Fishing for the striped bass

Getting a chunk of the action at Hampton Bays with striped bass

“It’s fruitless, unless we employ what they are, these bass doesn’t want to know us,” was my remark to my friend Bill one rainy and humid morning in late July. We were fishing Shinnecock Bay’s East channel bouncing buck tails along the bottom picking away at a new body of fluke that had settled into the area within the last few days, when suddenly we drifted past a pair of anglers anchored on the edge of the channel with a pair of conventional outfits situated in the rod holders, with their lines quite a distance from the boat protruding into the channel. Assuming the two anglers were fluke fishing, I shouted over to them as we were drifting past, explaining they would catch a lot better if they would pull up anchor and drift the area and cover more ground. The response was a thank you and a friendly wave of the hand. I thought to myself to each his own. Then a couple hundred yards down tide, I happened to look up and noticed our anchored friends netting and lifting aboard what seemed to be a good size striper. Only then did I realize that they were bass fishing and trying not to make it conspicuous by taking advantage of the lack of boat and angling activities due to the inclement weather. Sizing up the situation, I started the engine, turned on the depth sounder and slowly cruised along the channel and edges checking the recorder for signs of life. Plenty of bait fish showed on the recorder so I decided to start a drift just off the channel and work right along the drop offs in hopes of enticing a bass or two into hitting one of the many types of artificial lures we had tossed that morning. No such luck, not even a tap. Meanwhile we witnessed two more nice bass being netted and released by our anchored friends. Talk about frustrating; but the answer was clear, they wanted real food in the way of fresh oily bunker. Something we were not prepared for, so in turn all we could do was go back to fluke fishing and watch our anchored friends having a blast with 15 to twenty pound stripers, and all this by using a very simple yet extremely effective method called chunking.

Although a popular method during the heat of the summer, especially in Long Island Sound and Montauk, chunking from a boat at anchor along most of the south shore bays is under rated since most anglers are content to drift the inlet areas fishing with live bait or dragging whole clams along the bottom. Unlike places such as the Sound or Montauk, where there are countless productive areas that allow anglers all the elbow room they desire, most south shore fishermen employ their tactics within the confines of the inlet areas which are often congested with both boat traffic and fishing pressure particularly during the height of the summer season. The truth of the fact is many big bass can be taken well out of range of the inlets in areas not conspicuous to many anglers as well as away from the main through fare of passing vessels. The experienced striper angler recognizes such opportunities and will consistently score with quality fish. With the option of south shore bays I can fish from, chunking the shallow waters of Shinnecock Bay is my prime choice where fishing off the beaten path has produce quality bass upward to 30 pounds during the heat of the summer in places many anglers overlook.

Split between the Hampton Bays and Southampton Township, Shinnecock Bay has been long known for its exceptional fluke and flounder fishing. With the downfall of the flounder fishery and the steady trend of exceptional striped bass fishing, local sharpies have really honed their skills when it comes to stripers in this bay. Most locals are also aware that part of the largest bass taken during the summer months is taken from this bay. Shinnecock is a relatively shallow bay with an average of five to 6 feet of water at low tide west of the Ponquogue Bridge and an average of 10 feet at low tides toward the east especially towards the Indian reservation. Along most of the south end of the bay, water at low tide averages only one to two feet. On the bay’s most northern end lies the infamous Shinnecock Canal, connecting both Shinnecock and Great Peconic Bay. During flood tides, the bay fills with cool, fresh, clean ocean water, which for the most part is crystal clear and the bottom can be seen on calm days. This is providing there are normal weather conditions. Toward the north, the bay’s bottom is primarily made up of a mud/sand mixture with plenty of vegetation to support a good chain of sea life which finds an abundance of species feeding on the mollusk, bait fish and crustacean that reside in the bay. Sand/mud also makes up the southern end of the bay, with the exception of the inlet area, which mainly consists of a sandy bottom. Here to, sediments and nutrients of the bay contribute to strong vegetation life which makes Shinnecock a very clean and healthy bay. It is a small bay and unlike most bays along the south shore, a swift current runs through most of Shinnecock Bay, particularly on the ebb tide when the locks are open in the Shinnecock Canal and the water flushes out into the bay and out of the inlet. Along these current flows comes a myriad of bait fish that flushes into the bay as well, attracting a variety of species including stripers looking to feast on some easy pickings. Put it all together and you got the right combination to successful chunking.

Chunking is a simple method of applying cut pieces (chunks) of bait fish such as bunker, herring and mackerel in two or 3 inch cubes, to a hook that is rigged to either drift naturally in a slow-moving current or fished on the bottom with the assistance of a sinker. Chunking is a popular method among surf casters as well as dock and pier anglers and produces many quality stripers and blues each season. The real advantage of chunking is from an anchored boat where successful anglers will disperse a steady flow of the fish meat as chum, in hopes of drawing the intended species near the boat and to the baited hook. The term originated with Atlantic offshore tuna fishermen primarily in the Northeast as this is a common and effective way to successful tuna fishing. Closer to home, chunking is popular among bluefish and striper fans not interested in working artificial lures, drifting live baits or trolling wire line, as well as the angler who enjoys it all. Whatever the case may be, one thing is for certain, fished correctly, chunking not only produces big catches, but big fish as well.

Most striper fishermen will agree that some sort of structure or tidal rip is necessary for successful bass fishing. With the swift currents in Shinnecock Bay, stripers can be found
stalking the flats and in places many anglers wouldn’t even consider, feasting on small fluke, flounder, crabs, eels and the usual assortment of bait fish. During the hot days of summer, stripers tend to feed less active and will remain close to the bottom looking for an easy meal and more often than not, small chunks of bait will out produce live baits as well as casting or trolling artificial baits.
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Though chunking will often out produce most other methods during the summer doldrums, it is essential to be in the proper area during the prime tidal stages to experience solid action, or otherwise a slow pick at best may be the end result. Therefore, let’s take a look at some of the areas that will produce best. First off, the first two to three hours of the outgoing tide will often produce the best results in Shinnecock Bay. This is when the bay water temperature is at its coolest and at the same the time the current is moving hard causing bait fish to flush out of places such as the canal, off the sand bars and any sudden drop offs that create rips which stimulate the bass into a feeding frenzy. The last two hours of the incoming can result in some fine action at times, but overall, outgoing tides prevail. If you intend to fish the start of the outgoing tide, start up on the north side of the bay nearing the Shinnecock Canal between buoys 29 and 30 making sure to stay on the south west side of buoy 29 anchoring in seven to 10 feet of water. This is a great spot to be at the beginning of the ebb as all sorts of bait is flushed out of the canal and right into the hungry mouths of intercepting predators. As the tide and the action drop off, head south toward buoy 27 where the water is slightly deeper and bass casually feed along the bottom on the abundance of small fluke and crabs located here. Just southwest of buoy 27 is home to the Coast Guard Station where great striper action is often overlooked. The deeper water narrows down here and the buoys are relatively close together as a large sand bar sits directly across the station and extends west along the northern side of the Ponquogue Bridge. During the summer months this area holds loads of small fluke on the sand bars as well as along the channel edges drawn to the area by the abundance of baby sand crabs and spearing. The fluke never rest easy here as stripers frequently stalk these grounds in search of tasty treats. This area is rarely considered for serious striper fishing due to fear of becoming high and dry on the sand bar. The fact is the water looks more shallow than it really is because it is often crystal clear. During the last of the ebb and the start of the flood tide, the depth can be too shallow for larger boats. To be on the safe side, fish this area either two hours before or after high tides. Chunking in this area is often a deadly tactic especially during a falling barometer and cloudy days. Keep in mind any place in Shinnecock with moving water and bait fish hold strong potential. Expand your horizons, don’t just limit yourself to the spots written about; explore and experiment with the possibilities. If for nothing else, it will certainly sharpen your angling skills.

Anchoring and dispersing small chunks as chum as well as on the hook is all that is required for chunking bass. It’s important to remember to anchor where there is plenty of current and bait fish life. Don’t be overly concerned with a strong current as it is rather easy to keep good line control in the shallow waters of Shinnecock Bay.

Diverse from the common tactic employed in deep water where stout rods and heavy sinkers are required, conventional and bait caster outfits in the 20-pound class are well suited for this style of fishing. The rod tip should be flexible, rated for fast action with enough backbone to keep control of a big fish. Reels with smooth working drag systems capable of holding at least 250 yards of a good quality 20 pound test line will work best here. I would not recommend using spinning outfits here as they can be cumbersome, particularly under the strain of a big fish. My outfit of choice is a 7-foot G-Loomis SWR84-20C matched with an Abu Garcia Ambassadeur 7000CL filled with 20 pound P-Line. This outfit is light enough yet strong enough to handle any big bass that may come your way. Rigging with a fish finder rig is the way to go here. Some anglers prefer using a 3x3 rig or just letting the baited hook drift naturally with the current. Those choices are fine. However, in shallow water the 3x3 can become quite a weed collector as well as cause the bait to spin. As for letting the bait drift, this will indeed cover more ground but it will more often produce more bluefish than bass due largely to the fact that bass prefer to feed along the bottom during the heat of the summer. The fish finder rig simply consists of a nylon sleeve connected to a duo lock snap swivel, which is passed through and allowed to slide free along the main line. A sinker is attached to the snap swivel and a barrel swivel is tied at the end of the main line to prevent the slider from sliding down the hook. A 3-foot nylon or fluorocarbon leader of a 30- pound test snelled to a 3/0 to 5/0 circle or a really sharp Gamakatsu octopus hook will work well here. Sinkers will round out the terminal end with three to five ounces usually sufficient in the area.

Many anglers I know will not even consider chunking unless a fresh bunker, and herring or mackerel is available. Realistically, unless you can preform a hat trick, bunker will more than likely be the only fresh bait in town during the summer months, and they can sometimes become difficult to obtain. Should you find fresh bunker, make certain to keep it cold and out of direct sunlight, otherwise it will bake in the heat causing it to become mushy and difficult to keep on the hook. If you plan to keep the bunker in a cooler on ice, make sure to place them in air tight plastic bags so they do not become water logged from melted ice which will wash out the natural oils and flavor making the bait practically useless. Keep in mind plastic zip lock bags sometimes leak so make sure the water is draining out of the cooler. Should frozen bunker be the only bait you can obtain, don’t let that discourage you from fishing with chunks. In fact, bunker placed frozen on the hook will often produce results just as equivalent to fresh bait during the summer. The reason being is that the chunk is allowed too moderately unthaw causing the meat to maintain its flavor for a longer period of time making it hard for any bass hunting down food to resist such a morsel. If you have a few mackerel or herring in the bait freezer at home, bring them along as they can produce as well. A half dozen bunker or bait fish per angler should be sufficient.

Done correctly, chumming with chunks can be an asset to the bass fishing. Unlike chumming for other saltwater species, doling out a steady heavy flow of chunks is not necessary as this approach can actually put a damper on the score by attracting crabs and bluefish which will beat the bass to the bait. Try to limit the freebies to a few intermitting chunks. Normally I will bring along a flat of frozen bunkers, (about 25 bunker) unthaw a few at a time, cut them into 1 inch cubes and toss out a few pieces every five minutes or so. I will almost never chum with fresh bunkers. For one thing, it’s much too valuable on the hook and secondly, I am looking to entice the bass to the boat, not feed them.

While most striper anglers will be busy dragging clam bellies around this summer, why not hitch the boat and trailer and head on out to Shinnecock and give chunking a try. Clams produce a lot of fish, but if quality is what you are looking for, then make sure not to miss out on the chunk of the action.