5/13: First Bass at Shelter Island

[Tuna]

Stopped off at Nichols Point, Shelter Island Saturday on my way to Peconic. I was just looking for bait and checking water temps, but blind cast under clouds and got a follow on the second cast. A few casts later I hooked a nice energetic 6 pounder and landed my first striped bass of the new millenium (on a chartreuse clouser).

It amazes me how exciting the first bass of the season is to me, despite having gone through this, well, many seasons. Nice to know some things in life remain new on second, third (and 30th) times through.

I also saw a few fish working bait in the area, first time I've seen this in the area this season.

Although forecasts predicted a bit of sun, the clouds followed me to Peconic, where I saw birds working bait on a few flats. On the first, I saw fish gently pushing water under the birds and thought, cool, bass feeding. After a few casts I saw the fishing pushing water were sea robbins and headed for another flat. More birds working bait, but the fish under them were not visible. Sure enough, in 3 feet of water, I picked up my first 2 sea robbins of the millenium. Not quite as satisfying as that first bass (actually, it was kinda fun to laugh at myself after the initial recognition of a hit that it was no bass I had).

I did get some bass follows on the flats, and scared the first 10 pound class bass I've seen this year while poling along.

[ghost]

I also fished the Peconics on Sat but nothing to report. I was bait fsihing squid and killies but did not have a single hit.
Later while fly fishing the mouth of Peconic River I got some small schoolies on poppers. All amall fish at less then 16 inches.