Tanner Park is located at the foot of Wilson Ave in Amityville, while the East-West Channel runs directly in front of the pier. For as long as I can remember, this area has played host to great fishing for boaters and shore anglers alike; and throughout the year.
Over the years, this area is a staple in the reports Bob Rose of Bob’s Bait and Tackle gives me every week. Over the last 10 years or more, the report is almost a repeat of the week, and even the year before – nothing short of great action.
With flounder basically a forgotten species, the best action starts up in April when some school stripers begin to show. When flounder were around in numbers, anglers would change out the light wire flounder hook to a slightly heavier wire porgy hook. A small piece of sandworm is all you need for the stripers. When May rolled in, racer blues and fluke show in force. Fluke can be found on typical spearing and squid strips or bucktails, while the blues are best caught in the early a.m. on larger topwater plugs. As the summer unfolds, kingfish and blowfish become an angler’s best friend off the pier. Anglers will score buckets of the good eating blowfish, with worms and even squid producing well. Rounding out the pier action is crabbing. Crabbing will last from May until deep into November at times with traps and chicken-on-a-string used to load up.
As fall unfolds, stripers will return, and anglers can sometimes see a few blackfish as well. Leaving the pier and fishing the area with a private boat is something any angler that lives close by, never passes up. The East-West Channel is a definitive hot spot for boaters throughout the year. The channel is a unique area with currents filtering in and out through both inlets – Jones and Fire Island. Depending on wind and tide/current, it could be pushing real hard east one day, then during the same phase, pushing west the next.
Once stripers begin to show, anglers can expect fish from school size to 40-plus pounds taking trolled umbrellas, Mojos or shad rigs. This is a real popular spot for local anglers as it is close to a lot of docks and canals, making for a quick stop on the way out or in an easy task. If you want to work the night tide, try drifting live eels or bellies from the pier to the Copiague Hole. Another great option for striper hounds would be to drift sandworms in the early a.m. Blues can also be trolled up by boat or casted too, just watch for early a.m. bird activity and there is a good chance blues are under them.
Weakfish have been solid the last several years with anglers seeing plenty of keeper fish in the 2 to 5-pound class, and the occasional 6 to 10-pounder. Similar to the action remaining steady year-after-year, weakfish baits have not changed at all except we don’t have Salty Dogs anymore. Soft plastics, small Ava tins tipped with sandworms or grass shrimp will all work.
As the fall approaches, stripers again become the focus for boaters. In fact, Bob said the best timeframe for large bass always seems to be October just as the baseball playoffs are set to begin. However, even before that late season action, September begins a solid period of bass at night on eels. By daylight clam bellies, live bunker, bergalls, legal size porgies and spot account for larger fish as well.
Before heading out to Tanner Park, stop by Bob’s for all the up-to-date info on what’s happening and what the best bait or lure is working. And, always remember that Bob custom ties some of the best rigs around. He will tie any color or bead combination you want from porgy, fluke, bass and more.
