With blackfish season on hiatus until mid-January, and just a few days left in the porgy and sea bass season, we’re definitely headed for the slowest time of the angling year. Fortunately, it coincides perfectly with the holidays and all the accompanying activity. All that being said, I’m still heavily considering a cod trip on Christmas-Eve day. The baccala are stacked up pretty thick from Block Island all the way to the western south shore. If you haven’t made it out cod fishing since March, it’s definitely time to unpack the hammered jigs and surgical-tube teasers. Upstate, there’s still some decent catch-and-release fly fishing happening on the open sections of the upper Delaware River Basin, and the steelhead fishing in the Ontario region continues going strong. It’s the annual two-week holiday fishing forecast, so everyone out there be safe, have fun and make the best of the final days in the 2011 angling season.
East End
Bottom fishing, which has been great for the Viking Fleet over the entire season, will definitely go out with a bang. The fishing has been so good this week, the Viking Fleet has decided to add two more mixed-bag trips this month on the 28th and 31st. Those will be your last two opportunities to bag a limit of my favorite inshore filet, the black sea bass. These trips will also most likely see an increased number of keeper cod, as the Viking Fleet captains start to get dialed in for the daily cod trips that will begin in January. Over the past week, some of the mixed-bag trips have landed cod up to 20 pounds, so consider packing along some 8- to 12-ounce diamond jigs if you’re planning on heading out. The cod are here to feed on the blueback herring, so switching to a jig is a good idea to cull out some of the larger cod in the area, especially once you’ve made your limit of sea bass. Jigging for cod on a party boat can be somewhat of a challenge, especially when compared to power-drifting on a small center console. However, with a little strategy and persistence the benefits can far outweigh any hassle. One of the simplest and most effective strategies is carrying several styles of cod jigs in different weights. One of my favorite additions in recent years are the Butterfly jigs made by Shimano. These jigs are great for the non-vertical jigging situations that commonly arise on headboats. Traditional cod jigs only work properly when fished directly up-and-down, and in most instances on a party boat switching to a heavier jig isn’t the best option. Using a jig that’s significantly heavier than the lead other anglers are baitfishing with, you’ll likely be tangled before locking into a fish. The Butterfly jigs allow you to use a similar weight as everyone else without compromising the jigs effectiveness.
South Shore
Cod and ling will be on the menu over the holidays for many south shore anglers. The cod started showing as by-catch over the last few weeks on some of the deeper blackfish pieces, and they seem to have taken up year-round residence on some of the 30-mile pieces. You won’t have to drive far to put a few filets on the table, because even the Captree boats are finding some decent size cod on their numbers. I wouldn’t count on feeding the entire family with “captain’s choice” cod loin, but you’ll likely have some for yourself and at least a porgy or sea bass for everyone else.
North Shore
Not much to report from the Sound, at least until the blackfish season reopens in a few weeks. Though I can’t say for sure, there’s a good chance a few herring have started to show up in some of the local north-shore harbors — Mount Sinai being one of the most consistent. Even if they haven’t shown up yet, it shouldn’t be long before they’re chased here by the increasing amount of harbor seals patrolling the south shore.
Metro New York
Much like the Sound, there’s not much going on in terms of fishing right now in the City. The one exception being the blueback herring that have shown up around some of the city piers at night in recent weeks. A pretty basic set-up will get the job done, a light spinning outfit with 4- to 6-pound-test mono, a bucket and a few sibiki rigs is just about all you need. I can’t say I’ve even eaten herring myself, but I’m thinking about giving in a shot between visiting relatives over the next week.
Upstate
Heading up north for some late-season steelhead and brown trout fishing is definitely one of the more exciting best bets over the next two weeks, or at least until the weather finally gives out. “There’s no snow yet,” says Sharon from Narby’s Superette and Tackle in Kent, “it’s just been a slow rain.” The cold front pushing through the area tonight should change that, and put the threat of snow back in the forecast. But, for now, all is well. “It’s amazing the amount of fish they’ve been getting,” Sharon said. The diehards of the local crew have been stoping by the shop daily to resupply and gloat about recent exploits. The water has been running a little high and murky from the rain and an increased flow from the Erie Canal, but the fish are chewing through the less-than-ideal conditions. I asked Sharon if the stained water had cause any of the local sharpies to switch-up tactics, but she told me the usual assortment of wooly buggers, nymphs, egg sacs and shiners continue to be the most effective offerings. I’d recommend getting in on this action while you can, because the approaching cold front is likely the “beginning of the end” for the extended fall season. Also, if you’re planning a trip up to the Ontario Region, now or anytime, it’s definitely a good idea to check out Jimmy Fee’s blog post about the specific regulations in the area to make sure you’re fishing within the law.
Another region of the State where you can find some decent action right now is the Catskills. Matt from Beaverkill Angler told me fishing has remained pretty good in the “no kill” stretches of the Willowemoc and Beaverkill Rivers that remain open to catch-and-release fly fishing all year. Stretches of lower West Branch and Mainstem of the Delaware River near the Pennsylvania boarder are also open to “no kill” fly fishing. A lot of anglers have taken advantage of the mild end to Fall, and have been fishing the rivers in relative comfort. The trout have started to make their wintertime-feeding adjustments, so tactics should be adjusted accordingly. Small nymphs and even smaller dry flies will work, especially on the warmer days, but Matt told me a lot of his regulars have been doing well with a variety of small streamers. The Mickey Finn has always been a personal favorite of mine for hooking those big late-season holdover rainbows. Matt added, “It’s the time of year to work them a little slower and closer to the bottom.” If you’re planning on breaking out the waders and 5-weight in between holiday parties, just consider mashing-down the barbs on your flies when to minimize the damage to any fish.
Best Bets
These stubborn 50-degree days have pushed the hardwater season back at least a few more weeks, but that doesn’t mean all you can do is overhaul the tip-ups that misfired last season. There’s already plenty of cod hanging off the south shore waiting to be caught, and even though the season’s barely started, they’ve started showing up pretty far to the west. However, if you’re still looking for pure volume, your best bet remains heading out to Montauk to fish a headboat that’s steaming toward Block Island. The extra drive will make the difference between getting to the “cod grounds” southeast of Block, and fishing the individual “pieces” off the south shore that are holding life. If you can’t manage to get out east, I’d still consider to worth-while to get out on one of the local south-shore boats for one of the final mixed-bag trips of 2011. A nice limit of sea bass, a few keeper cod and a handful of “hubcap” porgies will go a long way on the holiday table.