Bay water hits 69 as weakfish crash the party with keeper fluke

The bay is alive right now, and I mean really alive. Water temps hit 69 degrees this week, which is telling us everything we need to know about what's happening out there. The stripers are starting their summer shuffle, moving deeper and getting pickier, but the silver lining is huge — the weakfish have moved in like they own the place.

I've been working the Marine Parkway Bridge area hard this week, and the action has been steady on the incoming tide. That 69-degree water is the magic number that flips the switch for weakies, and they're responding exactly like they should. I'm talking keeper fish to 19 inches, with some pushing over 20. The technique that's been money is simple: white Gulp Swimming Mullets on 1/2-ounce bucktails, worked slow on the drift. Don't overthink it — let the current do the work and just lift and drop.

The fluke bite has been the real surprise this week. I pulled a beautiful 25-inch doormat that went 5.5 pounds right off the bridge pilings on Monday morning. She hit a lugworm on a high-low rig during the first hour of the incoming. The key has been fishing tight to structure — those bridge pilings, the channel edges, anywhere the current creates an ambush point. The fish are holding in 15 to 20 feet, and they want that bait moving slow and steady.

What's interesting is how the bait situation is shaping up. The bunker schools that were thick in the bay through May are definitely thinning out. I'm still seeing pods here and there, especially around the Cross Bay Bridge area, but nothing like the acres we had a month ago. The good news is the spearing are everywhere, and that's what's keeping the weakfish happy. Northern kingfish are also showing up in decent numbers on clam baits, which tells me the bottom is warming up nicely.

The bass fishing has shifted gears completely. Those slot fish that were crushing everything in sight during the spring run are now scattered and selective. I'm still marking fish on the finder, but they're deeper and more spread out. The guys who are connecting are doing it on live eels at night, working the deeper holes around the inlet. The trolling bite with Mojos is still producing 32-inch fish, but you've got to cover water and stay patient.

Sea robins are absolutely everywhere right now — and I mean monster sea robins. I pulled one this week that was easily the biggest I've ever seen, thick as a football. They're hitting everything from bucktails to clam baits, and while they're not what we're targeting, they're a good sign that the bottom is active and holding bait.

The tide timing has been crucial this week. The incoming has been the producer, especially that first two hours when the water is really moving. The Marine Parkway Bridge creates a natural funnel that concentrates bait and predators, and that's where I've been focusing my efforts. Beach Channel Drive has also been consistent for shore fishermen working the outgoing tide with bunker chunks on fishfinder rigs.

Looking at the water conditions, that 69-degree reading is right where we want to be for summer fishing. It's warm enough to keep the weakfish active but not so hot that everything shuts down. The clarity has been good despite some recent rain, and the salinity feels right — that perfect mix of ocean water and bay nutrients that makes Jamaica Bay so productive.

The weekend should be prime time with the new moon approaching. Those spring tides are going to flush a lot of bait around, and I expect the weakfish bite to stay strong. The fluke should continue to be active in the deeper holes, especially if we can get some cooler nights to keep that water temperature stable. I'm planning to hit the inlet area hard on the outgoing tide — that's when the big fluke like to set up in the channel to ambush bait getting swept out of the bay.

For anyone looking to get in on this action, keep it simple. Bucktails with Gulp for the weakies, high-low rigs with fresh clams or lugworms for the fluke. Fish the structure, watch your tide timing, and don't be afraid to move if the bite slows down. This bay rewards the anglers who stay mobile and read the water.