Bass crash the Oyster Bay bunker schools as Sound water hits prime feeding temps

The Western Sound finally woke up this week, and it's about damn time. After weeks of scattered action and guys scratching their heads, the bass have moved in heavy on the bunker schools that are thick from Oyster Bay Harbor all the way east to Lloyd's Neck. Water temps hit that magic 68-degree mark, and suddenly every rockpile and channel edge is holding fish.

I've been watching this pattern develop for three decades, and when those big peanut bunker — yeah, the oversized ones that should be showing in October — stack up in the shallows during June, the bass go absolutely nuts. These aren't your typical spring peanuts either. We're talking 4-inch baits that are drawing everything from schoolies to slot fish up into 15 feet of water.

The best action has been on the flood tide, especially that first two hours when the current really starts ripping through the channels. Lloyd's Neck has been the consistent producer, with guys working live peanuts on fishfinder rigs tight to the bottom in 20 to 30 feet. The key is fresh bait — these bass are keyed in on the real thing, and they'll ignore anything that's been sitting in your well for more than an hour.

Matinecock Point has been firing on the evening flood, particularly around the rocky structure on the north side. Guys throwing 6-inch white Gulp Swimming Mullets on 3/4-ounce bucktails are connecting with fish in the 28 to 35-inch range. The trick is working that bait slow and steady along the bottom — no fancy jigging, just a straight retrieve with occasional pauses when you feel the current shift.

The fluke bite has been spotty but improving. Oyster Bay Harbor is producing shorts with the occasional keeper mixed in, mostly on the outgoing tide when the current sweeps bait off the flats. White Gulp and chartreuse bucktails in the 1/2 to 3/4-ounce range are getting it done in 25 to 35 feet. The key spots are the channel edges where the harbor dumps into the main Sound — that's where the current concentrates the bait and the fluke set up to ambush.

What's got me excited is the bait situation. Those oversized peanuts are everywhere, and behind them are the spearing and sand eels that really get the bass feeding aggressively. The water clarity has been excellent — that gin-clear visibility that lets you see your bucktail working 20 feet down. When conditions line up like this in mid-June, it usually means we're in for a strong summer bite.

The Throgs Neck Bridge area has been producing consistent action on the evening outgoing tide. Bass are holding in the current breaks around the pilings, and guys fishing live eels on the drift are connecting with fish in the slot range. The structure creates perfect ambush points, and when that tide really starts ripping, the bass move up to feed.

Porgies have been thick around any structure in 30 to 50 feet, which is great news for guys looking to put some dinner in the cooler while they wait for the bass bite to turn on. Small pieces of clam on high-low rigs are all you need, and the size has been impressive — lots of fish in the 12 to 14-inch range.

Looking ahead, this new moon on Friday is going to create some serious tidal movement. Those spring tides are going to flush even more bait out of the harbors and backwaters, and I expect the bass bite to really explode over the weekend. The key will be timing your trips with the tide changes — that first hour of the flood and the last hour of the ebb are when these fish really turn on.

Water temps are holding steady in that 68 to 70-degree range, which is perfect for aggressive feeding. The bunker schools should continue to build through the month, and with the bait this thick, I'm expecting this pattern to hold strong into July. Get out there while the getting's good — this is the kind of fishing we wait all spring for.