Things are beginning to heat up across the many waterfronts on around the Island this week. Stripers and blues are stacking up nicely as bigger fish start to make their way farther east each day. The year’s first weakfish have been located and preseason fluke are being caught and released at an impressive rate.
Metro
In New Rochelle, at Hudson Park Bait and Tackle, John has seen lots of schoolies being caught on light tackle. Little Neck and Hempstead have been active locations and a couple keepers have been found but mostly while soaking bait. The keepers have been tough to zero in on as the bite has been spread out. Flounder are still around but the pick has slowed and most of the anglers have turned their attention to bigger game at this point.
At Stella Maris in Brooklyn, Stretch reports that there are plenty of bass as well as a few blues in the Great Kills waters. Off the Coney Island Pier, a nice mix of bait can be found as well. Bait or small plugs will do the trick at either location. The flounder fishing off the Coney Island flats has been hit by flounder standards as according to Stretch, some anglers have been hooking into fish that are big enough to be a keeper fluke.
South Shore
Paul from River Bay Outfitters that anglers using fly rods have been light up the waters this week. Everything from carp, bass and pickerel to big pan fish and trout have fallen to flies as the freshwater bite has really heated up. Laural lake is where both brown and rainbow trout were taken and the bass, pickerel and pan fish can be found in most sweet water locations. Early May is a great time to throw on the waiters and dance a fly across the surface for some terrific results. On the salt water side, the bass have been making the way further east each day and seem to be stacking up nicely to explode within the next week or two.
At Captree Bait Shop, Brendan reports that the monster blues are in, weighing up to 18 pounds. Bunker chunks and surface poppers are attracting lots of attention as the bunker are all over and fish can be spotted working the schools. There are some bass to go along with them as well but the blues are bigger and more aggressive at this point. Although the season is not open yet, anglers have been running into fluke as well and the years first blue claws have been slow but are noticeably around.
In Wantagh, at Causeway Bait and Tackle, Mike relays that the Jones Beach Piers have been a great area to work this time of year. Bluefish and flounder can be found in these parts right now and the bite seems to be well worth a trip out.
Robert from Sea Isle Custom Rod Builders has plenty is schoolie bass in the local area but is still waiting on the keepers to make their way east. He’s heard of great action in Jamaica and Raritan Bay and believes those fish will be making their way to the Freeport waters shortly. In the meantime, bunker schools can be seen stacking up nicely and ready to attract the surface poppers we have all been waiting for.
North Shore
At Miller Place Bait and Tackle, Jim has been seeing some great action this week. An 11.5-pound bass was taken off the Rocky Point Beach and there are schoolies all over Mt. Sinai Harbor. The biggest reported here have been 22 to 26 inches but there are plenty to go around. Giant blues have arrived at Smith Point Bridge and off the Patchogue docks this week as well. The shop is holding a contest that began April 15th and runs to June 15th for stripers. Entry is available at any time for just $10 and top prize is $300 gift certificate to the shop. There are other prizes to be had as well as a raffle for a bucket of S&S buck tails at the end.
East End
Chris from Blue Water Ventures in Southold reports that there are schoolie bass stretch from Greenport to New Suffolk and everywhere in between. As of Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, fresh off a cinder worm hatch, the weakfish began to turn on as well. Also in Greenport, the first dinner plate porgy was picked up using an hi-lo rig baited with clam and squid. The fish was brought to the shop and measured an impressive 16.5 inches.
In Hampton Bays, at White Water Outfitters, Rich relays that the Peconic Bay has lit up with scup, some weighing 2 pounds or better. Blues have also found their way into these waters and have been working the bait schools hard. Surface plugs have worked well to pull these fish out. Bass are around but the big fish have yet to move in. A couple 30 inchers have been landed but things should really turn on in the next two weeks. Weakfish have shown up here as well, in the Shinnecock Canal and with them are plenty of big fluke. If things stay the way they are now, it should turn out to be an excellent season for the summer flatties.
Fishing Forecast for Long Island
The saltwater scene is ready to explode any day now with the way fish have been stacking up and the huge amounts of bait all across Long Island. Look to keep an eye on the surface as well as the birds as the big fish will arriving shortly if they haven’t already. There is no wrong tactic in the early stages of the season as the fish haven’t been zeroed in on yet so don’t be afraid to mix things up from working poppers to soaking bait or even trolling some rigs. Bottom fishing is coming alive as well so no matter what level you’re working, the odds are beginning to look favorable.
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