Another week and another snow storm. The good news is that many local lakes and ponds have been stocked with trout and some anglers have been getting into the action already. On the saltwater side of things, there are still some reports of schoolie striped bass around Long Island.
At River Bay Outfitters Paul said, the local ponds were producing some hold over trout from last year, but now with the stocking of trout going on the bite will just get better. He has not heard much on the salt water action, but did hear of a few reports of schoolie striped bass in the back bays. Paul will be closed this Saturday, because he will be attending the third annual Long Island Fly Fishing Expo at the Radisson Hotel in Hauppauge.
At Causeway Bait and Tackle in Wantagh, they also followed up the report of the local ponds being stocked in the area. They said the go to lure to use for these hungry trout this time of year is an Acme Phoebe in gold. Now is also the time to bring in your rod and reel repairs, so they are ready for the saltwater season which even though it does not feel like it, is right around the corner.
I talked to Jeff at White Water Outfitters; he said the saltwater scene has been pretty slow in their area, but the tidal creeks are still producing a ton of white perch. He also heard that his area has been stocked with trout, but have not heard any reports of catches yet. Jeff mentioned a lot of anglers are starting to come in and getting geared up for the spring blackfish season that opens in two weeks on April 1st. White Water Outfitters will also be at the Long Island Fly Fishing Expo this weekend, with deals on a variety of fly fishing gear.
At Miller Place Bait and Tackle also heard of the trout being stocked in lakes such as West Lake in Patchogue. They said they have all the live bait and lures you need for trying to catch these trout. They said their customer Rich caught a nice largemouth bass this week as well.
Fishing Forecast for Long Island
The weather does not look terrible for the weekend. While it might not be the warmest days of the year, if you dress warm you have a great shot at catching some freshly stocked trout all over the island. I am personally heading out today trying to see if I can catch myself a few of these trout. If you are not a big fan of the cold, head to the Long Island Fly Fishing Expo this weekend. On The Water will be there giving out our anglers almanac and also some great giveaways for signing up for a subscription. If you have any photos of recent catches or get into some fish this weekend make sure you sent them in so we can feature them in the report. Hope everyone has a great weekend and catch em up!