Some Long Island fishermen say the best fishing is at night

As an island dotted with more than 500 lakes, ponds, rivers and streams, Long Island might seem like a fisherman's paradise. 

But anglers at prime spots can find themselves rubbing elbows with other fishermen — and competing for space with kayakers, personal watercraft users and an ever-growing fleet of pleasure and working boats.

There is a way, however, around such crowds: Fish after dark.

While most Long Islanders sleep, a cadre of anglers prowl coastlines, drifts across harbors and bays and quietly launch johnboats and kayaks on local ponds. Some find an irresistibly intriguing eeriness to the graveyard shift; others relish the calm and see it as a time for reflection. These tight-lipped fisherman all treasure their favorite shallow flat, rip or open shoreline, where the fish are within casting range after dark.

Silence is golden, but...

There are practical reasons to fish at night too.

“Yes, I want to be out in the middle of the night, generally alone, finding my own fish, not casting next to a crowd on the beach,” said Phil McGowan, 32, who owns Cow Harbor Bait and Tackle in Northport with his father, Mark. “But truth be told, the fishing is generally better on late-night tides than during the day — especially for striped bass."

With fewer boats and other disturbances pushing them around, McGowan said, fish settle into familiar patterns in prime locations, making them more willing to feed and easier to target.

He suggests timing trips to the first two hours of outgoing water near an inlet or harbor mouth, or the last two hours of incoming water in the bays and along open ocean or Sound beaches.

Dave Lengyel, 47, an environmental specialist from Ridge who targets largemouth bass on local lakes, agrees.

“It’s quieter, and the fish pick up on that," he said. "As the water cools after sunset, they get more active and slip shallow, looking to feed.”

Lengyel also loves the solitude and being able to clearly hear the “voices of nature.”

“You hear frogs croaking, deer walking through the brush, and fish surfacing just a cast away," Lengyel said. "That’s tough to find during daylight with all the kayakers, day-trippers and traffic noise.”

There’s a technical advantage too, said Lengyel, whose biggest largemouth weighed 8 pounds, 1 ounce — a beast for local freshwaters. He said fish can be more forgiving of the way an angler presents a lure.

“When it’s sunny, fish can see the flaws in your presentation. After dark, they rely more on their lateral lines and the sounds a lure makes because they’re mostly seeing silhouettes — so you might be able to get away with a less-than-perfect retrieve.”

Retired fireman and charter boat captain Joey Leggio, 54, of Oceanside, loves fishing Reynolds Channel for stripers after dark.

“A thousand propellers a day churn that water, but once the sun sets that drops to almost nothing, and the fish become less skittish. They can see your lure splash and track it more easily — so it’s ’Game On!’ ”

Stripers and weakfish also key in on the green lights on docks and bulkheads that dot the shoreline, he add ed , because they attract baitfish and let predators pounce from the shadows. 

Carl Nigro, 60, of Water Mill, who works in real estate and IT management, also chases stripers at night.

“I’ll fish any time based on the tides, but even though I have a reputation for catching big bass during the day, I think more are available after dark.”

A committed night owl, Nigro has landed surf-caught stripers over 50 pounds. “They come in and feed closer to the beach because there’s less light and distractions at night,” he said.

Black is best for lures

All anglers have favorite lures, but each of these four experts agree that black is the magic color. McGowan likes purple-and-black 7-inch Redfin minnow plugs for harbors and Sound beaches, though he finds eel products  sold in his shop also score well. “When the fish are picky, the scent, feel and taste of a real McCoy can have a surprisingly positive effect — especially in late summer,” he said.

For fishing freshwater lakes and ponds, Lengyel opts for an all-black swimming jig with a dark, soft plastic trailer. “You can’t go wrong with that offering,” he said with conviction. “I put rattles in the trailers so the fish can hear and feel the vibration moving through the water. Large, black curl-tail worms catch well too.”

The downside of the dark

Of course, fishing at night does have some trade-offs, Nigro cautioned.

“Don’t think night-fishing is easier,” he said. “It isn’t. You still have to figure out the best times, understand tidal stages, current, wind and available food, and be in the right place with the right lure.”

For those thinking about fishing from jetty rocks, Nigro recommended getting the basics down first. “Those rocks can be slippery, and the inlets have strong currents, so keep those first night trips limited to sandy ocean beaches and back bay waters. Make sure you can cast, tie on a new lure, and feel comfortable battling a good-sized fish before testing the jetties.” He also warns against wearing waders while jetty fishing, since a simple slip could mean falling into a dangerous inlet current. 

Leggio urged boating anglers anchoring near dock lights or bridges to be considerate: “Be respectful of homeowners or those lights get turned off fast," he said. "Quiet and low-key should be your approach.”

Beach access takes more leg work at night too, McGowan added, since many beaches close or ban parking after dark. You may have to knock on doors, park down the block and bike in, or get a nighttime fishing or parking permit, he advised.

Stay Alert

Whether you’re focused on catching dinner or a trophy, staying alert and aware of your surroundings is vital on the night shift, especially in isolated locations. Lengyel scopes out new places to fish well ahead of time to ensure they seem safe after dark.

McGowan turns on his cell phone tracking and tells his wife where he’s headed. “If you need help of any sort, you’ll want people to be able to find you quickly,” he said. He also suggested making sure your phone is fully charged before heading out. Leggio added that boaters should consider bringing along a fishing friend or family member, while Nigro stressed that situational awareness is key when fishing solo and suggested surf casters wear a headlamp to see better around the rocks and while unhooking and releasing big fish.

And there is one final rule that applies whether the sun is up or down.

“No matter the hour, there’s one more thing to always keep in mind when you head out,” stressed Lengyel. “The golden rule for keeping fishing access open is to leave any place you visit better than you found it.”