Long Island - New York Fishing Report - April 2, 2020

Schoolie stripers have been caught in most areas throughout the island. Biggest I’ve heard so far are a couple of 15-pounders out east.

All the freshwater fish are biting. I caught largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, pickerel, bluegill, white perch, yellow perch, and carp in the past few days.

Just a few blackfish reports from opposite ends of the island…encouraging ones!

Trout opening day just occurred on Long Island, and apparently the crowds were crazy. Lots of fish stocked and caught though.

REPORTS:

Paul at River Bay Outfitters in Baldwin says the trout season has officially begun. It is “open season” at all of the parks and streams on Long Island. The stocking this year went extremely well, and there is an abundance of freshwater fishing to be done.

Most of the freshwater bodies are clear right now, as the algae blooms have not yet begun. Therefore, people are seeing a lot of carp in their local waters. They appear to be on the feed.

The back bays are completely saturated with bunker. Paul has never seen so much!

Schoolie bass are getting caught back there.

People aren’t getting out as much lately. Truth is, if you go by yourself, you’re probably going to be okay. Don’t go in a group, and make sure you’re keeping your distance from other anglers. Try not to touch anything but your own gear, and be mindful of where you put it down.

Paul is going to be a live guest on a podcast called “All About Fly Fishing” on April 22 at 9pm. He’ll be talking about, you guessed it, fly fishing Long Island! It will be about an hour-long podcast that you can find online, so give it a listen. If you can’t be fishing, trust me, podcasts are a great way to get your fix.

Rob at LI Outdoorsman in Rockville Centre says the fishing effort has largely dwindled, but there are still some guys getting out.

Striper anglers are hitting the back bays, and finding school bass that are willing to hit SP Minnows.

A few guys went for blackfish yesterday, and they got into some.

Rob mentioned that his marina is closed down, so anybody able to get on the water to fish is very fortunate these days.

LI Outdoorsman is open for business, but people can’t come in the shop. They sell guns and ammo, so that’s the majority of business they’re doing. However, if you need anything, you can call the shop and arrange a curbside pickup. He’s been selling bait like bloodworms to those few who are still fishing hard.

Kathy from Freeport Bait & Tackle is pretty much shut down for business. It’s looking like April 30 will be the earliest day they can reopen.

Fish-wise, Kathy confirmed the plethora of bunker in local waters. They are thick in the Freeport River, right behind her shop, and in many other areas.

Bill at Chasing Tails Bait and Tackle in Oakdale is a water rat like me, and gets out almost every day all year. If you read my reports regularly, you’ll know that he and his dad supply some of the most detailed fishing synopses every week. Bill was hesitant to put out a report today, for the same reason I was last week: the scenes we’re witnessing on the water are devastating for someone who has been properly quarantining.

He checked out a local trout stocking this week, and was floored by the sight: large groups of people standing in close proximity, shaking hands, and touching each other’s gear. Someone came up to Bill there and extended his arm for a hand-shake, but Bill recoiled. The guy scoffed and said “oh, you’re one of those.”

Meanwhile, Bill’s shop is closed for the unforeseeable future, and he is unsure if they’ll ever be able to reopen after this tremendous lapse in business. This is a pivotal time of year for tackle shops.

Furthermore, like many of us, Bill has family members that will likely die if one contracts the virus. Shoot, even healthy 30-year-olds are dying in New York.

So yeah, Bill is “one of those.” He’s a responsible, hardworking American adult who feels a civic duty to protect his countrymen and a moral duty to protect his family and loved ones. That’s a damn good thing.

Those are my words. These are his:

“While you may be frothing at the bit to get out and fish after a long winter, we here at the shop remind you to stay safe if you do decide to venture out there. Keep a minimum of one rod length between you and the next angler. If the bank or beach is crowded, go elsewhere.

Schoolie stripers are running the beaches, with some quality fish out west. Small profile lures will do the trick. Swimbaits are a shop favorite.

Flounder and tautog seasons are open, and the anglers that can get out are doing well. Tog are on crabs of course, and the flounder are loving bloodworms. Be sure to use chum — mussels will produce the best results.

Trout have been stocked all over the island, and the season is officially open. We’ll get two more stocking periods before the season is over.

The shop is closed for the time being in the interest of public safety amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. We as fishermen are a huge community, and we can help flatten the curve on Long Island.”

It sounds like they might be able to ship orders made online, so reach out to them via facebook or instagram (@chasingtailsbait). They thank you for your support during these troubling times. Bill reminds you to stay safe, wash your hands, and practice proper social distancing.

Mark at Cow Harbor Bait & Tackle in Northport says there have been some reports of stripers along the north shore. The water temp is in the 40s generally, but a few warm days can raise that a few degrees and produce a bite. Try to ditch the wind and you might succeed with lighter gear.

The bays and harbors are loaded with bait. Spearing, peanut bunker and grass shrimp are currently fueling the local fishery.

Guys are soaking clams and plugging the back bays.

Trout fishing has been booming lately.

It sounds like Mark has been seeing the same as the rest of us people-wise. Lots of people are nervous to bring home the virus. At the same time, there are so many clueless and careless people going about their regular business, despite having been exposed to the virus and exhibiting symptoms.

To me it’s disheartening to hear. Mark’s keeping his chin up though and staying as clean as possible, which is about all any of us can do. He’s spending much of his time building rods. Give him a call if you’re interested.

Lisa at Whitewater Outfitters in Hampton Bays says that schoolie bass have been showing up. Two stripers up to 15 pounds were caught locally.

No weakfish or flounder reports yet, but that might change this weekend. There’s a ton of bunker around.

The freshwater has been producing well.

Whitewater is able to fulfill orders made online, so if you need gear be sure to check out their website.

Chris from Double D Charters in Montauk said a few boats got out last week in search of cod and tautog (for catch and release). Gary “The Toad” dropped some herring down into the cod grounds, and found fish into the upper teens at every stop he made.

Another local’s report regarded some great tog fishing during a scouting mission. This guy just wanted to break the quarantine blues, and did so very effectively by jigging up blackfish to 8 pounds.

Whales, dolphins and gannets were seen all day on most days hammering bunker.

Long Island Fishing Forecast

Sorry I missed you guys last week.

I didn’t feel comfortable encouraging people to go outdoors, considering how congested parks and fishing spots have been. You probably sensed the looming anxiety in my first report as I lamented the “city migration.” The following week was equally bad, riddled with selfish people who decided a quarantine wasn’t necessary for them; plus, my boss got the virus, and my brother who works with me decided he isn’t going to take it seriously.

I got depressed for the first time in almost a decade. I’m sure a lot of us did. I could hardly think of anything except my unfortunate situation, being stuck in what would become the viral epicenter any day. I wanted to leave the east end, maybe just get off Long Island and head into the woods, see if I can find some true solitude, and never return.

I moved to the South Fork full time 7 years ago because of the easy access to serenity for most of the year. I grew up on this beach and I would spend many more years here. The unique beauty and incredible fisheries would provide me with happiness for as long as they remained. This place was once an Eden, and I still recognize it as such. It’s been defiled in different ways for centuries now, but pockets and moments exist that can transport you to a different time and place. It’s rarely a fish I’m after; it is this natural magic which I hunt for every day and night.

The magic evaporated quickly once it became LaLa Land 3 months early. A dulled perspective overtook me.

Then, a few days ago, I got a message from one of my Instagram followers from South Africa, checking up on me and the situation in NY. It was the first time I was telling someone foreign about the local situation, and I didn’t want to seem full of self pity (even though I was). I did mention how lucky I felt to still be able to work, to be secluded with my girlfriend and dogs, and to be able to fish. I said it’s a tough mental battle, but I’ve always come out on top of those. “How about you?”

My friend Morne said his country’s on full lockdown, and only essential workers are allowed to leave their house. Anyone who doesn’t have an essential job must stay at home: no jogging, no walking your dog, no fishing, nor any other outdoor recreation. Two surfers were recently arrested for surfing. If you are off your property without a “permission slip,” you get arrested.

That being the case, Morne wanted to see if I could post more pictures and videos of the water and fish, because he will be unable to see his own for “who knows how long.”

I realized my situation could be a lot worse. If I couldn’t even go SEE the water, I’d be a lot sadder than I am now. Wallowing in self pity and not leaving my place wasn’t going to be the way I’d handle this.

My paralyzing depression was lifted. I thanked Morne for his perspective and wished him well. We’d keep in touch.

I’ve been fishing, droning and filming every day, trying to capture beautiful sights and make them into peaceful, relaxing videos. Watching some pretty drone footage is a really effective way to quell your anxiety for a bit. I’d suggest you check out my Youtube Page (SouthForkSalt) and watch some of the recent videos in high quality if you need a chill pill.

As for the fishing, do it safely folks. We’re lucky to be able to go outside. And we’re not smarter than the experts telling us to stay at home. If you need to get out, don’t be a jerk.

If you’re compelled to have physical human contact/proximity with those outside your own quarantine, then you’ve got a death wish. The people you could potentially compromise might NOT have that death wish. So be conscientious. Currently, it is tremendously selfish and dangerous to invade somebody’s personal space. Be smart, stop the spread.

FOR FISH: most of the freshwater species I’ve encountered have preferred a fly between 3 to 5 inches. Four inches seems to be right on the money across the board. The Sedotti Slammer has been my fly of choice for bass and pickerel. It is shaped like a peanut bunker, or a young herring. Clousers and marabou flies have been doing a number on some nice-sized panfish; these flies are small and skinny, like a sandeel or silverside.

The ned rig is a great bet for wormy soft plastics. Try wake baits around low-light.

My friend EJ Shiga has been getting into holdover stripers almost every night for about 2 weeks now.  He’s been getting a bunch of fish on a 4-5 inch Keitech rigged on a worm hook. The one night he didn’t catch a bass, he snagged a giant American Eel. This species is currently migrating back into the skinny waters from their offshore spawning grounds.

Most of the stripers you’ll happen upon will want something similarly sized to EJ’s bait. They can be very picky with the small baits this year.

I had one instance a week ago where I discovered a bunch of bass slurping something off the surface violently. Lots of pops and thrashing. I snagged an alewife, saw peanut bunker jumping my fly line, and caught small white perch. I shined my flashlight on the water and saw shrimp and silversides flitting around. I presented probably 2 dozen offerings for 3 days/nights straight, and couldn’t buy a single bite. There were dozens of fish in there too. Normally that situation screams worm or shrimp hatch. I think this was a classic “too much bait” situation though, as I tried various worm/shrimp flies and presentations. I envisioned the bass hanging on the bottom (About 5 to 6 feet down), waiting for a school of small bait to swim over them, and then gulping mouthfuls.

Regardless, I was so happy to be experiencing that during my depression. It transported me from these turbulent times for a bit. I hope you’ll all have some of those experiences soon enough. Please stay healthy, clean and safe.

To tight lines and strong immune systems.