SHOREHAM PIPELINE, NY

The Shoreham Pipeline is located just west of Wading River Creek, approximately one mile off the Shoreham jetty. “The Pipe” can be detected as an approximate 10-foot rise off the bottom. Once you have located it, any area along its length has the potential to produce fish.

This famous piece of Long Island Sound bottom strucuture is easily reached via Mt. Sinai or Port Jefferson harbors, and anglers can anticipate solid blackfish action here whenever the season is open. Green crabs, hermits and fiddlers, along with clams are the usual baits, although calico crabs work well, too. With an abundance of life forms attaching and living near the pipe, it is prime habitat for big blackfish. In fact, several fish over 10 pounds are caught here each season.

Water depth ranges mostly between 25 and 30 feet along the length of the pipe. Plan on using stout tackle in the 20-to 25-pound class, matched to a good revolving spool reel like a Shimano Tekota or Penn 975, for tog. Some anglers prefer mono, but I favor braid, with Power Pro, Berkley Fireline and Sufix 832 among my top choices. The braid allows you to feel the lightest of blackfish taps, and it aids in quickly getting the black’s head turned and away from any structure due to the lack of stretch.

%pullstart%The Shoreham Pipeline has a tendency to steal rigs, so come prepared with plenty of extra terminal tackle.%pullend%The Shoreham Pipeline has a tendency to steal rigs, so come prepared with plenty of extra terminal tackle. You can salvage some gear by tying an overhand knot to your sinker dropper, or by using lighter line on the three-way swivel to the sinker. This way, when the sinker becomes lodged, the lighter line will break and you’ll lose only the sinker while saving the rest of your terminal gear.

While Shoreham Pipeline has a solid reputation for producing good blackfishing, the area  also provides solid opportunities for sinker bouncers during the summer months. For the last several years, the porgy action here has been non-stop on both tides, with some anglers complaining they cannot get past the feisty scup to target some of the sea bass also found in the area. Striped bass sharpies manage to do quite well here, too, and blues are always a possibility due to the abundant food supply. Late summer will also find bonito and false albacore roaming the surface over the pipeline, giving light tackle enthusiasts and flyrodders a unique opportunity to tangle with these speedsters.

Some quality stripers are taken by anglers livelining legal-size porgies, while blues can be taken on artificials like poppers and tins, or on chunks of bunker or porgy.

For boaters with smaller craft, the Wading River Creek Launch has been refurbished with ample parking for 10 vehicles, but keep in mind that this is a Brookhaven Town Ramp limited to town residents.