(Above) Mike Dean (@mnhtn2mtk) and his son Mike enjoyed a banner day of striped bass fishing aboard Rockfish Charters this week.
Nothing like a big fat skunking to welcome me back to New York on Easter weekend!
A quick cold snap and gusty winds sent temperatures plummeting as low as 39 degrees in some places on Saturday night, and the bite dropped off with the air temperature. I watched one angler release a 23-inch schoolie back into the turbid waters of the back bay as I, and the other silent wader-clad fishermen around me, failed to produce even a tap.
My buddy Sean and I spent nearly five hours casting everything in our surf bags into the bay as we covered one entire shoreline. The tide was rising, and in the muddy water, there was no bait visible to me anywhere. After tossing almost every search bait I had, I tied on a 1/2-ounce, wine-and-black colored Dead Reckoning bucktail and began to scour the bottom for any signs of life. I felt gentle taps as my jig glided over an occasional rock or shell held hostage by the thick mud, indicating that it was effectively swimming over structure and maintaining its position in the strike zone. I experimented with different retrieves to no avail, hoping that a slow, barely-noticeable crawl would mimic a lone spider crab lurking among the scant bottom vegetation. Even that didn’t work.
My waders leak no matter how much I patch them; but when I discovered a particularly uncomfortable leak in the crotch seam later that night, Sean and I finally decided to take the L and call it quits.
I didn’t intend to start this report on a sour note, but rather with sharing the reality of striper fishing. For all those pictures and videos you see on Instagram, you never see or hear of all the nights those anglers spent casting silently into cold water and darkness without even a swipe. There are nights where the fishing is lights out (no pun intended), and there are nights where one or two bass is all it takes to feel accomplished. The 40-degree temperatures after a week of mild weather did us no favors, and while I can’t entirely blame the conditions, it’s especially challenging to build a bite when the odds are stacked against you. BUT, like many of us, my desire to overcome the odds and figure it out is even more powerful than my desire to catch a trophy. That’s what really brings me back to the shoreline each night. After all, Henry David Thoreau once famously wrote, “Many men go fishing all their lives without knowing it is not the fish they are after.”
With that, let’s hear from the anglers in our community who DID have success on the water this week! We’ll take it from the West, and head East before hearing from our captains and shops.
Looking for a mid-day redemption effort, my buddy Sean (@long_island_fishing_guy) went out to the spot we fished and managed to land one decent striper on a yellow Yo-Zuri Mag Darter. If you missed our video Striper Migration Report last week, I talked briefly about how productive a color yellow has been for anglers in New Jersey and New York to start the season.
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Note that Sean is using single hooks on his plugs for quicker, easier catch and release on the fish. I don’t change trebles out on 100% of my plugs, but I crush the barbs on those that do have trebles. Help yourself, help the fish, do what you can to make that release as painless as possible for the two of you.
Mr. Poseidon reported that the lower Hudson River is currently experiencing what is likely the second major push of migratory stripers heading up the river to spawn. The fishing has been fast with anglers banging 20- to 28-inch fish predominantly on worms and swim shads as the bass nose around the muddy flats for a drive-thru (or swim-thru) meal.
Poseidon added that some fish are coming on plugs too, though. His friend John Francesconi (a.k.a. “King of the Hudson” to the locals), caught a solid 22-pound striper on a custom Hoka Hey plug.
Poseidon also wanted to share his Piermont Challenge with report readers. The Piermont Challenge is a one day catch-and-release striped bass fishing tournament organized by Poseidon himself; there will be food, drinks and prizes! Registration is $40 for Adults 18 and over. Kids register for free with parent’s registration, and all proceeds from entries will be donated to the Village of Piermont Police Athletic League (PAL). Participants may enter as many fish as they like, however only their largest fish by length counts. Anglers are asked to please bring your own bait. Click here for all the details and enter now, or register day of and pay cash.
A bit further south and east, OTW reader Tim Wagner sent in his report from the Western Long Island Sound this week. Tim said he found good fishing in the western bays on paddletail swimbaits and swim shads, with the biggest fish measuring 33 inches.
Moving further east from the city and just past the Nassau/Suffolk border in the Great South Bay, I received a great report from a young OTW reader, Thaddeus, who caught his first bass of the season at sunrise this week.
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Tim Regan’s Eastern Long Island Fishing Report: Click here to read what’s happening around Suffolk County and The Forks!
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Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain around Long Island and NYC!
Brandon at Causeway Bait and Tackle in Wantagh reported a tough pick of stripers this week, but with some hard work, there are quality fish to be caught. The North Shore bays around Western and Central L.I. have experienced an on and off bite over the past week amid some poor conditions and drastic temperature changes, and the South Shore is starting to see more consistent fishing, especially at night. The bass are eating everything from bunker to spearing, so keep a mix of plugs and small- to mid-sized soft plastics to increase your odds of hooking up.
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Bay Park Fishing Station in Oceanside reports some quality tautog and cod coming in to the dock daily. “Recently Captain Joe Leggio and crew had a nice pick of cod and jumbo blackfish … a great start to your season Capt!”
Paul McCain at River Bay Outfitters in Baldwin reports:
“I’m doing my first striper trip tonight! They’re in the back bays in numbers and it’s only just beginning. Ospreys are back and they’re picking up adult bunker, but there are also a lot of spearing in the bays for the bass to enjoy. When it comes to throwing flies at these hungry back bay bass, any average striper fly will do. I always say the spring is the best time to be a striper fisherman because these backwater bass are like bad kids: they eat anything! I’m excited to get after them because I have a durable new River Quiver rod holder on the roof of my car, so I can go out every morning without the trouble of safely transporting rods.
Also, trout fishing is on fire! I did an orientation trip to Westchester recently and the state is clearly stocking well right now. It appears to be mostly rainbows and browns in the Westchester area but on L.I. the DEC is stocking a ton of brook trout. There are brookies going into Belmont Lake for a Family Fishing Festival this weekend. Head to Belmont Lake State Park from 10-4 on Saturday 4/15 and enjoy catching some trout with your young ones.”
Freeport Bait and Tackle reports:
“Tautog are biting on crabs and clams around the Jones Inlet bridges and cod fishing is pretty steady around the Atlantic Beach reef. Up in Long Beach, guys fishing from the piers are seeing a lot of herring; there have been some big bass landed back there as a result, but it is still strictly catch and release until this Saturday, the 15th. There have also been rumors of bass by the beach and bluefish out in Rockaway, so come in and gear up for the surf! We’re having a sale from April 15 to April 30th, check out our Instagram.”
Jack’s Bait and Tackle in City Island, The Bronx reports:
“Nice sized striped bass are being caught in the Hudson around Croton and Bear Mountain while other anglers pry the local spots around Whitestone and Eastchester Bay. There’s tons of bait in the water right now, and while the fish haven’t been shy to hit plugs and lures, we’re getting reports from our customers having the best success rate with Jack’s Jumbo Bloods, fresh chunked bunker and fresh clams. Stop in to get your bait and tackle needs for what looks to be a beautiful weekend for fishing!”
Rockfish Charters in Queens reports:
“The amazing fishing in Raritan continues for us. Trips with 30+ fish landed are becoming the norm, with the occasional trip where they just won’t chew at all. Today was the 1st day we were able to load up with live bunker and we were doubled up from our 1st drop until we called it 3 hours later. We even caught 7 bass on the same chunk! Which was a 1st for the boat. Chunks worked best, followed by live bunker. Flutter spoons worked well when the fish were stacked under the boat, and swim shad’s haven’t been as effective this week.”
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Gypsea Charters in Brooklyn reports:
“Bottom fishing has been up and down this past week, with some days better than others. We have been seeing some nice keeper tog come up with plenty of short life and some cod mixed in. Our last blackfish trip will be this friday, we will be switching over to stripers on Saturday until fluke season. We’re sailing out of Brooklyn, NY. Call or text (516) 659-3814 for info and reservations.”
The Super Hawk in Point Lookout reports that on their last few trips, anglers have been treated to some quality cod with plenty of blackfish mixed in. The crowds have been light recently, and with awesome weather forecasted all week, they will have both clams and crabs onboard every trip. There will also be a special 1 a.m. offshore wreck trip on Saturday 4/15 for jumbo porgies, cod, pollock, ling cod and more. The cost is $165/head and is limited to 25 passengers or less! Reservations are required for all trips, so call the office at (516) 607-3004 to book.
Captain Vinnie of Karen Ann Charters in Jamaica Bay reports great fishing inside Jamaica Bay. Vinnie said the bay has come to life in the past few days after sustained sunshine and warmer weather. The bass are hitting artificials like swim shads and swimming plugs, but there is also a ton of bunker around; at times, live bait is the only way to get these fish to bite inside the bay, and Vinnie says that the live bunker bite has been insane. The fishing is only going to get better from here, call (516) 728-6952 for booking information.
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Tim Regan’s Eastern Long Island Fishing Report: Click here to read what’s happening around Suffolk County and The Forks!
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Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain around Long Island and NYC!
Western L.I. and NYC Fishing Forecast
Bluefish in Rockaway, eh? You’ve got my attention.
When John at Freeport Bait told me they were hearing of blues, I got super giddy. With each spring migration, the arrival of stripers is a pattern we can follow year to year. But bluefish keep us guessing. “Will they come back in numbers? Will they come back at all? Will the blues be as big as last year?” These questions are part of the allure of big bluefish, and besides their powerful and acrobatic fights, each spring run of blues is slightly different. I always welcome them back with open arms (metaphorically speaking). Please treat them right if you plan to release them, because although they’re strong, resilient fish, they take a beating from anglers, and we need them around (especially in the surf) to keep things interesting.
The back bays are full of bunker, spearing, and even some scattered schools of herring from Jamaica Bay to Great South Bay. I think the most reliable fishing right now has got to be freshwater by day, stripers by night; but with tautog in shallow, there are plenty of bridges, piers and jetties for anglers from BK to Captree to find good blackfishing close to home.
Warm weather like this is going to stir up activity in the back bays— hopefully more activity than I experienced on Saturday— and night shift surfcasters would be wise to keep a mix of bucktails, soft plastics, swim shads, gliders and various types of minnow plugs in their plug bags. Much like the weather, the fishing is about to heat up even more. Striper season opens this weekend for anglers south of the GW Bridge in NY. That means all of Long Island will be open to striper fishing. Don’t miss out!
Good luck out there. Be safe, respect each other, respect the fish, and respect the water.
If you’d like to contribute to our fishing reports, contact me via email (mhaeffner@onthewater.com) or via Instagram (@hefftyfishing) with a couple photos and a sentence or two about your experience on the water. I look forward to hearing from you all.