Exactly one year ago, today, I took out my new 11-foot Vibe kayak for some unseasonably warm weather. It had been about 50 degrees and sunny for two or three days straight; I hoped Spring was right around the corner. After a long and cold winter, there’s no feeling quite like pushing off into open water for the first paddle of the year.
I had fished this lake the day prior and gotten into several chunky yellow perch- they’re a favorite target of freshwater anglers like myself this time of year. But it was three months into a new year, and I was ready for my first bass of the year. I tied on the same Rapala Shad Rap in yellow perch pattern and worked it down to about 7-feet above a grass bed. After a few casts and some finicky taps, I received a definitive take and set the hook into a healthy 2-pound largemouth bass.
The bass was only hooked with one barb of the rear treble barely piercing its top lip; a representation of just how uncertain this fish was of its hunger. The early season warmth had driven yellow perch, largemouth bass and of course chain pickerel, to feed aggressively for a few days before hunkering down again with a looming cold snap. My hopes had been high for spring to continue, but this annual pattern is all too familiar.
We’ll continue to see temperatures bouncing between freezing and warm for another couple weeks, which means freshwater fishing will continue to improve.
From the Shops
Paul at River Bay Outfitters in Baldwin is hosting the Long Island Fly Fishing Expo on Saturday, March 26th at the Radisson Hotel in Hauppauge. This show is a great learning opportunity with plenty of exhibitors to keep things interesting for attendees. On the rivers, Paul reports the Connetquot doing well with dry flies. He even has some success on ant imitators from time to time. Fishing has been better, because conditions are all over the place, but the trout are still biting. Paul says Westchester’s rivers are currently getting stone fly hatches during patches of extensive sunlight, making it a good time to fish during mid day.
Jeff Lomonaco at White Water Outfitters in Hampton Bays reports that holdovers are available but there hasn’t been much action due to fluctuating conditions. Some anglers are still catching white perch out east while others are making the drive West to Connetquot in search of some trout on the fly.
From the Shore
Although it’s challenging now, springtime fishing is beginning to pick up on Long Island. Long Island’s waters come to life in March. The past week or so has seen reports of active holdover stripers in south shore back bays. Freshwater bass fishing will be more productive soon, and depending on location, trout stocking will begin over the course of March until late-April or early May. Freshwater fishing is a great way to get outside and wet a line before striped bass begin to arrive in April, but trout and largemouth bass are not the only enjoyable targets for freshwater anglers on Long Island.
Black crappie join the party alongside bass and perch, schooling up and providing consistent fun when a group is located. Submerged timber, drop-offs and and steep slopes into weeds or grasses often hold numbers of black crappie, which make for an excellent photo before release due to their gold and black spots. They can be targeted with many of the same lures as bass; jerkbaits and small soft plastic jigs are two popular options.
Earlier this week, Sean Conway of St. James hooked into a nice crappie while fishing with small, soft-plastic grubs at night.
Sean reported finding surprising amounts of fish in shallow, which he attributed to the waters warming after a day or so of unobstructed sunlight. He found small bluegills, black crappie and walleyes lingering within wading distance, keyed in on tiny baitfish. At night, the fish in shallow water seem to spook even more easily than during the day, so best practice is to keep the lights to a minimum… especially if you plan to target walleye.
Walleye feed well this time of year, and are known for dwelling in shallow water upon nightfall. They use their large, dark, bulbous eyes to maximize their vision in dim light, making it easy to ambush unwitting prey. March is a good month for walleye, but as a Long Island “exotic” species they can be relatively difficult to locate. Lake Ronkonkoma and Fort Pond host the only populations, where the fish bite better at night and spook easily due to their enhanced vision in dark water. Walleye have been stocked semi-annually in Ronkonkoma and Montauk by the NYSDEC since 1994 to control an overabundance of white perch, which turns anything silver or white with a fishy appearance into a potential target.
Walleye weighing well over five pounds have been caught in Lake Ronkonkoma. For the night shift surfcasters looking to keep busy, I recommend grabbing a lighter rod with 5- to 10-pound braid and a fluorocarbon leader to enjoy chasing these toothy, elusive nighttime predators.
On the east end, red winged blackbirds are singing their spring songs, and Tim Regan is listening delightfully from shore. Tim is catching fish steadily, but he reports the fish are picky at times. Tim says: “Largemouth are opportunists, biting around sunset especially on warmer days. Low, slow and small presentations work best.”
Tim has also been fishing with bait. “Carp and bullhead are readily chewing worms” he says. “White perch spawns have occurred in several places, slowing the bite down. Not all have spawned though, this week there was an uptick in action which produced some fat-bellied slabs.”
As for the salt, Tim reports that dolphins were seen slashing bait in the surf zone out east, which means there is likely plenty to go around for some early season striped bass fishing (catch and release, only).
Long Island Fishing Forecast
Over the next couple of weeks, largemouth bass will begin to feed heavily, along with black crappie, chain pickerel and yellow perch. Spring is my favorite time to throw yellow perch patterned lures. Yellow perch tend to have an abundant spawn in March or April, which is after chain pickerel spawn and before largemouth bass move to beds. Unfortunately for yellow perch, this makes their fry the number one target for larger predators but leads to some excellent freshwater fishing. Rapala Shad Raps, Rippin’ Raps and Shadow Rap Shads are three lures I keep stocked in yellow perch pattern during the spring.
As the weather warms a bit, I’m hopeful for some insect hatches to assist the trout bite. When the ponds are stocked though, the trout will bite on almost anything. Ready some spoons, inline spinners, trout magnet and PowerBait because things are about to heat up (quite literally) as we approach the vernal equinox. Until then, largemouth bass and pickerel will keep freshwater anglers busy. Then, attention will slowly shift to everyone’s favorite fish, striped bass, as they arrive in our backwaters for the season.