Long Island Fishing Report - February 4, 2016

North Shore Long Island Fishing Report

A little over a week out from the big storm, false spring weather makes you forget that it is only the beginning of February. Warmer temperatures brought variable and often unpredictable fishing this week, but at least the conditions have calmed and snow has cleared enough to actually get out there. That being said, John at Terminal Tackle in Kings Park did not have anyone enter the shop saying they were out trying to find some herring on the North Shore. The weather is nice enough, but he just does not know if there are any fish still around as no one is out looking for them. Back bays and harbors are clear, plenty of beautiful days, and no fishermen to be found. The shop is keeping busy instead with their full five week rod building course which started earlier this week.

South Shore Long Island Fishing Report

Bert from White Water Outfitters in Hampton Bays said the boys at the shop also have their hands full as they are up to their eyeballs with reel service and rod building since fishing news is barely even a trickle. Despite the warmer temperatures we still are in the middle of winter, which means conditions make regularly getting out on the water is taxing at times. This week was no different forcing cod boats to navigate around short weather windows and fish more local than they would have maybe liked. Fishing late last week was mediocre at best with a showing of some keeper cod, pollock, and ling, but the action was tough to find and captains had to put in the work. The more recent trips had better luck as the weather cooperated allowing the boats to head out to deeper water and more fertile grounds. Better catches yielded several more fillets for each of the fares than we saw in the days preceding these trips, but these days were far from outstanding. Everyone is hoping that more consistent winter weather will both allow for uninterrupted trips and get the fish really biting.

Metro Long Island Fishing Report

As things settled back to normal after the storm, it was nice to see that herring are still as hungry as ever in western Long Island. Anglers are actively pursuing the winter spoils at the Coney Island, Canarsie, Magnolia, and 69th Street Piers for enough bites to keep things interesting, according to Vinny at Bernie’s Fishing Tackle in Brooklyn. Cross Bay Bridge and Beach Channel Drive are other areas where fishing is doing very well. Herring numbers are bountiful and some mackerel in the mix make things even sweeter. For those wanting to head offshore for something maybe a little more exciting, Joe from Stella Maris Bait & Tackle in Brooklyn said that the cod and ling are still around at the AB Reef and out at 17 fathoms, and boats are able to get on them when sailing conditions pan out in their favor.

East End/North Fork Long Island Fishing Report

The East End closely mirrors what is happening on the South Shore in that the cod fishing, being the only quest worth going on, is being heavily reliant upon the conditions that Mother Nature is throwing our way. Some trips turn out to be decent while others end up being a bust. Over the weekend dead drifts killed a few days that had started off looking like good numbers were going to be had. Better fishing followed in the days after with plenty of life in the form of cod, ling, pollock, bergalls, and dogfish keeping the rods bent and anglers entertained. Some drifts saw upwards of 20 or more fish, and pool cod averaged between 12 and 16 pounds.

Best Bets for the Weekend

Weekend temperatures will continue to be a little higher than what is normal for this time of year, just an observation not a complaint, and sailing conditions look to be in good shape. A small craft advisory for the end of this week will give way to 2-4 footers and fair winds on Saturday and Sunday. When I looked at the sailing schedule for many of the charter boats, their weekend was already sold out. However, your favorite boat may have availability or last minute cancellations giving you the opportunity to get out on the water for this beautiful weekend ahead. Start booking future cod trips, if you have not already done so, as it will only get harder to find open spots as the temperatures start to climb. East End fishing seems to be better overall, but the South Shore fleet is also finding the action even if they have to travel out past Montauk.

This will also be another great weekend to hit the docks for herring. Western Long Island will give you the best opportunity as the North Shore bite seems to have fizzled out. The outdoor shows really start picking up this month, but a bit of traveling might be necessary to get to the noteworthy ones. We have a few smaller fishing flea markets locally throughout the month, but a short drive to surrounding states will lead you to some impressive shows really worth checking out. As is always the case for this time of year, shops are inundated with gear maintenance so get yours in early enough in order to have it back for the spring, which is now less than 50 days away!