The Season- A Rundown 2023

[WLIStless]

Took kayak out the other night in WLIS. Marked nothing until I quit and went into marina. Noticed that there was a cinder worm hatch going in full force. Pink clouds of them with boils all over. Had nothing to match the hatch. Ended up catching a few pulling soft plastics through the clouds like smaller fish feeding. Otherwise, everything I threw was ignored. Also ended up with some fluke as by catch. 

[Richizzzle]

Went out east for fathers day.

 

 

On the boat,

Acres of bass and blues on sandeels, tons of fish over 20lbs a few 30s and 2 over 45lb. Maybe 4 or 5 schoolie size the whole trip. 

 

Giant tuna going crazy maybe 1/2-3/4 mile offshore.

 

From the surf

Decent sized bluefish and schoolie bass on SS littlenecks during first 2-3 hours of incoming then dead

 

 

The ain't no fish on the western ss because they are all at this giant bait party out east lol.

 

Was a blast.

 

[HYB_Living]

9 hours ago, HarryHood711 said:

I've all about given up on the western SS front. Seeing tons of bait, tons of birds working, can't find anything. Surprised like Low said nothing on the lip

 

On 6/19/2023 at 9:12 AM, LowEnd said:

Went out this morning for the first time in a week.

Only hit I got., 33”.
The beach is littered with sand fleas and for some reason I can’t find bass on the lip.

Well ain’t that something, these past 2 weeks my spring season has been completely revived by bass feeding on the lips. It’s even brought out a small day time bite for me and once the darkness arrives it’s been incredible during the strong parts of the tide. Crazy how fishing works. This past moon into this weekend is probably going to be the last real shot I give it for bass until late summer/early fall. Time for all the cool fish we get in our summer waters.

[HarryHood711]

1 min ago, HYB_Living said:

 

Well ain’t that something, these past 2 weeks my spring season has been completely revived by bass feeding on the lips. It’s even brought out a small day time bite for me and once the darkness arrives it’s been incredible during the strong parts of the tide. Crazy how fishing works. This past moon into this weekend is probably going to be the last real shot I give it for bass until late summer/early fall. Time for all the cool fish we get in our summer waters.

Wow that is something. I haven’t had a fish in two weeks, have had a great spring so I’m not mad but it’s good to know the front is still producing. I plan to get out still a few nights this week and possibly over the weekend. 

[LowEnd]

Got out this morning from 2 hours. Grabbed the 9’ to do some smaller presentations now that it is summer. As I pull out the driveway I realize my summer pattern out front did not work last weekend.

Went back to the bay and found some bass. Landed 8 shorts and one slot at 29”. Lots of hits and misses but couldn’t get a hook in them all. 
This season has been a strange one for sure. Lots of senarios that were money in the past have been a bust so far this year.
 

[LowEnd]

Did the same trip this morning different results.  Not as many hits and it was slow at first. Got 4 bass in the dark and 2 at first light 22”-25”. 
Top water has been slow, they are not coming up good. Can’t figure that one out as the fish I’ve been getting are by slow rolling a bomber  just below the surface. So the are feeding near the top of the water column.

Even BT’s and the Redfin didn’t work.

Bugs are insane!

[HYB_Living]

On 6/24/2023 at 7:53 AM, LowEnd said:

Got out this morning from 2 hours. Grabbed the 9’ to do some smaller presentations now that it is summer. As I pull out the driveway I realize my summer pattern out front did not work last weekend.

Went back to the bay and found some bass. Landed 8 shorts and one slot at 29”. Lots of hits and misses but couldn’t get a hook in them all. 
This season has been a strange one for sure. Lots of senarios that were money in the past have been a bust so far this year.
 

Gotta agree on that, my previous logs didn’t hold true to where I had success this year. I’m assuming it’s a mix of warmer water temperature early that eventually steadied out later into the spring along with all the dredging for the various areas where I fish since I typically prefer the front/inlets once the water temps allow it after the early spring back bay fishing. And of course the classic “should of been here last night”. Just the way she goes. 

[WLIStless]

Went out on my kayak last night for most of the outgoing. Tough to find a good drift as wind was against tide. Came inside breakwater and it was piles of bunker and (a first for me) blood worms swimming around. So obviously the only lure that worked was a black 4" soft darter....Nothing above 26". Surface temp was at 68-69, so I'm thinking all migrating fish are well gone at this point.

[HYB_Living]

5 hours ago, WLIStless said:

Went out on my kayak last night for most of the outgoing. Tough to find a good drift as wind was against tide. Came inside breakwater and it was piles of bunker and (a first for me) blood worms swimming around. So obviously the only lure that worked was a black 4" soft darter....Nothing above 26". Surface temp was at 68-69, so I'm thinking all migrating fish are well gone at this point.

Looks like we got our first steady wave of heat coming in for the first week of July right on queue. Most migratory fish will be well gone 

[gotrings]

this one is for @LowEnd lol

[cheech]

My yak fishing for bass and blues on the Western Sound has been abysmal thus far. Rips, rocks, sod banks, inshore, offshore, jigging, trolling deep and shallow, rubber, plugs, nada. 
   It’s too early for the summer doldrums, Fall can’t get here soon enough.

[zemilideias]

Yeah,  WLIS bassing has been pretty much a miss this spring.  I was laid up early season and by the time I got out end of May all my spots seemed to have dried up. This has never happened before. I'm wondering whether or not the holdovers have decided that WLIS is no long their turf...or the 2015 class grew up and moved out an on? Blues have returned and have been a welcome replacement, but still somewhat hit or miss--I hook into 10 gators one day and none the next. 

[CWitek]

13 hours ago, zemilideias said:

Yeah,  WLIS bassing has been pretty much a miss this spring.  I was laid up early season and by the time I got out end of May all my spots seemed to have dried up. This has never happened before. I'm wondering whether or not the holdovers have decided that WLIS is no long their turf...or the 2015 class grew up and moved out an on? Blues have returned and have been a welcome replacement, but still somewhat hit or miss--I hook into 10 gators one day and none the next. 

Funny, but my experience has been just the opposite.

 

I'm probably not fishing quite as far west as you are--I've been fishing in the general area of the Connecticut/New York border--but June saw a lot of fish pushing what looks like small sand eels.  It has slowed down a lot now, but much of June provided the sort of first light spring pencil popper bite that I haven't seen for a while; it reminds me of the fishing back in the '70s.  I'm also fishing from a boat, which could make a big difference.

 

Unfortunately, another aspect reminded me of the '70s, too.  There were no really small fish.  With few exceptions, everything was five pounds or so and up, with a fair scattering of 2015s and some a little bigger.  Doesn't bode well for the future.

[zemilideias]

32 mins ago, CWitek said:

Funny, but my experience has been just the opposite.

 

I'm probably not fishing quite as far west as you are--I've been fishing in the general area of the Connecticut/New York border--but June saw a lot of fish pushing what looks like small sand eels.  It has slowed down a lot now, but much of June provided the sort of first light spring pencil popper bite that I haven't seen for a while; it reminds me of the fishing back in the '70s.  I'm also fishing from a boat, which could make a big difference.

 

Unfortunately, another aspect reminded me of the '70s, too.  There were no really small fish.  With few exceptions, everything was five pounds or so and up, with a fair scattering of 2015s and some a little bigger.  Doesn't bode well for the future.

Interesting. Yes, I'm a bit farther west than you, closer in to the city and along Nassau's N. Shore.  Funny, LAST year was a first light spring pencil popper bite for me that wouldn't stop. It was amazing. And that was mostly absent this year. 

 

Like you, I'm worried bout the fact that (for the last 2-3 years) I've seen very few little fish. Mostly slot on up.

 

And I'm a shore fisherman. The boats are doing well. The inlets and bays are not, however. 

 

Just trying to understand the shift.

 

And, of course, the blues are back! 

[Deserteagle778]

Been working hard this weekend to find the fish. Hit a bunch of quality fish. Was a super fun outing. Has anyone ever ran into a ghost? It was the scariest **** I've ever experienced. I've been hitting this spot for 2 years now. Last year everytime i past a certain point in my walk i'd hear a noise. This night i heard a noise then i saw a dark silhouette, the shadow or spirit was sitting and got up when I was in 10 ft of it. I turned my light on and it was gone. Very scary but still trying to make sense of the entire situation. May not go back to this spot ... it's obviously haunted.