Shinnecock bass fire on the night bite as bay water climbs to 68 degrees

The night bite is absolutely on fire right now. I've been hitting the inlet hard after sunset, and the bass are stacked up on the outgoing tide like I haven't seen in months. Water temp in the bay hit 68 degrees this week — a solid four-degree jump from the ocean side — and that gradient is creating a perfect setup for feeding fish.

Best action starts about two hours after high tide when the water really starts to move. I'm working the north jetty with live peanut bunker on fishfinder rigs, keeping the sinker just heavy enough to hold bottom in the current. The key is positioning tight to the rocks where the current creates that back-eddy. Fish are holding in 15 to 20 feet, ambushing bait as it gets swept out of the bay.

Sizes have been impressive — mostly slot fish in the 24 to 32-inch range, with a few overs mixed in. Had one push 38 inches Tuesday night that took a bunker chunk right at the jetty tip. The fish are fat and healthy, clearly feeding well on the massive schools of peanuts that have been thick in the bay all week.

Plugs are also producing, especially on the darker nights. I'm throwing 7-inch Bombers and Rebels in black or dark blue, working them slow and deep along the jetty face. The trick is letting them sink and then crawling them back with just enough action to trigger strikes. When the current is really ripping, I'll switch to a 3-ounce bucktail with a 6-inch white Gulp, bouncing it along the bottom.

The Ponquogue Bridge has been holding weakfish on the flood tide, particularly around the pilings on the Hampton Bays side. Best bite is first light with small Deadly Dicks or 1/4-ounce bucktails tipped with squid strips. Water depth here is 8 to 12 feet, and the fish are spooky — light line and quiet presentations are critical.

Fluke action in the bay has been steady but not spectacular. The channel edges from the inlet to Tiana Beach are holding fish in 20 to 30 feet. White Gulp Swimming Mullets on 3/4-ounce bucktails are the ticket, dragged slow on the drift. Most fish are shorts, but there are enough keepers mixed in to make it worthwhile. The better fish seem to be relating to the deeper holes where the channel bends.

Bait situation is excellent. Peanut bunker are everywhere — thick schools from the canal all the way to the inlet mouth. Spearing are also showing up in good numbers around the docks and bridges. I've been loading up with the cast net early morning before the boat traffic picks up.

Looking ahead, we've got a new moon Friday which means spring tides and serious current. That should really fire up the inlet bite, especially on the big outgoing tides. I'm planning to be there at sunset when that water starts draining — could be the best night bite of the season so far. The bay temperature should hold steady or even climb another degree, keeping that thermal gradient strong and the bait concentrated.

One thing to watch: the canal has been running clear and cool, creating a nice mixing zone where it meets the warmer bay water. That transition area has been holding both bass and weakfish, particularly on the moving water. Worth a few drifts if you're working the upper bay.