North Shore Long Island Fishing Report
With more snow on the way, I’m almost convinced spring will never come. However, this will hopefully be the last of it as there are consistently warmer days in the forecast ahead. For now though John at Terminal Tackle in Kings Park says there is about a foot of ice in many of the North Shore harbors so we still have a ways to go before anglers can start exploring the salt.
A few guys have had some luck ice fishing around the Island, and John said they are doing well with panfish, pickerel, bass, and even walleye on Lake Ronkonkoma. We just have to be careful and watch for soft spots with the recent rain and temperatures actually climbing above freezing.
Northport Charters and the Celtic Quest out of Port Jefferson have been docked for the winter and will start sailing again soon enough, but both boats will be present at the Ward Melville Fishing Expo on Saturday if you would like some information about the upcoming season.
South Shore Long Island Fishing Report
Now that enough of the ice is gone from the harbors allowing boats to sail, we can finally see just how stellar the cod fishing is. Bill at Combs Bait & Tackle in Amityville told us that the King Cod out of Moriches did very well this past week on multiple trips bringing in fish in the 8-12 lb range, but they had to travel out to very deep water to get them. Mike from White Water Outfitters in Hampton Bays went out to the cod grounds on a private boat out of Shinnecock over the weekend and came home with enough for a good number of fillets. Small pollock and a handful of ling also made it on board. Mike said that any of the local wrecks on the South Shore should be holding plenty of fish.
Metro Long Island Fishing Report
Most of western Long Island is still frozen, according to Vinny at Bernie’s Fishing Tackle in Brooklyn. However, a few cod charters were able to make it out for the first time in weeks. The fishing was pretty slow, but a few of their fares did go home with dinner.
John at Jack’s Bait & Tackle in the Bronx said that he has not heard much of anything going on, but the shop is busy stocking up for the upcoming Hudson River striper season that opens on March 16th. Much of the river is still fairly solid, but hopefully things begin to thaw in the next week or so in order for anglers to actually have something to fish for.
East End/North Fork Long Island Fishing Report
I was told by a number of shops that the East End has just been dead all season. Ben at Star Island Marina in Montauk said it does not help that the harbors are just starting to thaw out now, and boats have not be able to make it out. The Viking had a local cod trip and a 28-hour tile/hake trip scheduled for Friday, but both had to be cancelled. The boat has another cod trip planned for Sunday and hopes to make it out.
With not many fishing options, Paul at Paulie’s Bait & Tackle in Montauk said you can visit him at the Ward Melville Fishing Expo on Saturday.
Best Bets for the Weekend
Despite the fact that I have several inches of freshly fallen snow to shovel in the driveway, there might just be an end in sight to this extremely long winter with warmer temperatures on the way. More boats are finally able to break free and head to the cod grounds giving us a least a little something to report on. The South Shore has been producing very well and should stay that way for a while. It is also possible that the East End has plenty of fish too, but we cannot confirm anything with the boats locked in at the dock. However, that should change this weekend. With trips being added fairly frequently now, I would take advantage of pretty much the only game in town.
If you do not have anything better to do, I would also recommend heading down to the 3rd Annual Saltwater Fishing Expo and Fundraiser on Saturday, March 2nd at Ward Melville High School. Admission is free, there is an excellent selection of vendors and raffle prizes, and it helps support kids who love fishing. Stop by and visit some of your favorite Long Island shops, companies, and organizations.
Thankyou for your reports, look foward to updates as season progresses!