Grading the 2024 Season

It was a very good year for Slot Stripers.
These were our bright spot.

 It's that time of year.  The season has ended and the teacher in me is about to grade the season.

The catch word for the entire season has been inconsistent. I can't remember a season that has had so many ups and downs. The bait situation was also inconsistent with less peanut bunker than we've seen in past years. The adult bunker were also in short supply and non-existent from late spring till the end of the season. That greatly affected our big fish populations of stripers and blues.

Stripers will be in the crosshairs of management this off season.  While the goal of regulations in the last few years has been rebuilding the stocks, it hasn't worked out that way.  I think we are in one spot just spinning our wheels. This year I landed exactly 851 stripers.  Last year I had 769. So those numbers are pretty close. Back 4 or 5 years ago, I could consistently catch over a thousand fish a year. I suspect there will be big changes to our regulations next year, though I have no idea what those changes will be. Rebuilding of the stocks is just not working.

So, here goes.

It was a poor year for bluefish.
However, there were a few real
monsters around.

Stripers:

Schoolies- This continues to be a problem because of poor spawning. I landed my first one on April 15th this year, right on time. Spring along the oceanfront and in the Bay was disappointing.  In fact, I landed more slots this spring than I did schoolies.  This poor schoolie fishing continued right into the fall. However, a surge of late fall fish brought "good old time" action with schoolies along the Gansett shore where a glut of them took up residence for almost a month. But, overall, the numbers were not good for 2024. Grade for Schoolies- C-

Slot fish- These fish continue to be the bright spot as we saw good numbers of them in the spring and throughout the fall. I landed my first slots along the oceanfront on April 22, early for this size fish. The Bay, either from shore or kayak, proved to be the best spot for me as early season slots were on the tails of migrating menhaden. Summer was inconsistent and generally poor no matter where I fished. I even hit the Canal numerous times and even that was fair at best. Rough and stormy water in RI did produce at times during the summer.  Fall was very good overall and I even found some big blitzes of fish that were all slots and above. Grade for Slots- A

Over slots- I found less big ones around from shore this year than last year.  I sense these are in decline also. I did land a half dozen big fish over 40 inches from shore and kayak.  They were caught at  different times of the year. The lack of adult menhaden in the Bay from mid spring on had a negative effect on our big fish population. It also seemed like boaters had better luck with bigger fish in the deeper water. Grade for Over Slots- B-

It was a banner year for bonito, one of the best
of all time.  There were around in good numbers
for months.  However, there were no albies.

Bluefish- With all the talk about stripers in decline, bluefish are under the radar. This was a very poor year for them here in RI.  I landed exactly 10 of them, mostly big and most came from the Bay early on. Many good fishermen that I know landed less that 5 blues for the year.  Once again, that lack of large bunker really had a negative effect on the fishing for blues. Grade for Bluefish- F

Albies- Forget it. It never happened this year.  I know of exactly 2 that were caught from shore. I never saw them in all the days I fished, even when there was a lot of bait around.  Historically, we have had years with none so it can happen.  These are pelagic fish. Sometimes they come close to shore, sometimes they don't. Grade for Albies- F

Bonito- It was a banner year for these, probably the best year I have ever seen.  From mid August on, these were along many of our deep water drops and jetties.  These were even off the beaches in late fall. I know of some shore fishermen that landed well over a hundred of them this season. On the negative side, they were mostly small, running 2 to 5 lbs. Grade for Bonito- A

One of my biggest fish of the year came in late 
fall. These monsters well over 40 inches were in short
supply for shore fishermen. Though scarce, some real large
ones even up to 50 lbs. were landed this year.

Season Ends with a THUD!

 My season ended today.  I fished long and hard in a number of good late season locations and came up completely empty. In the last  four outings I've landed exactly one small schoolie and one hickory shad. There was a time not too long ago that I would catch good numbers of stripers, even some bluefish, from Thanksgiving to December 1. Not this year.

It should come as no surprise that the season ended in disappointment. Most of the year was filled with on and off disappointment if you are a striper fisherman.  There are just not as many fish (in all categories) as there used to be. We are seeing the decline play out.

But, other things are off too, way off, compared to other years.  I saw no gannets this year anywhere this fall.  That could be due to a lack of big bait late in the season.  There were no ocean herring, no large 5 and 6 inch peanut bunker and no adult menhaden. All that big bait never skirted the RI shore on its way south.  In addition, there were few if any bluefish all fall.  What happened to those? Years ago I used to slam the big  blues down the far south locations from Weekapaug to Watch Hill.  Those days along with the abundant blues seem to be gone also.

Most of the fishermen have hung it up.  On the last two outings I could count the fishermen I've seen on one hand. Most ended the season early this year. So much for the warm fall, warm weather and an extended season. With a big extended winter chill on the way, I'm pretty confident when I say, "It's Over."

Happy Thanksgiving to all my Loyal Readers

As the sun sets on another striper season here in
RI, I want to wish all my loyal readers and their 
families a Happy Thanksgiving.
We live in a beautiful state with some great fishing!

 

Nearing the End

 Last week I hit some great fishing, but the last two outings have been poor.  Things change fast at this time of year, and what was around a week ago is often not around a few days later.  The last two days have produced exactly one schoolie and one hickory shad in a number of places fished.  There are also other signs that the fishing is nearing the end.  Today I saw good amounts of bait, but no stripers on it, a sign that most of the predators have left.  Also, I know that holdovers are entering their winter over places, another sign that the fishing is coming to an end.  Finally, there are fewer and fewer fishermen trying, another ominous sign.

In past years, the fishing has generally ended for me in the last week of November.  Some years, especially in very warm years, I can stretch it out till the first week in December.  If you look at the weather that's coming, it will be frigid around here the first week in December, so that will be out.

Veteran fishermen will tell you that stripers have been caught right into December here in RI  And, I will admit that you might find an occasional small blitz along the south shore in December or a few late migrators, but the consistency is gone. Add to that the fact that there are fewer stripers around these days.

I think we have a few more days, maybe a week left to catch those last few fish, but sadly to say, it's just about over for our migrating stripers.

Albie Snax DELIVERS!

Albie Snax rigged with BKK
Titan Rider hook,

 I busted out of my November doldrums today in a big way.  I had good numbers of stripers along with my biggest fish of the last month.  I just knew this northeaster would produce because this type of weather was so good in the past at this time of year.  My big surprise of this rainy day was a 40+ inch striper.  Add to that a slot, several near slots and some schoolies. Finally, lots of action.

I found the fish but getting them to hit today was a chore. After countless casts with a jig to breaking fish and no hits, I decided to go with a white Albie Snax. Yes, these lures catch more than just albies.  I had used them on and off in the past when dealing with fussy fish.  Mine was rigged with a BKK Titan Rider hook, a set up I have written about on this blog when using plastics like Slug-gos and Finesse Fish.

You work this skinny plastic just like any other weightless plastic. Cast and reel in slowly with twitches of the rod tip to make the lure dance.  Every once in a while, stop. Expect many of your hits to come on the stop.  This bait is a great imitator of large peanut bunker and small mullet.

Here's a slot fish taken today on
the Albie Snax.

Dreadfully Poor for this Time of Year

 The fishing along the RI oceanfront continues to be poor. Those abundant schoolies along with the bait we had earlier in the month have moved on. Now, it's a matter of waiting to see if another bunch of fish moves through.

Yesterday was the first time in a long, long time that I got totally skunked.  Not a fish, not a hit and saw nothing! I fished and looked all over the place.  I hit several spots along the south shore. Saw no birds and no one fishing.  In past years I could walk those beaches and throw a bucktail jig and jig up something along the bottom even though nothing would show. Not this year.  Later I fished the Gansett area after dark.  It was a big zero there also.  Along the way I met a few disgusted fishermen who reported seeing and catching nothing.

Today my son Ben went down to hit south shore areas.  He fished into darkness and landed one small schoolie. He also saw nothing else.

It's November 18th today.  The fishing should be humming along the RI oceanfront. It's not.

Frank Daignault, the Passing of a Legend

 

Here are just a couple of Frank's books.
He was a prolific big striper hunter, writer and
lecturer. He had a profound affect on surf 
fishing for striped bass that carries on to this day.

It is with sadness that I report the passing of Frank Daignault, a legend and pioneer of saltwater surf fishing.  Frank was someone who many consider the “Godfather of Surf Fishing”.  He was a prolific big striper hunter, and he popularized striped bass surf fishing in the hundreds of articles that he wrote for publications like The Fisherman magazine, On the Water and Saltwater Sportsman to name a few. He also authored 6 books on the topic.  In addition, he was a major lecturer and conducted seminars at many of the big fishing shows and many club gatherings.

When I was a young man just getting into writing about fishing for various magazines, Frank was my favorite fishing writer.  The first thing I would do when the Fisherman magazine arrived in the mail was to look at the table of contents and hope I would find a Frank Daignault article. When it came to writing and fishing, he was the guy I looked up to, much like a mentor, more than anyone.  He had a writing style, I’ll call a “New England Salty” style, that was unique, and I could not get enough of it. Much of my fishing in the early days was patterned after what he wrote about. And, his photos were simply the best.  Back then Frank and other writers were taking mostly black and white photos, no easy task.  His many photos were simply stunning as they frequently graced the covers of countless magazines and books. I will never forget that he told me to “take as many photos as you can.  You never have enough!’

It was back in 1981 that I actually met Frank, and from then on we became good friends.  I was trout fishing at the time, and I went after school to a place called Lake Pearl in Wrentham. As I stepped into the water, there, right in front of me was the legend. I was in awe. I introduced myself and Frank mentioned that he had read many of my magazine articles. That started a friendship that lasted decades.  In fact, Frank sponsored me on my application to the New England Outdoor Writers’ Association, an elite organization of outdoor writers and photographers here in NE. Later in the 1990’s and early 2000’s. I was fortunate to share the stage with Frank at many big shows doing seminars on striped bass fishing.

After getting to know Frank through our conversations and fishing together in salt and fresh water, I discovered a man that was so, so passionate about what he was doing. He had a drive about him when it came to any kind of fishing be it stripers, trout, steelhead, etc. that was unparalleled. That compete dedication to the sport came out in his writings and his catches. He often told me about stunning big catches of “cows” as he called them. The specific numbers were out of this world. Frank himself would often admit he was fishing in the heydays of striped bass where monster fish were around the surf in huge numbers if you knew where to look. 

I’m guessing that many of the middle age and older surf fishermen around today got their starts after reading many of Frank’s articles and books. He has had a profound influence on the sport that carries on to this day.

I want to offer my condolences to his wife, Joyce, and to his family. Know that Frank lived a great life, and his legacy lives on in the fishing world.

In a Lull OR Nearing the End?

This was Charlestown Breachway
late in the day this afternoon.  Not a 
soul there, not a soul along the beach.
That says it all.

Suddenly, the striper fishing along the oceanfront has gone downhill.  The last couple of days have not been good for me or good for anyone I know. So, this all begs the questions: Are we just in a a late season lull or is the end near? I'll make the case for both.

In a late season lull- I've seen this happen many times at this time of year in the past.  A big bunch of fish comes through, and then you have to wait for the next bunch to move through. We had a lot of them recently so it's just a matter of waiting it out until the next bunch arrives. I believe the fishing will hold up until late November.  It has every other year for the last few years and with the warm water and a return to moderating temperatures later in the week, we should be back in business.  We also need some migrating bait to show up since most that has left also. 

Nearing the end- Going back over the last decade I've seen some seasons come to a quick end for whatever the reason.  The weather can be warm, the water can be warm, but the fish are just gone and more never come along. It's a bad sign right now that there is suddenly very little bait around.  It's also a bad sign that we recently had a glut of small ones around, and that typically happens at the very end of the season. And, already a lot of fishermen are giving up since I see less and less fishermen around. In addition, we are in a period of declining striper numbers so there are a lot less to come along.

So, what's happening? I'm going with the late season lull.  In my mind, just too early to end. Hope I'm right!

A Glut of Small Ones

 

There has been a glut of schoolies along the RI
oceanfront in the last couple of weeks. Here is
one of many that I landed this afternoon.

All year I have been writing on this blog about the lack of schoolies. The poor Young of the Year Indexes from Chesapeake Bay, a barometer of spawning success, has been poor in the last five years. That has fueled this "no schoolies around" belief that most fishermen (including myself) have had. Now, I'm not sure what is going on.

I have seen a glut of schoolies, fish 15 to 20 inches, around in the last three weeks. They seem to be everywhere along the RI shoreline in huge numbers. There are as many as I have seen in some of the big schoolie years of the past. Just about every outing in the last few weeks has delivered big numbers of them. On the other hand, we suddenly seem to have a lack big fish, slots and over slots.  I haven't caught or seen one caught in two weeks.

So, what's going on with these abundant schoolies. While we know spawning in the Chesapeake Bay has been poor, other places seem to be doing well.  Spawning success in the Hudson River has been good in recent years leading me to believe we are getting a lot of our fish from there.  Back when we had the striper moratorium years in the 1980's, I never saw a lack of stripers,  particularly schoolies, here in RI. Back then I landed a lot of fish that had Hudson River Foundation  tags on them. We knew back then that a good number of our fish here in southern New England came from the Hudson. There are other lesser known spawning rivers along the East Coast that we know little about.  So, I think these big numbers of schoolies we are seeing now are coming from places other than the Chesapeake Bay. Wherever they are coming from, the fact is that there has been no lack of small ones in late fall here in RI this year.

It's been a long times since I've caught one of these.....

I landed this weakfish, or squeteague, a couple
of nights ago.  It's been decades since I've caught one.
I also saw others caught. Yes, they are around.
This one was caught on a NLBN paddle tail.

 

Hot Stuff

 

This was the hot ticket in the last
two days when stripers were feeding
on peanut bunker.

The glut of small stripers continues unabated.  I hit a massive blitz of them today.  There seemed to be fish everywhere in front of me as big schools of stripers had peanut bunker pinned up against the shore.  Birds everywhere, fish busting and frenzied baitfish running for their lives! The first 35 casts I made I landed 35 stripers.  There were that many.

Today was almost was a repeat of what happened yesterday but in much calmer water.  The interesting thing about yesterday, a day I was fishing with my sons Ben and Jon, was that Ben was outfishing his father at least four fish to my one.  I was using the egg float with a half ounce bucktail jig.  Ben was using an egg float with a 3 inch NLBN paddle tail with a half ounce jighead. That seemed to be a more effective peanut bunker imitator. The bucktail had been working real well for me when slender bay anchovies were around, but not so good with the peanut punker.  So, I switched jigs and started catching more.

Today I just went with the float and NLBN paddle tail and it worked wonders again.  You can use the paddle tail alone when a long cast is not needed.  Use it off a float when you need a long cast or when you are fishing rocky areas.  This set up is also great when casting into a strong wind.

Ben Pickering lands a slot fish in some
rough water yesterday using an egg float with a NLBN
paddle tail. 

There has been a glut of small stripers around in 
the last few days with an occasional slot.
The egg float with a NLBN
paddle tail has been my best producer.

Loads of Small Stripers; Tons of Small Bait

 

I landed this hefty schoolie today
on a bucktail jig. There have been
big numbers of small bass in the last
few days along the oceanfront.

The good times are rolling at the RI oceanfront with the migration is full swing.  This week we've seen tons of small bait, mostly bay anchovies that are a half to an inch long.  In places their masses have turned the water brown.  Last night I was on a beach and saw big numbers of them being washed right up onto the sand. The abundant bait has lured all kinds of fish right close to shore at times.  While smaller stripers have made up the big numbers, I have also seen some hickory shad, bonito, bluefish and black sea bass.  Just about everything is eating this stuff.

Today I had a banner day in some stormy conditions.  I landed big numbers of stripers, mostly schoolies, working my float and bucktail jig in the white water where I was fishing. While most of my bass were in the 18 to 24 inch range, I also managed one slot fish. Mixed in with all these schoolies this week have been some slots and even some over slot fish.

All year we have seen very few schoolies. It's been mostly slot fish. So this is a bit unusual. There have been big numbers of these smaller fish in the last week so that is a good sign.

There was a glut of bait in front of me today.
Here cormorants are feeding on the bay 
anchovies along with seagulls diving down
for the bait. Stripers were lurking below!

Photo of the Day- "Slug-go Scores After Dark"

 

I landed this 30 inch striper last night
after dark.  I have been getting some
decent fish lately at night and all the action has
come on the Slug-go.

                                                  

Chubbies Putting on a Show

 

Chub mackerel have been around in good numbers
this week.  I've caught good numbers on a 
3-inch NLBN paddle tail.

Although we usually see these fish in September, the chub mackerel are staging a late season show.  They have been around the oceanfront this week in good numbers. It's the first time I have seen them this year.

These are easily recognized by the way they blitz on the surface.  The water will "boil" in a froth when they attack schools of small bait. They move fast.  I've seen many schools pop up this week, and maybe I had 5 seconds to get the lure just ahead of the breaking fish.

This species of mackerel is quite chunky.  They measure 12 to 15 inches in length but have wide girths.  They fight well for their size.  I catch most of mine on a small, 3-inch NLBN paddle tail.  Other fishermen might use small epoxy jigs or small metal lures, similar lures you'd use for albies or bonito.  Going small is the key.

Check out this school boiling on the surface yesterday.

WILD Outing- Stripers on Top, Bonito Below

 

Good size stripers were on the prowl in recent
days. The float and fly was the ticket.

It's been a wild couple of days for me as I have been chasing down big blitzes of fish.  Both stripers and bonito (yes, they are still around!)  are feeding on huge schools of small bay anchovies that are sometimes less than an inch in size. What has been bizarre and something I have not seen in the past is that BOTH bonito and stripers are in the same mix. For the most part the stripers have been slurping on top while the bonito have been down deep and not showing but still feeding.

Yesterday I kept rotating lures.  When the stripers were slurping in front of me, I would go with the float and fly, a combo that has been deadly in the last few days.  It far out fished anything other fishermen were throwing. When no stripers were showing, I switched to a green backed Colt Sniper lure that was a killer for the bonito. I would cast out as far as I could and let the lure sink almost to the bottom.  Then, I would reel fast. I had either a hit or a fish on at least 50 % of my casts.

Bonito were feeding down deep, often under the 
stripers.  The Colt Sniper lure was a hot lure
yesterday.  A fast retrieve was best.

I ended my day with 20 stripers landed.  They were just about all slots. I also landed 5 bonito but had a ton more hits and fish on. The bonito were running 3 to 5 lbs., generally the size we've had all fall.

Blitz of the Week!

 The striper fishing has gone from red hot to ice cold in a matter of days. On Friday I hit one of the biggest blitzes of fish that I have seen in years.  At one point a school of fish in front of me was bigger than the size of a football field. It was a wild scene with fish breaking, birds diving and bait flying out all over the place.  It was all slot size fish with even some over slots in the mix.

Two days later I can't find a fish anywhere. Our up and down year continues!

Float and Fly Kills It Today

 

The float and fly was super effective
today because the stripers were feeding
on small bay anchovies.

Today was the best day of fishing for me this year! I hit a massive blitz of stripers that were feeding on small bay anchovies.  This is a slender baitfish that is super hard to imitate, but I have a trick up my sleeve for when this happens. While a number of fishermen had a very difficult time getting the fish to hit, they were readily smashing my float and fly.  These were all decent fish, mostly slots with one large overslot that I landed.

The killer was the float and fly.  The fly, a homemade pink Deceiver, is a perfect imitator of this small bait.  It has the profile, size and the movement to imitate bay anchovies.  The egg float is simply a casting weight to get the fly out.  Reel slowly with and occasional pull of the rod tip.  Even stop reeling once in a while.  Many hits will come on the stop. 

Many fishermen will knock this set up saying it only catches small fish.  Not true. This is the same crowd that mistakenly will tell you that you have to use a big plug to catch a big fish. Not when the fish are feeding on two inch baitfish. Today out of hundreds of fish landed, I had the biggest one I saw,  a fish that I estimated to be 23 lbs.

One of many, many fish that fell for the float and
fly today.  Note the pink Deceiver in the fish's mouth.

Stripers Gone Wild!

 

                                                     

                                             It was a wild day at the oceanfront as stripers were on

                                             big schools of small bay anchovies!

A Birthday to Remember

 

I was out in my kayak today.  It was a banner 
outing for stripers on a picture perfect 
weather day.

I was visiting some of my grandchildren a couple of days back.  They knew my birthday was in a couple of days (today actually).  One of them asked, "Hey grandpa, what are you going to do for your birthday?" I replied, "I think I'll go fishing".  They all knew I fished just about every day so no birthday surprise there.

But, I did get the birthday surprise today with a banner day of fishing.  This morning I hit the Bay with my kayak. It didn't take long to find fish just a short peddle away from where I put in. I found breaking stripers and birds diving for bait. I had a grand time catching one striper after another on my weightless, plastic Fin S fish worked on the surface.  While many of them were small, I did land several slot fish. The weather was picture perfect and it was a great day to be out on the water.

After I got home and ate supper, I decided to go out carp fishing for a couple of hours, something I do just about every day in between chasing stripers.  I decided to hit a picturesque spot along the Blackstone River fairly close to my house. It was a mile walk to get there but no problem.  I was there no more than 15 minutes when one of my bite alarms sounded. Soon after a good size 15 lb. common carp was on the bank. Half an hour later, the other alarm sounded, and I knew after hooking the fish, I was onto a good one. It was ripping drag all along the river. Soon, I had a 25 lb. common on the bank, a very large fish for this body of water. 

I landed this 25 lb. carp this evening to 
cap off my big fishing day!

I turned 74 today, and I thank my lucky stars I am still able to do what I do. For 8 months of the year I fish just about every day.  For the other 4 months I ski just about every day. In between that, I ride a bike just about every day. I have no health problems and my doctor tells me to keep doing what I'm doing. I'm blessed with 4 wonderful sons and 3 great daughter-in-laws.  And, I now have 6 beautiful grandchildren. 

For a 74 year old guy, life couldn't be better!

Photo of the Day- Back in the Kayak in Some Protected Water

 

It was back in the kayak for me today in
some protected water. The fish were around
in good numbers. Unweighted Fin S fish
did the trick!

Scoring on the Heavy Stubby Needlefish

Super Strike Bullet Heavy Stubby
Needlefish- 2 1/2 oz.

 In the last two days, my son Jon and I have landed good numbers of decent fish.  These have been mostly slots with even some over slots. We've been catching them on a Super Strike Bullet Heavy Stubby Needlefish.  It has been the only plug in our bags that will punch out a long distance in these vicious northeast winds.  It is that long cast that has gotten to where these fish have been feeding.

As the name suggests, this plug casts like a bullet. It is a compact length at 4 1/2 inches yet weighs 2 1/2 oz. We have been working this plug similar to a popper with short pulls of the rod tip with a slow to moderate retrieve, just keeping it at or just below the surface.  We have been scoring with the yellow/white version.

Note that this plug is also made in a lighter version. I suggest the heavy model if you want to take on the stiff winds that we are experiencing right now along the oceanfront. The fish are there, but you have to reach them.

This slot fish was landed today on the Stubby Needlefish.
We have scored many slots and overslots in the last two
days using this plug.

Stripers' Preferences Can Change Depending on Bait and Location

 

The Yo-Zuri Hydro Pencil has been
a hot producer in the last two evenings.

In the beginning of the week jigs ruled the places I was fishing. Big bucktail jigs, small bucks off a float, and NLBN paddle tails all were red hot. But, that place where jigs ruled suddenly went dry for me so I moved to a new location. I found fish and lots of them in my new spot, but they would not look at a jig. In my new hotspot, it was anything on top that did the trick. I caught a bunch of fish on Rebel Jumpin Minnows and Yo-Zuri Hydro Pencils.  I suspect the bait had a lot to do with the fish's preferences.  I'm guessing they were after mullet in my topwater spot since those two plugs I was using were great choices when mullet are around.  The float and jig works super when slim profiled bait such as bay anchovies and silversides are around.

Fishing for me continues to be red hot in both the daytime and at night. In the last five days, I've landed almost 100 stripers with a good percentage of those being keepers, although the majority of the fish are 24 to 28 inches. It's been the best week of the year.

I'm hoping this nasty weather with the big northeast wind continues. That's been the mover in all this and so long as it continues to blow the fishing will be hot somewhere along the RI coastline.

Egg Float and Jig Scoring Big Time Right Now

 

The float and jig has been my best lure to use 
this week. It has hooked big numbers of stripers
from slots to over slots.

The bait has arrived, the stripers are on their tails and the surf is up! What could be better? Add to that some rough, white water surf and you have the recipe for outstanding fishing.

This has been a banner week for me with big numbers of stripers from schoolies all the way up to over slots. Slot fish have been abundant. Clearly the fall run is here.

My top scorer this week has been the egg float and jig. Throw that in the turbulence, reel slowly with an occasional bounce of the rod tip and bingo, I'm on.

I make all my egg floats, and have written about that extensively on this blog.  Do search and you will find all the info on how to make them.  Off the float I run a three foot length of 50 lb. test mono.  At the end I am tying on a 1/2 to 3/4 oz. H style bucktail jig that is also homemade.  Onto the jig I thread a three inch, Bass Pro Triple Ripple curly tail.  The tail really gives the jig irresistible action in a rough surf.

This set up works well anywhere that you might need a booming cast. It also works well in shallow, rocky areas where a regular jig might hang up.

Dramatic Improvement

Striper fishing lit up yesterday. Lots of bait
has moved in and stripers of all sizes
are on them.

 Fall fishing has really taken a turn for the better.  Yesterday I found big schools of bait along the oceanfront moving about a quarter of a mile off shore.  A fall run was underway as big flocks of birds were diving and fish were breaking for bait.  Near shore the water was rough and white and stripers could be found in multiple locations right in close. 

I landed good numbers of schoolies, slots and even possibly an over slot.  I also caught them on multiple lures with big bucktail jigs, the float and jig and even Slug-gos working after dark. Compared to the doldrums of just days ago, it was terrific fishing.

I'm guessing the good fall fishing is finally here to stay. It's about time!

Uptick in Activity.....Is the Fall Run Starting?

Here's one taken from the kayak
last evening. There has been a big
uptick in activity the last few days.

 Fishing is improving.  Just maybe a fall run is underway.  We'll see if it continues. Here's what's been happening in the last few days:

*Out in the kayak in the Bay, I've landed 16 fish, a combination of stripers and blues.  I saw a lot of bait and fish feeding.

*My son, Jon, has also been out in the kayak where he landed 45 bass up to slot size in the last couple of days.  He was fishing a different area than I was fishing telling me there are fish spreading out in different spots.

* Bonito are still running along the oceanfront as I have friends that are getting them. It continues to be a hit or miss deal but they are around. They guys are putting in a big effort and it's paying off.

* One of my friends called to say he was watching a school of fish today working on top close to shore along the oceanfront.  It was the first time he has seen this this year.

* Another friend told me he was into blitz type action with stripers a couple of days ago.  He said they were on big schools of peanut bunker moving along the shore.

* Finally, my son Chris sent me a video of stripers breaking for bait all along the beach for the last two days near his beach house at the Cape.  They were on the Cape Cod Bay side one day and on the Vineyard Sound side the other day. They are moving!

Photo of the Day- "FINALLY, Hit the Jackpot"

 

I'm back in the kayak, and it was a great move.
Found the bait and found the fish.
Landed good numbers of stripers and blues.

Mediocre

 

There are some bonito around but it is a hit or miss
deal.  I landed this one yesterday from shore. 

I'm being generous when I say the shore fishing here in RI is mediocre.  Compared to other years at this time, it is way off. In the last three days/evenings of fishing for me, I've landed a grand total of three schoolies and one small bonito. 

There are a few stripers around, and you have to make a lot of casts in a lot of spots to maybe get one fish. All those bonito that the reports are raving about.... the truth is that they are around, but it is a hit or miss deal.  In one particular hotspot where up to 50 anglers a morning gather at daybreak to cast for them, the word is that there has not been a single bonito caught in 6 straight days. I know several boaters who have not seen or caught a bonito in days. And, no one I know has seen or caught an albie.  They are just not around yet.  Finally, bluefish are almost non-existent.  I've landed two since August and have not seen another one landed.

So, what the heck is going on? There is simply little to no bait along the oceanfront to draw in the predators.  There are small pods of it here and there but no big amounts that would lure bass, blues and pelagics like in  past years. In some of the backwaters where there is bait, there are no predators on it.

We are just about in the middle of September and we've seen no sign of any fall run of any fish.  Things change fast at this time of year, and who knows, maybe shore fishing will change for the better in the next few days or weeks.

Slight Improvement

 

It was one lone striper last evening along with
a bluefish.  Fishing has improved slightly though
it is still way off for this time of year.

The poor shore striper fishing from the summer continues, but there has been a slight improvement in the last couple of days.  I'm beginning to see some small schools of bait along the oceanfront, something I have not seen in weeks.  These are mostly small bay achovies although some fishermen are reporting seeing some peanut bunker.  Big schools of peanut bunker would really get the fishing going.  I've also seen a few fish breaking and birds working over these bay anchovy schools. Some of these predators are bonito which have been popping up here and there.  But, some are also stripers and blues. 

 I was out last evening and did find some bait with a few fish on them. The ocean was flat and the water was clear making it difficult to fool the few fish that were around. I managed to get a striper and a blue along with a couple of sea robins on a bucktail jig.  While this is nothing to write home about, it beats my last three outings in which I was skunked.

Hopefully these cooler nights and dropping water temperatures will get the fish moving in our direction and feeding.  

Labor Day Weekend Fishing Outlook in RI

 Labor Day weekend is here, and there are sure to be a lot of fishermen out and about along the oceanfront. If you are fishing from shore, the outlook is poor.  From a boat, you have a much better chance at finding something although that action is also slow.

We are coming off the worst year of striper fishing in the summer from shore in DECADES here in RI.  There have been very few fish around with a fish here and there whenever the ocean gets rough.  In calm water there tends to be nothing.  There is little bait along the oceanfront, a problem we have had all summer. I have been skunked my last two outings this week while seeing nothing- no birds, no bait, no fish. There is some bait in the Bay and in the backwaters, but there are no fish chasing it.  My son Jon was out in the kayak last night in the Bay and found loads of bait but no fish. I don't really know what's going on with the boaters along the oceanfront, but the reports (if you can believe them) paint a rosy picture of decent numbers of big fish in deeper water.

Fishing for blues from shore is no better.  In a lot of ways it's even worse than striper fishing right now. I've landed a grand total of 5 bluefish this year, and they all have been big. With little bait around, you won't find many bluefish. This has been the poorest year of bluefish fishing in a real long time.

Many fishermen have turned to chasing the pelagics.  There have been some bonito around, especially is the deeper water drops along the oceanfront.  On occasion, I have seen some breaking in my last few outings, and I've even caught a couple. These tend to be small, from 12 to 20 inches on average. Pack some epoxy jigs, small swimmers and metal spoons and hope they show up in front of you. There are no albies around yet, at least from shore. There have also been some mackerel around.

So, that's it.  The last few years brought great fishing on Labor Day weekend, traditionally the start of the fall runs.  I don't see that happening this year. I plan to spend most of my time in freshwater this weekend.  Good luck if you try saltwater.  You'll need it!

Could this be the start of a fall run?

 

Small bonito were harassing small bait 
yesterday. They have been popping up here
and there along the oceanfront where bait
shows up.

Yesterday, for the first time I saw lots of bait.  From my vantage point I could see multiple schools of bait way out being harassed by birds from the top and predators from below.  It was small bait which I suspect was rain bait.  Occasionally a school would come in close and I was able to reach it with my metal lure.  I suspected it was small bonito hitting the bait, and I was right. I managed to catch a couple and had a few more on.

Later I moved to another spot as the sun was setting.  Right before dark a school of peanut bunker moved right by me. A short time later I landed a striper and a large fluke.

This sudden influx of bait close to shore is a sure sign that fall fishing is right around the corner for shore fishermen who have been suffering through a poor summer.  Every year this seems to happen sometime in August. It's a bit late this year, but I think we are looking at improved fishing from shore in the next few days and weeks. Could this be the start of a fall run along the oceanfront?

Scoring in the Rough Water

I found good numbers of stripers yesterday evening
in some white water. This one was taken on a large
bucktail jig with a pink jig strip added.

 I feel like the fishing is perking up slightly. I've been seeing some micro bait here and there especially in the backwaters in the last week.  I even found some fish breaking a couple of nights back. 

Yesterday, I went out to fish some rough white water along the oceanfront.  The oceanfront has calmed down considerably since those hurricane waves of two days ago, and you can easily fish most spots, though there was still a small roll coming in.  The water was also very clean in the two places I fished and free of sand and weed

I landed good numbers of fish while casting into areas that had the most white water and turbulence. I got most of my fish on the float and jig, a good bet to fish in these conditions where a long cast might be needed.  I also had one fish on a big jig with a pink jig strip. I saw no birds working or bait in these places.

All the fish this evening were small, averaging 18 to 22 inches. I haven't seen many of these smaller fish around this year, so it was a bit of a surprise.

Hurricane Waves Pound the Coast

 Hurricane waves are pounding the coastline right now, making for impossible fishing in many of the east and south facing shorelines.  I went down yesterday and found massive waves just running right over the east and center walls at the Harbor of Refuge.  The water was also all roiled with sand and weed, making for impossible and dangerous conditions. I suspect it will take a few days to clear up. Fishable water can be found in the protected backwaters and in the upper reaches of the Bay.

Storminess Lights It Up Once Again

 

The bucktail jig fished off a float
was the hot lure yesterday. 

The best pattern for me all summer was to hit the shore in rough and stormy conditions.  Those days would produce some resident fish. Yesterday was no different except for one exception. I found good numbers of fish for the first time this summer.

It was really rough yesterday due to the tropical storm.  The wind was strong and there was white water everywhere.  There was also life, and lots of it.  Birds were diving and fish were breaking for bait in the location I fished. First time I have seen that all summer. And, the stripers were aggressively taking my bucktail jig that was fished off a wooden egg float.

I ended the evening with good numbers of 24 to 28 inch stripers, typical of what has been around. Maybe there was a slot two in the mix.

Hopefully, this rough water and cooler temperatures will get an early fall run started. We'll see in the coming days.

There were good numbers of 24 to 28 inch stripers around
yesterday in the spot I fished. For the first time in a long
time I saw birds diving and fish breaking.

Photo of the Day- "A Monster"

It was the surprise of the evening. I landed this monster blue
while casting for stripers. It was a loner, the only fish of
the evening. It fell for a bucktail jig with a pink jig strip.

 

Slugging it Out in Some Cloudy Conditions

The fish is in one hand and
the white Slug-go is in
the other. Slug-gos were my
best lures on this day.

 I changed tactics this week as I headed north to come cooler water in the hopes of finding more fish.  I did find some in cloudy and drizzly conditions.  I knew from past years that those stormy days tend to perk up the fishing in the dead of summer.

I found some fish, but they were very fussy, a summer trait. After throwing some topwater offerings and swimmers with no success, I went with a nine inch, white Slug-go, and that did the trick.  The fish were close enough to reach with the Slug so that made things a bit easier. When all else fails, the Slug-go often shines.  The fish really like the natural alluring swimming motion of this lure, and often can't resist striking it.  The day I used it I landed several fish and had several more hits and fish on.

I like to fish my Slug-gos unweighted with one hook in the head.  I've been using BKK Titanrider swimbait hooks all season for my soft plastics.  With the 9-inch Slug-go, I use a size 6/0.

Here's how I fish them.  Cast out and slowly reel while twitching the rod tip.  Occasionally just stop it. Many of my hits come on the stop. I tend to go with white Slug-gos in the daytime and black at night, though the white sometimes works well at night too.

Loners in the Rough

 

The NLBN 5 inch paddle tail has been
a good lure for me this week and has 
caught most of my fish. This slot fish
was landed in some very rough, churned 
up water.

There was an uptick in the fishing this week.  While the numbers of stripers is still dreadfully down for shore fishermen in RI, I was able to come up with at least some fish on every outing in the past week.  I was catching one to three fish an outing. Most of them were either just over or just under the slot limit.

I'm sure this improved fishing was due to the rough water we have been seeing all week along the oceanfront.  These fish were all loners, resident fish, poking around in the white, churned up water, searching for any food that is getting tossed around. I saw no sign of any bait, a theme that has defined this summer's fishing. I've seen no peanut bunker thus far.

The hot lure for me this week has been a 5 inch NLBN paddle tail mounted on a one ounce jighead. That caught most of the fish with a few fish falling for the float and jig also.  Jigs have ruled the fishing for me for most of the summer.

Some Fish Like it HOT

I landed this 20 lb. carp this morning. The carp 
fishing has been as hot as the weather in the 
last few days.

 Well, the weather is certainly hot.  Wish I could say the same for the striper fishing. However, I do know a fish that just loves this hot weather and is hitting well right now.  Carp have always been my ace in the hole that can bend a rod and provide great action when things are not going well in the salt.

During this heat wave I have been fishing for carp just about every morning until about mid day. I'm having very good luck fishing close to home as I've gotten 16 fish in the last three days. These have ranged from small 4 lb. footballs to hogs of over 20 lbs.

I've often written about carp as being great alternatives to fish for when stripers are not around such as during the winter and early spring.  But, they can also provide great action in periods of slow striper fishing which is right now.

There's a learning curve to carp fishing, and it would take you a long time to figure it out on your own.  My carp fishing is all done Euro style with the use of hair rigs and innovative baiting which includes using boilies, artificials and real baits. The Internet has a lot of good ideas on how to Euro carp fish. If you are interested in it, you might want to check out my blog at  www.ricarpfishing.blogspot.com The blog is quite popular here in the US, and I get a lot of pageviews from Europe and Asia!

Conditions: A Perfect "10"; Fishing: A Dismal "1"

 I fished the last couple of evenings along the oceanfront in some great water.  Last evening the waves were rolling in with white water as far as I could see at times. The water was clean, the wind was manageable and there was lots of current and surge.  It was ideal conditions in the spot I was fishing. If this were any other year (in recent memory), I would have had a big night.  Not last night.

I worked this place for a couple of hours before dark.  At first I used a float and jig, a killer in past years here. Nothing.  Then I went with a Super Strike stubby needlefish plug, a good lure in the past month. Nothing. I tried a big Hopkins metal lure for distance. Nothing. And, I was fishing multiple spots in this area with all these good lures. I was looking at the skunk when just before dark a fish hit my float and jig.  It was near slot of about 27 inches. But, that was it. I continued to fish at/after dark with NO success.

This is typical of how shore fishing has been going here in RI this summer. EVERY shore fisherman I know, and I know a lot of good ones, rate this the poorest year of striper fishing from shore that they have seen in a long, long time here in RI. There has been little or no bait around.  Couple that with a decline in striper numbers and you can understand why the fishing is so poor. Many fishermen are so discouraged that they have even hung up the gear until fall.

I know that the fishing can change quickly at this time of year. I am especially hopeful we will see those big schools of peanut bunker migrating northward soon. More than anything, they can change the fishing dramatically for the better.

Uptick in Fishing but Still Subpar

 

Big bucktail jigs with a Fat Cow jig strip have
been good in the last couple of evenings.

July has started off better than June with an uptick in the surf fishing for me along the oceanfront.  There has been rough water due to all these fronts, and I think that has caused resident fish to become a bit more active.  I'm still seeing no bait from shore, so that becomes the reason for our subpar fishing for the summer so far. The fishing overall remains off compared to past years.

I had a number of decent fish in the last couple of evenings with good numbers of slots and even some over slots in the mix along with some hefty schoolies.  I got all my fish on jigs.  A large bucktail with a pink Fat Cow jig strip (five inch split tail) has been hot.  A large NLBN paddle tail mounted on a one ounce head has also been very productive.

The weird thing about fishing in the last couple of days has been the fact that the fish have shut off right before dark.  I've been putting in some time after dark but have had no success at that time. 

Most of my fish have been either just under or just
over the slot.  An occasional over slot has also been
landed.

Not Good

 Many people will be on vacation in the next week, and many will want to fish for stripers. If you are planning to fish from shore, the outlook is fair to poor.  From a boat, you have a better shot at catching but even that is way off compared to other years.

Traditionally June has been a good month of shore fishing for stripers here in RI.  In the past, we've had them on two fronts in RI  in June- in the Bay and along the oceanfront. In the past, large schools of pogies (menhaden) brought good numbers of big blues and keeper bass to the Bay from both shore and boat.  In the past the oceanfront has seen big schools of sandeels and squid that would draw good numbers of striper to the supper table.  None of those things happened this year. In the last month, it's been a lack of bait and a lack of both stripers and blues.  In fact, I can't remember a poorer June  overall than I've seen this year.

The fishing in June has been poor overall, but 
there have been some quality fish around if you can 
find them. Expect a lot of blanks in the
coming weeks with an occasional good day
or night. Bait has been scarce. 

Most of June has been a skunk fest for me in many different locations.  It's been the same for a good number of sharpies that I know. But, for those who persisted, there were occasional days and nights here and there that had some decent fishing from shore in June. I think there were some small pods of fish moving around the oceanfront and occasionally I would find them especially in rough water. A little over a week ago, I had one good night where I caught a good number of fish in some really charged up water. These fish were all generally slots and over slots. There was no bait around so I can only surmise that these fish came in close in the white water turbulence to look for food. The next night was not so good in great conditions and by the third night, there was nothing.

On yet another day this week, I fished in a completely different location where the water really dropped off, a good bet because fish tend to seek that cooler, deeper water at this time of year.  I had great conditions, but could only lure one large schoolie to hit. I would have bet anything I would have killed them in this location based on past experiences.

My experiences of the past week (out every night) are examples of just what is happening.  My friends who fish all the time are doing the same thing- a good night here and there with decent size stripers but a lot of blanks in between. I think the two main factors contributing to this poor shore fishing are a lack of bait and a declining striper population. 

So, as many of you hit the vacation week fishing, I would only say keep at it and move around, because you will hit a good outing eventually.  Look for rough water conditions and work the deeper dropoffs from shore. You will fare better from the boat than shore because you have a lot of mobility to move around.

Good luck because you'll need it!