Long Island and NYC Fishing Report
- White perch, holdover striped bass, and carp have been bending rods in the brackish backwater.
- The East River and North Shore back bays continue to produce a holdover or two, in the right time (It’s nighttime)
- Stocked trout provide a reliable plan-B to tough freshwater fishing.
- Herring remain the ‘Monday’ of target species this Winter.
Happy February. 2 months from today, we’ll be getting antsy for the spring migration and two weeks from opening week of Striper season 2024. But for now, we’re in the dead of Winter. There’s still fish to be caught, however; whether that’s in freshwater or salt.
This past weekend I got out with Petey Trovato from Lindy Bait & Tackle. We hit up several lakes and ponds along the South Shore but ultimately came up empty. We did, however, spot bass and pickerel that were interested in our lures but not to the point of biting. A handful of times we saw fish at our feet following before spooking off once they got a glimpse of us.
We threw the kitchen sink at them, from jerkbaits, to 3-inch paddletails, light hair jigs, spinners, ned rigs, and even topwater poppers, but couldn’t entice any bites. The most deflating thing for me was the finnicky chain pickerel – I was sure those fish would break a skunk, but even they were picky. It made me recall that even bluefish can be stubborn at times, although usually that just requires sacrificing some soft plastics. In this case, it seemed the pickerel and bass wouldn’t commit to anything we brought with us.
Still, the weather wasn’t bad, and it was a pleasant outing with good company. I hadn’t fished in at least a week, so I was glad to be out there standing knee-deep in some cool water and fresh air. These are the days that make you appreciate the better ones. Part of me wishes I had my fly rod with me, because maybe a nymph or small streamer would have done the job.
Speaking of streamers, Paul McCain of River Bay Outfitters in Baldwin told me:
“I expect the Connetquot to be PACKED this weekend with the nice weather ahead. The fishing there is great but the water is high. Since you’re required to use barbless hooks, the most important thing is to maintain good tension when you’re hooked into a fish there. The Fly-Fishing Expo of Long Island is coming up this March on Saturday, March 16 at the Raddison Hotel in Hauppauge. Don’t miss it!”
Jack Francesconi, aka @TogDawg on Instagram, is still hitting the backwaters and hooked into a couple of holdover schoolies this week, in addition to carp and white perch. He’s been launching his kayak into the brackish water and fishing with ultralight tackle, finding success on 2 inch grubs worked slowly on the bottom, with jig heads as light as 1/16th ounce.
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Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain around Long Island and NYC!
Here’s what local anglers have been posting on social media:
If you have a catch you’d like to share, DM me on Instagram @nick_onthewater.
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Long Island and NYC Fishing Forecast
Temperatures are looking stable, so fishing patterns should be as well. An overnight drizzle this Friday shouldn’t impact things much, but if it does, then hopefully it’ll hit the reset button on the finnicky fish. It’s been a slow week, with not many catches to report despite the efforts of many anglers hitting the fresh, salt, and brackish water all week long. With clear skies this weekend, a good bet day of fishing could be had on one of the rivers sight-casting to trout.
The Connetquot continues to be a winter haven for fly anglers looking to break their cabin fever. It’s probably the best place to take a beginner fly fishing because of the ease of access and both quality and quantity of fish. While it is a pay-to-play fishery, you can almost guarantee your $25 will lead to a good day of fishing. For those looking for more of a challenge, you can stalk the Carmans river for sea-run brook trout and forget you’re on Long Island for a while.
There have been a few holdover stripers coming out of the east river and North shore back bays as well. This time of year, you take what you can get and you get what you put in, especially in the salt. Most of the holdover catches I’ve seen have a plug or soft plastic in their mouth, with preferences leaning more towards the plastics. Some of these fish are pretty nicely sized too. It gets me excited for Spring, but Winter holdover fishing isn’t really my thing and I won’t pretend it is. By mid-December, I switch gears to freshwater (when there’s no ice) and snow sports. That said, I have plenty of respect for the die-hards who continue to chase bass all year-long.
Cold-water finesse tactics like ned rigs, or jerkbaits with long pauses can awaken sluggish bass, while small curly tail jigs between 2-3 inches will attract panfish, bass, carp, and perch. If all else fails – the stocked trout in the Connetquot ain’t going anywhere. They’ve been reacting well to streamers and nymphs.
My Connetquot trout ‘Cheat code’ is a microscopic nymph with a red bead head, the kind that you can see all the way through the water column, with a size 20 hook. As soon as that nymph contacts the bottom, a trout will investigate and probably pick it up. If you’re finding yourself having a hard time getting the trout to bite, give that nymph a shot.
I hope you make the best of the beautiful weather this weekend, thanks for reading and tight lines.
The L.I./NYC Fishing Report is written and compiled by NYSDEC licensed kayak fishing guide, Nick Cancelliere (@nick_onthewater).