Long Island’s Other Striper Run
As seen in
Worldwide Angler Magazine
By CAPTAIN ANDREW LOCASCIO
It was first light on an outgoing tide. My clients and I were
drifting toward a submerged rock pile 30 yards ahead when my sonar
screen began marking huge boomerangs. It could mean only one thing -
we were moments away from our first big striper of the morning.
Right on cue, the live bait closest to the rock pile surfaced and
swam in tight corkscrews. I grabbed the rod and pulled the bait out
of harms way as my client picked up a fly rod and threw a large
streamer directly behind the swirling bait. After a few fast strips
the fly winked out of site - fish on! A healthy 25-pound class
striper began putting the 9-weight outfit to the test. Two more big
bass engulfed the other baits before we could clear them. Within a
few minutes, all three fish were landed and released.
Why such a concentration of quality fish? It’s the spring striper
run in the western end of Long Island Sound. What makes this
experience more amazing are the logistics - my clients made it back
to New York City in time for their lunch meeting. I picked them up
later that afternoon on the eastern side of Manhattan and we headed
back out to Long Island Sound. The evening was spent working
open-water bunker schools with big live baits and chunks. The action
was non-stop until sunset, with the largest fish just under 40
pounds.
LOGISTICS
Anglers traveling to the New York City area in late spring have a
unique opportunity to experience one of the finest and most
consistent trophy striped bass bites in the world. Not only is there
a concentration of fantastic fish, but the logistics seem almost
absurd. Most of the charter operations that specialize in this
fishery are based in Port Washington, Long Island, or in City Island
and New Rochelle on the mainland. Charters with faster boats offer
pickups in Manhattan and in nearly every port on the south shore of
the mainland. Another option is to take a 30 to 45 minute train ride
or car service from Manhattan. There is no “roughing it” in the
western sound. Run times on the water tend to be short, water
conditions are typically calm and there are excellent accommodations
and dining throughout the area.
BIOLOGY OF A BITE Striped bass have two major
spawning stocks – Chesapeake Bay fish and Hudson River fish. Both
populations migrate north in spring and tend to summer in New
England and western Long Island. Most Chesapeake fish migrate along
the south shore of Long Island while Hudson fish use Long Island
Sound. The fish we target tend to have more girth than the
Chesapeake fish and really put on a show when hooked! By late April
or early May, the Hudson spawners start to move out of the river,
passing beneath the Throgs Neck Bridge and into the western sound.
They come out in waves, progressing from west to east. The speed of
their migration is tempered by the availability of bait. A specific
group of fish may linger in an area for several days if the bait is
thick. Savvy charter captains have a good idea of the composition
and location of each body of fish and where they’re headed.
The western portion of Long Island Sound is fairly narrow and
crannied, with dozens of prime striper spots on both the north and
south shores. The trophy spring bite usually lasts through mid-July,
provided the water stays cool. By late July most of the big fish
have headed north and schoolie stripers and monster bluefish take
over. The truly big stripers don’t return again in numbers until
late September.
The western sound’s trophy striper bite is very diverse. At dawn,
shallow, protected waters typically produce the most fish. As the
sun moves higher the bite shifts to the deeper waters. By sundown,
as the stripers become more active, bunker schools in open water
start to produce. Some of the best action occurs around these
schools as anglers use big treble hooks to snag bunker, then drop
them back into the bait ball. Occasionally, the big bass will blitz
a school of bunker and large Yo-Zuri Surface Cruisers and
Crystal
Minnow Magnums are deadly. Anglers use big lures for maximum casting
distance and surface commotion. Chunking, though not as glamorous or
challenging as live-lining bait, plugging, or fly fishing, provides
excellent action after dark.
THE CHARTERS
This bite is best experienced in smaller center consoles and
pilothouse boats using live bait and fly fishing. A typical trip may
include fishing in waters as shallow as three feet or as deep as 90.
The day usually starts with a few minutes of tossing a cast net for
bait, then a high speed ride to potential hot spots. It’s not
unusual to catch a dozen or more legal size fish on a half-day trip.
Many of these fish are over 20 pounds, with a fair share topping 30
and 40 pounds (the western sound rarely gives up 50’s). Most of the
bait fishing is done on conventional 20-pound and 30-pound tackle,
while 8-weight and 9-weight fly rods are sufficient. Individual
captains have their own gear preferences, so it’s a good idea to
discuss in advance. Area charters cater to the traveling angler; all
you need to bring is a camera. The largest fish are all females, so
many of the captains encourage release, but anglers often take fish
home. It is important to let the captain know at the time of booking
that you intend to keep a fish.
Though there’s no such thing as a sure thing when it comes to
fishing, the spring trophy bass bite in western Long Island Sound is
about as close as it gets. Add a day or two to your travels and see
what the bite is all about.
