North Shore Long Island Fishing Report

John from Terminal Tackle in Kings Park said that it is yet another week of slow North Shore fishing. He said the trout are still there, but not many people have reported back saying they actually went out to search for them. Instead, a number of anglers headed to the South Shore for some decent weekend cod fishing.

Cow Harbor Bait & Tackle in Northport is presenting William “Doc” Muller’s seminar focusing on the 2013 Fall Run of striped bass along the South Shore and will demonstrate how to target fish more successfully from the surf. The seminar will run this Saturday, February 8th and Saturday, February 22nd from 11am-1pm. You can register for the seminar on the Cow Harbor website.

South Shore Long Island Fishing Report

We heard from Bryce at White Water Outfitters in Hampton Bays that the cod fishing over the weekend was actually pretty nice. The weather cooperated for a few days and let some boats get out on the water. Bryce reported that the Hampton Lady sailed out of Shinnecock Inlet Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and limits were reported by a number of anglers. They were fishing out in 160-190 feet of water and had some ling and pollock mixed in too.

White Water also wanted to let everyone know that they will be at the 31st Annual New York Sport Fishing Federation Forum & Auction at the Freeport Recreation Center from Friday, February 14th through Sunday, February 16th and at the 2nd Annual Ward Melville HS Fishing Club Saltwater Fishing Seminar and Fundraiser on Saturday, March 1st. They would love to see some faces at the shows so drop by their booths at these events.

Metro Long Island Fishing Report

Bad news on the herring front from Vinny at Bernie’s Fishing Tackle in Brooklyn. He reported that anglers fishing Magnolia Pier have been striking out for a few weeks now, despite the warmer weather this past weekend. Stella Maris Bait and Tackle in Brooklyn also told us about the decline in herring fishing lately, with hit or miss catches coming from the 69th Street Pier and Coney Island Pier.

For anyone able to get on a boat, there are still some cod being caught out at 17 fathoms.

East End Long Island Fishing Report

Bryce at White Water said that he had heard about boats that left Montauk over the weekend due to the favorable weather conditions, but no reports made it back to the shop about the fishing. He speculates the boats were fishing south and southeast of Block Island for cod, as that’s what the norm has been.

Best Bets for the Weekend

This time of year fishing opportunities are all based on the weather. Last weekend, awesome unseasonably warm temperatures let plenty of cod boats out for some nice catches. This weekend things are looking quite a bit colder, so it’s iffy what boats will be heading out. There’s a chance, if you are willing to bundle up, the cod boats will be running and you can get in some water time before the snow comes back for Sunday night.

When all else fails, expo season should keep everyone occupied at least until the fishing picks up a bit. This weekend we can look forward to the Long Island Boat Show at Nassau Coliseum and next weekend is the NY Sports Fishing Federation show in Freeport. Go visit some of your favorite shops, check out new boats and gear, and stop by the On The Water booths to subscribe to or renew your subscription, sign up for the Striper Cup, and pick up some of our new OTW merchandise.