North Shore Long Island Fishing Report
It feels like there is no end in sight for the ice on the North Shore. John at Terminal Tackle in Kings Park told us that it is frozen solid 12 inches thick in the harbors so trying to get a boat out would be more than a chore. On the freshwater side, White’s Pool is open because the water flows so hard through there, but guys are just not getting out to test the fishing. John suspects nothing substantial is biting anyway, otherwise the die-hards would be making the trek despite the less than perfect weather conditions.
South Shore Long Island Fishing Report
We finally received a bit of good news from the South Shore. Bill at Combs Bait & Tackle in Amityville heard that the King Cod finally broke through the ice straight out to Moriches Inlet. The boat was finally able to head out for a trip offshore on Tuesday after being delayed by extremely low tides and new ice buildup. It was definitely worth the effort once they made it out as the cod fishing was outstanding. Fish were hitting the decks nonstop the whole trip with some anglers catching as many as 20 cod each to 12 lbs, and a few small pollock and ling were also in the mix. It looks like they were one of the few boats that were able to make it out on the South Shore this week, but maybe this will start us on an upwards trend toward better fishing in the near future.
Bert from White Water Outfitters in Hampton Bays said that a better part of Shinnecock in still frozen over so nothing noteworthy happened this week. However, there is plenty of work going on at the shop with reel service, gear setups, and rigging.
Metro Long Island Fishing Report
Unfortunately, things go back downhill in western Long Island. Joe from Stella Maris Bait & Tackle in Brooklyn went as far as saying that he is going to invent saltwater ice fishing just to give people something to do with everything still frozen. John at Jack’s Bait & Tackle in the Bronx said we do have the Hudson River striper season to look forward to very soon, and the shop is beginning to prepare for that as well as the regular season.
East End/North Fork Long Island Fishing Report
There is not much news on the East End either with the ice overwhelming many of the harbors and inlets. John at Star Island Marina in Montauk said that the charter boats are still locked in so fishing is at a standstill. Many freshwater spots are frozen, and it is just too darn cold to fish any water that is open.
Best Bets for the Weekend
Despite the cloudy skies and well below freezing temperatures out my window right now, things might actually be starting to look up. Even with only a hint of the ice beginning to break up it gives me hope that the crawl through the winter doldrums might almost be over. Despite my high hopes, it is still definitely cold enough for ice fishing. I have seen guys out on Lake Ronkonkoma and Artist Lake in my travels recently so at least a little action must be happening for them to keep going out.
We finally saw a cod boat head out to the grounds this week with great results after a long time of being locked in. Hopefully they won’t be the only ones out there in the upcoming week. If a boat is sailing from the South Shore or East End, I would get on it. The cod have not been harassed in a few weeks so action should be very productive.
You can also look forward to the Long Island Boat Show coming to Nassau Coliseum this weekend from Friday through Sunday where you can visit the guys from On the Water. The Babylon Fishing Flea Market is also happening on Sunday; and if you feel like taking a road trip, one of the best fishing shows in the Northeast, the New England Saltwater Fishing Show, is running through Sunday at the Rhode Island Convention Center.