A spot that promises some of the first Peconic stripers of the season.
Many years back – and I mean many years back, when flounder fishing was sensational during the spring inside the Peconic Bays – I recall one particular trip in late March. It was a chilly cloudy day with rain at times that would turn to snow and then rain again. To make matters worse, it was blowing pretty good from the bone chilling east. We were fishing close to Robins Island looking for some lee along the west side of Robins relatively close to the beach. Despite the weather we did have a half dozen jumbo flounder in the 2 to 3-pound class, but as the weather deteriorated so did the fishing.
We were ready to lift the anchor and call it a day when suddenly we heard and saw slapping on the surface maybe 50 to 75 feet along the starboard side of the boat. It was bunker and they came towards the boat and chasing them were some of the largest striped bass I had ever seen at the time. There was nothing we could do since the only gear we had aboard was flounder gear. For goodness sake it was late March, who would expect seeing striped bass so early in the spring? However throughout the years, whenever possible, come April, I would scout around Robins in search of the activity where some days saw good bass fishing and many days drew a big zilch. Thankfully, the past few Aprils have produced some good fishing with rarely a boat in sight.
To be quite honest, I’ve kept the early season bass fishing around Robins Island between my really close friends and myself for all these years, however, with the striper fishing being consistent for the past few Aprils, I felt it is time to share these early season hangouts with The Fisherman readers.
Surrounded By Many Species
Located between Great and Little Peconic Bay, the privately owned 435-acre Robins Island continues to be one of the only areas that produces stripers as early as the beginning of April along Long Island’s East End. The reason for this phenomenon is all the brackish water that is a consistent 57 degrees year-round that flows into the Big Peconic Bay from the Peconic River and the many brackish creeks and streams.
Moss and peanut bunker along with spearing and bay anchovies are the first of several species of baitfish to arrive into the bay, often finding safe refuge among the many cluster of rocks and giant boulders surrounding Robins Island. Many of these giant boulders are situated on the beach as well. While striped bass are the first of several species to arrive on the scene, jumbo sea porgies continue to use the waters surrounding Robins for their springtime spawn starting by mid-April.
Depending on how cold or warm a winter, weakfish may show by late April; however, in recent years, mid-May is the time the weakies also find space around Robins to drop their eggs. If that isn’t enough by the time the squid move into the bay you have the fluke and big bluefish chasing their tentacles. Before long, blowfish, kingfish, sand sharks and sea robins.
Finding The Bass
Rest assured by the time the circus comes to town the stripers are long gone from the Robins Island grounds. Therefore it is paramount to encounter the bass early around Robins otherwise you would never have known they were there. These early season stripers can be found here in two ways, either by searching out the bunker which can sometimes shoot blanks or the more challenging and rewarding way by fishing on the rocks along the beach. These are not holdover bass, these are ocean stripers of assorted sizes that follow the large herds of bunker that move into the south shore bays, the Sound and the North and South Forks.
Many of the bass that situate around Robins Island will hunt along many of the rocks and boulders tight to the beach which is where you will find the spearing and anchovies. The peanut bunker can be off a bit deeper while the adult bunker can be found lurking just about anywhere. Don’t be misled, there is a lot of ground to cover and the bass can be anywhere around the entire island. Many times the fish may be in water as shallow as 3 feet or as deep as 25 feet. And while the bass may be in shallow, there are many boulders that are hidden just below the surface just waiting to take out a prop or a lower unit or put a nice crack on the vessel.
I strongly suggest staying off the beach and waiting out low tide where you can pinpoint and mark all the areas that requires caution. In addition, you can scope out eddies, areas of tidal clashes and turbulence which are countless around the island and striper honey pots. Remember safety first. If you are unsure of a particular area, don’t chance it, there are countless productive grounds.
The Master Plan
Actually the plan for catching these early stripers is quite simple; plugging hard baits. Sure the usual suspects of bucktails, natural and soft baits would work their magic, but since the shallow and rocky lair will lead to never ending snags, plastic and wooden popping, swimming and diver plugs are effective and will suit the task at hand. The fact is however there are times when a popper will produce better than a diver or swimmer and vice versa. The key is knowing when to apply the particular hard bait for maximum effectiveness. Additionally, the approach is relevant to get the hard baits to spark.
While anchoring and plugging over a particular rip or tidal clash can be productive at times, drifting is the positive edge. For the most part, the currents are quite swift in the Peconic Bays. However, as you motor closer to Robins, the flow of the current slackens generously especially when the current is coming from the west (outgoing tide) and the fishing is being done along the east side of the island and vice versa on the incoming tide. Wind plays a major role to the equation as well, most times making the drifts perpendicular, which can be beneficial, especially when the drift is along the island rather than sliding away from the island which will require many short drifts.
The bottom line is you are going to have to deal with the conditions dealt. On a positive note, drifting conditions can be adjusted in your favor due to how the tide and winds contours with the island and all the rocky surroundings.
Artificial Options
The options can be broad and almost endless when it comes to plugging these spots. Everyone has their favorites and first to clip to the end of a leader. To give you a general idea I’ll touch upon some standards that a lot of anglers seem to like. For hard body swimming options SP Minnows, Mag Darters, Joe Baggs Swarters and even bottle plugs will dig into the rips just fine. If you do find bigger bunker to be around, larger metal lip swimmers made of wood can do a good job at mimicking larger profiles and with some lip adjustment you can get them to swim deeper in the rips.
Bucktails are also very effective on rips lines and behind rocks at times – just be sure to carry an array of weights to match the tide flow and switch out accordingly to keep the jig close to the bottom. A trailer strip like a Fat Cow, Uncle Josh or Otter Tail adds a little extra appeal to these jigs. If the fish are feeding up top various poppers can be used. Carry Super Strike Little Neck Poppers, Yo-Zuri Top Knocks and Tsunami Talking Poppers. For soft plastics, the Al Gag Whip-It Fish, Tsunami Shads and Storm Shads are all good choices.
Striper Setups
Quality tackle is essential when fishing for stripers and big blues. And while I never had a problem with conventional and even baitcaster reels, when it comes to spinning reels, I forget about it. I wish I had a buck for every spinner I toasted. I’ll admit, I would shred all the gears or bearings after a bass blitz. Nonetheless spinning and baitcasting outfits in the 15 to 25-pound class would be ideal. Just be sure that reels can handle the pressure of big fish as they are there for the catching. Filling the reels with 30-pound braid is ideal. Just be sure to add an 8-foot shock leader of fluorocarbon with a Spro Power Snap Swivel to round out the outfit.
Lastly when conditions permit and fishing may be slow, trolling a deep diving plug work along the edges of the rocks and boulder can be effectively productive. An adult bunker imitation that runs to 25 feet is fine. The same combo of braid and shock leader is fine, however, exchange those spinners for a conventional reel with rod having enough flex to allow the plug to move side by side.
Before heading out you may want to stop by or give Ken of Tight Lines Bait and Tackle in Southampton, Wego in Southold or Whitewater Outfitters in Southampton a call. Local shops are full of knowledge along those waters and he’ll let you know what gives.
Remember now is the time to go as once the blues move in by early to mid-May, the bass will move off to the east.
