The weakfish is another one of the species that is extremely popular with consumers and sportsfishermen. Found in inshore waters and estuaries from Cape Hatteras to New England, the weakfish is one of our most sought-after species of finfish. 

Reaching a weight of 15 pounds and above, they are more often seen between 3 and 8 pounds. They are abundant in Long Island's bays between May and October. Weakfish are called weakfish because of their weak mouths that can tear if you try to lift them into the boat without using a net.

Fishing Tips:

We catch some weakfish on clams, but most of them are caught casting rubber artificial lures, like "bass assassins", on jig heads using spinning rods. Weaks bite best in the evening and at night. Fishermen do best moving the lure or bait slowly near the bottom. Braided lines like "power pro" work well when casting artificial lures because they cast a little further and have less stretch when hooking the fish. When we are drifting, the bow and stern seem to do best and when we anchor after dark the middle of the boat is usually best.