North Shore Long Island Fishing Report

The freshwater bite continues to pick up on the North Shore. Carmine at Campsite Sports Shop in Huntington Station said that some trout have been caught in the Carmens River and in the water at local parks. John from Terminal Tackle in Kings Park also said anglers continue to pick up trout in White’s Pool and Twin Ponds, and the largemouth action is becoming more steady.

Mark at Cow Harbor Bait & Tackle in Northport reported some decent flounder up to 2.5 lbs off the beaches and muddy back bay areas mainly on sandworms. John at Terminal Tackle said there have not been a big number of fish caught, but guys have had some luck in Northport and Huntington Bays, Lloyd Harbor, and around Duck Island in 10 feet of water or less, and very warm, sunny days seem to yield the best catches.

John also said that for those waiting for the bass to show up, now is the time to start fishing. Schoolies have begun showing up in the Nissequogue and around Asharoken and Crab Meadow. He added that the fish may not be quite ready to feed yet, but some have been caught on sandworms and small rubber artificials. Mark at Cow Harbor also said the local bass seem to be lethargic, so work your lures ultra slow. Not all of the fish have been shorts. A few keepers have mixed in around Cold Spring and Centerport Harbors on plugs, swimmers, bucktails, and worms.

South Shore Long Island Fishing Report

The flounder bite seemed to pick up a bit on the South Shore with Bay Park Fishing Station in Oceanside reporting limits of fish caught inside Jamaica Bay and for those fishing all the way out at Raritan Bay. All fish were caught using sandworms, mussels, and clam chum.

Joe at Causeway Bait and Tackle in Wantagh said that there have been some bass to the west, but they have been harder to come by in their area. On the other hand, Mike from White Water Outfitters in Hampton Bays reported that the tidal creeks on the eastern South Shore continue to produce small stripers, and they started moving into the Quogue Canal. Bunker are beginning to show up everywhere, and there are a few spearing in the creeks.

White Water also wanted to remind everyone about their huge grand opening celebration happening this Saturday, May 3rd. Vendors, food, casting demos, manufacturer reps, giveaways, and raffles should make for a great day.

Metro Long Island Fishing Report

Frank at Bernie’s Fishing Tackle in Brooklyn said that this is the best week of fishing so far since the snow melted. The flounder bite is picking up the pace with some nice keepers of 15 to 16 inches around the Coney Island Flats and Marine Parkway Bridge. Stretch from Stella Maris Bait and Tackle in Brooklyn added that flounder have been found off Plumb Beach and in Sheepshead Bay, as well as around the Pelham Bay Bridge and Orchard Beach Lagoon. Frank also mentioned that the occasional fluke has been caught as bycatch around Staten Island and the Rockaways, so hopefully that’s a good sign for when the season opens in a few weeks.

Louie from Island Bait and Tackle in the Bronx reported that more bass have infiltrated the area with some respectable keepers up to 36 inches caught at night off Battery Park while chunking fresh bunker or fishing with bloodworms. He also said there were schoolies around the City Island Bridge and in Pelham Bay caught on small bucktails and sandworms. Frank at Bernie’s added that stripers up to 20 lbs have busted out onto the shores of Great Kills and Raritan Bay, with the boats doing slightly better this week than the anglers from shore. For those looking to fish further north, John at Jack’s Bait and Tackle in the Bronx reported that the largest bass are still up in the Hudson, but there are plenty of shorts around Littleneck Bay.

Bluefish of 4 to 5 pounds have also begun showing up in Sheepshead Bay, and a few were caught from shore over the weekend.

East End Long Island Fishing Report

Paulie at Paulie’s Bait and Tackle in Montauk said that it is still fairly quiet on the East End. Cod fishing was pretty awful with mostly dogfish caught, and he has not heard much about flounder. A few small bass were caught off Ditch Plains, but nothing to get too excited about. There was some good news, though. Paulie told us that Fort Pond Bay is full of porgy right now, which is just in time for the season opener on May 1st.

Best Bets for the Weekend

Fishing continues to pick up each week as the temperatures rise. However, from what many of the shop guys have said, fishing is likely going to be a few weeks to a month behind normal due to the cold lingering far into the season. This week was no exception. A few days of chilly temperatures and rain probably didn’t help the situation too much, although only time will tell how the fishing will be impacted. The fish are biting though, and this weekend is looking nice to get out there and catch some. Flounder is always an option, even if things are still a little slow on that front. As always, chum and warm, sunny days in shallow water should produce a few fish.

Striper fishing is picking up nicely, especially around western Long Island and the eastern South Shore. The back bays are also seeing some fish on the North Shore, and they are being caught on a number of different things. Bucktails, sandworms, fresh bunker, and plugs have all been responsible for some fish, but you just have to see what works in your area.

Although we haven’t heard many reports of porgy bycatches, the season does open this week on May 1st. It may be worth a try, especially out on the East End where some scup have already been picked up.

You can also head out to the Port Jefferson Maritime this weekend and visit the On The Water booth. There will also be a boat show, plenty of fantastic demos, and seminars throughout the day.