The sun was just about to peek above the horizon as we slipped the boat it
neutral, shut off the motor, and slid quietly into a small cove. I had
worked that same spot several days earlier and I knew the fish were there.
The perfectly still water was only disturbed by the splash of our lures as
we each made a toss to the shoreline. I only had a chance to reel out the
slack in my line and pop the plug a single time, before a swirl appeared in
the water just behind it. It was hard to control my excitement and keep the
plug on a steady retrieve when I knew it was only moments away from getting
pounded. A couple of more pops, another swirl, and the water exploded under
the plug as a striped bass smashed it with a vengeance. I set the hook with
a very short stroke on the rod and I was into a gritty 9lb fish. My braided
line squealed through the guides and the fish was all I could handle on such
light tackle. A few minutes later I had it to the boat and was comparing it
to the fish my two fishing companions, Captain Rich Tenreiro and John Luchka
had landed. The bass bite was non-stop until the sun started to get high in
the sky, the fish dispersed, and we headed off to find more fish. We spent
a long day on the water, from dawn to dusk and caught and released dozens of
school bass and big bluefish.
When and where
The summer bite in the western Long Island Sound gets into full swing around
mid July. The numbers of fish have increased steadily over the past several
years. The amazing amount of bait, especially spearing and baby bunker,
have certainly played a factor. Light tackle enthusiasts can count on
getting into as many fish as they want until their arms get tired. No
matter what the conditions, there is always somewhere to fish in the
protected waters of the western Sound. Most of the locations are within
sight of the Manhattan skyline and only minutes from New York City.
The bite
The striped bass bite is at its best at dawn or dusk and any other time when
there are low light conditions (such as an overcast day). There is so much
bait around that the bass simply wait for the most optimal ambush conditions
for their daily feed. They are almost always found on shallow water
structure, including rock piles, docks, and grass lines. As the sun gets
high, they still hold in these locations, but are usually very reluctant to
feed. The bluefish are much more aggressive and can often be found blitzing
bait under the midday sun. When they are not blitzing bait, they school up
in staging areas and can be easily convinced to bite. The blues can be
found in any depth and in almost any location where there is bait in the
vicinity. They will frequently shadow a school of bait for a period of time
and then suddenly make their attack. The resulting commotion will get the
attention of every seagull within sight or earshot. A good moving tide can
certainly improve the bite, but it is not unusual to see the fish feed right
through the slack or flood.
Watch the birds
The birds are a valuable tool when chasing these fish. The birds can either
by high flying, bee lining, screaming, wet roosting, or dry roosting. The
angler needs to understand the implications of each of these behaviors.
High flying birds typically circle repeatedly above a rather large patch of
water. This is a sign that baitfish are concentrated beneath the surface of
the water and out of their reach. They can easily cover a large area from
well above the surface and they are waiting for predators to drive the bait
to the top. It is very import for the angler to not have tunnel vision when
working an area. Many times the fisherman’s concentration is on a small
patch of water that the fish recently occupied, when just over their
shoulder a full scale blitz is going on. Watch for birds flying relatively
low over the water in a straight line. Several birds all heading in the
same direction are probably making a bee line towards some obvious surface
activity. When there are lots of birds over relatively wide area, the best
thing to do is to listen for their screams. When bait appears on the top,
they cannot contain their excitement and immediately give away the
location. Large numbers of birds sitting on the water in an area is a sign
that some significant feeding activity recently took place. The bait has
probably gone deep and may be directly beneath them. The bass and blues may
be nearby and simply taking a breather. A big flock on the water bears
watching for a least a few minutes. A large number of birds roosting on
rocks or docks suggest that there is probably a very large bait source in
the area, but nothing has happened for quite some time. This may be worth
revisiting later in the tide.
Go light
Light spinning or bait casting tackle will provide the most sport and
enjoyment. Even though there are plenty of chances to catch some very big
stripers and there are always big blues, a good 6’6’’ to 7’ medium weight,
fast action is enough to handle nearly anything. Braided and gel spun lines
are perfect for this type of fishing. The thin diameter and slippery
surfaces allow for long casts even with some of the smallest lures. The
lack of stretch transmits every twitch of the rod directly to the lure and
the angler can create some very enticing retrieves. Most pros prefer 20lb
test as it has enough strength to handle some of the biggest fish and larger
plugs, yet a thin enough diameter so that there is adequate line capacity in
most suitable reels. A top quality reel with a good drag is a must. A big
bluefish or bass will definitely put the tackle to the test. The rod must
strong enough to handle throwing up to a 7inch (2oz) plug.
Big lures
Matching the size of the small baits being pursued is very difficult and
unnecessary. These fish are attacking out of impulse and are drawn by the
noise and commotion. A noisy 5-7inch surface plug is most effective.
Smaller plugs limit casting distance and make much less commotion. The fish
are not intimidated by the larger plug size. Even the smallest bass and
blues do not hesitate to attack a plug which is only half their size. All
plugs should be tied to a 2-3ft length of 30-50lb Fluorocarbon leader
attached to the main line via a small SPRO power swivel. The leader will
aid the angler when handling the fish at boat side. Never handle the
braided line, the thin diameter and unyielding edge can easily cut you.
Popping plugs such as surface cruisers and pencils are usually the most
productive. However, these lures take a certain degree of skill and
practice to achieve a good presentation. Sometimes it is better to work a
flat and angling face popper with a perfect presentation, rather than a
surface cruiser in a mediocre presentation. The advantage of the cruiser
and pencils is that they have a lot of action with very little forward
momentum. This means that the plug stays in front of fish for a longer
period of time and really gives the fish a chance to home in on it.
Patience
It is hard to maintain a steady retrieve when a fish is swirling behind the
plug or striking and missing. The angler must resist the temptation to
strike back at the fish until it is certain that it has the plug. Many
times a fish will strike at a plug repeatedly and not get hooked. Simply
maintain the same retrieve that got the fish’s interest in the first place,
or stop the retrieve just for a moment to make the lure appear like a
stunned or wounded baitfish. Start the retrieve again with just a slight
twitch and the fish will usually strike again. If there are no takers
during the course of a long retrieve, vary the speed to see if the fish are
interested in a slightly different presentation. Slow retrieves are usually
more effective as the fish have a much better chance to find the plug. Once
the fish does have the plug, a short hook set is usually enough to ensure
that it will make it to the side of the boat.
Local knowledge
The most productive areas and tides change from day to day. There are
several local charter captains that stay in tune with these patterns. These
guys are on the water nearly every day and also have a network of sources.
They usually spend very little time searching for fish and simply run from
one hot spot to the next. This makes a half day charter the perfect choice
as the angler will get a chance to experience either the dawn or dusk bass
bite and also the bluefish bite. Be prepared to put your favorite light
tackle to the test!
