Bay Rats & Buoys Ep. 35: Rain Blitz of 2025! Jurassic Park on the Long Island Sound — monster striped bass up to 45 inches blowing up live bait! Capt. Gaige & Kory break down the red-hot bite, from flutter spoons to topwater, trolling, and more. Rain didn’t stop us — it delivered! Shoutout to Matt & Joe from Mt. Sinai for joining the action. Book your trip at SandCityCharter.com and register for our First Annual Striped Bass Invitational on June 22, 2025! https://sandcitycha...

In this week’s action-packed episode of Bay Rats and Buoys, the bluefish have officially invaded the North Shore! These toothy torpedoes are pushing massive schools of bait into the back bays and lighting up the surface with explosive topwater strikes. It’s a thrilling time to be on the water, with birds working hard and both bass and blues feeding aggressively across the Long Island Sound. While striped bass are still chewing, they’ve become noticeably more selective—favoring live bait pre...

Bay Rats & Buoys Podcast | Season 2, Episode 33 Topwater Explosions, Fluke Frenzy & Big Blues Crushing Bait! This week on Bay Rats & Buoys Episode 33 we’re podcasting from the boat in Huntington Harbor as the topwater bite goes nuclear and bluefish finally show up in our area! Striped bass were blowing up spooks and Super Strikes with ferocity, including 40-inch fish smashing plugs all around the boat. The rip was alive with life and flutter spoons—especially gold and char...

Bay Rats & Buoys Podcast | Season 2, Episode 32: Foggy Mornings, Topwater Blowups & Striped Bass Tagging In this week’s Episode 32 of Bay Rats & Buoys, Captain Gaige is back on the boat diving into a fog-filled stretch that turned into some of the best topwater striped bass action we’ve seen all season! With two straight days of thick morning fog, the bass were dialed in on sand eels, exploding on spooks and surface plugs—and spitting up bait on deck when landed. We made some ...

Welcome to Bay Rats and Buoys Episode 31! In this action-packed episode, Captain Gaige shares what we’re using right now to catch big striped bass in the Long Island Sound. From live bait tips to top-producing lures like Doc Spooks, white mini mojos, and trolling rigs, we break down the tackle, techniques, and tides that are working best for catching keeper striped bass and overs this spring. We also feature the epic Mother’s Day striped bass trip with the Cavasos family—Mom kicks it off wi...

Bay Rats & Buoys Podcast | Season 2, Episode 30: Lights-Out Bass Bite & Changing Conditions In this week’s episode of Bay Rats & Buoys Season 2, we’re podcasting straight from the boat in Huntington Harbor as the striped bass fishing action heats up! For four straight days, the bite was absolutely lights out, with bass crushing everything we threw at them—until Friday, when the bite abruptly shut off as the water temps shifted. But don’t worry—by the weekend and midweek, the bas...

Striped Bass Bite is Red Hot This Week The striped bass bite is absolutely red hot this week in Huntington, NY! Join Captain Gaige and Kory as they land dozens of fat 39” inch striped bass along with dozens of slots and overs. Watch as Dylan and Shelly crush the under-slot and slot fish on flutter spoons and trolling setups, and Kenny puts on a clinic with a dozen fish to 39” on flutter spoons! This video is packed with striped bass fishing tips, techniques, and the exact gear we’re using to ...

Spring Striped Bass Fishing is Heating Up! | Bay Rats & Buoys Season 2 Ep. 28 In this episode of Bay Rats and Buoys, Captain Gaige and First Mate Kory are back on the water chasing springtime striped bass across the back bays and beyond! After a quick fix from Keith at Yamaha in Britannia Yachting Center (the best in the biz!), we hit Huntington Harbor, the bay, and the Long Island Sound to track water temps and search for early season bunker and bait balls. With temps reading 55° in the...

Season 2 of the Bay Rats & Buoys podcast kicks off as Captain Gaige and First Mate Kory hit the water to dial in springtime striped bass! If you’re fishing for striped bass this spring, especially in the back bays, this is the video for you. We launched on Monday and spent the day chasing slot-sized striped bass using our favorite spring striped bass lures—small swim shads and the deadly Yo-Zuri 3D Minnow. The Yo-Zuri was the clear winner, helping us land and tag quality slot bass before ...

Striped Bass Season is Finally Here! | Bay Rats & Buoys Episode 26 | Saltwater Fishing Podcast Welcome to Episode 26 of Bay Rats & Buoys – the ultimate striped bass fishing podcast for saltwater anglers, charter captains, and hardcore fishermen! Striped bass season is officially back, and we’re fired up to kick things off! In this week’s episode, Captain Gaige shares what to use this spring to target migrating striped bass, plus essential early-season boating tips. Whether you’re ...

Bay Rats & Buoys Podcast Ep. 25 – Striped Bass Are Here & Our First Annual Invitational Is On! In this week’s episode of Bay Rats & Buoys, Captain Gaige and First Mate Kory are back with big news and even bigger plans as we roll into the 2025 season! The first striped bass of the year has been officially landed — shoutout to Charles, who kicked things off in true Bay Rats fashion by hooking a striper on a blackfish jig tipped with a green crab. But he didn’t stop there. He tied o...

Long Island’s Hottest New Striped Bass Fishing Tournament | Bay Rats & Buoys 1st Annual Striped Bass Invitational Calling all anglers, fishermen, and boating enthusiasts this is the striped bass fishing event you’ve been waiting for. On Sunday, June 22, 2025, the waters of Huntington Bay, New York will ignite with the energy of the Bay Rats & Buoys 1st Annual Striped Bass Invitational — a shotgun-style, catch-and-release striped bass tournament that’s all about competition, conserva...

Bay Rats & Buoys Announces First Annual Striped Bass Invitational – Episode 23 | Fishing Podcast Attention all anglers, captains, and tournament fishermen! Captain Gaige is thrilled to announce the First Annual Striped Bass Invitational—the hottest new striped bass fishing tournament on Long Island! Mark your calendars for June 22, 2025, and register now at StripedBassInvitational.com. The first 25 boats to sign up will receive an exclusive Bay Rats & Buoys Tournament Bucket packed ...

BREAKING NEWS: Bay Rats & Buoys 1st Annual Striped Bass Invitational! Mark your calendars—it’s official! Bay Rats & Buoys Episode 22 is packed with exciting news for all fishing and boating enthusiasts. Captain Gaige is making a huge announcement about our 1st Annual Striped Bass Invitational happening Sunday, June 22, 2025! If you’re a striped bass angler that fishes the Long Island Sound this is the fishing tournament you don’t want to miss. ⚓ What’s in this episod...

Who Else is Prepping Their Boat and Gear Now? | Just 40 Days Until Striped Bass Opening Day | Bay Rats & Buoys Podcast Ep. 21 The countdown is on—just 40 days until striped bass season opens on April 15! If you’re as fired up as we are to hit the water, this episode of Bay Rats & Buoys is for you. We’re talking all things boat prep, gear setup, and early-season strategies to get ready for spring striped bass fishing. From checking safety equipment to rigging rods and picking th...

Bay Rats & Buoys Podcast Ep. 20 | 47 Days to Striped Bass Season + Ward Melville HS Fishing Expo! We’re officially 47 days away from the opening of striped bass season on April 15th, and this week’s Bay Rats & Buoys podcast is packed with fishing talk, upcoming events, and must-have gear! Join us this Saturday, March 1st, at the Ward Melville High School Fishing Club Expo & Fundraiser! We’ll be at Booth #35—stop by to grab a free sticker, scan the QR code to subscribe to our Y...

Biggest Fishing Show Just 9 Days Away | How I Support Local Businesses | Bay Rats & Buoys Ep. 19 The Ward Melville HS Fishing Show & Fundraiser is just 9 days away on March 1, 2025, and we’re gearing up for an incredible event! In this episode of Bay Rats & Buoys, Captain Gaige shares how we support local fishing businesses, network with fellow anglers, and get ready for the upcoming striped bass fishing season which kicks off in just 54 days on April 15, 2025! We’ll be set up...

How We Prepare for Springtime Fishing Now | Bay Rats & Buoys Podcast Ep. 18 Spring fishing season is right around the corner, and we're gearing up NOW to make sure we're ready to hit the water on April 15, 2025, for striped bass opening day! In this episode of Bay Rats & Buoys, Captain Gaige dives into spring fishing preparation, covering everything from top fishing gear and best rod brands to the must-have headset for captains who need to take calls while running a boat at 35-40 mph...

New York’s Biggest Fishing Club Expo & Fundraiser – March 1, 2025 | Ward Melville H.S. Fishing Club Show Expo & Fundraiser! If you love fishing shows, buying new and used fishing gear, and supporting the next generation of anglers, you don’t want to miss the Ward Melville High School Fishing Club Expo & Fundraiser on March 1, 2025! This is the largest fishing expo in New York dedicated to bringing together anglers, captains, and industry pros for a day packed with fishing gear de...

Thinking about getting your Captain’s License? Need a captain’s license renewal or upgrade? Whether you’re looking to captain a charter boat, ferry, towboat, powerboat, or sailboat, this video is your complete guide! Recorded live at the NY Boat Show at the Javits Center, we sit down with Capt. Michael Vanadia, owner of Nautical School, to break down everything you need to know about becoming a licensed captain. What You’ll Learn in This Video: ✅ How to Get Your Captain’s License – St...