Any migratory fish yet?

[RyanPost]

Has anyone seen any migratory fish yet on Long Island ? They should be here any day now. Looking to head out this weekend.

[JCorlino033]

Northwestern back bays there are fish!!

[the3fishheads]

1 hour ago, JCorlino033 said:

Northwestern back bays there are fish!!

Those NW (LN) bays always have the first fish in March. 

Out front usually the 2nd week April but the bait shop did tell me there selling clams to a few guys for bass. They may be on the bridges already. Maybe.

[8 & Bait]

Resident fish matter.

 

All kidding aside, the health of a bay or estuary system can be measured by the number of fish that decide to stay there. Unfortunately, in the case of long island it isn't many because people are pigs and enjoy their green lawns. Sandy didn't help either.

Edited March 17 by 8 & Bait

[DeepBlue85]

On 3/16/2021 at 8:10 PM, 8 & Bait said:

Resident fish matter.

 

All kidding aside, the health of a bay or estuary system can be measured by the number of fish that decide to stay there. Unfortunately, in the case of long island it isn't many because people are pigs and enjoy their green lawns. Sandy didn't help either.

 

 

Listen to the environmentalist....you've come a long way since your J hook days. 

 

 

Most of the fish taken in March comprise entirely of resident fish that materialize in places where water warms first.  I doubt anything caught yet has been of migratory status and with the warm, slow transition into winter we had back in the fall followed by a brutal cold spell that lasted until recently, I'm sure quite a few fish stuck around and will gravitate to those warm flats as soon as temperatures are higher than surrounding bodies of water.

 

It's also surprising how many fish show up on open beaches earlier than most would give the season credit for.  Lots of rules these days dictate when where and how people spend their time targeting early season bass but the fact is certain open beaches can and have been incredibly productive from early april, depending on temperatures...probably worth a better shot and you'll avoid the crowds.

 

It's also true that water quality throughout back bays has diminished considerably....sad actually.

Edited March 18 by DeepBlue85

[Bait Tailer]

On 3/16/2021 at 2:11 PM, JCorlino033 said:

Northwestern back bays there are fish!!

No.  According to Dr Wenowdis. they stay in the Hudson until late April then go straight to Montauk.

[cheech]

When they return to the exact spot of their origin, they spawn. A water temp of 60-65 is required; then they head for the salt.

Edited March 19 by cheech

[baldadonis2002]

I don't usually equate spring with "out in front" ...

[DeepBlue85]

Edited for clarity

 

Most people don't... there are fish to be caught however and as is often the case, go overlooked by people who think bays are the only option.  Anything caught in the area are all resident fish until (APROXIMATELY) around april 20th when spawned out fish start filtering in from the Chesapeake.  A varying part of the population dont spawn every year and some stay in areas conducive to feeding.

Edited March 24 by DeepBlue85

[pakalolo]

Not really , but do continue.

[RyanPost]

8 hours ago, DeepBlue85 said:

Most people don't... there are fish to be caught however and as is often the case, go overlooked by people who think bays are the only option.  Anything caught in the area are all resident fish until around april 20th when spawned out fish start filtering in from the Chesapeake.  A varying part of the population dont spawn every year and some stay in areas conducive to feeding.

There is no chance that all the bass until April 20th are residents... Last year March 25th we were getting Migratory fish in the bays.... 

[DeepBlue85]

Fish will "migrate" to surrounding local waters however won"t complete the the full cycle of a spawn, that's a resident fish. A migratory fish is one that went south, wintered, and returned the following spring to complete a spawn in it's respective spawning territory.  Resident fish show up first from local ocean or bays and during exceptionally warm winters such as last, more fish than normal tend to do that, some never leave their summering waters at all.  So when that fish shows up in a bay an has lice in march....dosnt meen it's part of spawned migratory fish.  It's a resident fish that stayed in the area, sometimes no further than ny bite or peconic bay, etc, etc, etc......

April 20th isnt a hard line number and it represents observations from areas I fished for 20 years.  Often times its earlier, sometimes its later and sometimes it's more obvious in the fish caught, other times less so.  That's an approximate date i'v found to be a consistent reference point from when small bass an schoolies turn into teen an 20's for the rest of the season which likely represent spawned out chesepeak fish or early spawned hudson fish. 

Also consider the housatonic where fish of different sizes remain in the river all year, resident fish.  Consider old areas right here on long island of which there is a current active thread, all resident fish and the list of places where resident fish live is a long one and you can be sure any March bass your catching are also resident fish from surrounding bay or ocean waters.

Edited March 24 by DeepBlue85

[mnedbalsky]

I have been out to RM & SM front and back with nothing going on the past couple of weeks.  Encouraged to see some of the guys throwing clams showing up.  Maybe I might catch a fish?  (Seems I've been the only person looking for holdout fish the past couple of months.)

 

Been out to Captree a handful of times the last week or so.  Nothing going on.  Haven't caught a fish since late December.  Honestly I'm not sure how hard I've tried.  I can't wait for early mornings, sunrise, sand eels, and healthy hungry stripers.  Tight lines

[the3fishheads]

Gannets were dive bombing by the inlet close to the beach yest  Moving east fast. 

[the3fishheads]

They fight great but taste like ****.