According to a 2013 Kanye West, Sway might not have the answers, but it’s confirmed he has the striper fever.
On Rockfish Charters last weekend, Brooklyn Fishing Club’s Victor Lucia was joined by journalist/radio personality, Sway Calloway, on a close-to-home striper trip. The crew—captained by Capt. Adrian Moeller—hammered some 20-pound class stripers under what looked like some of the bassiest conditions you could ask for in the spring. Overcast gray skies, cool temperatures, wind and chop—this is the kind of weather that gets striped bass fired up and feeding. Sure, a sunny day on the water catching stripers is great, but Sway got the full treatment when it comes to ideal northeast conditions for striped bass fishing.
As great as those conditions can be, who doesn’t love catching bass under blue skies? Rockfish has been on the bass all week long.
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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!
The striper activity around New York’s boroughs and Western Long Island has drastically increased this week as bass flood the back bays from Jamaica Bay to Great South Bay. Bass are feeding in the surf in the Rockaways and as far east as Fire Island, and when they’re not active out front, a quick drive to the backside of any of the barrier islands can turn around an otherwise slow trip. Bucktails, swim shads, minnow plugs and metal-lipped swimmers are producing good fish for the surf crowd. Here’s the word from local charters and tackle shops:
Rockfish Charters in Queens reports:
“Fishing continues to be pretty epic right now IF you can find bunker. There’s so many well fed bass around that having fresh live bunker makes a huge difference. Some days we’re running 40 miles just to find bait to net, but it’s always worth it because it means the difference between catching a couple fish, or 30+ fish for our charters. Most of our fish have been recent arrivals covered in sea lice and it seems like every few days a new, bigger body of fish move in. Fishing should only get better over the next couple weeks!” Call/text (347)661-4501 for info, availability and booking!
Gypsea Charters in Brooklyn reports:
“Striped bass opened this past Saturday and it’s been lights out fishing almost every day. Some days are better than others but limit catches have been the norm. We have also been seeing quite a few over overs in the mix safely released. We will continue striper fishing until the fluke opener on may 1st”. Call or text (516) 659-3814 for availability, reservations required.
Captain Vinnie of Karen Ann Charters in Jamaica Bay reports:
“After a brief lull, Jamaica Bay came back to life big time. Hoards of bunker moved in, and the bass are hitting everything from live bait to topwater plugs depending on the time of day. We’re sailing for striped bass every day.” Call/text Captain Vinnie (516)728-6952.
Jack’s Bait and Tackle in City Island, The Bronx reports:
“Striped bass fishing is red hot…trolling mojos has been a productive method to finding fish, while lots of shore anglers are using Jack’s fresh bunker & jumbo bloodworms in the Hudson River, East River & Western Long Island Sound.”
Brandon at Causeway Bait and Tackle in Wantagh reports:
“Bass fishing has been good in the south shore back bays, and there are even a few fish out front cruising the surf. In the bay, bucktails, mid-size swimming plugs and topwaters are catching school and slot-size stripers with a couple overs in the mix. Bunker are moving into the bays but there’s still a ton of spearing too. Bigger bodies of fish will be moving in day by day.”
Bay Park Fishing Station in Oceanside reports:
“We hope everyone had a great opening day of striped bass fishing in New York! From trolling mojos, to working plugs and plastics, to live bait, or even on the fly, this species keeps us coming back for more and more. The excitement of bending a rod at sunrise with friends or family from boat or beach is unmatched by much else… so, cheers to our season cheers to our fishery cheers to friends and family. Get out there and wet a line, we all know you can’t catch ‘em from the couch!”
Paul McCain at River Bay Outfitters in Baldwin reports:
“Striper fishing has picked up this week, although you’ve got to hit the water at the right time of day. We’ve had 90-degree days, but last night it was freezing cold and windy, so the changing conditions can turn the bite off. This week I ran a guided trip and we brought in 6 hickory shad and two small stripers. One of my clients was from Pittsburgh and caught his first ever striped bass; it was only 16 inches, but it’s safe to say he is hooked for life. So I went out this morning before work, and it was still cold but I had the perfect tide, and still no fish. It seems like the evenings are probably the best times to target bass in the backwaters because the sun has been beating down on the mud all day and heating it to the point that it reaches it’s warmest by dusk. Time the tide right on top of that, and you’re in good shape for a night of striper fishing.
In other news, freshwater fishing is really perking up. Creeks are all low and clear as we’re in a drought right now. Trout are on their beds trying to spawn, so they’re very picky about rising but will take streamers like crazy right now. Catskill rivers are very low, which is good fishing, but if we don’t get rain by June, that’s bad news.”
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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
Well, the fishing around Kings, Queens and Nassau counties has exploded over the past 2 weeks, and it’s only going to get better. Isn’t it crazy that fluke season is already around the corner? May 1 marks the start of the summer flounder opener in NY, and although last year saw a painfully slow start to fluking island-wide, this year’s slightly warmer spring might have them chewing right off the bat. Bottom fishing fanatics still got a couple weeks until that begins; until then, go buy up all the Gulp at your local shops and enjoy some late-spring tog fishing.
Striped bass fishing is great right now. Migratory schools of fish are moving up the coast and heading east on Long Island, leading to some stellar fishing in the back bays and even out in the open surf.
Meanwhile, out front:
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Sergio Diaz, a skilled photographer and fly fisherman, caught this healthy striper with a well-placed cast in the long, rolling white wash on Long Island’s south shore. With a distant sandbar, the wave breaks were early and the resulting foamy wash provided cover for stripers to assault disoriented baitfish and scoop up crabs and shellfish from sandy troughs. The south shore surf bite will only improve from here!
The North Shore is fishing well too, only it seems to be predominantly a night bite. That’s not to say anglers aren’t catching bass during the day in the Western Sound; there’s plenty of bait like spearing in North Shore harbors, and there have been loads of school-sized stripers beneath the clouds of rain bait. Matching the profile of spearing can be tough, but the best options to start with are 4- to 5-inch soft plastic paddletails, sparse bucktail jigs and small swimming plugs.
Keep a few small topwater spooks like Rebel Jumpin’ Minnows on hand in case the bait is being harassed on the surface. Those little 5-inch walk-the-dog plugs are like magic around thick schools of peanut bunker and silversides.
As a reminder for Hudson River anglers, April 29 is Mr. Poseidon’s Piermont Challenge: 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.
Tautog are still biting well in the south shore bays, although there are a lot of short fish around. The Western Sound’s tautog fishery seems to be picking up steam as we reach the back 9 of April, so if you’re a south shore angler, it might be a good time to explore new territory or book a charter in the rocky waters of the Sound. Kayak fishing is also a great way to fish the Sound for tautog.
Finally, if you need a break from the salt, pick up a light rod and head to a nearby pond. Largemouth bass will be actively hitting soft plastic paddletails, senkos, spinners and a number of other lures this month. Before they begin to bed and spawn in May, they’ll be putting on the feed bag, so the odds of sticking a good one are in your favor.
Wherever you find yourself fishing this week, 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.