The Season- A Rundown 2023

[LowEnd]

4 hours ago, GarbageFish said:

Upsetting amount of harvesting this morning from the stormr crowd… let em go!

Awesome that guys who show up with $2000 in gear can’t buy a $30 piece of fish to eat!

[Antek]

Not sure what happened with the holdover bite this year. My regular spot was blowing up with crazy action and multiple size classes at this time last year, but it’s been totally dead for me the last week. Went and hit up another local WLIS spot well-known for producing in the early Spring the last couple of nights, at different tide stages. There was a ton of bait in the water but I couldn’t buy so much as a tap. Guys who I trust told me that apart from one great night, it’s been dead there. Even the bait/bonfire crews were having no luck (and these guys get excited when they bring in a 15” bass on an 11’ super heavy bait rod). Out of desperation, I tried hitting the Hudson for the first time, in Westchester not far from the Tappan Zee. Out there for a few hours with both blood worms and lures, but nada, zilch. At this point, I’d have been happy if a catfish hit the worm. But, that’s how it goes sometimes.

Edited April 15 by Antek

[cheech]

I think the Sound will be several weeks behind this spring. I’ll wait till there is some reported Ct. action before trying the Western Sound. 
 The river fishing should have been on fire Feb through March, but it’s only getting on track now. 

[Antek]

2 hours ago, cheech said:

I think the Sound will be several weeks behind this spring. I’ll wait till there is some reported Ct. action before trying the Western Sound. 
 The river fishing should have been on fire Feb through March, but it’s only getting on track now. 

What’s the deal you think? Cold earlier Spring? Bait is around now, but not the bass. 

[Antek]

Went out last night at the start of the drop, hoping that the fog and drizzle might kick some action into gear. A couple of casts in with the blurple 5” Mag Darter and I got hit. Started peeling line off the drag but threw the hook. Few more casts and the Mag got slammed by a fat and angry lower slot bass. Rising water temps reflected in the fight it gave me — was a welcome break to my recent skunk string. That was it, however. After a several dozen more casts walking up and down the shore, with every lure I brought, and not so much as a tap, I called it a night. At this point, I’ll take it. Seems to just be a low density of holdovers here still. Now that bait is in the water, hoping that some more move in before the migratory fish arrive later.

[HYB_Living]

On 4/15/2023 at 4:38 PM, cheech said:

I think the Sound will be several weeks behind this spring. I’ll wait till there is some reported Ct. action before trying the Western Sound. 
 The river fishing should have been on fire Feb through March, but it’s only getting on track now. 

 

On 4/15/2023 at 7:25 PM, Antek said:

What’s the deal you think? Cold earlier Spring? Bait is around now, but not the bass. 

Interesting you say that. Maybe they'll be another mass of fish that run through the western sound but I feel like they're running and moving really quick through the rest of the island. I've never found so many fish this far east and south this time of year and I think this unseasonably warm weather is playing a role. My usual WLIS spots have very underwhelming of late

Edited April 17 by HYB_Living

[brushfly]

38 mins ago, HYB_Living said:

 

Interesting you say that. Maybe they'll be another mass of fish that run through the western sound but I feel like they're running and moving really quick through the rest of the island. I've never found so many fish this far east and south this time of year and I think this unseasonably warm weather is playing a role. My usual WLIS spots have very underwhelming of late

LIS Western Suffolk has had an arrival of larger schoolie - slot sized fish already. Earlier than I can ever remember, where our first fish are usually more around the Twinkie variety. An ample amount of peanut and adult bunker probably why. 

[HYB_Living]

1 hour ago, brushfly said:

LIS Western Suffolk has had an arrival of larger schoolie - slot sized fish already. Earlier than I can ever remember, where our first fish are usually more around the Twinkie variety. An ample amount of peanut and adult bunker probably why. 

I tend to agree, I think we're a bit ahead as opposed to behind. 

[LowEnd]

1 hour ago, HYB_Living said:

I tend to agree, I think we're a bit ahead as opposed to behind. 

For some reason the bass never came in to the bays in WLI sound. I fished it in Feb and March looking for a early start b/c of the mild winter, didn’t happen. April is usually full throttle but that was a bust so far.

Seems to me they moved east in deeper waters and bypassed the usual early season hot spots.

[HYB_Living]

1 min ago, LowEnd said:

For some reason the bass never came in to the bays in WLI sound. I fished it in Feb and March looking for a early start b/c of the mild winter, didn’t happen. April is usually full throttle but that was a bust so far.

Seems to me they moved east in deeper waters and bypassed the usual early season hot spots.

My March has been better than April so far. They came into and stayed at the usual suspected bays for what felt like only a week or so. I’ve moved onto spots I usually don’t progress into until at least end of the month. 

[liambrouillette]

It's never late 

[Antek]

Been a very slow pick of bass the last couple of nights on the night tides. Still slow but at least it gets the smell of the skunk off. As so often is the case in my darkest hour of need, the humble unloaded Redfin was pulling them when nothing else would. 

[cheech]

Possibly the last river striper till December! With the mid 50’s water temps the fish are racing north towards Federal dam in Albany. 
 Slowest spring river fishing I’ve seen in years. I hope  LI Sound is more impressive.
 

[LowEnd]

Slots and one over @ 38” this morning.

[Richizzzle]

2 hours ago, LowEnd said:

Slots and one over @ 38” this morning.

That Mud reminds me of a spot I once fell into up to my chest and had to crawl out of my waders and walk back to my car in my long johns.