Unfortunately, the big news this week is the end of the 2012 blackfish and striped bass seasons. The final day for tog fishing is tomorrow, and the last day for bass is this Saturday. It was another good year for both species, with large numbers of fish in the area for the whole season. Attention is now turning toward the wintertime cod fishery and the hardwater season upstate. Although the hardwater season is yet to get underway, good numbers of keeper cod are already showing up south of Block Island and on the offshore pieces stretching along the entire south shore.
East End
With tog and bass season set to close, most east end captains have turned their attention toward Block Island and the cod that have already started showing up on the Southwest Ledge. The cod have already made a decent showing south of block this year, a good sign for things to come. The porgy fishing is also holding up pretty good out east, with good numbers of big fish coming up with the cod. There’s even a few pollock and ling getting into the mix. It will be interesting how the Block Island cod fishery shapes up this season. The resurgence of the cod fishery in New York waters has been a bit of a mystery to fishermen and fishery managers alike, especially in a time when ocean temperatures are on the rise and cod populations are thought to be shrinking.
Shinnecock and Peconic Bay
Togging held up pretty nice on the pieces south of Shinnecock Inlet right until the end of the season, and attention will now turn toward the ling, porgies, cod and pollock which take up residence on those near- and mid-shore pieces this time of year. One of the things to keep an eye out for is the groundfish bite on the headboats out of Shinnecock. Last season, good numbers of really nice cod and pollock into the 40-pound class were caught on the wrecks outside Shinny in late December and January, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the trend continued this season.
South Shore
The western south shore is definitely the place to be right now if you’re looking for a final linesider of the 2012 season. There’s a good amount of bass still working east-to-west along the sand beaches of Fire Island, and although the cold water temperatures have definitely made them a bit sluggish they’re still willing to strike artificals. Bait options like clams are definitely the best bet right now for hooking a few of these late season bass. The herring are also around, although the bass don’t seem to be too interested in chasing them inside the inlets right now.
North Shore
It’s definitely the time of year when fishing activity plummets on the Long Island Sound. However, that’s not to say a dedicated north shore angler can’t find something to catch this weekend. There’s still some schoolie bass hanging around Porpoise Channel and the mouth of the Nissequogue River, and although the vast majority of these fish are cookie-cutter schoolies there are a few fish in the mix pushing over the 28-inch limit. There’s also a few “alternative” fishing options to enjoy on the north shore right now. The squid are running, as are the herring. For me personally, targeting the squid is a more satisfying “culinary” expedition, but gathering up some herring for next season’s bass fishing is also a good option.
Metro New York
Headboats around the city are already beginning their transition out of blackfishing season. Fortunately, for boats like the Marilyn Jean IV out of Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn they’ve already been finding good amounts of ling during the final days of tog season. There’s been enough ling recently that the crew has started bring clams out once again for anglers who boat their 3 tog limit early in the trip. The amount of ling around is a good sign for the local head boats and for the anglers who consider the past time a year-round occupation. From shore, options are a little harder to come by although there are herring around the local piers at night for those looking to do some pickling over the holidays.
Upstate
Attention is definitely turning toward upstate fisheries right now, as we move closer to the hardwater season. The ice was definitely on my mind this morning as I saw a substantial layer of skim ice on my local pond. Unfortunately, the ice has been there in the early mornings a few times already but is consistently gone by mid afternoon. In the meantime, some upstate anglers are turning their attention toward the year round catch-and-release trout water in the state. Stretches of the Beaverkill and Delaware River remain open, and Matt from Beaverkill Angler is Roscoe reports some nice action in some of the local haunts. Afternoons have been pretty warm recently and some anglers have even been reporting rising fish on some of the slower moving pools. Hatches of midges and small olives are still taking places semi-regularly, and anglers throwing dry flies have been having some good sessions. A lot of the local anglers are focused on the West Branch of the Delaware right now, as it tends to run a little warmer than the East Branch and Willowemoc River. If you’re out on an afternoon without any surface activity, nymphs and streamers fished slowly along the bottom is definitely the way to go. Another good option to wet a line before the ice sets up is on the small creeks and streams around Lake Ontario. The water levels remain low, but the fish are there. The crew at Narby’s Station in Kent reports fish in all the local haunts despite the low water conditions. Both browns and steelhead are being caught, although the bite has been a little finicky at times. Make sure to tread lightly when approaching a pool, as the fish have been even more weary than usual.
Best Bets
Well, due to the date I’d say heading out for the final day of the blackfish season Friday is a good option. Jumping aboard one of the Captree headboats is probably your best bet, the whitechins are still pretty thick in the area on pieces in 65 to 85 feet of water. Most trips are still seeing good numbers of quality fish and usually see one or two pushing into the low double digits. Heading out for stripers should also be on the mind of any diehard surfcaster out there. With sunny skies and air temperatures pushing toward 50 degrees, there’s really no excuse to not give it a shot. The western south shore beaches are still producing fish, and although the bulk of them are schoolies, there’s still a few small keepers running around the beaches to keep things interesting. Upstate, it’s a waiting game for most anglers hoping for colder night to lock up the local sweetwater. Heading out for trout in the Catskills or chasing steelhead and browns on the creeks of Lake Ontario are your best bets in the meantime.