Pickerel Prime Time
Hopefully last week’s storm was the death rattle of what has felt like an especially long, cold and snowy winter. Anglers throughout Long Island are chomping at the bit to feel at tug at the end of the line, and there are a couple options for this weekend.
Cod fishing is slow. From the early peak in January, the cod bite has gotten steadily worse since then. While boats are still sailing, I’d be hard pressed to say it’s worth the trip. The Viking’s trip this week only tallied a few small cod and a handful of ling. That makes for a long, slow, cold day on the water.
The Viking has been finding much better luck on their offshore deep-drop trips for tilefish, hake and wreckfish. In addition to the three aforementioned species, barrellfish have made an appearance on these trips as well. Tiles up to 26 pounds were caught on the most recent trip.
Much close to home for Long Island anglers, the ponds around the island are giving up lots of hungry pickerel lately. The folks at Causeway reported that jerkbaits fished very slow are a good bet for the picks. Anglers are eagerly awaiting the trout stocking, which Causeway expects to take place on the last Thursday of the month.
Best Bets for the Weekend
The pickerel are the top pick for Long Island fishermen this week. Jerkbaits or spinners will work, and so will soft-plastic tubes. Fish light tackle to get the most fun out of these miniature pike. March generally brings the best pickerel fishing of the year, so this is a great time to acquaint yourself with this scrappy fighter.