On the earth of an angler on Lengthy Island, the month of Might signifies the official welcoming of a cherished season. When spring bursts forth, the terrestrial world comes alive with blossoming bushes, signaling a surge of life taking place concurrently in our native aquatic world, though in a extra refined vogue that solely saltwater anglers appear to note. The blooming vegetation on land are nature’s telltale signal for the arrival of among the fish species we stay to chase. Many of those, as chances are you’ll already know, made their presence recognized all through a very good portion of the island’s bays throughout April. With water temperatures rising in our backwaters, these areas come to life with baitfish, inevitably drawing in predators on their tails that inevitably change into prey to anglers like us.
For many of the month, nearly all of fishing takes place within the bays, no matter which species you’re after. Most fish, like striped bass, weakfish, and fluke, choose to remain inside a sure vary of appropriate temperatures, and the coastal oceanic waters don’t fairly supply that but. The ocean does have its moments, however the chew is often inconsistent this time of yr. Our bays and backwater areas, with their smaller volumes of water, shallow depths, and muddy bottoms, heat up a lot quicker than the ocean. Not solely are these locations extra snug for greater fish, they’re additionally a nursery for spearing, grass shrimp, bunker, squid, and lots of different varieties of baitfish. It’s an all-you-can-eat buffet.
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Striped Bass
On the western reaches of the island, stripers have already been caught frequently because the starting of April. Might is when this motion actually turns into widespread, together with some nicer fish beginning to make their transfer into the waters of japanese Lengthy Island. Sizzling schoolie motion is a blast, particularly after an extended winter of unbent rods. As enjoyable as it’s, many people are nonetheless searching for a better problem and finally hunt down some fish that truly pull drag. The western half of the island often has the bigger stripers all through most of Might, however additionally they transfer by means of some areas out east comparatively early, if you realize the place to look. Focus your efforts on the evening tides to enhance your odds of discovering a giant college staging between strikes.
By the top of the month, bigger fish must be available all through Lengthy Island’s waters. Contemplating the areas that we fish this time of yr—again bays, marshes, and estuaries—and the varieties of forage species current in them, gentle sort out is king. Personally, I really like fishing fly rods with small baitfish patterns. Spinning sort out will also be enjoyable if you happen to preserve your setup on the lighter finish of the spectrum. When throwing small smooth plastics and topwaters in the course of the day, a 7-foot medium-power rod with a 3000-size spinning reel is good. This additionally works nice at evening for throwing small swimming plugs.
Weakfish
In Might of 2023, a number of components of the island have been fortunate to have wonderful weakfish motion. They could be a little inconsistent of their return from yr to yr, however I believe we’re in for a very good run of them this month. A couple of weakfish might already be round as you learn this, and in the course of the first week of Might, they need to be shifting by means of the bays. Although among the lures we use for weakfish are the identical as for stripers, the strategies employed are totally different, particularly in the course of the daytime. Fishing for weakfish in the course of the day has extra in widespread with fluke fishing than it does with striped bass fishing. Not like their speckled southern cousins, weakfish have a tendency to remain deep throughout daytime. You possibly can usually discover them in deep holes within the bays, in anyplace from 20- to 40-foot depths. At evening, nevertheless, they could be feeding in shallower marshy areas. Small smooth plastics like 5” Lunker Metropolis Fin-S Fish or Berkley Gulp Jerk Shads are my favorites for weakies.
A light-weight spinning rod with 10- to fifteen braid and a 3/8- to ¾-ounce jighead is all you’ll want. When fishing deeper holes, I prefer to solid up-current, and let the lure swing down close to the underside on a gradual retrieve with some twitches and “hops” up from the underside. Be ready because the bait settles as a result of the strike will definitely not be “weak.”
For those who’re fishing for stripers within the marshes at evening, there may be at all times an opportunity that you simply’ll run into weakfish as bycatch. They are going to hit plugs, however after they get combined in, to keep away from pulled hooks, it’s a good suggestion to change to smooth plastics and go a bit of simpler in the course of the combat than you’d with bass.
Bluefish
As Might rolls on, the second week of the month often brings massive “racer” bluefish charging into our bays. The western South Shore inlets typically get them first, although not lengthy after their preliminary arrival, inlets to the east see them as nicely. These fish come into the bays lengthy, skinny, and voraciously hungry. Love them or hate them, they’re the baddest fish in our waters and can attempt to kill nearly any smaller fish that cross their path.
The one draw back to bluefish is that they have an inclination to scare off most of the weakfish after they arrive. Their sheer aggression not solely offers a very good combat (a lot tougher than most bass), but additionally brings superb topwater motion. You may as well do some early-season sight-fishing for blues, too, which makes them much more superior, for my part. As you progress by means of the bay, preserve an eye fixed out for fins slowly cruising on the floor. Place a topwater lure or fly anyplace forward of them, and they’re going to seemingly crush it.
Benefit from bluefish when you can as a result of nearly all of the large ones transfer out of the bays on the finish of the month to proceed their northward migration, leaving principally smaller ones behind.
Fluke
Whereas they will not be as “sporty” as different species, fluke certain are tasty and their season additionally opens this month. Fluke fishing is tremendous enjoyable when they’re within the bays, particularly with gentle sort out and bucktails. That is undoubtedly one of many extra “household pleasant” varieties of fishing in Might. South Shore bays and the Peconics close to Shelter Island often see the primary wave of motion early within the month. If sand eels take up residence, the japanese stretch of Lengthy Island Sound from Port Jeff to Mattituck might have some completely wild motion, which ought to construct because the month progresses. I nearly at all times choose jigging for fluke in shallow water within the bays, however drifting minimize bait like squid strips with a sinker rig is an efficient solution to bend the rod for newbies.
With inshore waters coming to life this month, there are a whole lot of choices to select from. You possibly can bail on morning schoolies to crush massive blues, fish for fluke within the afternoon, and go on the hunt for giant bass at evening, all in a day’s fishing. That’s one of many biggest issues about fishing in Might on Lengthy Island, so don’t let it go you by. Get on the market and put the time in. Might is the month!
Associated Content material
Spring Bluefish on Lengthy Island’s South Shore
How one can Catch Weakfish from Shore
Spring Fluke Fishing in Smithtown Bay
