Trophy bass crash Reynolds Channel as bunker schools stack thick in the inlet

The inlet's been on fire this week, and I'm talking about the kind of fishing that makes you forget you've got bills to pay. A 48-inch, 42-pound cow bass came over the rail at Reynolds Channel off the back jetty at Atlantic Beach — fresh bunker chunks did the trick on what had to be one hell of a fight from shore. That's the kind of fish that reminds you why we do this.

The bunker schools are stacked thick from the inlet mouth all the way back to the Wantagh Bridge, and the bass know it. I've been watching the bait push in on the flood tide and get pinned against the channel edges where the current breaks. That's where you want to be — tight to structure with fresh chunks on fishfinder rigs. The fish are feeding heavy on the incoming water, especially the last two hours before high.

Weakfish are making their presence known too, which is something I haven't been able to say with a straight face in years. A 26-inch, 7-pound fish came out of the Fire Island surf on a 9-inch sand eel, but I'm seeing them push into our zone as well. The back bay water's been running warm — pushing 66 degrees in spots — and that temperature gradient between bay and ocean is creating the kind of conditions that stack bait and hold fish.

Fluke fishing's been solid but not spectacular. The Meadowbrook Bridge area continues to produce, with boats working the southeast side on the incoming tide. White bucktails with smelt have been the ticket — 15 to 17-inch fish are common, though keepers are still tough to come by. The key is getting your bait right to the bottom in that 20 to 30-foot zone where the current breaks over the structure.

Jones Beach surf has been producing at sunset, just like the old days. Diamond jigs with green tails cast past the break into the wash are connecting with bass sitting on the sandbar before the trough. It's a low-light bite — you need to be there as the sun drops and the fish move shallow. Two-ounce jigs seem to be the sweet spot, and don't overlook switching to SP Minnows once full dark sets in.

The inlet itself has been weedy — typical for this time of year when the water warms and everything starts growing. But don't let that discourage you. The fish are there, you just need to work around it. I've been having luck on the start of the outgoing tide when the current cleans things up a bit. Fluke are holding in the deeper holes, and you'll pick up the occasional keeper if you stay with it.

Birds have been working overtime on the small baitfish — sand eels mostly — from Point Lookout east toward the construction dock area. The action's been visual, but getting the fish to commit has been tougher. When you see the birds diving, get there fast and work the edges of the school rather than bombing right into the middle.

Looking ahead, we've got a new moon Friday which means spring tides and serious current. That's going to flush a lot of bait out of the back bays and could trigger the first real push of summer fish. I'll be watching the inlet drain at sunset — if the weakfish are really making a comeback, that's when we'll know for sure. The bunker are here, the water's warm, and the fish are feeding. This could be the week everything comes together.