Trophy bass crash the Reynolds Channel jetty as bunker schools thicken

The big fish are here, and they're eating like it's November. A 42-pound striper came off the back jetty at Reynolds Channel this week on fresh bunker chunks — the kind of fish that makes you remember why we do this. That's not a fluke. That's the inlet telling us the summer pattern is locked in.

The bunker schools have thickened up considerably over the past ten days, and it's drawing everything with teeth. I'm seeing pods of peanuts from the Wantagh Bridge all the way out to the inlet mouth, with adult bunker mixed in. The bass are keyed on them hard, especially on the outgoing tide when the bait gets funneled through the cuts.

Jones Inlet itself has been the sweet spot for keeper fluke, particularly on the start of the outgoing. The inlet's been weedy — typical for this time of year — but the fish are there if you can deal with the grass. I'm hearing consistent reports of back-to-back keepers right at the tide change. White bucktails with squid strips or fresh smelt are getting it done in the deeper holes near the Coast Guard station.

What's really got my attention is the weakfish showing up. A 26-inch, 7-pound fish came from Fire Island Inlet on a 9-inch sand eel imitation, and I'm seeing similar bait patterns here. The sand eels are thick on the bars just outside our inlet, and that's classic weakfish food. These fish are staging for their summer push, and the inlet's thermal gradient is holding them.

The surf has been productive at sunset, especially around the jetties. Diamond jigs with green tails are working the wash over the sandbars, but you need to time it right — low light is critical. The fish are sitting shallow on the bar edges, not in the deep troughs like you'd expect. Cast past the break and work the jig back through the wash as it comes up over the drop-off.

Fluke action has been solid from the Meadowbrook Bridge south to Point Lookout. The southeast side of the Meadowbrook has been holding good numbers, though most are running 15 to 17 inches. Green bucktails are the hot color right now — the tackle shops are pushing it hard because it's working. Pair that with fresh squid or smelt, and you're in business.

The bird action has been insane, with massive schools of small baitfish getting hammered from above. I'm seeing this from Wantagh Park all the way to the inlet mouth. The problem is the fish under the birds are mostly small stuff — snappers and short fluke. The real action is away from the circus, in the deeper water where the bigger predators are ambushing bait.

Water temps are climbing into the mid-60s in the bay, creating that thermal break at the inlet mouth that stacks bait on the flood and holds bass on the ebb. The gradient is what's making this whole system work right now.

Looking ahead, we've got a new moon Friday, which means spring tides and serious current. That's when I expect the weakfish bite to really turn on. The big tides will flush more bait out of the back bays, and the inlet will be a funnel for everything following it. Plan to be there at sunset on the outgoing — that's when the magic happens.

The bass bite should only get better as these bunker schools continue to build. Keep fresh chunks ready and don't be afraid to fish the structure tight. The big fish are here, and they're not shy about eating.