Race rips fire as 68-degree water stacks bass on the flood

The eastern Sound finally hit that sweet spot this week — 68-degree water, hard tides, and bass that want to eat. The Race has been absolutely electric on the flood, with slot fish stacked in the rip lines and enough overs to keep you honest.

I've been working the flood tide hard, starting my drifts on the Connecticut side and letting the current carry me through the main channel. Three-way rigs with 6-ounce sinkers and 4-inch white Gulp Swimming Mullets on 1-ounce bucktails are getting crushed in 80 to 120 feet. The key is keeping contact with bottom as you drift through — these fish are holding tight to structure, and you need to feel every bump.

The bass bite has been consistent from first light through mid-morning, then again on the evening flood. Slot fish from 28 to 34 inches are the bread and butter, with enough 36-plus fish mixed in to keep things interesting. I boxed a solid 31-incher Tuesday morning that hit a chartreuse bucktail right in the main rip.

But here's where it gets fun — the blues are crashing the party. Gorilla blues in the 12 to 15-pound class are moving through in schools, and they're absolutely savage. Lost three bucktails in one drift Wednesday when a pack of them moved in. Switch to wire leaders or accept the tax — these fish have zero mercy on tackle.

Plum Gut has been more hit-or-miss, but when conditions line up, it's been producing quality fish. The ebb tide seems to be the play there, especially the last two hours. Same rig setup, but you can get away with lighter sinkers in the shallower water. Had seven bass to 37 inches Thursday morning, all but one slot fish released.

The water temperature jump from 64 to 68 degrees this week made all the difference. That thermal barrier is holding bait tight to the bottom, and the bass are capitalizing. The spearing are thick along the shoreline from Orient Point to Fishers, and I'm seeing good concentrations of sand eels in the deeper water.

Blackfish are starting to wake up around Fishers Island. The 20-foot drops on the west side are producing steady action on green crabs and Asian crabs. Nothing huge yet — most keepers running 15 to 17 inches — but the bite is building. The flood tide has been best, especially when it's pushing hard against the rocks.

Weakfish are showing sporadically in the mid-Sound. Pink and white Deadly Dicks worked slow near bottom have been the ticket, but you need to be patient. They're not in big numbers yet, but the few I've seen have been quality fish in the 18 to 22-inch range.

Looking ahead, this new moon period should really fire things up. Spring tides mean faster current, which concentrates bait and triggers feeding. The Race is going to be nasty with 5-knot current, but that's when the big fish feed. I'll be there at slack water, ready to ride the building tide.

Water temps should hold steady or climb slightly, which keeps the bass active and starts pulling more species into the mix. Watch for porgies to thicken up in the bay, and don't be surprised if some early summer fluke start showing on the sandy bottom between the rocky structure.

The eastern Sound is hitting its stride. Get out there and get bent.