For a lot of anglers in the New York area, the fishing season doesn’t really feel like it’s started until the stripers show up. Bass have a way of doing that — they’re the fish that gets people who haven’t been on the water since October back on the phone trying to book a trip. And April is when that conversation starts happening in earnest, because April is when striped bass begin their spring migration through the waters around New York City.
If you’ve been waiting out the winter, the wait is just about over.
What April Means for Striped Bass Fishing
Striped bass are migratory. They spend the colder months in warmer southern waters and move north as water temperatures rise in the spring, passing through New York Harbor, the waters off Brooklyn and the Jersey Shore, and heading up along the coast. That migration brings them through our area around April — sometimes a little earlier in a warm spring, sometimes a little later if winter has been slow to release its grip.
When the bass arrive, they arrive in schools. That’s part of what makes them so exciting to target — when you find one, you’ve often found a lot of them, and the action can get intense fast. Striped bass are also simply impressive fish. They can run up to four and a half feet long and tip the scales at 40 to 50 pounds on average, which means that when one takes your line, you know about it immediately. They’re strong, fast, and not inclined to come up easily. For anglers looking for a serious fight, a spring striper is about as good as it gets in these waters.
Blackfish Are Moving Too
April doesn’t belong entirely to the stripers. Blackfish — also called tautog — make their own seasonal transition this time of year, moving out of the deep water where they spend the winter and into shallower areas near rocky structure, jetties, and the kinds of underwater terrain they prefer for feeding. Spring blackfish fishing can be excellent, and it overlaps nicely with the early striper run for anyone who wants to maximize their time on the water.
Blackfish are a different kind of fishing experience from stripers. They’re bottom feeders, which means a different technique, a different feel, and a different kind of patience. They’re also hard fighters for their size — deceptively strong, and not easy to pull up cleanly. Experienced anglers often have a particular appreciation for tautog that newer fishermen develop over time.
The two species together make April one of the more varied and productive months of the year on the water out of Sheepshead Bay.
Why Getting Out Early in the Season Is Worth It
Spring fishing has a particular quality to it that mid-summer fishing doesn’t always deliver. The water isn’t crowded yet. The fish that have been moving in are often hungry and active after a long winter migration. And there’s something about the first few trips of the season — the air still carrying a bit of chill, the water calm in the early morning, the skyline of New York in the background — that long-time anglers tend to describe as some of their favorite days on the water all year.
The Marilyn Jean operates out of Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn, running day fishing trips and night fishing trips that target whatever is currently active in New York waters. Striped bass in particular are a common target for evening and night trips — bass feed actively after dark, and fishing for them under the lights with the city behind you is an experience that’s hard to describe to someone who hasn’t done it.
If you want to get out this spring, the time to book is now. Walk-ons are welcome when space permits, but spots fill up as the season picks up steam. Check the calendar and book your trip online, or call Captain Tony directly at 347-952-1442 to find out what’s biting and reserve your space.