MIXED BAG ON THE JONES BEACH PIERS
Since Ed Walsh and Friendly’s (yes, that Friendly’s) took over operation of the Jones Beach Bait Station located on the boardwalk at Field 10, the fishing piers that sit at the shop’s doorstep have enjoyed a revival of sorts. The shop and piers now have a loyal following of anglers, with names like “Station Chef Victor,” “Danny The Tile Guy,” “Tom The Butcher,” Cigar Joe,” “Doc Mike,” “Ol’ Tom” and “Little Nancy.” Today, there is no shortage of hospitality and camaraderie to be found here and Ed has certainly gone the extra mile forster those feelings, even setting up a large pop-up canopy tent on the end of one of the piers duing a stretch of downpours so that patrons could fish comfortably.
While feeling welcome is one reason anglers now flock to this location, solid fishing is still the big draw. There has been no shortage of action on the piers over the last couple of seasons. I spoke to Ed following a brief stint on the docks early this month and he rattled off an impressive list of fish he had taken during that relatively short effort. It included more than 20 sea bass, ten blowfish, and lesser numbers of snappers, bluefish, fluke and kingfish. That’s a heck of a lot of action, albeit a good percentage of the fish fell short of size limits.
Whether it’s an increase in the amount of effort, that the fishing opportunities there have been better publicized since the opening of the bait shop, or the fishing is just that much better, is hard to say. What is easy to see is that these piers, located on prime fishing turf between the Wantagh and Meadowbrook bridges, offer shorebound anglers a very good opportunity to score with a variety of species, even beyond those mentioned in Ed’s tally. The quality of some of the fish is on par with many locations available only to boatmen.
%pullstart%These piers, located on prime fishing turf between the Wantagh and Meadowbrook bridges, offer shorebound anglers good opportunity to score with a variety of species.%pullend%Flounder catches have been surprisingly good the past two springs as evidenced by the results of the station’s annual flounder derby. The location of the piers, in the heart of prime back-bay striper territory, provides pier anglers with a better than average shot at connecting with a striper or two. Nighttime certainly provides the best opportunity to tangle with stripers as the fish prowl the dock lights looking for an easy meal. As recently as a couple of weeks ago, a fair number of weakfish were found prowling the piers long after the sun had gone down. Come next month’s opening of blackfish season (October 8 to December 4), tog will become another viable target from these structures. A number of good size blacks were caught and released from the piers this spring, giving hope they will reappear this fall.
Once blackfish season shuts down, herring become a likely candidate to provide action from late November through March. As with anywhere else, some winters can be a virtual bust, and others a bonanza for those intent on pickled herring.
The cycle begins all over again come spring as founder, fluke, stripers and blues all become viable targets once the calendar strikes May. But, if you are just looking to bend a rod, and maybe get the kids into a few fish, the next month should continue to see solid mixed bag action on the piers.
Parking for the piers is at Jones Beach Field #10 and those anglers who possess a State Park Night/Sportfishing Permit ($25 annual fee) or a Beach Vehicle Permit are able to probe the fall’s night tides for stripers. Bass action is certainly not limited to the hours of darkness, but your best shot at a big bass will most likely come after the sun goes down. Stripers to 30 pounds have been landed on the piers the past couple of seasons, and bigger fish have been lost to inferior tackle.
The reopening of the Jones Beach Bait Station a couple of seasons back has provided pier patrons with a reliable source of fresh bait, tackle and some good eats. The station also hosts a healthy schedule of tournaments over the course of the season. Ed Walsh, the shop’s manager, keeps close tabs on all the activity taking place on the piers and is an excellent source of up-to-date information. He can be reached at 631-559-5938.
