A day or two of calm winds at mid-week was all it took to breathe a little life into the Long Island fishing front. With little or no ice to work from this winter, freshwater fans have been itching to get a crack at unpressured schools of yellow perch and crappie, or the bass and pickerel that hang just outside these concentrations looking for an easy meal.
Both the yellows and picks proved fairly agreeable for waders working their way out from the shore and casting tiny plugs or curly-tail grubs toward channels and drop-offs. A few bass were also caught and released at various shallow ponds across the Island.
On the salty side, open boats continue to prospect for cod out of Montauk, Moriches, Captree and Sheepshead Bay. The action has been spotty, especially to the west. Raising hopes for an early spring, however, have been hard to confirm rumors of school stripers falling for swimming plugs in the westernmost North Shore Harbors. It’s about three weeks early for that, of course, but it has been a warm winter so this isn’t out of the realm of possibility. Herring have provided a few shots of action along the West End and South Shore docks and bulkheads but reliability remains an issue. Some days see fair action, others not so much.
Best Bets For The Weekend
With temperatures in the high 30’s and low 40’s expected for the weekend, figure yellow perch to remain the best bet on the sweet side, with Connetquot River State Park trout also a reasonable option. White perch, too, should be worth a try in the tidal waters of Connetquot River, Carmans River, Mill Basin and Santapogue Creek (Taco Bell) in Lindenhurst. Most of the action with the whites has come on small, 1/8- or 1/16-ounce jigheads tipped with tiny curly-tail grubs. Take it a step further and tip your grub with a single grass shrimp or small piece of garden worm if you can dig up a few.
Saltwater fans should find open boats back on the search for cod as the seas calm down this weekend following a little rough patch in the weather on Friday. If you have the vacation time available, the 50-degree temperatures predicted for early next week may present a more comfortable window as long as the winds remain reasonable. Capt. Joe Tangle of the Moriches-based King Cod said his trips of late have had mixed results with the better days seeing a mix of eight to ten cod and ling per angler. Those looking for herring should find the action best furthest to the west. Try your luck at Coney Island Pier, Magnolia Pier or the Jones Beach piers. Hit the start of falling water to increase your chances of success.