Long Island and NYC Fishing Report
North Shore
Frank (@ny_frankii_fiish) in New York City reports: “The Sound is definitely coming to life. I’ve fished most of the western reaches with good results. The fish are already on the move; many of them had sea lice and are very healthy. There are a lot of small fish in the mix, but if you put the time in you’ll get some slots and a few fish straddling the trophy mark. Soft plastics and SP minnows have been the ticket. Also, guys on boats trolling Mojos have done very well lately. The season is off to a good start and should get even better as the weather heats up.”
From the North Shore bays, Ryan (@fish_the_northeast_) reports: “After a slow start due to cold weather, the spring striper bite is underway. Even at this point in the spring, striped bass can be extremely picky. Finding them may be easy, but getting bites may not be. Varying your retrieve and cadence is often what it takes to dial in on a bite. Sometimes they want it fast, other times it may be a slow crawl.”
From the North Shore bays, Kyle Ellis (@kyle_lsx) reports: “ The nights stretch long and quiet out here on the water, but patience pays off. These fish are playing hard to get—you’ve got to slow down, then slow down some more. Your reel should feel like it’s cranking through honey. The good news? They’re biting. Whether you’re tossing Hydro Minnows, mini Mag Darters, Joe Baggs Swarters, or small plastics, something’s bound to catch their eye. Color choice is not the magic trick here, it’s all about finding the sweet spots where the fish are stacked. And these water temperatures? They’re writing a whole different story compared to recent years. You can see it in how the fish are behaving, everything’s just a little bit different.”
Nick Cancelliere (@nick_onthewater) in the Western Long Island Sound reports: “The holdover fishing continues to be pretty great on the North Shore. Whether you’re fishing the channels or the back bay flats, there are fish that are actively feeding through most parts of the day and throughout the tides. I got out Monday morning before work on slack low and connected with 4 slot-size fish on glidebaits, minnow plugs, and even an Albie Snax on top. They’re still occasionally boiling on spearing which, if you’re quick to cast, will almost always result in a topwater strike. It’s really been an April for the books, and I can’t wait for things to get even better in May.”
Andrew Bernat (@tactical_bassin26) in the Western Long Island Sound reports: “The bass are still on small bait—no pods of bunker in my area yet, but the average size of fish does seem to be around the slot. With water temperatures still in the mid 40s, an extra slow retrieve with an occasional pause has been the ticket to getting these cold, lazy fish to eat. Small X-Raps, SP minnow 13F, 3-inch Keitech Easy Shiners, and 20lb. fluoro leader are the keys to success!”
Mark from Cow Harbor Bait and Tackle in Northport reports: “There are a couple people catching schoolies locally. A couple weeks ago guys were getting them at night from 20 to 35 inches. Since the cold snap, fishing has been tough, but people are now picking up schoolies again. Adult bunker hit the bay in deep water, while in shallow, there are plenty of spearing around.”
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South Shore
Captain Josh Rogers of Gypsea Charters in Brooklyn reports: “The striper season is off to a great start! The surplus of fish in multiple areas is a sign of another solid spring fishery. We have been capitalizing using both shads and flutter spoons, as they are feeding on adult bunker. We’re seeing lots of over slots in the mix with fish to 44 inches, but there are plenty of slot-sized fish as well. We will be sailing daily for stripers on both boats until the fluke opener on May 4th. Call/text (516)659-3814 for info and reservations.”
Brandon at Causeway Bait and Tackle in Wantagh reports: “I haven’t heard of much striper action locally, however, the Raritan Bay is loaded with bass, and the North Shore bays are fishing well. Locally, we’re catching some blackfish at the bridges and piers. I believe more trout are going to be stocked this week for freshwater enthusiasts, but I’m not 100% sure.”
Bill Falco (@fishlongisland) of Chasing Tails Bait and Tackle in Oakdale reports: “More and more striped bass seem to be poking their heads out lately. Hopefully the end of the cold weather has come, and we can get some warmer water temps. There is plenty of bait all over the back bays, so hopefully the fish find it and stay on it. I like to throw small swimbaits, poppers, and shallow divers this time of year if I am using spinning tackle in the back bays. Surf wise, I always carry two different colored poppers, a bucktail, an SP Minnow, a darter, and a Super Strike Little Neck Swimmer. With the fly rod, I’ll throw Clousers and Deceivers, and a few smaller hollows. Size wise on the Clousers, I go for skinny, sparsely-tied flies and a few big chunky ones too, so I can match what’s around. Tog action seems to be going very well for the folks heading out for them. I find this time of year they like something softer, so clams work very well. If you’re going to use crabs, make sure you crunch that shell well. In freshwater, the water is still pretty cold so bass are still hanging out deeper. Pickerel are mostly deeper as well, although they are starting to stalk the banks for some quick bluegill eats. Crappie, perch, and sunfish are all schooling up and starting to actively eat. Worms or small jigs under a bobber are the go-to presentations. Trout action is hot at all of the locally stocked lakes; some really nice brown trout have been put in this year. They are crushing all sorts of worms like nightcrawlers, red worms, and wax worms. They love an inline spinner or a classic Rapala, too. Bass action should start getting better as the weather does; they’ll start moving up into the shallows to do their thing.”
Nick at White Water Outfitters in Hampton Bays reports: “Fishing in the freshwater ponds has been good lately. In the salt, we got word of some weakfish caught in bunker nets. The adult bunker just showed up, and there aren’t any bass on them yet but it’s a good sign for things to come. Aside from that, holdover bass are in the Eastern Sound creeks. In the Western Sound, striper fishing has been good. The back bays on the North Shore are all producing fish and the action is picking up. SP Minnows, paddletails like NLBNs, and other large soft plastics are producing.”
The Author’s Experience
This week I focused most of my efforts in the Raritan Bay where my 19-foot Whaler is currently sitting. Let’s just say it did not disappoint. There are fish to 30 pounds being caught on spin and fly. We’ve been crushing them on full sink lines, big half-and-halfs, and soft plastics on 1-ounce heads. The Z-Man and NLBN plastics in chartreuse have been killer. Small plastics are also deadly when the fish get finicky. A white zoom fluke does the trick when they are stacked but otherwise lockjawed.
Back on Long Island, I’ve been picking away at small fish in the Western Sound on Mag Darters. Looking ahead, I’m excited for the 40-pound-plus fish to hit the Raritan Bay. Fingers crossed they’ll eat a fly!
Long Island & NYC Fishing Forecast
Over the next week we’re going to see daytime temperatures hit nearly 80°. This means you should be able to get in on a hot bite with some fish willing to eat. As for the night shift, it’s going to be in the high 40s to low 50s. If you’re looking for a bigger fish, night time is definitely the move. That said, get out when you can. With warmer weather on the horizon a good nighttime topwater bite is upon us. I recommend chucking Cotton Cordell Red Fins, Danny plugs, and any other surface-swimming bunker imitations. Be sure to time your outings around the outgoing tide—if you can find a creek mouth or warm water discharge, you’ll be set up for success.
We still haven’t gotten our first big wave of migratory fish. However, the North Shore holdovers are waking up and ready to chew. You can still find decent fish up to 25 pounds. As April progresses, they should get more aggressive. If you’re wondering what to keep in your bag, you can’t go wrong with minnow plugs like the Daiwa SP, Yo-Zuri Mag Darter, Joe Baggs Swarter, and and Yo-Zuri Hydro Minnow. I prefer bright-colored minnow plugs that are flashy in the spring. You can usually find me throwing silver, chicken scratch, and even chartreuse. Now, if you’re willing to hold out for a bigger fish, you can’t go wrong with a metal lip, especially if you find a school of bunker. Although you might be fishing for a single bite at night, you’ll often be rewarded with a good fish. We desperately need some bunker to draw in some big bass. I’m hoping they storm the sound this May!