By Tom Schlichter   If you’ve done much fluke fishing over the years, or simply follow the reports, you already know the primary fluke hot spots in most areas. How could you miss them with the fleet all decked-out and jockeying for position around each prized buoy, channel edge or inlet. For those new to […]… Read more »

By Tom Schlichter   Lean, green and mean, pickerel are often sulky predators with a chip on their collective shoulders. Indeed, there are times I look at this fish and wonder why it seems so introverted and angry. Why would a fish so successful in its native niche have such a downright nasty attitude? Okay, […]… Read more »

    4/18/19: For Immediate Release      Governor Andrew Cuomo   New Law Prohibits Commercial Fishing of Menhaden with Industrial Purse Seine Nets to Protect Important Food Source for Sportfish and Whales.  Critical Measure will Prevent Overfishing and Improve Health of New York’s Economically Vital Coastal Waters and Commercial Fisheries   Governor Andrew M. Cuomo […]… Read more »

By Tom Schlichter     If you are new to winter cod fishing, let’s get one thing straight right up front: it’s a cold and unforgiving sport. Sure, the rewards can be fast action and a cooler filled with tasty fillets, but hawkish winds, bitter temperatures and a little rock and roll surface action can put […]… Read more »

By Tom Schlichter       It was 37 degrees with a slight breeze as I drifted out from the shoreline flat toward a pocket of deeper water. Not exactly the kind of weather in which you break a sweat. But, as I wiped the beads of salty water from my brow, removed my wool-knit […]… Read more »

By Tom Schlichter   Successful cold water fishing for bigmouths is vastly different from targeting them in the heat of summer. Gone are the weed mats that begged for your casts in mid-July, the easy to spot wakes of fish moving in the shallows or near the surface, the aggressive surface strikes that sent your […]… Read more »

  By Tom Schlichter I hate to be the bearer of bad news but no matter how mild the fall, the end of blackfish season pretty much wraps-up the regular saltwater action at most ports. Sure, there will be a few boats sailing for sea bass, cod and ling, and we’ll hopefully see some herring […]… Read more »

By Tom Schlichter   For most any angler, expecting to catch a blackfish weighing over 10 pounds would be considered high hopes. For Billy Taylor, however, it’s almost second nature. In fact, the 36-year-old Amityville, NY resident considers 8- and 10-pounders to be “nice fish,” but nothing spectacular. That’s because he’s grown accustomed to catching […]… Read more »