Bass blitz the inlet on moon tides as bay water hits 74 degrees

The new moon spring tides are doing exactly what they're supposed to do — flushing bait out of the bay and stacking bass on the inlet jetties like cordwood. I've been working the outgoing water after midnight all week, and it's been lights-out fishing from the rocks.

The setup is perfect. Bay water hit 74 degrees this week while the ocean side is holding at 67 — that 7-degree gradient is creating a thermal highway that's concentrating everything from peanut bunker to sand eels right in the inlet throat. The fish know it. I'm seeing bass from 24 to 36 inches working the current seams on every outgoing tide, especially the last two hours before slack.

Live peanut bunker on a fishfinder rig is the money play. Cast tight to the north jetty rocks and let the current sweep your bait into the channel. The bass are sitting in 15 to 20 feet, ambushing anything that gets pulled off the structure. I've been using 3/0 circle hooks on 30-pound fluorocarbon, just enough weight to hold bottom in the current. When these fish hit, they hit hard — no mistaking it for a sea robin.

The fluke bite in the bay has been equally impressive. The canal drift between the locks is producing doormat-class fish on the incoming tide. I'm talking 4 to 6-pound fish on white Gulp Swimming Mullets rigged on 3/4-ounce bucktails. The key is working the edges where the current creates that subtle drop-off — the fish are sitting right on that transition waiting for bait to tumble down.

Weakfish showed up at the Ponquogue Bridge this week for the first time since early May. Nothing huge — mostly 14 to 18-inch fish — but they're there on the evening flood tide. Pink and chartreuse Deadly Dicks worked slow through the pilings are getting bit. The fish are spooky, so keep the noise down and make long casts.

The water conditions tell the whole story. Great South Bay is running 74 degrees while the shelf stations are holding steady at 67 — that's a massive temperature differential for mid-June. The southwest winds we've had all week are pushing that warm bay water toward the inlet, creating a conveyor belt of bait and predators. When you add the new moon spring tides pulling 3 knots through the inlet, you get the perfect storm for night fishing.

I'm seeing massive schools of peanut bunker in the bay, especially around the Hampton Bays marinas. The birds have been working them hard during the day, but the real action happens after dark when the bass move in to feed. The bait is so thick you can cast-net a dozen throws and fill a 5-gallon bucket.

The only downside is the weed situation. The southwest winds have pushed a lot of grass into the inlet, especially on the flood tide. If you're getting fouled every cast, move to the deeper water off the jetty tips or wait for the outgoing to clean things up.

Looking ahead, we're moving toward the full moon next Friday, which means even bigger tides. I'm expecting the bass bite to get even better as those spring tides really start ripping. The key will be timing your trips to the last two hours of the outgoing — that's when the inlet becomes a funnel and everything gets concentrated in the channel.

The fluke should continue to bite in the canal as long as this temperature gradient holds. If the bay water stays 5 degrees warmer than the ocean, those fish will keep staging on the current breaks. Watch for the incoming tide to slow down around the locks — that's when the big fish move up to feed.

One thing to keep in mind: DEC has been active on the water this week. I've seen them checking boats at the inlet and around the bay. Make sure your licenses are current and you're following the slot limits. The bass fishing is too good to risk getting jammed up over paperwork.