We’ve entered June, and with limited exception fishing has truly taken off throughout the state. Trophy bass can be found under the lights of NYC and as far east as your pickup or outboard will take you. Hempstead Harbor continues producing some really nice cow bass, as does a number of fisheries on the south shore: Jamaica Bay, Fire Island, Moriches, Shinnecock all the way out to Montauk, 30-pound-class stripers are feeding on an increasing variety of prey. Fluke fishing remains productive in the back-bays and shallow water flats, and a few nice doormats are coming from outside the inlets and harbors.
Starting in Hampton Bays, Bryce from White Water Outfitters reports that fishing is good, and looks to get even better, “the bass are coming on heavy,” Bryce says. He also mentioned that pretty much any bass technique is producing quality fish right now from a number of locations. Plugging in the back bays, jigging in the inlet, eeling in the Canal – it’s definitely a “pick your poison” type of situation in the Shinnecock area with the bass right now, and Bryce noted that it should continue to get better over the next several weeks. Quality bass also continue coming from the Peconic Bay, as well as a few weakfish in the mix. Porgies are also making a decent showing in the Bay, and should continue from now right through the Fall. Bryce mentioned ocean fluking outside Shinnecock has been, “one of the few slow sectors” for the time being, and that action has been more consistent inside the inlet.
Out in Montauk, things are starting to get busy for the Viking fleet. Fluke fishing has been productive, with plenty of action and enough keeper-size fluke in the mix to keep the anglers happy. The bass season also got off to a good start for the Viking fleet. Jigging in the Montauk rips is producing some quality bass with only a few blues in the mix. The Viking also had another great two-day offshore trip to the Canyons which produced some really nice cusk, tile and wreckfish.
I put in a call to Richard from Camp Site in Huntington Station to get the latest on the action up on the north shore. “Well,” Richard began, “the local sand eels are getting a little bigger.” He also mentioned that, although he hadn’t heard for sure, there was the possibility of a cinder worm hatch last night. Also, in the Smithtown area, there have been reports of bass pushing bunker right up onto the beach, a good sign that both the bass and the bait are plentiful. The water has warmed up on the Sound, and overall Richard commented that “everything’s pretty much back to status quo” up on the central north shore.
Checking in on the western sound, I talked to John from Hudson Park Bait & Tackle who reports that fishing is, “Awesome.” Huge bass are falling to live-lined bunker, two of John’s regulars, Jimmy Williams and his buddy Seth, boated bass to 46-pounds on live bunker. Another Hudson Park regular, Tony Rena, has been catching 30- and 40-pound bass, “like it’s going out of style,” according to John. When I asked John if he’d been able to get out himself this week, I’d barely finished the question before he instantly responded, “I’m annihilating them.” Besides his 49-pounder last week, John been consistently into fish between the high 30s and low 40s all week, and had some interesting observations about the current pattern. All the big bass, and bluefish, are on schools of bunker, which have been popping up all over the western sound, and John mentioned an interesting tip for sorting out the two, “the pods with sub-surface explosions and nervous water are more likely dominated by bass, and ones with out-of-the-water explosions are more likely to be bluefish.” John has also been into some nice fish on the fly, he was out with Sal the Harbor Master and the pair had bass to 25 pounds on chartreuse Deceivers. Fluke fishing also remains hot in the western sound.
Best Bets for the Weekend
The western sound remains your best option for a cow bass this week, though big fish are showing up just about everywhere. More and more big fish are keying-in on these massive schools of bunker. Located a school of bunker, snag yourself a livewell full, and then send them down with a small egg sinker. The bite has been downright savage for the past two weeks, and if you haven’t in on it yet, it’s definitely time – tight lines everyone.