The East River connects Long Island Sound and New York harbor. An easier way to look at it is a Tidal Strait. While it is similar to a Canal system, the East River is a naturally created estuary with a Bi-Directional flow of tidal current. In addition to flow from both sides, the East River is a drainage point for sewage in NYC. The majority of storm drain sewers discharge into the East River from the city. While there are efforts to clean the river, it is well known that it is heavily polluted daily by discharge.
So how do you fish it?
Unless you are fishing the top of the water column, I would leave your expensive lures at home. The bottom of the East River is full of snags, metal debris, city bikes (yes) and all kinds of garbage. I would focus on bottom rigs like the High Low, Knocker, Drop Shot, Fish Finder and Carolina.
My favorite bait is Shrimp in the East River. Worms are great too. Lures are fun at night for Striped Bass but not very productive during the day. Once the ferry boat traffic starts in the morning, most of the game fish will retreat to deeper water or structure such as piers, docks and landings. Then at night, the boat traffic slows down and the game fish come back out to feed.
This does not mean you cannot catch predator game fish during the day but they are less active when the boat traffic is heavy.
I would think less about "Spots" in the East River and more Tidal Movement, Water Temperature and Tidal Coefficient.
I used to think certain species would hold in certain spots but this is not true. The fish move around, alot. So it is best to pattern the stages of the tide when you notice the bite is active.
One day you might be fishing a pier and on a very good Tautog bite. However within that same week you get closer and closer to a full moon. As the Tidal Coefficient increases, so does the range of the water height in the river. That same spot might not provide enough water depth at low tide for the Tautog to feed anymore, or the speed of the current might have increased too fast for them to hold on at high tide. So you would need to adjust your spots as you get closer to the full moon in conjunction with the species of fish you are targeting, ya dig?
OR. You fish that same spot and adjust to target a different species.
For example: as you approach that full moon, the Tautog might not be able to hold in the fast current. They decide to move BUT the new full moon tide is ideal for game fish like Striped Bass or Bluefish to feed on. So you switch target species and adjust strategy around the tide.
The same adjustments need to be made for Water Temperature in the East River. In the Winter the water does not freeze but it can get cold. The resident fish will either swim deeper or move to areas with warmer water discharge.
You can also look at the thermal insulation of structures made of wood vs. rock & concrete. Because the East river is in constant development, many of the old structures are made of wood and many of the new structures are made of rock & Concrete. The fish adapt seasonally to water temperature and will move between these structures to find ideal conditions.
The wooden structures will retain and heat up quicker in the Spring. Conversely at a certain point in the Summer, the rock structure will heat up and retain heat longer because of higher thermal mass (heats up and cools down slower). Once you learn the ideal conditions of the species you are targeting you can use these variables to narrow and locate the fish.
The rain also changes the behavior of the fish in the East River. The increase and decreasing barometric pressure during rain storms will change the swim bladder and feeding pattern of the fish. As it rains in the East River, the atmospheric oxygen falls and combines with the water. This increases the dissolved oxygen levels and interest for the fish to swim shallow.
This is easier to wrap your head around in a pond, but slightly different in the East River. When it rains, the NYC sewer system drains untreated water from the city streets directly into the river. So you have to think about it a little differently.
After a heavy rain, the shallows get muddy from the sewer outflow. This also changes the salinity levels (dissolved salts in the water). So depending on how much it rains, the saltwater species will seek cleaner water. Same goes for an offshore storm in the Atlantic ocean. It might be clear sky's in NYC but the incoming tide brings cloudy dirty water from the New York Harbor. So it is best to plan your trips around the changes of the weather and tides.
Simple East River Rig: Use Shrimp for Bait and a High Low rig
Owner Cutting Point Size #6 Hook -Link
ECOFT Lead Free Fishing Weight 2.8oz - Link
Daiwa 20lb Flourocarbon Leader - Link
Power Pro Super Slick V2 20lb Aqua Green Braid - Link
