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

The bay hit 69 degrees this week and everything changed. The water's officially summer-warm now, and the fish are responding exactly like they should. The stripers that had us spoiled all spring are starting to thin out, but don't cry about it — the summer crew is moving in strong.

Weakfish are the story right now. Real weakfish, not the rumors we've been chasing for years. I'm talking keeper-sized trout showing up from the Marine Parkway Bridge all the way back to the Cross Bay. The better fish are coming on the incoming tide, especially that first hour when the cooler ocean water starts pushing into the bay. White bucktails with chartreuse teasers are doing the damage, but here's the key — you've got to work them slow. These aren't the aggressive spring bass. Drop your jig, let it settle, then lift and drop with the rod tip. The weakfish are picking them up on the fall.

The fluke fishing finally turned the corner too. That 69-degree mark seems to be the magic number that gets them feeding consistently. I've been working the deeper holes around the Marine Parkway with 3/4-ounce bucktails tipped with 4-inch white Gulp Swimming Mullets. The fish are holding in 15 to 20 feet, and they want that bait moving. Don't dead-stick it like you would for winter fluke — keep a steady retrieve with little pops of the rod tip. Had a solid 25-incher yesterday that hammered the jig right at the bridge pilings on the outgoing.

The bass haven't completely disappeared, but they're getting pickier. The big schools that were crushing bunker chunks in May are breaking up. Now it's singles and doubles, mostly in the 24 to 28-inch range, and they're relating to structure. The bridge pilings, the channel edges, anywhere there's current break and some depth change. Live eels are still the ticket for the bigger fish, especially on the night tides. Fish them on a fishfinder rig tight to the pilings — let the current do the work.

Bait situation is interesting. The bunker schools are definitely thinning out compared to last month, but there's still plenty around if you know where to look. The back channels near Canarsie Pier have been holding good pods of peanuts, and the spearing are thick along the flats. What's really encouraging is seeing more variety — sand eels mixed in with the spearing, some small mackerel showing up, even caught a few squid while jigging for weakfish.

Sea robins are everywhere, which some people complain about, but I love it. They're a sign of a healthy ecosystem, and they're actually great eating if you know how to clean them. Plus, where you find big sea robins, you usually find fluke nearby. They're competing for the same food sources.

Tide-wise, the incoming has been the most consistent producer, especially that first two hours. The new moon we just had really moved some water, and I think that's part of what triggered this species shift. Those big tides flush the bay, bring in fresh ocean water, and seem to activate the summer fish.

Access has been good. The Marine Parkway parking area is your best bet for boat launching, and the fishing around the bridge structure has been consistent. Shore anglers should focus on the deeper water near the bridge or work the channel edges along Beach Channel Drive. Canarsie Pier is producing for the bait fishermen — clam strips and bloodworms on high-low rigs.

Looking ahead, we're heading into the full moon next week, which should mean even bigger tides and more water movement. I'm expecting the weakfish bite to stay strong, and the fluke should only get better as we push into July. The bass fishing will probably get tougher during the day, but the night bite should remain solid for anyone willing to put in the time with live eels.

This is classic summer transition fishing in Jamaica Bay. The water's warm, the bait's diverse, and multiple species are feeding. It's not the easy bass fishing of May, but it's more interesting. You never know what's going to hit your line next.