As I sit by the heater mid-January, I can’t help but think about all the kayak fishing I’ll be doing come early May. One of my favorite things to do is put my kayak back into the saltwater as the temperatures warm up. Summer flounder comes to mind as a favorite target, with sea bass as a close runner up. Perhaps I’ll even chase down the more challenging and “special” gamefish, the Weakfish.

On Long Island, weakfish join in the Spring migration of striped bass and bluefish around late April. It seems as if every year, the sea-trout relative sneaks into reports earlier and earlier. Some tide runners even show up when the first bass arrive. Weakfish provide a challenging fight with plenty of strength and paper thin mouths, both of which can make catching them rather difficult. However, fishing for weakfish from a kayak can allow anglers to find the deeper pockets amongst current, where they’ll hide out. Drop some pink, white or chartreuse soft plastics or bucktails in the early morning, and you may find yourself on a consistent bite like this angler, who goes by “Outie” on YouTube. This video gets me excited for what Spring 2022 has in store! To learn more about catching quality weakfish, or “squeteague” to New Englanders, click here.