The unseasonably warm weather returned to much of the state this week, keeping things comfortable for cod fisherman sailing out of Long Island, but frustrating for the ice fishermen downstate who’s season is struggling to get off the ground. Luckily, nighttime temperatures will consistently retreat into the 20s in most areas for the rest of this week, refreezing any melt that happens mid-day. No matter where you live, any trip out on the ice still needs to be done with caution in mind, as some of the larger and more turbulent bodies of water are just starting to hold a fishable layer of ice. All that being said, the action on the smaller lakes and ponds upstate is off to a great start in places where the ice is ready. Pick which species you want to target, make a solid plan, and find a body of water that’s ready to fish. Walleye, pike, bluegill and crappy are all being caught in good numbers through the ice right now, get out there while you can.
East End
The mild weather continues to play games with winter cod fishing out in Montauk. Trips early in the week were on the slow side, however, Captain Steven Jr. did mention an increased amount of bait in the area on his most recent trip. They haven’t made it off the dock for the last few days due to weather, but they did make it out today so hopefully the herring and mackerel in the area have brought in some larger cod. Conditions look good for both days this weekend, and there’s a decent chance some larger fish have pushed into the area. Although the dogfish and sea bass should be moving out of the area, I’m sure there’s still some around. So bring some cod jigs with you in case you having trouble keeping cut-bait in the water.
South Shore
Ling and cod fishing continues to be decent-to-good on the mid-range pieces from Hampton Bays to all the way to the City. The ling have remained plentiful in a wide-ranging area, and some really nice cod, into the 20-pound class, have been caught on some of the more inshore pieces. Dogfish and out-of-season by-catch like sea bass, porgies and blackfish are still showing up in some places, but haven’t really been the problem they were over the past few weeks, so you should be fine fishing with bait. I’d still consider bringing along a small assortment of 6- to 14-ounce cod jigs to drag up that pool fish once you’ve filled your bucket with ling.
Metro New York
Local bottom fishing for cod and ling continues to be pretty strong for the anglers fishing aboard the Marilyn Jean IV out of Sheepshead Bay. “There’s still plenty of ling around,” was the word from the wheelhouse, the Captain adding “even had a few cod mixed in the last couple of days.” Conditions look good in the New York Bight for the weekend, and the Marilyn Jean IV has already confirmed it’s sailing both days. The recent trips have put a lot of filets on the boat, and there’s no reason to think this trend won’t continue through the weekend. More bait and codfish should move into the area as mild winter finally starts cooling the water temperatures in the area.
Upstate New York
The ice had setup nicely just about everywhere upstate by last weekend. Unfortunately, daytime temperatures reaching into the 40s and low 50s early this week compromised the ice in some places downstate. It’s definitely a case-by-case situation right now. One pond I fished this week had ice almost a foot thick in the shady, southern side and just over 5-inches of ice on the northern side. The pond has no significant current, and the huge difference was created by the sun’s radiation alone. I know I talk about ice safety quite a bit, but it’s important not to become complacent when venturing out on the ice. Especially during a mild winter like this one. It looks like it’s going to be about a two-hour drive from the city if you’re looking for fishable hardwater. I talked to the crew at Tom’s Bait & Tackle Shop in Narrowsburg on the Delaware River, and although the river itself isn’t frozen solid, some of the smaller ponds and shallow lakes in the area are holding 6 inches of ice, enough to fish safely with two people. Many of the ice-fishing tournaments in the area have been postponed until the larger bodies of water lock-up for good, if that happens this winter. In the mean time, the local crew has been doing well with panfish on tip-ups baited with small-medium shiners and fatheads.
An article in the February issue of OTW got my gears turning this week. I love hearing about the obscure and under-appreciated fish that live in our waters. The feature “Ice Fishing for Cusk,” by John D. Silva, fits that description perfectly. I grew up fishing on the headboats out of Newburyport and Gloucester, so hearing about a freshwater cousin of the codfish got me thinking. After looking through the New York Fisheries website, I discovered that there are a few populations of these fish in the state in some of the deeper, cold-water lakes like Oneida and Champlain, although I’ve yet to speak with a shop owner who knows someone that fishes for them.
To find out the latest on the hardwater conditions in the mid-state region, I talked to Jim, owner of Jim’s Bait & Tackle in Mayfield. Although the ice isn’t ready in all places, many anglers are fishing comfortably on 9- to 12-inches of ice in the area lakes and ponds. Good news for the upcoming ice-fishing tournament, the fourth-annual Walleye Challenge on the Great Sacandaga Lake, happening this Saturday. The status of the tournament had been in doubt until this past weekend due to the poor-ice conditions from the mild winter. Nighttime temperatures should stay far enough below freezing until the tournament starts to at least maintain the current thickness. Jim has already seen some nice walleyes come through the shop, his regulars showing up with fish to 8 pounds. The pike fishing through the ice has also been good in recent days, as well as the panfishing on Mayfield Lake. Jim told me his regulars have been landing nice bluegills and perch on micro-jigs tipped with spikes or mousies. They’ve also been doing well with crappies on tip-ups baited with small shiners.
To get the latest from the St. Lawrence region, I talked Steve from Northern Harness Bait & Tackle up in Massena. Fishing has remained good this week, especially for walleye and northern pike. One of Steve’s regulars pulled a trophy 20-pound northern through the ice of Cranberry Lake this week. Walleye fishing on the St. Lawrence has also been good, the only down side being a lot of small 5- to 7-inch fish in the area. It’s a good problem to have according to Steve, who’s happy to see an abundance of juvenile fish. The ice is in good shape in all the usual spots on the St. Lawrence, and is a foot thick and climbing in places sheltered from the current. Steve said without a layer of snow to act as insulation, the ice is quickly going to reach two feet in some places.
Best Bets
I’ve heard some reports from commercial friends that the cod are getting thick not far east of Block Island, so heading out to Montauk for the weekend might not be a bad idea. Sea condition will be especially nice for this time of year, on both Saturday and Sunday, and air temperatures will remain unseasonably mild. Hopefully most of the dogfish and sea bass have finally decided to vacate the area, making the bait fishing a little more productive. I’d still consider bringing the cod jigs along, because with water temperature still hanging in the low 40s, I’m sure there’s a few dogs and out-of-season biscuits still in the area. There’s probably not going to be a hardwater season on Long Island this year, but the drive north to good ice is getting shorter by the week – tight lines.