Western Sound Topwater
By Captain Andy LoCascio
Andy & Rich John Luchka Hooked up
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Maptech Charts
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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!

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