We love Spring on this island for so many reasons, none the least of which is the awesome skinny water fishing, and this Spring has yet to disappoint us, in fact it has been just the opposite, awesome. Most of the fish are concentrated on the north shore and the harbors, which is typical for this time of year, but what has been different is how long the big bait has stayed around. Both harbors and the north shore are loaded with Mackerel. This has made a difference thus far as usually the fish come to our shoreline this time of year to rest, warm up and feed some. The fish this spring are feeding heavily and already showing some girth.
In the last two days we have heard confirmed reports of Keepers being caught. Wednesday during the day John Colten go the first and Capt. Cam followed up in the afternoon and than last night a bunch more were reported including a 36 inch bomb!! We have caught plenty of fish in the 25-27 inch range as well, so we have some size around.
As to where to fish, there is no secret spot. Both Madaket and the main harbor have been producing as has the north shore. Do make sure you know what the tide is as many spots in the harbor only fish well around the high tide, while some only fish well around the low. Bottom line, the fish need 2-3 feet to feel comfotable, but much more than that, they can struggle pinning bait. So our recommendation is to fish mid to high tide ad find a shoreline that you know and are comfortable with and make sure to work the stretch to its entirety. Do not stand in one place. We learned this advice from the late David Goodman years ago, always be moving and exploring.
The last comment is what to fish…this is always the question. With heavy amounts of mackerel around we are pushing anglers to higher profile lures such as the sebile, the waxwing, or a larger stickbait. Anything with a lip will dig too deep and not have enough action. Believe me, we love soft baits: sluggos and albie snax, but right now, higher profile baits seem to be outproducing the soft baits. ALSO, if you find some flat water, go to the surface, something that will push water. You will love the hits you get.