hot spot

With year-round cod action and summertime addition of shark, tuna and billfish, this is a highly-productive section of Southern New England.

A look at some of the fishy structure contained within the northern confines of Coxes Ledge.

Are you looking for that December striped bass? Well here are some options in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut waters.

An excellent location with a variety of angling opportunities for both shore and boat anglers alike.

A great surf spot to hit in the fall or when a big storm is brewing out front.

Located close to the Connecticut River, this spot hosts striped bass, bluefish, black sea bass and even false albacore at different times throughout the season.

The fall season of 2017 along the western end of Long Island Sound went into the history books as one of the best weakfish runs in recent times. Open, charter and private boats from City Island to as far east as Port Jefferson enjoyed exceptional and unorthodox weakfish catches while sinker bouncing for scup, sea bass and believe it or not; blackfish. One of those hotspots that has made a resurgence several seasons in hiatus is Matinecock Point, which hopefully will again produce exceptional weakfishing and good fishing for other species this season.

This past February I headed up to Terminal Tackle in Kings Park to pick John Richy’s brain regarding the tidal reaches of the Nissequogue River. Located on the North Shore in Smithtown, it is home to some excellent angling opportunities for saltwater boaters, anglers wading the top end for tidal trout, and the surf crowd.

I haven’t seen an aerial shot yet but my understanding is the breach/old inlet got much bigger. Last year I was stupid enough to try and fish the mouth of the breach. I had to turn around due to the draft (22 inches) of my boat. So I settled on the next best thing. I fished the very clear clean water that flows around the breach.

Spanning between Queens and the Bronx, the Throgs Neck Bridge may be better known for its traffic jams and ongoing road construction, but for anglers the reality is that the bridge and its surrounding waters provide excellent potential for tangling with some of our most popular inshore gamefish. Some of the Metropolitan area’s best fluke, striped bass and bluefish action occurs around the bridge and nearby waters. The combination of deep water, strong currents and a structure-rich bottom makes this ideal habitat for this popular trio.

Gardiners Bay is approximately 10 miles long and 8 miles wide, and sits between the two forks at the eastern end of Long Island. It is bounded on its eastern end, where it connects to Block Island Sound by Gardiners Island, a small island 6 miles long and 3 miles wide. Gardiners Bay is part of the Peconic Bay Estuary, which is rich in shellfish and crustaceans. Blue claw crab, oysters, hard shell clams, scallops and conch are abundant throughout the area, making this piece of water a fisherman’s paradise as the abundance of food attracts myriad bottom dwellers and gamefish.

Spanning the western complex of Jamaica Bay from Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn to Fort Tilden in the Rockaways, the Marine Parkway Bridge, also known as the Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge, sets the stage for some fine all around action on a variety of species through the course of the season.

Along the west side of Shelter Island in Peconic Bay is a landmark and fishing hotspot known as the Greenlawns. The name is derived from a pair of mansions side by side of each other with identical size lawns distinguishing the location. While the landscape and scenery may be impressive, it is certainly not the reason why anglers cluster around this area each season. The opportunity for a double digit fluke is the draw for many anglers heading to the North Fork. The odds of catching that prize fluke this season increased with the starting date of fluke season in 2018 moved up to May 4. In 2017, fluke season opened on May 17, and many captains and anglers felt that most of the big fluke had already exited the bay by then. Early May is also prime time for big sea porgies that are usually willing to suck down clam baits by their season opener of May 1.

Nestled between the North Haven Peninsula and Jessup Neck and southward of the western end of Shelter Island and part of the Peconic Bay estuary sits Noyack Bay. According to Ken Morse of Tight Lines Bait and Tackle in Sag Harbor, this pristine and tranquil body of water can provide some serious fishing action.

The Old Grounds are named as such for a reason. Many moons ago, sailing ships would drop their ballast rock in the area in order to prepare to enter the shallower Delaware Bay waters. Those jettisoned ballast rocks are what make up a big bulk of the Old Grounds area.

Imagine a fishing pier situated along a main waterway with the potential of producing year round. Better yet a fishing pier you can fish safely around the clock with plenty of hassle free parking. Does such a pier really exist? Why it certainly does and in fact, year after year anglers from close and far head for the Magnolia Pier to take advantage of the angling opportunity that awaits them.