Long Island and NYC Fishing Report
- Warmer weather heats up the bass & panfish bite across the island.
- Holdover fishing brings lot of optimism for the upcoming spring.
- Keep an eye out for trout stockings which should occur later this month.
The March issue of OTW Magazine is out now and the April issue is coming soon to all subscribers! This month’s issue covers light tackle stripers, wading for weakfish, and more. Not subscribed? Subscribe here: » Subscribe to Mid-Atlantic Edition.
Petey Trovato from Lindenhurst Bait and Tackle told me:
“I took the little guy out and he hooked into a pickerel, but unfortunately we broke off. There were other people out there who were landing them, the action was pretty quick on hard baits.
My buddy Charlie Weinshe had 3 yellow perch on nightcrawlers earlier this week. Then he switched up to brackish water and got four white perch on the same thing. The store will be opening soon for the season and we’re excited to see everyone! ”
Paul McCain of River Bay Outfitters in Baldwin told me:
“Last week with the warming weather we had a pretty good hatch going on in Westchester, but the rain quickly blew everything out. Everything is totally fishable despite the higher water levels. The Connetquot is in good shape and the trout are active, taking black streamers, nymphs, and mop flies.
Pickerel fishing has been really good and same with the perch fishing. Both white and yellow perch have been biting well and anglers across the island are posting catches on spoons, curly-tail grubs, and with bait.”
Jamie from Bay Park Fishing Station in Oceanside had an update for me:
“Freshwater fishing has been super-hot this week whether it’s panfish, bass, or trout! The holdover action has been great on soft plastics as usual, and its looking like we’re in for another good spring striper run! We’ll be doing our spring ordering and will open fully-stocked in April. Stay tuned!”
Al & Gabe Newman from Big Al’s Bait & Tackle (formerly Warren’s Bait & Tackle) in Aquebogue wanted to let me know the shop is now under new ownership! You can check them out on Instagram @bigalsbait and swing by for all your North Fork fishing needs going into the new season.
-
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:
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
If you have a catch you’d like to share, DM me on Instagram @nick_onthewater.
Ah man, how nice was that 60-degree day? It got me all the more ready for spring. Unfortunately, other than a nice walk down the beach, I spent most of it doing chores. I didn’t have enough time to fish on top of all of my other responsibilities that day – but I’m hoping to have everything done before April – when my priorities get reshuffled as the striper migration kicks-up.
I do have some bass fishing in store for this month, and hopefully some good reports to share. I’m up on the Cape at the OTW headquarters for a few days.
For now, I’ll have to lean on other anglers across the island and in my circle. There were quite a few good freshwater bass caught this week and past weekend, in addition to perch, trout, and holdovers.
Long Island and NYC Fishing Forecast
We’ve been getting dumped on with rain, and waters are likely to be high and dirty in most places. Fishing lakes and rivers, you’ll want to throw something bright colored that throws a lot of noise and vibration. Take advantage of those lateral lines and trigger some reaction strikes. The warmer weather has initiated pre-spawn behavior.
Jerkbaits, crankbaits, and spinners are good bets right now—spinners, especially, for stocked trout. These lures help you cover a lot of water, but if temperatures dive or you’re fishing deep, you might want to switch to a more finesse approach with lightweight jig heads and soft plastics on a slow retrieve, or increase the pause time on that jerkbait and switch to a deeper-diving model. I spent a lot of the winter chasing a jerkbait bite and never really found it, only getting bit on soft plastics for the most part. But conditions are a bit different now as we get closer to spring.
Holdover fishing has really turned on and, for the less die-hard anglers who can’t handle the cold, it is a bit more approachable with the warm, humid weather. From the few willing to share details, I’ve heard the plug bite is still going in backwaters of the Western Sound, as well as on small soft plastics. Just like when driving on icy roads, or in the sand on the outer beaches, going as slow as possible is the right approach. You might even want to incorporate a topwater lure if we get a stretch of warm weather, which it looks like we will next-week. Take long pauses, and slowly work a pencil or small spook back towards you. Your lure may only get ‘waked’ at best, but it’ll let you know the fish are there and do a lot for your confidence, which is especially key when holdover fishing.
Some popular holdover spots will also hold white perch. If you’re fishing a brackish body of water, size down your tackle and work with light bucktails jigs and curly-tail grubs. There’s also the chance of hooking a carp and getting taken for a ride, like Jack Francesconi did earlier this week (see carp photo above).
I promise this month will fly, and it won’t be long before we get into the striper migration, weakfish, blackfish, and a potentially early start to fluke season. For now, enjoy the improved freshwater fishing and the holdover bite, and keep your eye out for the DEC’s trout stocking in the ponds across the island.
Thanks for reading, and tight lines.
» Sign-up for On The Water’s Striper Cup, or check it out if you’ve never heard of it. It’s a fun 20-week catch and release tournament, and you can enjoy striper season a little extra by submitting your catch online each week for a chance to win some sweet prizes.
The L.I./NYC Fishing Report is written and compiled by NYSDEC licensed kayak fishing guide, Nick Cancelliere (@nick_onthewater).
Can someone tell me where fish is being caught
Because then everyone and there mother will be fishing the same spot lol. Fish swim, look at google earth and find accessible back bay spots, the tide is your friend. There’s plenty of fish here on LI right now. Just gotta put in the time
In the water