Long Island - New York Fishing Report - March 12, 2020

Long Island Fishing Report

• Freshwater bites have been hot during this warm spell.
• Perch, both yellow and white, have their spawning bellies and are biting frequently.
• Holdover stripers are prevalent and hungry in this warm weather.
• Herring are being caught to the west.
• Adult menhaden are arriving en masse. River Herring have begun to enter freshwater.
• Carp are willing to eat artificials down low and on the surface.

 
The reports below will start from the west and move east:
 
Paul at River Bay Outfitters in Baldwin says that it’s going to be a very early spring. He has not yet heard of any saltwater reports, but he’s sure the white perch are present and biting. In another few weeks, he’ll be testing out the back bays for some early arrival stripers. Everything seems to be way ahead of schedule right now.
If it hasn’t already occurred, Long Island streams should be stocked with trout this week. Ponds will be stocked as well, so the potential for trout fishing should be stellar.
Most waterbodies are open to trout fishing right now. On April 1, all of LI’s waterbodies will be accessible for trout fishing.

Chain Pickerel fishing has been excellent lately, but the season closes on March 15. It will reopen on the first Saturday of May. Until then, it is illegal to even target them. Walleye has the same exact season and regulations.

The carp fishery has been heating up, so there’s another awesome target for you.

The Fly Fishing Expo of Long Island, hosted by River Bay Outfitters, is scheduled for March 28. Right now, it is still on, pending any new developments with the coronavirus pandemic.

Kathy from Freeport Bait & Tackle said that folks are coming in to buy sabiki rigs these days. Apparently the herring are in pretty thick at Magnolia Pier in Long Beach. Field 10 is usually a hotspot as well, so there’s definitely some potential there.

Lido seems to be holding some fish as well. A few guys came in claiming to have caught small sea bass. It’s possible that’s a misidentification, but there are definitely fish present.

Many anglers are coming into the shop to get themselves prepared for the impending striper season.

Mark at Cow Harbor Bait & Tackle in Northport says there have been some reports of stripers along the north shore. There are some holdovers deep in the back bays, but only the most diligent and lucky anglers have been able to connect. To the west, there seems to be a more substantial population. Earlier this week, back bay water temps hit the 50-degree mark. If temperatures stay relatively high, we will probably be hooking some numbers of bass in the next week or so. It’ll probably have to be on or after a warm day, but the potential is solid. Poke around high up in the rivers to find them.

Trout fishing has been going well. We’re right on the cusp of stocking season, so it’ll only improve.

Frank at Chasing Tails Bait and Tackle in Oakdale has been catching big-bellied pre-spawn yellow perch on the south shore in the big lakes. They’re ravenous and full of eggs.

Brown and rainbow trout have been biting well at the local tidal creeks in the central south shore. One stands a chance at finding numbers of schoolie stripers when targeting this area as well. The stripers will also be found to the east.

White perch are here and there, but not everywhere. Again, you have to hunt the tidal creeks if you’re going to get into a school. Frank had one recently that went 2 pounds, 9 ounces. That’s a big momma! The whites are carrying eggs as well, so now is the time to target them if you want a real heavy fish. Consider releasing them. They should be dropping those eggs in May. Marabou jigs in chartreuse and black have been the number one bait.

Bill from the shop had a nice carp earlier this week. He hit the water with his fly rod and casted a floating mop fly. After a short wait, a common carp popped up and slurped it off the surface. He landed it with his 4-weight rod. It doesn’t get much more fun than that!
No ospreys sighted yet, but the bunker have been pouring in thick. On Monday around 1am, the Shinnecock Canal was absolutely loaded with adult menhaden.

Bryce at Whitewater Outfitters in Hampton Bays says the only notable reports he’s gotten are of the freshwater variety. Anglers have been doing well on the freshwater most of this warm winter, up to today. Pickerel, bass and white perch have been the main contenders, and they’ve all been quite active with these warmer-than-usual water temps.

Nothing on the books for saltwater, but the season is approaching quickly and will be here before we know it. Bryce recommends anglers be proactive and begin readying their fishing arsenal. We’re just about a month from stripers’ opening day.

Chris from Double D Charters in Montauk just returned from a trip to the Florida Keys this past week. The winds have made it almost impossible to get out on a boat, and the shore fishing was very tough. The yellowtail boats have been finding enough to keep their customers entertained. Under the bridges, the tarpon are hungry, and Chris hooked into a few during his stay…. None landed, but that’s tarpon fishing for you. There isn’t any amount of bait to speak of, but if you time the tide right, you can find some fish chewing in the Marathon area. 6-inch Spoolteks have been his favorite lures.

Now for Long Island, Chris is optimistic about the spring tautog bite. He says the mild winter should bode well for the blackfish. Contact Double D to get in on the open boat/book a charter.

Chris is a freshwater fanatic, and has been targeting the east end water bodies. He says the bass are starting to wake up.

Matt Broderick has been doing a number on the fishes this winter. Besides the stripers and perch that can’t seem to get away from him, the freshwater fish have been keeping his rod bent. He noticed some pickerel sunning themselves the other day. They have been responding extremely well to rapalas and soft plastics. The yellow perch bite is great right now too. Most of them are fatties this time of year, and they can be caught using a worm under a bobber.

Long Island Fishing Forecast
Welcome back readers! It feels great to be writing the reports again.
This winter was ridiculous in terms of the weather and the fishing. I fished most days, and caught most days. The largemouth and pickerel fishing was especially great. I destroyed my personal best multiple times for both species. The opportunity is still there for big, big fish so you’ll want to capitalize on that while you still can. Utilize these warm days.

On top of that, a large number of the schoolie stripers decided to hang around our coast for the winter. There were a handful of days since December when I had over five bass. One of those days came during this past week. If you’re out fishing with tackle meant for white perch, you very well may luck into some stripes. Kastmasters, small jigs, and soft plastics are productive.

The white perch have also been quite large this year. I have had some to about 3 pounds this winter.
I haven’t targeted any yellow perch, but Adam Sandler has been crushing some big ones out east on a 1/64-ounce jig tipped with worms. Bounce that along the bottom, and you should be in the money when you find a school.

So, looking to the week ahead, here’s my best advice for catching fish:
Pickerel like to hang in the warmest water when the water’s still cold, so look shallow, literally right up on the bank. Bass have been acting similarly on some days.
I’ve found the biggest largemouth bass are holding near structure. They seem to be more active (and fatter) with every passing day.

White perch are elusive, but be consistent and you’ll certainly find them. Check the tidal streams. Look in the same places for holdover striped bass. Try different tides.
Alewives have begun to run out of the salt into the freshwater bodies, so target near the access points for some huge freshwater fish potential. Big bait big fish.
Bunker have also run through some of these alewife creeks, so any freshwater that receives alewives might have big fish also feeding on unsuspecting bunker. Again, big bait big fish. Freshwater fish LOVE when oily, saltwater baitfish enter their domain.

The carp have been chewing flies like candy. A small marabou fly/jig should do the trick. Try multiple colors. They will attack marabou viciously. See my youtube page (SouthForkSalt) for a quick tutorial on how to easily catch these big-lipped beauties on a fly rod.

I think the warm rains tonight will produce some stellar fishing Friday afternoon.

In the wake of this coronavirus scare, I’d advise to fish as much as you can. Fresh air is healing, and will reduce your anxiety levels. I’m one super-anxious guy, so trust me on that.

Tight lines everyone. Thanks for reading!

If you’d like to be included in future reports, please email me at TKRegan12@gmail.com, or reach out to me on Instagram at @SouthForkSalt.