Winter Schoolie Numbers Plunge in Recent Years

We are in big trouble with schoolie numbers. Winter fishing is way off. I also saw it this whole season where my catches were way down. In fact, numbers of the last several seasons have been dropping like a lead balloon. Everyone in southern New England seems to be concerned about what's coming this season.
To illustrate just how far down we have plunged, I looked back over my logs of the last 4 years of winter fishing in the Providence River. These are my numbers for the months of January and February. Note that I went about the same number of times each year so it's a good comparison.

2008- 235 stripers

2009- 78 stripers

2010- 15 stripers

2011- 12 stripers

I think the winter fishing is certainly a reflection of what is going on in Narragansett Bay and along our coastline in recent years. It is not a pretty picture.