New York Fishing Report 5-3-2012

Fishing Report for New York

Slow Start for Fluke, but Big Stripers Moving In

The quality striped bass fishing off Long Island’s western South Shore has continued this week, and the action has spread a little farther and now includes the central south shore and parts of the western Long Island Sound are quickly heating up. Some bigger fish have also started making their way into the area. It’s May, and that means fluke season has opened in New York, and although the season’s off to an expected slow start, a few keeper-size fish have been taken on the first exploratory trips off the western south shore. Fluke regulations this season are set at four fish per angler, per day with a minimum size of 19.5 inches. The 2012 porgy season also opened on Tuesday, giving anglers another good option for putting fish on the table. Porgy regulations are set at 20 fish per angler at 10.5 inches on private boats and from shore, 11 inches for those fishing aboard headboats. Water temperatures in the area have stalled this week, hopefully beginning an extended spring run in New York coastal waters. Weather conditions will be improving as we move toward the weekend, and it’s definitely time to get out there.

East End

The schoolie-size striped bass and even a few small keeper-size fish have been cruising around the east end for a few weeks now. Even with water temperatures stubbornly hanging in the high 40s, the “Montauk population” of striped bass has already begun taking-up their seasonal residence. The Viking Fleet will start making trips for striped bass this weekend on Saturdays from 6 pm to midnight, and the trip this weekend should be a good indicator of how many fish have already set up in the area. Half-day fluke trips will also start this weekend on the Viking, running both Saturday and Sunday weather permitting.

In Hampton Bays, I talked to Steve at East End Bait & Tackle who told me fishing’s been good in the area overall. There’s a good amount of keeper-size stripers moving into the backwaters, and the local crew has been having luck with small swim shads. There’s also been a good amount of keeper-size winter flounder in the Shinnecock Canals as well as a few summer flounder in the mix. Steve has also heard about some fluke being caught in the Greenlawns area of Peconic Bay. Fishing in the Hampton Bays area should continue improving as we move through the next week, especially the bass fishing. More and bigger fish should slowly start pushing through the area on the migration east.

South Shore

The stripers and bluefish have continued feeding at a good-to-frantic clip along most of the central and western south shore this week, and the quality of the bite has depended mostly on the conditions of the specific day and tide, but things are looking good in general from an angler’s perspective. Bass fishing is good overall, and looks to remain that way for the time being – at least for a few more weeks until water temperatures to the east climb into the low- to mid-50s. Fluke season has already started, and there’s likely going to be some big springtime doormats caught in shallow water over the next few weeks.  Using a ½-ounce Spro bucktail tipped with a large spearing on 14-pound fluorocarbon is a great way to target these doormats in shallow water.

North Shore

Fishing continues to improve slowly from west-to-east across the Long Island Sound, and although the cool temperatures this week have slowed the progress of most migrating fish populations, things are looking-up in general for north-shore anglers. Fluke season is open, and although they’re probably still reluctant to chase-down a bucktail, there’s definitely some big summer flounder already waiting in the mud outside most north shore harbors. The stripers have also begun their move into the sound, and it won’t be long before the 20- to 30-pound fish are working on pods of bunker in shallow water inside north shore harbors. That bite never lasts more than a few days, but it’s one you’ll remember for a lifetime if you’re lucky enough to stumble upon the right estuary creek channel.

Metro New York

Bass and bluefish are still showing up in good numbers around the city, and both shore-bound anglers and those out on the water are cashing in. An added bonus is that air temperatures will rebound back into the 70s and maybe even low 80s by Friday. The bunker are still balled-up in bin numbers inside Jamaica Bay, and snagging a livewell full to drift outside the bay in 40-feet of water is a great option. Especially if you’re interested in finding some of the larger specimens within the group of 20- to 30-pound bass that have settled into the area. There’s also some big mid-teen “gator” bluefish moving through the area that will check if your reel needs servicing, as well as plenty of the 6- to 7-pound variety that are perfect for the smoker. Anglers are producing fish with a variety of methods, and it’s a great time of year to do some experimenting with a technique that’s outside your wheelhouse. I’ll usually take some time during this phase of the spring run, when the fish are abundant and aggressive, to work on a technique I’ve tend to stay-away from when the bass are few-mad-far between. It’s helped me learn to “trust” a wider-variety of tackle options in the summer months when quality strikes are sometime tides, if not moons-phases apart.

Upstate New York

As the stripers start making their way further up the Hudson River, it’s kicking-off an exciting seasonal fishery for many upstate anglers. Most traditional methods for catching linesiders can be used when the bass are upriver, like livelining, chunking and even topwater plugs like pencil poppers will work in low-light conditions.

Up in the Saint Lawrence Region, walleye season re-opens this weekend and most anglers are preparing for the local tournaments and hopefully some better weather. “Rain” has been the story this week according to Steve at Northern Harness Bait & Tackle in Messina, despite fishing conditions that have remained “pretty good.” Some of the local anglers have been traveling the “30-or-so miles to the Northern Adirondacks” according to Steve since trout season opened at the beginning of April. However, most attention is now squarely focused on the walleye opener this weekend, and when your fishery’s “large walleye” is the same size as a small keeper-size striped bass — what’s not to be excited about?

Down in the Catskills, the spring trout season still going strong and looks to get even a little better over coming weeks. “We’re coming out of a little bit of a lull between the Hendrickson hatches and the March Browns” noted Matt from Beaverkill Angler in Roscoe, adding that “some anglers are beginning to see some more browns.” Thunderstorms moved through the area last night, raising water levels slightly, but Matt felt is shouldn’t be much of an issue and won’t effecting the bite this weekend. Afternoons have still be producing a good bite and even small bucktails and streams have been working well. Matt did mention that is the temperature warms significantly this weekend it may push the bite back into the evening hours.

Best Bets

It’s been another good week to be striped bass fishing pretty much anywhere along the western south shore of Long Island, there’s no doubt in my mind that it will continue well past the coming weekend and hopefully though the end of this month. The recent cool weather has stalled-out the striped bass migration on western Long Island’s doorstep for the time being — and it’s definitely a great time to make a trip. That’s not to say, however, that there isn’t other quality angling options to be found across the state right now. Quality fisheries are opening up across by the week. The spring walleye tournaments begin on the Saint Lawrence this weekend, and I’ve already been working on getting pictures of the fish that take prizes. Another great fishery that’s likely to be overshadowed by the striped fishing for the next few of weeks, or at least until water temperatures come up a little, is the summer flounder, a.k.a. fluke season that opened this Tuesday. Early spring is one of the best times to target big inshore doormats with 1/2-ounce Spro bucktails in water sometimes shallow enough to legitimately sight-cast to fluke.