches (about 71 – 79 cm), open season 15 April to 15 December, 2026. A fish outside the slot goes back. The slot and season change most years; confirm with DEC. Bluefish: no minimum size, five a day (shore or own boat) or seven aboard a licensed party/charter boat. Atlantic bonito has no specific NY limit.
Release these
False albacore (not good eating, a sport fish). Bass within the slot and bluefish/bonito within the bag are eaten, but follow New York's consumption advisory for bass and bluefish. Revive released fish in the water.
Bank vs boat · season · time → rig
| Fish | From the shore | From a boat | Best time | Rig |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Striped bass | Yes, the rips and rocks off the lighthouse | Yes, the rips and a live-eel drift | Change of tide, low light, after dark | Surf rig (shore) or jigging rig / inshore bait rig (boat) |
| Bluefish | Yes, the surf and the bars | Yes, the rips and blitzes | Through the day in a blitz; low light best | Surf rig or jigging rig |
| False albacore | Only when a blitz pushes in close | Yes, the open-water blitzes | Calm days, when the bait is up | Jigging rig (metals/epoxies) or streamer rig (fly) |
| Bonito | Rarely, in a close blitz | Yes, with the albies | Calm days, in a blitz | Jigging rig or streamer rig |
Shore only is mainly a bass and bluefish trip on the rips at the change of tide. A boat adds the open-water albie and bonito blitzes and the night eel drift.
The rigs
braid → FG knot → heavier mono shock leader → bucktail / metal jig / swimming plug (bait version: snelled hooks, bottom lead)
FG knot (braid to shock leader); snell (bait hooks)braid → FG knot → fluorocarbon leader → metal jig or epoxy lure (cast or jigged); long leader for albies
FG knot (braid to leader); Palomar (jig and rings)main line → sliding sinker → bead → swivel (Palomar) → leader → snelled hook → live eel (drifted at night)
Palomar (swivel); snell (the bait hook)fly line → perfection loop (loop-to-loop) → tapered leader → fluorocarbon tippet (surgeon's / blood) → streamer on a non-slip loop
Perfection loop, surgeon's / blood knot, non-slip loopWhat you need
A surf outfit and a box of metals, bucktails and plugs is the core. A light spin outfit covers the albie blitzes; the eels and the fly are the only extras.
The knots
| Knot | Ties | Used by |
|---|---|---|
| FG knot | Braid main line to a mono/fluoro leader; slim and strong through the guides. | Surf rig, jigging rig |
| Snell knot | A bait hook to the leader, in line for a strong pull. | Surf rig (bait), inshore bait rig |
| Palomar | A swivel, jig, ring or hook; strong on braid and fluoro. | Jigging rig, inshore bait rig |
| Non-slip loop | A fixed loop at a fly or lure for free movement. | Streamer rig (the fly) |
| Perfection loop | A neat loop in the leader butt for a loop-to-loop join. | Streamer rig (leader to fly line) |
| Surgeon's knot | Joins two lengths of leader/tippet. | Streamer rig (leader joins) |
Learn the FG knot first; it joins the braid to the leader on the surf and the light spin. Wet every knot before you pull it tight.
This one page is the printable I take to the water.
Give me an email and I will show it to you, ready to print. A one-page reference: what's on by month, the licence and rules, a rig for every fish, the shared tackle box and the knots.
I'll send you the cheat sheet, and email you when I add a new place to fish. Nothing else.