Long Island and NYC Fishing Report
Mark at Cow Harbor Bait and Tackle in Northport reports: “The ice in the harbor is melting finally; it’s been iced over for the past month and change. Around the 3rd week of March, the fish (stripers) should show up in the local harbors. From then to the 3rd week in April is the time when they tend to show up in force. Outflows and creek mouths are crucial focus spots. Folks should be carrying little artificials such as small plastics, weighted or unweighted, in the 3-inch range. Flounder fishing should start soon as well! You want to look for mud in the back marshes. Sunny days that warm the water should wake them up, and 3 to 6 feet of water is the zone. A simple porgy or flounder rig is a great option. That said, a longer hook prevents gut hooking small fish. Flounder tend to move in, stage up for a while, and then suddenly leave. For bait, clams, bloodworms, and sandworms are premier choices. Chumming also aids in bringing them in!”
Paul McCain at River Bay Outfitters in Baldwin reports: “I haven’t been fishing much, I’ve been tying flies. Up until last week, the Connetquot was locked up with ice! It’s finally starting to open up again. Everybody that’s been coming in has predicted a great sand eel bite for the year ahead. Old timers say that cold winters mean a strong sand eel spawn. Last year, we had fish on the North Shore by March 15 but this year, it might be pushed back a bit. As far as trout fishing goes, the runoff should help feed the streams and creeks. Upstate should be great this year; snowmelt runoff should fill up rivers and keep them healthy leading into the summer.”
Steve Figari (@bassholes_surfcasting) reports: “I recently hit the Connetquot River in search of trout. The fish were eating nymphs but were not very active; I only caught 2 all day, I think the snow melting off and dumping super cold water into the river was slowing them down. I’ll probably start fishing for stripers in April!”
Derek Monfort (@derek_sucks_at_fishing) reports: “I’ve been spending most of my winter ice fishing. On a recent outing, I had a few nice white perch on 1/8-ounce jigs tipped with wax worms. We were going for yellow perch and these things swarmed in like piranhas, slammed us like 3 times, and never came back.”
Bill Falco (@fishlongisland) at Chasing Tails Bait and Tackle in Oakdale reports: “Ice is finally melting and a warm weekend is ahead of us. Hopefully this means some open water fishing, and, more importantly, catching! It feels like forever since we’ve had some fishable conditions that aren’t on ice. The fish will definitely still be lethargic after thawing out, but they should be hungry, too. Fishing low and slow for whatever you’re targeting will be your best bet. Drag a jig along the bottom and slowly hop it in place, or toss a small swimbait and entice that reaction strike. The shop is open all weekend if you need any supplies.”
Sean Conway (@long_island_fishing_guy) reports: “I hit Connetquot this past Sunday and the fish were very picky. I managed a few brook trout and a rainbow. The few fish I caught came on size 8 and size 12 Woolly Buggers I tied. I threw everything at them—nymphs, dry flies, Squirmy Wormies, eggs, and pellet flies—with no takers on any of those.”
The Author’s Experience
Oh boy… it’s March 5th and the itch has kicked in. As I look outside it’s currently raining, but it seems to be warmer than the arctic temperatures I’m used to feeling. Traditionally, I’ll start dusting off the gear in mid-March to hit the back bays on the North Shore. In the past I’ve had fish right around the 15th to 17th of the month. Usually, I find 10- to 15-pound fish and even some up to 20 pounds! That said, this year is throwing me for a loop. I know some guys have been consistently hunting holdovers, however, I believe my spots might still be a bit too cold. While the pattern of catching a fish between the 15th to 17th of March typically holds true, this year it might be a bit further behind. After all, my local bays had steady ice throughout the winter… something I haven’t seen in a long time!
I’ll still try to catch my mid-March fish, but I won’t be surprised if the fish don’t oblige. As we look ahead, I’d recommend hitting outflows, creek mouths, and mud flats. These are areas with the warmest water temps. As for gear, you can’t go wrong with a 7- to 9-foot medium-light rod paired with a 5K to 6K reel, 20-pound-test Cortland Master braid, and 20-pound-test Cortland XTR leader. I personally love these leaders and lines because of the casting distance and durability. As for plugs, it’s minnow season. A JoeBaggs Swarter, Daiwa SP Minnow, Yo-Zuri Hydro Minnow, or Bomber will all do the trick. I always prefer silver colors in the spring. When it comes to retrieve, slow is the name of the game. If you feel the plug working aggressively, slow it down even more. You want it to a point where you almost don’t feel the plug on the line.
The first bass of the year is always a special one. As I like to say, there are two seasons: winter & summer. My “summer season” starts when my first bass is caught in March and ends when I catch my last bass in December.
Long Island and NYC Fishing Outlook
It’s almost time to hit the back bay haunts. As I mentioned, based on my personal experience, mid-March is the time to go catch some holdover bass! It might be a bit later this year—we just need a couple warm days to wake up the resident fish. Apparently, the old timers say that a cold winter is attributed to a strong push of sand eels. If there’s any truth to that, the fluke and bass seasons could be real bangers this year.
I think by the end of March, the North Shore bays should come to life with some hungry fish. If you haven’t already, it’s the perfect time to stock up on plugs. Minnow plugs and small darters are the move for spring. If you’re interested in some larger wooden plugs such as gliders, metal lips, or pencil poppers, the Ward Melville High School Fishing Show will have plenty of awesome custom plug builders this Saturday and Sunday! It’s going to be a great show.