SORE THUMB SURF, NY

If you’ve spent time around veteran casters from the Fire Island area, you have no doubt heard stories about this prime piece of surf fishing real estate located at the mouth of Fire Island Inlet. Unfortunately, many of those stories date back to the 60s, 70s, 80s and early 90s when much of this structure was still intact. A series of vicious nor’easters gradually took their tool on the pile of rock and rubble that made up this structure, washing out the center and leaving two prominent piles of rubble with a sandy cove between them, today.

For decades, any striperman worth his salt knew that a strong nor’easter was as certain to produce big stripers and blues here, as the Yankees making the playoffs. And, the harder it blew, the better the fishing. The infamous Halloween storm of “Perfect Storm” fame was a classic example as those of us able to make it over the bridge before it was closed, and onto the Thumb before the road flooded out, blitzed big bass and blues at the height of the tempest. While the Thumb was probably best known as “the place to be” during a nor’easter, there was plenty of good fishing under normal conditions. The coves of the original structure surrendered quality stripers on a regular basis for those lobbing big metal-lip swimmers tight to the rocks, and the September mullet run saw consistently good action here as departing schools of mullet hugged the rocks during their exit from the inlet.

I could go on and on about the past, but the fact is that “the Thumb” still has good potential for surfcasters willing to adapt to the changes in structure and currents that have taken, and continue to, take place here. Nestled between Oak Beach and Cedar Beach, “The Thumb” is accessible to Town of Babylon residents with a town 4×4 fishing permit, and those with a State Beach Vehicle permit. The off-road entrance is located on the south side of Ocean Parkway, between Cedar Beach and Oak Beach.

The Thumb remains a good bet during nor’easters as the flushing currents keep the water relatively clean and fishable. Bucktails of 3 to 5 ounces, or 9- and 10-inch rubber shads fished down on the bottom during outgoing water can produce some good action off of either the east or west points on day and night tides. Live eels drifted out in the rips remain a good bet to connect you to a decent striper, and maybe even a weakfish, on night tides. Speaking of weakfish, late summer and early fall present an opportunity to tangle with quality weaks for those tossing live snappers on fishfinder rigs from the east face of “The Thumb” on the last of the incoming and first of the outgoing tide. While the last two years were disappointing in this department, keep it in mind for when the weaks make a return engagement.

For those who like to work large metal-lips like the Giant Pikie or Cowboys, many big stripers have fallen to these plugs here, though not with the consistency of years past. The east point is a prime location to fish these plugs, but you should know that the reef extending south from the point is likely to claim some of these valuable lures. The sandy cove between the two points is always worth some casts with a popper or metal lip, especially at first light. At times, bass and blues will herd baits like bunker or mullet into the cove, making for some easy pickings.

The shallow cove on the backside is worth some attention near the top of the tide, especially during the midnight watch. Bass and weaks prowl these shallows looking to root out sandeels. Work it with floating swimming plugs like Bombers, Redfins and Hellcats. In the summer, light tackle and bucktails tipped with squid, spearing or Gulp will keep you entertained catching mostly short fluke from the cove’s shoreline. Under the right wind conditions, and minus boat traffic, good casters can pick a quality bass or two by firing large pencil poppers to the edge of the Oak Beach Bar from the east face of the Thumb.

So while the Thumb may not be what it used to be, it remains a key piece of structure at the gateway to Fire Island Inlet, and as you can see, offers plenty of options for the caster willing to take the time to learn its many faces.