JOHN J. FRITZ MEMORIAL PIER – SMITH POINT COUNTY PARK, NY

For as long as I can remember, Narrow Bay at the western border of Moriches Bay has been a hotspot for local action. Whether you were bottom bouncing worms or mussels for flounder, or casting bucktails for stripers and blues, the area always seems to produce some action. In fact, this area is usually one of the first spots to get going after the winter months. To make the area even more appealing, it is sheltered from hard north or south winds, allowing shorebound anglers to fish even when the wind blows.

Narrow Bay is located in between Moriches Bay to the east and Bellport Bay to the west. For years, anglers had limited shorebound options for the area. The Smith Point Bridge shoreline was an option, but there is no pier. Cranberry Dock on the north side is another, but parking was very limited, and the dock is fairly small. Boaters always fared well in the area, and they were usually within casting range of shorebound anglers.

Thanks to the efforts of Suffolk County, and the late John Fritz, we now have a legitimate pier that reaches out into Narrow Bay, bringing you closer to the action. The pier actually opened with a ribbon cutting ceremony on July 21, 2011.

The pier measures 12 feet in width, and 150 feet in length. It also offers a 27-foot long covered area in case the weather turns ugly, or if you just want a break from the summer sun. The pier reaches out into Narrow Bay 95 feet, bringing you within an easy cast to deeper waters. The pier is situated very close to the buoy 2 and 4 area of Narrow Bay. This is prime turf for flounder, fluke, stripers, blues, and even some sea bass and porgies in the deeper holes.

I recently spoke with Craig of Smith Point Bait and Tackle and he pointed out that since the pier opened, the spring run for stripers and blues has been fantastic. In fact, anglers this past year caught blues on the surface while throwing pencil poppers from the structure.

Craig also noted that blue claw crabbing is very good, while snapper fishing for the kids and adults makes for an enjoyable day on the pier. For bottom bouncers, a worm or clam bait will entice kingfish in the late spring and summer months. Are you an early riser? Soft plastics, sand worms or jelly worms have produced some weakfish during the early morning hours.

Tackle for fishing the pier can be as simple as a seven- to eight-foot spinning rod and 12- to 15-pound-test monofilament. This rod and reel set-up will work fine for flounder, kingfish and weakfish. For stripers and blues, you might want to opt for a longer rod in the eight- to ten-foot class, which will aid in longer casts. For snapper fishing, a light duty six-foot rod and eight-pound-test line will suffice. If you plan on bottom fishing, you will need sinkers from one to four ounces, depending on the current flow. For bait, sandworms, squid, spearing, clams and bunker are the prime baits, while live eels are an option for nighttime striper forays.

The pier is located within Smith Point County Park in the northeast corner of the main parking lot. To access the park, simply take any of the main east/west highways to William Floyd Parkway. Head south on William Floyd and after crossing the drawbridge over Narrow Bay, bear left around the traffic circle and you’re at the park. From May 28 through September 11, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., there is a fee to park. However, early morning or late afternoon anglers will have the pleasure of using the pier and parking, free of charge.

Editor’s Note: The pier is named in honor of John Fritz, former chairman of the Suffolk County Board of Trustees of Parks, Recreation and Conservation and the Sporting Advisory Council, who passed away in 2008.