North Shore Long Island Fishing Report
The saltwater scene on the North Shore continues to consist almost exclusively of herring, according to John at Terminal Tackle in Kings Park, but a few rumors remain of squid in some areas for those in search of them. You have much better chances of running into herring though, and several locations, including Huntington Harbor, Centerport, the Nissequogue, Stony Brook Harbor, Mount Sinai, and some of the Northport docks, are loaded with schools waiting to be scooped up. John said that while the traffic in the shop tends to be slow this time of year, they are keeping busy filling mail order items until things start picking back up. Despite the below freezing temperatures we have experienced recently, the water at the back of Huntington Harbor reads a mild 45 degrees indicating that it is going to take a lot more cold weather for things to lock up. However, Mark at Cow Harbor Bait & Tackle in Northport did say the water is a bit colder by him as there was some ice in Britannia Marina. For those looking to try something different, Mark also told us that guys are coming in for worms and are having some luck trout fishing at some of the local freshwater spots.
South Shore Long Island Fishing Report
The end of the year also saw the end of a great sea bass season, but party and charter boats were able to close it out with some great fishing. Boats hit the offshore wrecks for jumbos to 5 pounds often times with limits on board for many of their fares. A few porgy and ling were scattered throughout, and some drops saw dozens of cod to 20 pounds come over the rails. Rich from White Water Outfitters in Hampton Bays said the tough seas and winds at the start of the New Year cancelled some recent cod trips, but anglers headed out to the wrecks at 140 to 160 feet when the weather cooperated for buckets filled with 50 or more fish on a trip. Rich also added that his area is noticeably void of catchable herring, but they can see seals off the beaches in 30 to 50 feet of water feeding on the schools. For some reason they are not coming in close enough to the beach; however, the Jones Beach Pier to the west has seen some decent action.
Metro Long Island Fishing Report
Herring continues to be a main fishing staple in western Long Island, according to Vinny at Bernie’s Fishing Tackle in Brooklyn. It seems they can be found in almost any accessible area, but anglers have reported catching herring at Canarsie, Coney Island, and Magnolia Piers, off the Cross Bay Boulevard, at the 69th Street Pier, and inside Jamaica Bay. A good number of mackerel are also hitting the Sabiki rigs by the Marine Parkway Bridge and Floyd Bennett Field. Also at the 69th Street Pier, anglers fishing at night with clams and squid are getting a handful of ling. Stretch from Stella Maris Bait & Tackle in Brooklyn heard of some good blackfishing on the Jersey Reef, but unfortunately we cannot take the short trip over to tangle with a few as our season is closed. However, he added that anglers heading out to the Atlantic Beach Reef were able to get a good number of barely keeper cod to hit the decks.
East End/North Fork Long Island Fishing Report
The last day of the sea bass season was a good one for Captain Mike of the Prime Time 3 out of Orient Point and his fares as they loaded up with plenty of fish who were willing to cooperate. Dogfish put a bit of a damper on the fishing, but switching over to the cod grounds kept the action moving right along. Within just a handful of hours, the boat was able to fill their buckets with fish to 12 pounds. Tough weather kept most boats tied to the dock this past weekend, but the fish were right where they left them when sailing was manageable. Fares were able to pick away at cod on both jigs and bait, and anchoring up and drifting are working equally well. Many trips are seeing pool fish in the 12 to 15 pound range, but larger cod to 26 pounds did make an appearance.
Best Bets for the Weekend
I am not yet sure if the cod boats will be making it out to the grounds this weekend as sea conditions are looking to be on the rough side. 5- to 7-foot seas on Saturday building to 8 to 11 feet on Sunday is not looking too promising. However, check with individual boats if you had plans of getting on board to see what their sailing schedule looks like for the weekend. The cod bite is really good and is only going to get better as the winter wears on, so missing a weekend will not put you out of the running for the season. Herring on the other hand will not stick around forever. There is seemingly no shortage of fish on the North Shore and western Long Island, but cold weather will begin to remain for more than two days at a time which will drop water temperatures rapidly. If areas start to ice over, that will be the end of the herring. For now, however, get out there and have some fun with them. You can also take a trip to check out the guys at On the Water at Booth #1454 at the New York Boat Show going on now through the weekend, or stop by Hofstra University for Striper Day to check out the awesome vendors set up there.