Think Spring Fishing Forecast • Rons Recipe: "Porgy Paella" • Connetquot River State Park Update

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we have had some nice weather lately and the warmer conditions gave anglers an opportunity to fish the local lakes.  West Lake and the Great Patchogue Lake have been active with perch and trout.  Using nightcrawlers, small vibrax lures, and kastmaster have all been productive.

When fishing with worms all you need is a small bait holder hook and a bobber, then add a small piece of worm to the hook and watch the bobber until it brings to move and go under the water. Fishing with live shiners is very similar to worms but be sure to hook the fish through the back to avoid it coming off of the hook, also a longer leader is suggested because it will give the fish more space to swim. 

If live bait is not your thing try lures such as kastmasters and senkos. These lure are both common and easy to use for a Kastmaster simply cast it out and bring it back on a steady retrieve. A senko is best fished by casting it out and letting it repeatedly bounce off the bottom while reeling back to you.

Fly fisherman have also taken advantage of the nicer weather and ventured out to Connetquot River State Park  ( Freshwater Licenses is required ) for Rainbow and Brook trout. You can find fish to 20" . nymphs, wolley buggers and streamers are all producing. 

The Park has several fishing sessions per day.  8AM-12PM and 12PM-4PM. Fishermen are having a blast down there at either session. Tackle Tip: Typically we recommend an 7 to 8 foot rod with 4 to 6 weight line, and  flies with a little flash in them to target the bigger fish. 

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the store is stocking up on many of the fly fishing products to to use for an enjoyable day at the park. So stop down. Open 7 days. .

Brackish water has seen action with white perch and "holdover" striped bass. it’s been Pretty impressive that there have been reports of bass to 28".  Most fish have been caught on small bucktails and nightcrawlers, while targeting white perch.  No matter what the regulations are for stripers, in NY state they can be targeted in the closed season, but must be released.

Panfish, like crappie and blue gill, love a simple hook and worm.  ultra-lite tackle with a little Johnson beetle jig with or without the spinner always seems to create a good buzz under the water for these fish. These fish will also fall for small crank baits or small colorful top water lures, such as Rapala's. Casting them out and reeling in nice and slow, to allow a small wobble to take effect, and let the fish do the rest. Yellow perch will follow in suit to all these techniques but they will feed more towards the bottom of lakes and ponds.  

Pickerel are more of a tricky species to target. While they are super aggressive, they can also spook very easily. You will need to walk around the shore lines carefully. They tend to sit in little holes in the weed beds and wait for their next bait to fall to there ever sharp teeth and strong jaw. Top water baits slowly coming throw the nest works the best, but that doesn't mean you can land one of these fish with just that. They will take down small spoons or plastic swimming baits. Live sinners will produce the best fish if you can sneak one by their little weed homes, but regardless like anything else you can tackle these fish like most, on any ponds or lakes on the island . 

TROUT!!. All non tidal lakes and ponds are open to target these fish, expect for East lake in Patchogue. Most anglers love to target these fish with light tackle rods and reels, using little jigs such as small 1/16oz trout magnets, or Acme gold or silver kastmaster lures. Another go to lure I like to throw would be a vibrex blue fox spinner in 1/16th oz. or 1/8oz. Gold and silver typically produce better fish, but that does not mean other colors or lures wont work. Other anglers like to throw a small size 8 or 10 hook with a worm on it.   Local DEC typically sock these lakes late March in preparation for the opening day with healthy Brown and Rainbow trout, and if you are there when this happens you may just land yourself some nice fish.

 Porgy Paella

This is a 2 step meal. I use the grill and the side burner.

Another type of local and easy fishing would be for White Perch. All the local tidal creeks have fish in them. The key to finding them is to fish different tides and figure out when they will show up at certain areas. I like to fish the end of the incoming and the beginning of the outgoing. Some "go to baits" for white Perch are a piece of night crawler on a jig head or even a grass shrimp on a jig head. Another good method to catch white perch is using small soft plastic grubs on a jig head. Ill carry 1/16oz and 1/8oz; they'll do fine in most conditions. For rod and reel, use any ultralight setup with 4lb test line.

March is still a cold month for outdoor activities. However, we have the products to fend off the cold so you may enjoy one of Long Islands favorite activity. A pair of warm socks and a neoprene glove will keep you warm. Glacier Gloves have a great line of warm fishing gloves to fit every anglers hands and needs. 

On a closing note:

In past years March is a month of change, winter becomes spring, frozen water becomes thawed out, flowers start their spring bloom and fishing regulations start to be published. Here at J&J sports keep a close ear and eye out for theses Changes.  

The Fishing Line - February 10th Issue

In This Issue: Big Panfish Initiative (BPI) Update Ice Fishing for Yellow Perch Greater Niagara Fishing & Outdoor Expo - February 16-19 Fisheries Staff Spotlight - Justin Brewer, Aquatic Biologist Summer Employment Opportunities Baseline survey reports and report cards for the first year of the Big Panfish Initiative (BPI) study are now available on our website.