Long Island and NYC Fishing Report
Paul McCain at River Bay Outfitters in Baldwin reports: “There aren’t too many options on Long Island at the moment. The tidal sections of the Nissequogue and Carmans rivers have stocked trout. That said, white perch are slowly funneling in too, but it’s been so cold that it’s tough to have a productive session. The most productive fishing on the island is, by far, the Connetquot River. The go-to choices are streamers and nymphs fished super slowly. Other options are the Farmington and Delaware rivers, and be sure to pack heavy, small nymphs!”
Andrew Bernat (@tactical_bassin26) reports: “As winter settles across Long Island, freshwater anglers willing to brave the frigid air are being rewarded with some surprisingly consistent action. While ice coverage remains thin and dependent on overnight temperatures, open water opportunities are still very much in play across lakes and ponds. Cold water has pushed largemouth bass into their true winter patterns. Fish are holding deep—often relating to drop-offs, old creek beds, and submerged structures. The bite is subtle but steady for finesse anglers. Ned rigs, small jigs, blade baits, and suspending jerkbaits are the move. Slow is the name of the game; long pauses and bottom contact are a key factor to achieving a bite. Winter freshwater fishing on Long Island isn’t about numbers, it’s about high quality bites, and dialing in techniques you likely aren’t used to employing. Dress extra warm, fish slow, and take advantage of the opportunity. The anglers who are putting in the time are still finding success despite the cold. So if you have cabin fever get out there and give it a shot.”
Joe R. (@nothingeverchanging) reports: “I try to treat winter as a learning season. It’s typically the time of year I discover new spots. Driven by desperation as the typical areas stop producing, we are forced out of our comfort zones. Even known winter staples are sometimes out of the question due to ice, construction, or even just a sheer lack of fish in a given year. The scarcity of fish and low expectations allows me to spend time exploring and casting around new areas where maybe I wouldn’t have even looked if I had better options. More times than not, the winter grind lands me in new locations where I discover populations of overwintering fish that completely up-end what I thought I knew about their patterns and movements during the “off season”. This info often carries over into early season, allowing me to anticipate their paths and hopefully intercept some of the earliest spring movers once old man winter inevitably loosens his grip. It’s no secret to anybody that this time of year, looking for holdover stripers should be focused on the extreme back bays or freshwater/tidal rivers. I spend most of my winter in the freshwater rivers that flow into large bay areas—further upstream than most would probably expect. And slow is the name of the game… Just as Mother Nature has come to a slow crawl during these months, so should your retrieve. These holdover bass are cold and lethargic, their metabolisms are at an all-time low, and they don’t need to eat much. Although they WILL feed in icy waters, they’re not about to expend precious energy chasing down your lure. Slow it down, choose lures that have subtle action at slow speeds like SP Minnows, Mag Darters, and plastics with large paddletails or curly tails. Retrieve it as slow as you can, then slow it down a little more.”
Bill Falco (@fishlongisland) at Chasing Tails Bait and Tackle in Oakdale reports: “The ice is already melted away and anglers are taking advantage. The local lakes are getting active with largemouth bass, pickerel, perch, trout, smallies and walleye. Plenty of species to target, just downsize your lure and move it slowly. Slow and low will pull you some solid wintertime action. I like small swimbaits and jigs, and of course some small baitfish imitation flies. Connetquot is loaded with bulldog brookies and hearty rainbows, and they’re eating all day. Bring a little arsenal of nymphs and small streamers to ensure a great outing.”
Derek Monfort (@derek_sucks_at_fishing) reports: “I’ve been going out when the weather permits, with not much to show for it. I’ve run into a couple of white perch when the winds died down, and a couple of small holdovers. Everything has been caught on 1/8-ounce jigs or jerkbaits.”
Jeff Lomonaco at White Water Outfitters in Hampton Bays reports: “Guys are catching white perch in the tidal creeks; that said, they are fishing WAY up in the back. Little 2-inch curly-tail grubs on 1/16-ounce jigheads, trout magnets, and ultralight backwater tackle is the gear of choice. Color wise, white, chartreuse, and gold are killer. Some guys use nightcrawlers sometimes. Most fish are a pound to a pound and a half.”
Ryan Thomas (@rmtfishing) hit the upper Delaware River and reported: “Temps on the Delaware watershed are cold right now! We set out for some winter fishing on Monday, the warmest day of the week and got into them pretty good. A few fish from 18- to 22-inches were enough to put a smile on everyone’s face. During winter months, the majority of fish are caught with low and slow presentations, so we fish with eggs and midges on light tippet bobber rigs in deep buckets where fish congregate. It was cold out there, but good to see a few willing fish!”
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The Author’s Experience
Is it just me, or is it colder than usual? We’ve had more snow already on the island and in the city than we did last year! Fisheries science indicates that cold years with heavy snow translates to more runoff in the spring, contributing to a stronger striper spawn. Let’s hope for a good spawn in 2026.
I can’t say I’ve been out fishing, I’ve still been chipping away at fly tying. Large hollow flies and Monster 8/0 NYAP poppers are on the menu. As I prepare to pursue tuna on the fly next season, I’ll rest easy knowing that I have more flies than I know what to do with.
While fly tying is fun, I understand that not everyone fly fishes. But it’s also a great time to make some bucktail jigs for next season. Grab yourself a large table vise, some unpainted “smiling bill” lead heads, bucktail, kevlar thread, UV Resin, and purple light. Simply disperse small clumps of bucktail hair all around the shank, just behind the head of the jig, and wrap tightly for a flared out finish. Once you’re done, apply a generous amount of UV resin and hit it with a UV-curing flashlight. While UV resin cures fast, it’s always best to leave the bucktail out in the sun for a few hours in order to really harden the glue. Once you dial in the basic bucktail tying skills, you can put your own twist on it by adding long hackles, Krystal Flash, or different belly tones and upper wing tones. I recommend making a handful of sizes ranging from 1/4 to 3 ounces.
One thing to keep in mind is that fuller bucktail jigs with more hair will sink slower than jigs with less hair, even if the jigheads are the same weight. If you’re looking to dredge bottom in an inlet, tie with less hair. If you prefer a slow-sinking bucktail that will glide over bottom strucutre, load it up with a bunch of hair.
Aside from tying, I’ll also be looking to improve my knot-tying skills. If you’re looking to learn a super strong line-to-line knot, the FG knot with a Rizzuto finish is where it’s at. This knot is no joke; it’s a great tuna knot but also doubles as an indestructible surf fishing knot or bottom fishing knot. Not to mention, it looks super cool when it’s finished.
Long Island and NYC Fishing Forecast
I’d like to say our prime fishing season is right around the corner, but we have a few months before our striped friends migrate back into our local waters. That said, there are still plenty of options on the Island to stay bent. Certain sharpies are chasing holdover stripers and white perch in salt ponds and brackish rivers. These fish make for an entertaining fight on light gear with 8- to 10-pound braid and 15- to 20-pound leader at most. The goal is to fish small and slow. Micro plastics and small jerkbaits and swimming plugs always do the trick.
For pickerel, jerkbaits and small spinners should get them fired up. However, the weather has been brutally cold lately, so make sure your local lake isn’t frozen before trekking the rods down there. Hopefully we get a few warm days to prevent all the ponds from icing over.
If cold temperatures do persist across the Island, we might even get a shot at ice fishing! Gauging safe ice can be tricky. Check for 4 or more inches of ice; telltale signs of sketchy ice include slush and cracks. Be sure to avoid any spring-fed areas or areas with moving water/current. As it pertains to safety, having ice safety picks will ensure you can self rescue should the ice break. When it comes to gear, a hand auger and Ugly Stik Ice Series spinning combo paired with 6-pound ice fishing braid or 6-pound fluoro will get the job done. Standard 4- and 8-carrier braids can absorb water and freeze on your spool. For lures, I recommend micro jigs tipped with a meal worm or micro plastics dipped in Pro-Cure scent. Berkley Atomic PowerBait Tubes are pre-scented and are also a great choice for panfish or bass. Whatever you choose, drop it down, and give it a super light jig once and a while.
We have 4 months before the spring striper and tautog seasons kick off in April. Whether you hit the salt or the sweet water, I hope you find success this winter. For a chance to be featured in a winter report, send me your photos on Instagram @jack.lariz. We’ll be providing brief weekly updates throughout the month before our next winter fishing report in early February!
Thanks for reading and Happy New Year!