Long Island and NYC Fishing Report
Paul McCain at River Bay Outfitters in Baldwin reports: “All the ponds are stocked with rainbows, pickerel are being caught, and panfish are available. I went looking for carp recently and I couldn’t find any. The carp are still super deep. The Connetquot got stocked recently as well, and the Farmington is fishing well but it’s tricky.”
From the North Shore, Andrew Bernat (@tactical_bassin26) reports: “I’m consistently seeing herring in the North Shore bays, and with water temperatures rising the bite should pop off any day. Killies and spearing are moving out of creeks on sunny days. I’d recommend packing slim profile soft plastics and/or slim profile hard baits. You can’t go wrong with the tried-and-true SP Minnow 13F. As far as rods/reels go, I’m using a VS 150 and 8-foot Century Weapon with 15-pound braid and a 15-pound fluoro leader. Target the sweeping current in the back bays, on the moving tide along the mud flats and sod banks.”
Mark at Cow Harbor Bait and Tackle in Northport reports: “Local guys are running west in hopes of catching bass. If you’re not afraid to travel, there are some small schoolies around deep in the Western Sound back bays. Last year now seems like a mild winter after the super cold temps this year. I feel like the fish might wake up on April 1; there’s a full moon, so they should be chewing that week. I haven’t seen too much bait—I usually see spearing first, however, we just haven’t seen them yet. The back of our local harbors near the shop should be more productive in the next two weeks or so.”
Justin Braun at Port Tackle Co. (@porttacklecompany) in Port Jefferson reports: “The shop is almost ready. April 25th will be our hard launch, and we’ll be hosting a bit of a party. Stop by our store at 115 West Broadway in Port Jefferson. At the opening celebration we’ll be running plenty of deals on rods, reels, and lines. Our store has ample parking and is located right across from the Celtic Quest and Osprey fishing boats. On another note, fish should be hitting our local harbors soon! Expect the bite to pick up the second week of April.”
Bill Falco (@fishlongisland) at Chasing Tails Bait and Tackle in Oakdale reports: “Spring has sprung and every angler I know is beyond ready for it. Life is starting to move in all of the lakes. Bass and pickerel are out and about, perch and sunfish are roaming around, and all the trout waters just got their first stock for the year. Bass and picks are moving slow and low, so jerkbaits, jigs, and soft plastics are the way to go right now. Panfish will eat small jigs and worms, and the trout love a Kastmaster or inline spinner. Bait wise, a few worms or some PowerBait dough will do the trick. In the salt, a few local stripers have been caught—all resident schoolies, but it’s a good sign that things are moving already. White perch has been my go-to lately. Once you’re dialed in on them, they are such a blast to fish for. They hit hard, fight hard, and they’re crazy fun on light and ultralight tackle. I target them with a St. Croix Panfish rod, 10-pound braid, 8-pound leader, with 1/8-ounce jigheads and an assortment of 3-inch soft plastics.”
Sean Conway (@long_island_fishing_guy) reports: “Freshwater action is starting to pick up. Walleye are moving shallow, but are reluctant to hit lures and flies. I’ve been watching a few of them chase each other around in the shallows but not getting many bites, which makes me think they are starting to spawn.”
Derek Monfort (@derek_sucks_at_fishing) reports: “The water has come to life! Largemouth, smallmouth, crappie, white perch, walleye, and holdovers! Everything is moving shallow and ready to feed/breed. Small paddletails and jerkbaits have been doing the work.”
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White Water Outfitters in Hampton Bays reports: “Some guys in the tidal rivers are catching a few holdover schoolies; those fish are waking up a little. It’s super tide and water temp dependent. The white perch winter season was slow, but largemouth and pickerel are beginning to chew. Suspending jerkbaits and soft plastics like Senkos are perfect for the job.”
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The Author’s Experience
Water temperatures are rising, baitfish are slowly waking up, and the fish (stripers) are going to start showing! Usually I’d have my first fish by now, but I’m being a bit lazy. I know I’m about to fish for 9 straight months, so I’m taking my time to get ready before I pound the pavement to search for bass. This year, my boat striper arsenal will consist of 3 Tsunami Salt-X 2s paired with medium and medium-heavy Jigging World Onyx rods. I’ll also be using Century Mag Weapons and VS 150s for throwing heavier plugs. Finally, for hucking giant metal lips, I’m using a monster baitcaster setup—a G. Loomis XH Bucara paired with a 500 Tranx and 80-pound braid.
I could talk for forever about pre-season prep, but I’d like to let everyone know that Port Tackle in Port Jefferson is going to have a grand opening on April 25th! There will be a big celebratory party at their location: 115 West Broadway in Port Jefferson. Check it out! They’ll be running opening day deals on leader, lines, rods… you name it. It’s exciting to see a new shop on the island. Support our local businesses this season!
Long Island & NYC Fishing Forecast
Folks, I can’t stress this enough. Re-spool your reels, replace your hooks, buy your swivels, clips, and leader. The time is upon us. April 1st is the full moon, and there is potential for the bite to light up three days before and after the moon. A full moon means higher flood tides and lower ebb tides, and stronger currents which form sweeps and rips in spots that traditionally may not have much moving water. If you can find a strong rip in a North Shore back bay, estuary, or creek, there should be fish around. I recommend standard minnow-style plugs such as the JoeBaggs Swarter, medium (1-ounce) Mag Darter, SP Minnow, or Yo-Zuri Hydro Minnow. Creep the plug as slowly as possible for the best results. As far as timing, I’ve always preferred warm days and outgoing tides, especially when fishing near creek mouths. Shallow creeks are traditionally warmer than the surrounding open-bay areas, and those mild water temps will concentrate the baitfish and bass.
If you’re looking to catch fish early on, west is best and back bays are the ticket. Water temperatures in the Western Sound are much warmer than the Eastern Sound. The class of fish to be expected ranges from 20 inches to 20 pounds. Good luck everyone.