East River Fishing. Exploring NYC Piers

Fishing NYC Piers with bait for whatever wants to bite. In the Summer, NYC gets a variety of Southern Species that migrate in. Every year is a bit different with the water temperatures warming. If someone can identify the species in this video I would love to know.
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Gear In Video:
Owner Hook #1 - amzn.to/3Wh2xcG
Owner Hook #6 - amzn.to/3XYTb6q
Egg Sinker 1oz - amzn.to/4cwqWRa
Power Pro Braid 15lb - amzn.to/3xQD9km
Daiwa Fluorocarbon 12lb - amzn.to/3VZXcoI
G Loomis GCX Rod - amzn.to/4cRCWfN
Penn Clash II Spinning Reel 2000 - amzn.to/4czNTCL

[@Fish-Erman]

A rather large bergall I love to tell this story. I was in a building on E-74th and FDR drive, several years ago in May. I was sitting at a window watching the East River. I see a huge school of bunker moving north with the tide, and they are being slaughtered, by what I assumed were bluefish. I could see the action in the shockingly clear water, and there were bluefish, but there were also bass, BIG ONES! I saw fish that had to be in the 50's. They were lazily coming up and grabbing stunned bunker. I've seen blitzes like that in more traditional places, but not what I expected to see in the East River!

[@BobAquatic]

Your story is so visual. I read it a couple times. Blitzes are incredible to witness. Really appreciate you sharing your story. Every time I ride the above ground subway and cross the river, I look all over to try and see a blitz. One day. I hope you enjoy the weekend bud!

[@Fish-Erman]

@@BobAquatic I'm not sure what brought in the clear ocean water, but I've never seen the East River so clear, which made seeing this so vivid. Enjoy the weekend as well!

[@WhiteUnity]

You talking bout the blitz of 93??

[@Fish-Erman]

@@WhiteUnity No, this was 2 or 3 years ago.

[@ms.annthrope415]

Worst day on the water beats court ordered anger management classes.

[@BobAquatic]

Well I would have to agree. Thank you ms.annthrope!

[@triptre3638]

Those are JV Sea Bass and Bergalls. Enjoy yourself Brother! Any day on the water is better than any day at work or home...............

[@BobAquatic]

Thank you Trip, I totally agree. Just having fun enjoying the summer in the city

[@mrbrokeyard7553]

A bad day fishing beats a good day at work

[@Janotes]

I use to fish pier 36 on South street when i was done with my shift at DSNY.. Always had awesome action especially nights with the lights of the pier, the stripers hide in the shadows of the pilings and dart out and grab baits swimming by.

[@BobAquatic]

They love the lights. Its a cool place to fish for the skyline view. Glad you got to get out for the striper night bite over there, thank you for watching Janotes!

[@Thelocksa102]

Striper with the squid!! 👌🏿

[@BobAquatic]

Must’ve been hungry down there

[@RonMTube]

Enjoy your low key fishing approach. Also, aren't both tog and bergall in the wrasse family?

[@BobAquatic]

Thank you Ron! I believe they are in the same family. Wrasse are cool fish, some wild colors on the ones in Florida. I believe also related to parrot fish so they change color similarly. I never caught a blue bergal before but I guess they can change color

[@ralphreacts1188]

Great Video!!!! When them Strippers Hit you need at least 30 pound Test line!!!

[@BobAquatic]

Thank you Ralph, I agree. 30lb is my default line when targeting striped bass

[@bersa5b366]

I’m a new sub. Enjoy your content. What reel and size do you use on the loomis. Thanx.

[@BobAquatic]

What’s up! Really appreciate your support and thank you for the sub. In this video it is 2000 size

[@BobAquatic]

Penn clash II

[@NicksOutdoors_]

Great video

[@BobAquatic]

Thank you NicksOutdoors!

[@AZ-NY]

Hey Bob. I think it's a Cunner. Nice catch.

[@BobAquatic]

Yo thank you AZ! Appreciate you. I had so much fun researching world record Cunners and biology. Really went down a rabbit hole that night learning about them.

[@Tsar_Nman]

I’d love to start fishing the city, any tips or advice I have some basic gear here and a mediam light rod with 15 pound braid

[@BobAquatic]

@@Tsar_Nman that rod will work. You don’t need much. Build a dropper loop rig with a lead sinker. Some shrimp from a market, and a #1 hook. East River is full of snags so I would hold off on casting expensive lures until you get a feel for it

[@steveh.9023]

We call them cunner in New England, can be a nuisance when trying for other species. But yes, in the wrasse family like the tautog also.

[@BobAquatic]

Cheers Steve, thank you for watching!

[@Fishpunch]

7:44 was a bergal also known as a cunner. They're wrasse just like tog. All the ones earlier were baby black Seabass. 9:30 was also a bergal

[@BobAquatic]

Thank you Fishpunch. Appreciate you taking the time to identify and comment. Hope you enjoy the weekend bud

[@US_fishing]

hey, what’s the “official “ name for the grub rigged with the egg sinker?

[@BobAquatic]

Hey US, that is a Gulp! Grub 3” in Chartreuse color

[@Slayyn1723]

the fish you caught right in front of the ferry is a bergall, the others were looked like black seabass.

[@BobAquatic]

@@Slayyn1723 thank you Slayyn!

[@JayMac-kj9kt]

Those fish you caught are in the wrasse family along with tog, they are called cunner and are regarded as bait stealers and they are also quite tasty. Cunner rarely get over 12" so what ever suites you as for size and eating, give it a try. Peace and brother love to you and all.

[@BobAquatic]

Thank you Jay! Never tried Cunner before or caught one big enough to fillet. But knowing there are big ones in the river, I might start targeting them. World record is only 3lbs 8 ounces and tied between two anglers.

[@MartinVSmith6334]

Usually anglers at the East 34th St. ferry dock especially at night. Well lit, patrolled and nearby 24/7 coffee shop patronized by NYU Medical employees.

[@BobAquatic]

Thank you Martin , appreciate your comment. I love coffee, might need to spend some time over there on 34

[@ralphzaccaria7420]

I think I heard sometimes the tog on the wrecks get a rusty/gold color from rubbing on the rusty wrecks. Maybe that blue tog was rubbing on something blue???

[@BobAquatic]

@@ralphzaccaria7420 it’s a cunner. They can change color and get blue when they’re bigger. Like a parrot fish, same family. I never caught one that big or blue, was confused

[@ralphzaccaria7420]

@@BobAquatic cool!

[@jayhsu2412]

Hey Bob, 7:45 is Bergall, the others were baby seabass

[@BobAquatic]

Thank you Jay! Appreciate you bud

[@jace127]

The fish you caught at 7:45 next to the boat is a bergall. The others with the large mouths are sea bass

[@BobAquatic]

Thank you Jace

[@mr.sinbad1647]

Bergalls are considered trash fish cuz they steal ur bait. When you grab them to unhook them, they piss and sometimes shit on u so face the butthole away from u. If u ever get out to Montauk and catch these bergalls, they can get to over a pound and are good eating. Anything smaller is not worth the effort. Great videos, thanks and very entertaining.

[@jace127]

Fish at 9:40 is a bergall which is a wrasse and related to tog.

[@BobAquatic]

Thank you Jace!

[@900lbgorilla]

Look like bergall to me , always catch them around Roosevelt Island.

[@BobAquatic]

Thank you 900, yeah you are correct it is a bergall. It’s pretty sweet the bigger ones get blue heads like that

[@stripervince1]

Boy did the NYC water get cleaned up. When I lived the in the 1960s and 70s the water was brown. Nothing to catch. I moved to Cali in the early 1980s and didn't return til mid 90s. The striper fishing was fantastic then. Haven't been back since then

[@BobAquatic]

Striper fishing is super good. They stick around all year long. Thank you for watching stripervince1

[@lunabird89]

Would you eat fish in this water ? Or too toxic

[@BobAquatic]

@@lunabird89 just eat it in moderation and migratory species. Once a months fine

[@charlesclark7225]

The fish u we’re catching were small seabass and bergall (also called cunner) …

[@BobAquatic]

Thank you Charles. Hope you are having a fun fishing season bud

[@moblack5883]

I’ve never seen someone use a gulp lure as a knocker rig. It catches fish ?

[@BobAquatic]

Nah I tried but wasn’t workin. I make and try all kinds of weird rigs. You never know

[@moblack5883]

@@BobAquatic I'm sure a Redfish would pick it up and eat. They eat anything but I'm gonna try that rig next time I go fishing.

[@sammynatal6471]

Do you need a license or permit to fish there?

[@BobAquatic]

Yes you do

[@fredrickthebird1756]

whats your go-to tackle shop?

[@BobAquatic]

Hey Fredrick, Probebly Bernie’s Bait and Tackle. They take good care of customers and are completely setup for NYC saltwater

[@wayneschnare4019]

We catch them using Squid up in Nova Scotia , nice fish

[@BobAquatic]

Squid rocks, it’s very universal and prefer it over shrimp for small fish. Stays on the hook well

[@justice111203]

Love your content ... you gotta invest in a pier net though! 😅

[@BobAquatic]

Thank you Justice, I totally agree. I had one of those round ones but I can’t bike with it. So I use THE GLOVE. But for real someone point me in the direction of a portable one I can put on a bike. I’ve looked into making a custom one for a backpack, umbrella type design

[@justice111203]

@@BobAquatic ... Loop the hoops together with a carabiner and clip a strap to two different areas of the hoops ... carry over your shoulder and across your back as you ride ...

[@Tsar_Nman]

Where’d you get bait in NYC?

[@BobAquatic]

@@Tsar_Nman there’s tackle shops but for raw shrimp you can just get it at a seafood market

[@Tsar_Nman]

@@BobAquatic where’s the tackle shop?

[@BobAquatic]

@@Tsar_Nman ​​⁠Bernie’s, cross bay, coney, it’s an easy google search. Just search for tackle shops on maps

[@tonynicoletti8161]

How long have you been fishing the northeast?

[@BobAquatic]

Hey Tony, since I was a kid. My dad fished commercially so sorta grew up with it

[@thefisher2004]

That was a cunner, btw 👍

[@BobAquatic]

thank you the fisher!

[@310MANRUTH]

Ok

[@ronl7131]

I personally don’t like fishing so high above point of landing the fish. Some folks like this, though.

[@BobAquatic]

Same here Ron. Wading flats and casting on level with the water is #1. I'm just exploring and mixing up the content

[@johndoe3johndoe382]

3:20, that's why I really dislike braid. It's supposedly stronger/better, yet you have way more fish break you off than with mono. No stretch = break offs and straightened hooks. I feel the same about circle hooks. I have lost so many good fish because the braid failed. Went back to classic mono and J hooks, better hook sets and land way more fish.

[@BobAquatic]

Mono has a ton of advantages over braid for sure, I used to only use mono but I do like the way braid cuts in fast current. I am with you on the J hook way. That's how I learned with chunking and after the mandate I hardly ever chunk for striper anymore.

[@timechild1261]

You need a fluoro leader, braid is the best. If you tie a 3ft leader, 30lb test, he would have been able to lift the fish with his rod reeling down towards the fish.

[@MikeAdamsFishing]

This is a very misinformed comment. Braid is 100x better then mono in all applications. Of course you need to use correct # test, GOOD knots and correct hooks.

[@BobAquatic]

@@timechild1261 there is a leader, 4ft

[@BobAquatic]

@@MikeAdamsFishing all my setups are braid

[@Teach_1ne]

Called the seabass a bergall and the bergall a tog SMFH 😂😂

[@BobAquatic]

It’s a scooby doo! Appreciate you watching bud, have a fun weekend

[@stevetautog880]

just a helpful thought buy a bridge net, never drop a fish again ya da man

[@BobAquatic]

They are great!

[@Danie.C]

That fish is call cunner like a little bit like a blackfish

[@BobAquatic]

Thank you Danie for identifying the species. Appreciate you leaving the comment . Hope you have a fun weekend ahead

[@miketexas4549]

Pretty sure those fish are flammable

[@BobAquatic]

This comment is epic. Thank you Mike

[@allseasonfishing4030]

get emm bro

[@BobAquatic]

Thank you All Season!

[@Bass59]

Yes those little guys a baby black sea bass

[@BobAquatic]

@@Bass59 fun to catch, thank you Bass! Appreciate you watching

[@jace127]

100% baby Black Sea bass.

[@BobAquatic]

Thank you Jace!

[@Billmcd1974]

The blue one is not a taug its a bergall.

[@BobAquatic]

Thank you Bill

[@310MANRUTH]

New York

[@BobAquatic]

Cheers 310MANRUTH!

[@310MANRUTH]

@@BobAquatic next time I'm in New York will check out that fishing spot.

[@gathneybrandon3546]

they are baby seabass

[@BobAquatic]

Thank you Gathney!

[@fishboy77]

Is that a wrasse, or a marlin? It's a marlin.

[@BobAquatic]

100% Marlin. Thank you fishboy77!

[@ericwang198844]

bergall

[@BobAquatic]

Thank you Eric!

[@Joe-ls6qj]

What pier???

[@BobAquatic]

This is NYC

[@Joe-ls6qj]

@@BobAquatic yea I know what is the pier

[@Bass59]

Bob it's a bergal

[@BobAquatic]

Thank you Bass

[@willie3528]

I never saw anyone fish the east river but I use to fish the Hudson River for stripe bass around lower Manhattan

[@BobAquatic]

Its a good time, there is a lot of snags but the views are great

[@tsienj]

Baby seabass.

[@BobAquatic]

Thank you Tsienj

[@rodneysmart9774]

1:40 ive never seen anyone just dangle a grub in one place. ?

[@BobAquatic]

I’m happy someone called it out. I was switching rigs from Carolina to Knocker and just threw a grub on there to see what would happen. No dice

[@rodneysmart9774]

@@BobAquatic I use grubs a lot, cast & retrieve.

[@BobAquatic]

@@rodneysmart9774 I agree with you on that. Cheers Rodney

[@guyinpajamapants6892]

No way am I fishing the East River!! Lmao!!

[@BobAquatic]

give it a try!

[@mikecinone2699]

Large bergalls

[@BobAquatic]

Cheers Mike, thank you

[@PapaMav]

You eat Bergels with lox and cream cheese....

[@BobAquatic]

That sounds delicious. Fish with lox and cream cheese is one of my favorites

[@PapaMav]

@@BobAquatic LOL. Good sport. Long time ago when 8, used to live in Bay Ridge. Have fun out there fishin and be safe.

[@jonathanchau1158]

Not tog sea bass

[@camerondriscoll6306]

thats a cunner! Not a tautog!

[@BobAquatic]

@@camerondriscoll6306 oh yeah! Thanks for watching b

[@gioberrios6073]

invest in a pier net boss

[@BobAquatic]

I'll get one. Thank you Gio!

[@glennquagmire1747]

Dirty water fishing 🤣🤣

[@BobAquatic]

It sure is, but the thing I find wild is NYC tap water is so dang good.

[@Bass59]

No that's not a baby black fish that's a big bergal

[@BobAquatic]

Thank you Bass

[@Bass59]

@@BobAquatic trust me Bob ice fish all over New York I live on Staten Island New York we catch everything here from fluke bluefish porgies weakfish the catch a mako sharks on the beaches blue crabs you name it we catch them here on Staten Island any cats and broccoli the same stuff in New Jersey send a New Jersey and Staten Island or close together we catch the same species just in case you thinking about fishing Staten Island just hop right on the ferry

[@kingbulldog107]

i think king fish

[@BobAquatic]

Thank you King! Those are mad fun to catch, taste great too.

[@Bass59]

That's not a tog it's a bergal

[@BobAquatic]

@@Bass59 that is correct

[@Aaron.Davis56]

Cunner

[@BobAquatic]

Cheers Aaron! Thank you

[@tsienj]

Bergall or Cunner

[@BobAquatic]

Thank you tsienj!

[@RFSpartan]

Whatever you do dont eat that shit you might grow another arm

[@Mitchell-lc5kj]

Use 40 pound test don’t be stupid

[@BobAquatic]

Thank you Mitchell

[@Mitchell-lc5kj]

@@BobAquatic I’m a 78 year old from Long Island in the fall, I swim to rocks in a wetsuit in Montauk to catch striped bass my biggest is 64 pounds from the surf. I used to fish 20 out of 30 nights a month in competition no longer doing that. I got two hat tricks and my big bass 18 pound weakfish 25 1/2 pound bluefish over the years. In New York to qualify for a hat-trick : striped bass, , bluefish, weakfish

[@Mitchell-lc5kj]

@@BobAquatic if you wanna come out to Montauk in the fall, leave a fresh comment on your own site. I’ll find it

[@jaygold4467]

Goofy.

[@BobAquatic]

Goofy at your service

[@bucktalk69]

That’s not eggs that’s toxic waste pal !!!!

[@BobAquatic]

Nah its fish roe thanks for watching