Western Long Island and NYC Fishing Report
- Back-bays are filled with holdover stripers north-to-south. But the pace of the fishing and size of fish can vary between shores.
- Ponds, reservoirs, and lakes freshly stocked with rainbow & brown trout.
- Cod & blackfish chewing on offshore wrecks.
- Spring Family Fishing Festival at Belmont Lake this Saturday!
John from Freeport Bait & Tackle reports:
“Some blackfish have been getting caught by the bridges but not much. Clams are doing better than crabs as usual this time of year. One of our customers also caught a winter flounder this week at a secret spot. While the winter flounder fishery isn’t what it was, there are holes in the back bays that provide the chance to catch them. Don’t expect any fast-paced action though.
Striper fishing has been steady but mostly schoolies. Any day now the bigger fish will show up, especially with all the bunker around. Minnow plugs and soft plastics are key, but fly-anglers have been hooking up as well.”
Captain Josh Rogers of Gypsea Charters out of Brooklyn reported:
“We saw some beautiful weather this past week along with up and down blackfishing. Some days have definitely been better than others, with lots of action and nice keepers in the mix on the better days. We also have been seeing some cod and ling to round out the catch.
This Monday, 4/15, we swap over to striped bass and expect it to be very good right out of the gate. The abundance of bait and fish in the area are pointing towards another great season. Fluke season opens 5/4, so book those trips now as well! Call/text (516) 659-3814 for info and reservations, or book online at fishgypseany.com”
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Brandon Weitz from Causeway Bait and Tackle in Wantagh told me:
“The striped bass bite has been on-and-of depending on where and when you’re fishing. Recently I went out and fished shoulder-to-shoulder with guys at a well-known spot and only a few people landed fish around 20 to 30 inches. The bite seems to be great the day after a warm day. Minnow plugs have been the ticket to get bit. Very soon we’ll start seeing bigger and more numerous fish arrive on the South shore, so stop by the shop and get ready for striper season!”
Petey Trovato from Lindenhurst Bait and Tackle told me:
“The fishing has been on fire lately! We’ve been getting stripers on the North and South shore back bays on purple SP Minnows. Paddletails and Bass Assassins have been working as well on light-tackle jigs. Me, Bruce, and Vinny went out 3 nights in a row and hooked 3 fish each night. The biggest fish was a little over 30 inches.
Shout-out to Dan ‘The Man’ Jorgensen from the Squaw Island Fishing Club, who had an 8-pound blackfish and cod offshore on the wrecks on clam. Trout fishing has also been good and most places are stocked; Johnny Fish from the store has been slaying them on Kastmaster spoons across the island.”
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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:
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If you have a catch you’d like to share, DM me on Instagram @nick_onthewater.
Are you ready?! In less than a week, New York’s 2024 striped bass season will be upon us. From what we’ve seen, it might not be as fast-paced as last year’s spring run was, but this warm streak could really ignite the bite.
While the numbers have been there, and stacked-up bass can be found in any bay you visit north to south, fishing has been slow and window-based. Of all the striped bass anglers I’ve talked to targeting holdovers this past week, the common theme has been that there’s definitely a ton of bass around, but they’re working harder to get bites than last year.
Rather than notching double-digit totals, it’s been reporting 3 to 5 fish on a good day, with most fish in the upper-20 to 30-inch range. Some have even pushed 40 inches and have fat bellies. No signs of sea lice yet. On the south shore, the action has been more consistent but the fish are generally smaller. That’s definitely going to change as the season progresses.
On an after-work trip earlier this week, I hooked a beautiful, healthy 30-inch striper within a few minutes of fishing, and a handful of 20-inch fish over the course of an hour, all within the same general area of the bay. I was fishing a medium setup with a 4-inch Z-man DieZel Minnow on a ¾-ounce Joe Baggs SPJ jighead with the barb crushed.
Stoked with those fish on the board, I took the day off from work the next morning, hoping to have the banner spring day I’ve been dreaming of since March. Instead, I enjoyed incredible weather but really slow fishing. The one glimpse I caught of a striper was a chunky, schoolie-sized bass following my plug to the kayak and quickly spooking off.
I spent the next hour casting in a 360-degree arc around that entire mud flat hoping to get that bass or it’s buddies, but had no luck. Of the 3 kayakers I was with that day, none of us were able to connect with fish on plugs, paddletails, or tubes. But later that afternoon, the bite picked up towards sunset on the outgoing tide—the same conditions that led to that 30-inch bass and handful of upper 20-fish.
» Check out the Eastern Long Island Fishing Report
Western Long Island and NYC Fishing Forecast
Here we go. A streak of warm weather has brought the water up to the 50s and the bass should awaken to offerings of plugs and plastics. Minnow-style plugs continue to be dominant on the North Shore, but the bass have reacted to soft plastics as well.
Bunker have been in Jamaica Bay for a few weeks now, and there’s been a fantastic schoolie bite taking place that is almost guaranteed action. Some have even been catching bass off the South Shore beaches. While the North Shore has had bigger fish in smaller quantities, the South Shore has the opposite, with plenty of schoolies willing to hit light-tackle offerings. With this weather, it’s just a matter of time before the big Raritan fish move in on the bunker and drags start singing.
The blackfish bite has been hit-or-miss according to party boats. Some days result in limits and others are a grind for keeper-sized fish. The fishing tends to be better offshore on the wrecks vs. inshore, and most are leaning towards clam vs. crab. On the wrecks, you can also have a pick of cod & ling.
All of the major inland ponds and lakes should have freshly-stocked rainbows & browns and fast-paced action on spoons, spinners, or dough bait on a hook & bobber rig. This Saturday, April 13th, is the Belmont Lake Spring Fishing Festival, which is a great opportunity to take a kid fishing. You can learn more on the DEC’s website by clicking here.
Snotty weather this weekend, but it’s going to be warm. Wear a breathable rain jacket and don’t even think about skipping out on fishing. These conditions are ripe for good action whether its trout, striped bass, or freshwater bass you’re after. Temperatures on the mudflats should be well over 50 degrees by now, and the stripers should be chewing. Likewise, the trout should be all over the local waters and should aggressively attack everything you throw at them. If the wind is too much, head inland and go after freshwater lunkers in the sleeper freshwater lakes across the island. Whatever you do, don’t stay in bed and scroll. Chances are you’ll just see all the epic fishing you’re missing out on.
Thanks for reading this week’s report. By the time of the next report, the 2024 NY striped bass season will have finally begun! Good luck and tight lines.
The Western L.I./NYC Fishing Report is written and compiled by NYSDEC licensed kayak fishing guide, Nick Cancelliere (@nick_onthewater).