Posted on April 23rd, 2018
It was a really nice spring day today with warm temps that started with no wind at all. The wind did pick up a bit out of the southeast this afternoon and although it cooled things down on the water, it was still tolerable to fish in. I was able to get out and take advantage of the conditions, but was unable to capitalize on my opportunity and put 0 fish in the boat. Thankfully there were better anglers than me out there today.
Matt at Fenwick Tackle sent me this photo of the biggest flounder that I’ve seen this season. Alyson Airey caught this 26.5″, 7.5 pound doormat of a flounder while bucktailing at the route 90 bridge yesterday evening. Congratulations Alyson! Nice fish!
Things are picking up at the Oceanic Pier as the weather and water warm up. Bear reported that Steve from Oswego, NY caught the first keeper flounder of the season this morning on the pier when he reeled in this nice 20″er. Steve was using squid and finger mullet on the outgoing tide.
Bear and JJ have reported that there are lots of shad and rockfish being caught on the outgoing tide from the pier. Webmaster Bob Haltmeier caught and released 28 small rockfish last night in about :30 minutes. It was literally every cast with spec rigs. The fish are in the 15″ to 22″ size range. There are also loads of hickory shad being caught from the pier on the outgoing. Joe here caught a big one this morning.
I had one bite at the Verrazano bridge this afternoon before I had to call it quits, but I watched Big Bird Cropper and Dave catch a couple of schoolie sized rockfish. Dave and Bird ended up releasing 11 short rock casting Bird’s Roy Rig in 58 degree water.
