Friday, August 1, 2014

Stripers in the White Water

There were some schoolies yesterday evening from shore.
The hot plug was a homemade, white needlefish.
A rough, white water surf is about the best condition to fish for stripers from shore. I found some beautiful water yesterday evening along a rocky shoreline here in RI.  The water was white but clean, something you don't often get.  There was also an onshore breeze that was moving the water in a turbulent current that looked like I was fishing a raging river. It was just perfect, conditions that often led to some big catches in past years in this spot.
I'd like to tell you that I killed the fish, but the truth is that I caught two schoolies.  Hey, better than nothing.  I also had two other fish come up and hit my homemade, white needlefish plug.  Before I fished here I drove along a good piece of the oceanfront and did not see one other fisherman, a telling observation about just how bad things are. I also fished after dark with no luck and once again, I could not find another fisherman.
So, word is that there are a few schoolies along the oceanfront, but you have to work for them.  As far as keepers, they are available to boaters in deeper water, but continue to be scarce from shore.