Float and Fly Super Hot Right Now

The egg float and pink Deceiver
has been a killer in the last couple
of days for albies and stripers.

 For the last two days I have been into good numbers of fussy fish.  They are feeding on big schools of small bay anchovies which makes it very difficult to "match the hatch". I've given my readers ideas in past posts about what might work when these predators are on small bait. Stuff like Albie Snax, small epoxy jigs, float and jig and float and fly are all possibilities. The killer in the last two days for me has been the float and fly.

Yesterday I had albies in front of me (yes, they are still around) and I coaxed two big ones to take my float and fly.

Today it was big numbers of stripers on a rampage.  I managed to land 10 of them up to slot size on my float and fly using a slow retrieve with a stop once in a while.  Like using skinny plastic, many of the hits will come on the stop.

My set up is a wooden egg float that I drill and wire myself.  They can also be bought in tackle shops. I run three feet of 30 lb. test Varivas fluoro off the end of the float. At the terminal end, I tie on a homemade pink Deceiver fly.  The pink is an attractor, but the fly has the looks and movement of the small bait. I saw good number of frustrated anglers, mostly boaters, out trying today with some god awful big offerings.  I didn't see anyone else land a fish.  Maybe they should be reading this blog!

I landed this albie yesterday on the float and fly.

Today this big striper that was feeding
on tiny bay anchovies grabbed my fly
which was trailing off the float.

Can't Beat the Egg Float and Jig in Rough, Shallow Water

 

I landed this slot fish today in some
rough, stormy conditions using the
egg float and jig.

 I fished this afternoon and evening in some rough, stormy water. The wind was whipping and the rain was like stinging needles right into my face. In front of me there was a lot of white water.  I just knew I could find some stripers even though nothing was visible. Conditions were perfect for my egg float and bucktail jig.  It didn't disappoint as I did mange to find some decent slot fish.

The egg float and jig is my go to lure when the water is rough and shallow and when stripers are feeding on small bait as they have been all week. My float is a a homemade craft egg that is drilled through and wired. My go to jig is a half ounce H style (fish head) homemade bucktail jig that has a Bass Pro 3 inch Triple Ripple curly tail added. I attach my jig to the float with roughly 3 feet of 35 to 40 lb. test Varivas fluorocarbon. The set up is cast into the white water and reeled in slowly.  No need to put any rod action on it because the wave action and current will bring the jig to life.  Just reel in slowly.  This works great in rocky or shallow areas since the float keeps your jig above the snags.

I remember when I was just a kid I used to make these floats from cut off sections of my mother's broom handles.  Back then I used screw eyes from the local hardware store to set up my floats. It worked back then on stripers in the 1960's, and it works with equal efficiency these days.

Columbus Day Weekend Outllook

 

I landed this hefty schoolie in
some white water yesterday. There
are stripers around but you have to
really work to find them.

The fishing has cooled in the last couple of days along the oceanfront.  It seems that the albies are thinning out or moving south.  There were good numbers of them just a week ago but a week is an eternity in October when you are talking albies. I was out the last couple of days and saw only a few jumping here and there with no concentrations. The numbers being caught are way down in the last few days though a lot of diehards are still trying.  Still, you never know about these fish. Could be loaded tomorrow!!!!

Striper fishing has also taken a hit. Less around in the last few days, but still some if you really look for them.  Yesterday I found a great white water location along the oceanfront and landed three of them on a float and jig. I saw no other fish landed all day. If you can find a lot of bait you will most likely find some stripers. I found very little bait in the places I looked in the last couple of days. Without the bait, your best bet is to look for loners in white water locations. The Bay is still a good bet for both bonito and stripers.  The peanut bunker (bait of choice) is holed up in the Bay, and that's why the fishing there is more consistent. Note that it's generally a boating thing- a boat or kayak will get you out where the fish are and make it easier to move with them. Look for birds working.

Even after dark the striper fishing has been inconsistent from shore. I tried a couple of times this week and had just one good fish on after dark in a great spot.

Good luck if you get out this weekend.  Nice tomorrow and showers on tap for the rest of the weekend which could be a good thing.

Photo of the Day- "They're Back!"

 

They may have disappeared after the storm, but I can tell you they are
back with a vengeance. Albies were blasting the surface in wide swatches 
of the oceanfront today and seemed to be just about everywhere.
The bait has come back also with huge schools of bay achovies
moving around.

Post Storm Report- Albies Gone, Striper Fishing Hot in the Bay But Poor Along Oceanfront

 

It's been hot fishing for me this week from
my kayak in 'Gansett Bay. Most of the fish
have been slots and all were caught on Finesse
Fish. They have been around in good numbers.

It's been almost a week since that big northeaster. The ocean and the fishing have settled down. I've been out the last 7 days in a row.  Here is what's going on:

Albies Gone- I'm in touch with a lot of albie fanatics who fish every day for them. NO ONE has seen or landed an albie since the big blow. At least a week with none.  Heck, haven't even heard of any from the boats. There are still a few bonito around but that's about it for pelagics. The fanatics are confident the albies are coming back.  I'm not so sure.

Striper Bonanza in the Bay- It's been some of the best fall fishing ever in the Bay for me for stripers.  They have been around in big numbers chasing down schools of peanut bunker that seem to be holed up in the Bay but not along the oceanfront. I have been getting most of my fish from the kayak. Most of these fish are in the 26 to 35 inch range and slots make up the majority of fish. They have moved around a lot this week, and it's a matter of finding the stripers and the bait.  Look for birds working. All my fish have come on a 5.75 inch white Finesse Fish fished weightless and rigged with a BKK 5/0 Titan Rider hook. I wish I could report good fishing along the oceanfront for stripers but it has been generally dead once the northeast winds and ocean calmed down. Most of my sharpie friends have been striking out. Rest assured the stripers and peanut bunker will move out of the Bay eventually.

Striper Fishing Blows Up Post Storm; Blitzes from Shore and Kayak!

A bucktail jig coming off a wooded egg float
was the ticket from shore yeaterday.

I had two great days of striper fishing in a row.  

Yesterday I walked into a massive blitz of fish going crazy in the white water and rough conditions along the oceanfront.  It was a good ole fashioned blitz with birds diving and fish breaking.  It was still quite rough from the northeaster, but safe and very fishable where I was.  I ended up landing 25 fish that ranged from 24 to 30 inches.  Hefty schooolies made up the bulk of the catch.  I got them all on a wooden egg float and a jig, an ideal set up to use in white water where a long cast is needed and where stripers are feeding on small bait (looked like bay anchovies to me).

Today I took the kayak out into Narragansett Bay where my son Jon has been killing them in the last few days.  I found good numbers of fish breaking here and there.  And, these were larger fish than what I saw at the oceanfront yesterday.  At times the breaks were like cinder blocks hitting the water.  But, they were fussy in some super calm conditions.  I could only get them to hit an unweighted Finesse Fish on a super slow retrieve with stops. I ended up the morning with 7 stripers- generally all slots with one over slot. I had a ton of hits but a lot of fussy takers.

It was hot fishing in the kayak today
for large fish. Most of my fish were slots
with this one over slot.

So, that big northeaster has charged up the striper fishing. It's about time.  Looks like a fall run is in progress!

Too Much of a Good Thing?

 We are in the grips of a northeaster and it's wreaking havoc on the oceanfront. I've fished 4 days in a row this week and conditions have gradually gone downhill making fishing very difficult in most areas.

I landed this hefty schoolie in some
wild, but clean white water this week.
There have been some impressive
catches in the blows this week. Look
for clean white water with lots of
bait.

I love fishing rough water and over the years it has really produced for me.  However, this past week has been marginal with a fish here and there in some beautiful white water. Yesterday, conditions really took a turn for the worse with a lot of weedy and sandy water, stuff stripers try to avoid. It was the first time in a week I got skunked.

While I have not been lighting it up in this week's northeast blows, I have heard of some great catches. These have mostly occurred in places of clean, white water with a lot of bait.  My son Jon had the best outing I heard of with 10 stripers over 40 inches two nights ago. So, you can score in the roughness if you find the fish.

There are many well known "Northeaster Spots" to fish in RI.  Most of these are either points that offer fishing on three sides which gives you some shelter from the wind, but still gives you white water.  The backwaters are also good bets and within the breachways on the outgoing tides might offer some good fishing in clean water.

If you do get out in the next few days, proceed with extreme caution and stay safe. The wind and surf are really supposed to ramp up.

Marathon Outing in the Yak Really Produces!

 

One of the big black sea bass that I jigged up.

I was just supposed to fish for a couple of hours along the oceanfront for albies today from the kayak. I did do that, but plans quickly changed and what turned out to be a couple of hours turned into 8 hours!

Man, how plans can change, and sometimes you just have to make adjustments.  In the area I fished there were basically few or no albies around today.  I saw one small pod of them crashing into huge schools of bait.  I decided this was a waste of time and began jigging the bottom.  The bottom was absolutely covered with black sea bass.  I had one on just about every drop and jig of my Clarkspoon. While most of them were small, I did mange to get a couple of big ones.

I left the oceanfront and decided on a whim to hit the Bay on the way home in a place where I got

First blues of the year today and it was loaded!

skunked earlier in the week. Today was a different story. Immediately after launching, I ran into a massive school of blitzing bluefish.  It was like the good ole days with boiling water, huge numbers of fish in a frenzy and loads of birds hitting the water. Even when the blues weren't blitzing or showing they were scattered in a big area where I was fishing and hitting.  Using a Rebel Jumpin' Minnow, I landed well over a dozen of them.  They were generally 3 to 5 lbs. Mind you, these are the first blues I've landed THIS YEAR!

Mixed in with the bluefish were big stripers.  Every once in a while I would see a big boil at my lure.  I finally got one to take, and it was either a good size slot or one that was slightly over the slot. My son Jon was with me and he also got a decent striper.

So, the day did not go as planned, but I am happy with the results. There are fish around, but you have to really look to find them.

One good size striper was the icing on the cake!

Must Have Lures When Stripers on Tiny Bay Anchovies

 

Three MUST HAVE lures when fussy stripers are
feeding on small bay anchovies.

The key to catching when stripers are on small bay anchovies is to try to "match the hatch" as fly fishermen would say.  That means going small with small offerings with a thin profile.  I have three killers in my bag which that I use when I encounter this small bait. One of them usually works the best although there are days when all three will be effective. These lures will catch albies, stripers and bonito with deadly efficiency on some day. 

1. Float 'n' Fly- This is so effective and worked the best in that blitz type day in my last post.  I am using a homemade wooden egg float with about two and a half to three feet of Varivas fluoro (usually 30 lb. test) trailing off the egg. Onto the fluoro I am tying on a homemade pink Deceiver fly (other colors/patterns will also work).  Cast it out and reel in slowly with occasional twitches of the rod tip.  Stop it occasionally. This set up outfished everyone else fishing on that hot day for big stripers a few days ago. 

2. Albie Snax- This lure is a bit bigger than the bay anchovies but it has the profile and the movement to attract fussy  stripers.  I like the white color and I rig it with a BKK Titan Rider 5/0 hook.  Cast, let it sink a bit and reel in slowly with twitches of the tod tip.  Stop reeling occasionally. Many hits will come on the stop.

3. Albie Jigs- These metal or epoxy lures are great casters and have the looks to catch a predators' eyes. I especially like an all silver Clarkspoon Stick Jig. Fool around with the retrieve.  Sometimes fast works, sometimes up and down jigging works. Sometimes a slow retrieve with twitches of the rod tip is best. The biggest fish I landed the other day, a 45 inch stripers, was taken on this lure. I also landed a couple of bonito on this lure.

So, there you have it. While I know most fishermen are stocking their bags with big expensive wooden plugs these days, sometimes simple and cheaper is better, especially when stripers are feeding on tiny bay anchovies!

Massive Schools of Bay Anchovies Arrive; Fishing for Big Stripers, Albies and Bonito Blow Up along Oceanfront!

 

Huge numbers of big stripers hit the shore in the
last two days along the oceanfront.

The shore fishing along the oceanfront in the last few days has exploded. Huge schools of bay anchovies arrived right after Labor Day and the fish were on them big time.  Yesterday I saw massive schools of bonito and large stripers busting all along the shoreline where I was fishing. It was an on and off ALL DAY feed.  Right before dark I saw one of the biggest schools of stripers I have ever seen. There were acres and acres of them. They were right on the shore at times with their fins and tails on the surface just gorging themselves on the bay anchovies. And, these were all BIG fish in the 30 to 45 inch range.

I had the best day of fishing I've had in the last five months.  I ended up with 10 large stripers (mostly over slots) and 2 large bonito. I had three stripers in the 41 to 45 inch range. I also saw probably a dozen fish over 40 inches landed by other anglers along with dozens of bonito.

Big numbers of good size bonito have been
in abundance in the last few days.

I tried to key my offering on matching the bay anchovies so I used a wooden egg float and a homemade pink Deceiver fly to catch most of my fish.  It seemed to be the most effective artificial as it seemed to outfish many of the lures other fishermen were using.

Clearly the migration of fish has started.  Let's hope this action continues. It's just what we have been waiting for!

The float and fly was a killer yesterday.  It's a great imitator 
of bay anchovies and caught most of my fish.

Photo of the Day- A "Rare" Striper from the Yak

After blanking the last two days from shore, I decided to
get out in the kayak tonight. I got one striper, a hefty schoolie
on a Finesse Fish.  Stripers have been tough to come by
these days as there are not many in RI waters right now.

 

Labor Day Weekend Outlook

 

There are a few resident stripers around but the
action overall is slow. Hope for some rough,
white water this weekend to have your best shot.

The fishing is moving slowly into a fall mode. Some stripers, some blues, some bonito and even some albies around, but there is not a lot of anything right now. Still, you can find some action is you really look.  Boaters have a big advantage in that they can move around.  Shore fishing is a hit and miss deal. So, here's the report:

Stripers- Tough right now since you are targeting resident fish. There are no migrations yet. I got out several times this week and hit a bunch of spots from shore.  The best action was in white, rough water where I landed 5 fish.  These were mostly schoolies with a slot or two. I got all the fish on a wooden egg float and jig. My sharpie friends who have been slugging it out at night report poor fishing. Some of my boating buddies are also reporting poor striper fishing.

You had to really look to find anyone else casting for stripers.  Most are sitting on the sidelines and waiting for something to happen. Still, if we get a shot at northeast winds, cloudy weather and rough water this weekend, you could find some fish. I know I will be trying.

Pelagics-  That bonito bite that we had a few weeks ago has fizzled.  There are still some around but you have to really look.  The boaters are faring much better since they can move around a lot. It's been a slow bite for shore fishermen.

Albies hit the shore a couple of days ago in one particular location.  It was hot for a few days but poor this morning as my son Jon was trying.  He had one blow up and saw a couple landed by huge numbers of guys/boats.  The word is out. They are not widespread yet but this just might be the start. Worth looking around in the reliable spots this weekend.  Advantage for boaters.

Blues- I still have yet to land a blue this year, and I have not seen any. I heard of a few small ones being caught this week by shore fishermen, but no numbers.  Look for spots where lots of bait gathers.

Beware of Sharks- We are still loaded with brown sharks.  I know of a couple of surfcasters who won't wade past their knees to fish.  Some guys fishing eels at night have hooked sharks.  Others who manage to hook a fish have had their fish cut in half.  It's a big problem.

In a Lull

 That fishing that was perking up two weeks ago along the RI oceanfront has dissipated like a morning fog. Suddenly there are no stripers to be had as far as I'm concerned. In my last 5 outings from shore, I've gotten one schoolie. I've put in a lot of effort with nothing to show for it.

On just about every outing I've seen small micro bait.  The terns are picking at it but no stripers. Occasionally bonito will harass this small bait, but they have been in short supply lately also.

Last year the striper fishing from shore suddenly perked up in the first week in September.  Hopefully this happens again. 

I am also hoping to see some peanut bunker soon, a bait that really gets things moving.  I haven't seen any yet, but realize this is usually a September event.

And, let me finally say that I've seen very few striper fishermen fishing from shore along the oceanfront or in the Bay lately.  I'm guessing a lot of fishermen are waiting on the sidelines for something to happen.

INCREDIBLE Evening from the Boat

 

Earlier in the week I made plans with my son Matt to go out
fishing on Thursday evening in the boat with the grandkids.  Only problem was once Thursday got here the weather forecast was calling for a 50% chance of rain. We decided to go anyways and bring the raincoats just in case.  Heck, if it got too wet, we'd just head in.

I told the kids I had a feeling that this would be a good night if it didn't rain.  Pressure dropping, storm on the way for later, light winds and calm water- all good indicators for action. I said, " I have a feeling we are going to catch some big ones tonight!" And, we joked about who was going to catch the biggest fish.

Well, it started off slowly but the action picked up dramatically about 7:00.  I saw a telltale sign of fish when I saw a jump in the distance.  We motored over to that location, and suddenly the fishfinder lit up. It indicated fish from top to bottom in 40 feet of water. We casted our 9 inch Slug-gos out and the Slug barely hit the water, and both Matt and I were on. These were hard fighting over slot fish.  For the next hour it was a hit or a fish on just every cast and all these fish were over slots.  The grandkids got into the act as they started fishing with minimal help.  They landed many fish that seemed to be as tall as them and struggled to hold them up for a photo. As darkness came in, the action petered out but not before we landed 15 to 20 big fish.  These were fish up to 40 inches longs.  The Slug-go which had a single hook up front was an easy catch and release lure and all the fish were safely released.  The grandkids loved  watching the fish swim away.

This was probably the best outing we ever had from Matt's boat for stripers. It was just an incredible night, just as I had predicted. It never rained except for a sprinkle. We also never saw another boat as we had this pile of fish all to ourselves,

 By the way, grandpa landed the biggest fish!

Photo of the Day- "Back in Business"

 

It's been a while (June) since I've landed a striper this
big. They are back as the shore fishing has picked up dramatically.
This fish was released in great shape.

Massive Schools of Microbait/ Big Numbers of Stripers Hit the Oceanfront

The Albie Snax was the only
artificial that would work
last evening. The stripers were
on micro bait about a half inch long.

In the last two evenings I've found huge amounts of bait and big numbers of stripers on them. There were birds diving, schools of fish breaking and individual fish here in there  I haven't seen this much surface activity since last fall.

The massive amounts of tiny bait, bay anchovies, has set off a feeding spree along the oceanfront. It's just what we have been waiting for months to happen, and it's here!

Be aware, though, these stripers are tough to fool when they are on small bait.  Last night I had schools of fish or individual fish breaking to cast to for 2 straight hours.  I ended up with 3 stripers and one more on.  Yes, poor results for the amount of fish I saw. My fish were all caught on Albie Snax fished on a deep, slow retrieve. I tried everything in my bag of tricks to imitate small bait- small bucktails, float and fly, Jumpin' Minnow and NLBN paddle tails.  Nothing would even get a sniff except the Snax. And, there were times that I threw the offerings into a pile of breaking fish. I can tell you no one else except my son Jon could catch a fish and there were a good number of guys trying.

While I left a few breaking fish at dark, my son Jon stayed.  He had live eels in the car.  He's had good success fishing eels at night in the past when the fish were fussy and on small bait. It happened again for him. In a couple of hours of tossing the eels, he landed 5 stripers OVER 40 inches apiece along with a breakoff. Those are the most large fish I have heard about from the surf in over 2 months.

This is one of 5 big fish over 40 inches that Jon
landed after dark on eels.

The striper action from shore is finally here and here big time. As long as the bait remains the action will continue to be good. Good luck trying to catch them! 

Turning the Corner

I believe this is the week in which we have turned the corner on shore fishing here in RI. For the most part, we saw a poor July. The happenings of the last week point to improved fishing as bait arrives, more species of fish follow and stripers come to life.

Here are some of the indictors that things are turning around and moving into a prefall pattern that we generally see in August. 

*More bait has arrived. Big schools of small bait, mostly silversides, have arrived in big numbers this week along the south shore oceanfront.  I've seen birds diving and fish breaking in my last three outings. Some fishermen also report small peanut bunker are around.

*Rough water has perked up the striper fishing. When it's been rough, it's been good. The stripers are around and I am guessing the striper fishing will be more consistent and better as August moves on. They are on the bait also.

*Bonito are around in ever increasing numbers. There have been some big catches in the last week from shore and boat as they are blitzing on the abundant silversides. You have to find them, though, and they are not all over the place yet.

*Even reports of some bluefish have surfaced.  They, too, are on the bait.

So, suddenly the fishing is looking better and better here in RI for shore fishermen.  With stormy weather predicted for this week, it should rough up the water and light up the fishing.

Look closely and you will see birds diving and a big fish
breaking in the lower right corner. I saw this scene over
and over again this week as shore fishing has picked
up considerably.

Striper Fishing Explodes in the Rough Water

 

I landed all of yesterday's fish
on the egg float and jig. There were
massive numbers of stripers on 
the rampage in rough water.

I have written many times of how fishing in the summer can suddenly come to life in stormy and rough water. Well, I had the conditions yesterday as a stiff easterly breeze mixed with showery rain charged the water up into a sea of white. And, it brought the fishing to life. While I struggled in the last month to land a fish here and there, I was getting them on just about every cast yesterday evening.

The fish were on a July rampage as if it was an October blitz.  At one point there were birds diving everywhere in front of me, and the ocean exploded with schools of stripers the size of a football field breaking everywhere.  Further out I saw a school of fork tailed fish, bonito I'm sure, racing on the surface like small torpedoes. It was wild for a July evening.

All these fish I landed were hefty schoolies in the 20 to 26 inch range, fish we have not seen a lot of in the last few months.  I assumed they were on small bait bay anchovies or peanut bunker. I landed all my fish on a float and bucktail jig.  The bucktail was spiced up with a triple ripple Bass Pro curly tail. I got most fish  out far but I also landed several at my feet as they seemed to be everywhere the water was white.

I'm hoping we have turned the corner on this poor summer fishing here in RI. I do believe there has been an influx of small bait in the last few days along the oceanfront that have touched off bonito blitzes in various spots. Now, we are seeing some big numbers of stripers.  Let's see if it continues!

Signs of Life

 

Here is one of the fish I landed this week in some
rough turbulent water.  Striper fishing from shore
continues to be poor overall.

I got out twice in the last five days.  The first day I was chased out by thunder, lightning and torrential rain. The next evening I found some great water and actually found some fish.  What a surprise!

The few times I have found fish this past month have been in rough, clean white water.  I had that this week in multiple spots that had produced in the past under these conditions. In one spot I had perfect water.  There were no fish to be had but I did see birds working way out.  This is the first time in a long time that I saw some bird activity.  The second spot had some fish.  Of the first three casts I made with a float and jig, I landed 2 hefty schoolies.  I also saw birds diving way out in this spot. Hmm, more life. Later, I landed one more schoolie in this location. Hey, three fish in one evening is a big night these days from shore. Finally, I hit my last spot at/ after dark.  Great water, a bit weedy and no fish.

So, maybe the fishing is trickling to life.  Or maybe I hit something lucky in some rough, turbulent water.  We'll see in the next week.

Finally, let me say this has been the worst July I have ever seen for shore fishing for stripers. Yes, even worse than the days of the moratorium. There are also no bluefish or bonito around which makes fishing even worse. I'm still betting on the fishing to come back in late summer or early fall, but that might not happen till mid to late August. Watch for a big influx of massive schools of small bay anchovies.  That usually triggers a prefall feed. It also tends to bring in lots of stripers and bonito.

Shore Fishing POOR Right Now

 That little uptick I had back on July 8 (last post) in the northeaster was short lived.  Since then the fishing has pretty much been dead for me and everybody else I know who's fishing. Here's a quick summary:

*There are very few stripers around from shore right now

*There are NO bluefish

*There are no pelagics

*There is very little bait

We are in a dreadful lull right now. I've been out two times in the last week and put in a good amount of time in some good spots.  I fished the evenings into darkness.  The score- one 20 inch schoolie. Several of my friends have also been out and have caught nothing. Jon has landed one schoolie in the last week. On the days/nights I fished, I saw no activity.  I did not see a single bird diving anywhere and saw no amounts of bait.

I don't see this all turning around until we get a big influx of small bait- either bay anchovies or peanut bunker.  Usually that happens in mid to late August. It usually sets up good September fishing for stripers and pelagics (albies and bonito).  In recent years, September has been our best fall month. So, sorry to say it looks like another month of poor fishing. 

Suggestion: You might try looking for a fishing friend who has a big boat! 

Fishing Perks up in Northeast Winds and Rain

 

This schoolie, landed yesterday, was
caught on a wooden egg float and 
bucktail jig. Shore fishing improved
in the stormy weather of the last few days.

Fishing activity perked up in the winds and rains of the last few days.  I fished three straight evenings in some beautiful white water and came away with eleven stripers and a couple of hickory shad.  All the stripers were schoolies in the 15 to 25 inch range, fish we have not seen all season. It was far better action than I've seen in the last two weeks.

I knew from experience that the fishing would improve in this weather. Summer northeasters can deliver a taste of fall with rough water and stormy conditions, two things stripers love.  I fished this one spot with a lot of white water, and I saw occasional fish jumping for schools of small bait, something I haven't seen in a while. Right now we do have a good amount of bait which incudes herring fry, sandeels and squid. We just needed the rough water to get the stripers feeding.

All of my fish were landed on jigs, either NLBN paddle tails on jigheads or bucktail jigs trailing off a wooden egg float. Both these are good imitators when small bait is around.

So, in the next couple of weeks, watch for these weather events that can perk up the shore fishing for stripers.  Northeasters, southwesterly blows and rainstorms can all dramatically perk up the fishing in the doldrums of summer.

Fourth of July Weekend Outlook

 

Striper fishing from shore right
now is poor with a few fish
being caught at night.
Boaters can expect better 
action in deeper water. 

The last time I fished was three nights ago before this heat wave hit.  I fished until dark in perfect water. I was in a great spot, the tide was high and I should have been getting fish.  I got nothing, not even a hit. In a spot that was known to be a hotspot at this time of year of year, I never saw another fisherman casting for stripers.  That same night two of my friends were slugging it out way into the night in great spots elsewhere. They also got nothing. This is a clear example of where we are at right now.  For the most part, the striper fishing is poor from shore here in RI.

I see reports from people catching here and there from shore on Instagram, but its hard to sell just how old these reports are. I do believe fishermen may be stumbling into fish here and there where large amounts of bait come ashore. You just have to be lucky. Nighttime will be your best bet.

I also know that boaters are doing much better than shore guys right now.  They can get out into deeper water where the fish are holding as the water temperatures rise in this heat.  Those areas at the mouth of the Bay, the south shore reefs and Block Island are all good bets right now for boaters.  Early morning, evening and nighttime are your best times. You might even run into fish feeding on top on small sandeels which are still in abundance. Stripers on sandeels can be very fussy. Fly rodders might have the advantage with these fussy fish.

I haven't heard of any bluefish around.  No surprise there as I still have not landed one nor seen one caught this year.

A few pelagics (bonito) have shown along the oceanfront but they are so few, it's like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Ah, there's always bottom fish to go after. News is that most of these fish like fluke, black sea bass and scup are around but undersized.  My son Jon has been trying for them from the kayak but he's caught no keepers.

When you look at the poor fishing right now and the hordes of people heading to the oceanfront, it might be your best bet to fish at night or just stay home, relax in air conditioning and watch the fireworks on TV.

Enjoy this Fourth of July and stay cool. 

A Slowdown from Shore; Boaters Have the Advantage

 

I landed this hefty schoolie last evening.
It's been a typical summer pattern with a fish
here and there. Boaters are scoring much more
consistently than shore fishermen right now.

We are in a typical summer pattern.  The water is warm, the bait is small and the stripers are heading for deeper and cooler water. I would describe shore fishing as fair to poor right now. There are small windows of opportunity when you can get them from shore. Daybreak and dusk might get you a fish or two.  Fishing at night might also get you some.  However, the fishing is way off right now compared to where we were a month ago.

I got out two times in the surf in the last three days.  On evening one I landed a nice slot fish and had several more small hits on skinny plastic.  On the second evening I landed one hefty schoolie and had no more hits.  Both fish came right before dark. So, this is typical for me right now- a fish here and there with a good amount of effort.

I saw an Instagram report from a good fishermen that fishes the RI south shore a lot. He says he's caught NOTHING in the last eight nights he's been out. Yikes, not good. I know other fishermen who have given up or who are fishing for bottom fish like scup and fluke. Still, some of my friends who slug it out all night are getting a fish or two here and there, much like what I am doing in the evening.

Now, boat fishermen are a different story.  Those guys fishing the oceanfront at the mouth of the Bay or Block Island are scoring.  There are lots of squid and small sandeels around the keep the stripers feeding. All these boat fish are coming in deep water where the water is cooler and the fish are more active. But, I am told that even these boat fish are fussy and tough to fool when feeding on small sandeels.

So, still some fish around but way off for the shore guys compared to a few short weeks ago. Hey, summer is here and that's the way it goes.

Shore Fishing Cools in this Heat

 

I landed this hefty schoolie last evening on an 
Albie Snax. There are still fish around though
not the numbers and sizes we saw several weeks
ago.

The shore fishing is cooling.  I believe the water is heating up quickly, and the stripers are moving to deeper water at the mouth of the Bay where they will reside for the summer.  In addition, there are few if any schools of pogies in the Bay so there's little bait to hold them there.  The oceanfront offers squid and sandeels right now, though we are not seeing much of that close to shore.

Still, there are fish to be had.  In the last three outings I have landed exactly 6 stripers.  Five of those were schoolies (yes, they do exist!) and one was a slot fish.  I am getting them on skinny plastic and a float and bucktail jig.  The float and jig are good choices in rough water and when sandeels are around. The skinny plastic is best suited to calmer water where a finesse type of approach works better.

I've had most of my action in the evening just before dark.  Some of my friends are also catching after dark though not with the same action as a few weeks ago. Daytime fishing is poor right now.

Hey, it's summer and we usually do expect a slowdown in the doldrums of summer. But, the main takeaway is that there are still some fish around.

My New Fishing Bike, a Ride1Up Portola

 

Here is my new fishing e-bike, A Ride1Up
Portola bike

I treated myself to a new fishing bike, an e-bike. I bought a Ride1Up Portola foldable bike.  This bike is a large step through and I found it so easy to get on and off. I rigged the bike up with a milk crate and rod holders. See the website: Ride1Up

This bike is constantly in the top 3 as far as ratings. I got mine on a Memorial Day sale for $795, a phenomenal deal for e-bikes.  Normally, this sells for over a thousand dollars. The bike comes with a 10.4 ah battery and can go 20 to 40 miles on a charge. They also sell an optional larger battery.  It comes as a Class 2 bike out of the box meaning it mostly runs by pedal assist.  You start pedaling, and the motor helps to really get it going. For fishing this is a gamechanger as I can cover a lot of territory with little effort. The battery comes off when folding it up.  Without the battery, the bike weighs 51 lbs. I just fold it up, lift it and store it in the back of my truck when coming and going.

My milk crate with rod holders simply slide onto
the rear rack by using a Connect + bracket.
It can be easily removed with the push of a lever.

One feature that I really love is the Connect + system for the back rack.  You can slide in accessories if they have the Connect+ bracket.  I bought the bracket from the Ride1Up website and mounted it to my milk crate.  Now, I can easily slide it on and off.  This makes it so much easier to fold up the bike.

I took the bike on its maiden cruise yesterday along the most famous place where biking fishermen gather.  It worked like a charm pedaling into the wind and up hills. I can see myself using it in other private locations where you can't park a vehicle.

And, by the way, the bike DID get me into some fish! So, all's good for the first outing

Photo of the Day- "Catching with The Grandkids"

 

I went out last evening in my son Matt's boat.  We fished 
along the south shore of Boston, and just like here in RI,
there were good numbers of slots around! This one was
released in good shape.

This Baitfish Changing the Game

 

Sandeels have arrived and the stripers are on them.

As I arrived at the water last evening, I looked out to see lots of turns hitting the water about two to three casts off the shore where I was standing. At the same time I glanced down in a tidal pool next to me to find several dead sandeels. Yes, they have arrived, the birds have found them, and they will bring some hot fishing for stripers in the next month wherever they come ashore.

My evening started off slowly yesterday.  But, as the sun dipped below the horizon, the fishing suddenly improved.  Bait and predators moved closer to shore with the setting sun. I was fishing an Alie Snax, a good imitator of these slender baitfish. Before darkness set in, I was able to land a couple of schoolies and a couple of slot fish in the 28 to 31 inch range.  I also lost a much bigger fish.

Albie Snax are great to use when
stripers are feeding on sandeels.
Slim profiled artificials will be your
best bet.

No question, stripers tend to be fussy when feeding on this small, slender baitfish. Sandeels are hard to imitate, but I have a set of lures specifically packed into my bag to use when this happens.  The Albie Snax is a good choice as is the 7 1/2 inch Slug-Go.  Think thin profile and movement, and both have it. I might also use a Red Gill teaser when the fish are very fussy. The drawback to the teaser is that you could hook two big fish at the same time.  In that case, you will likely lose one or both fish. Some fishermen also opt for slender plastic flukes like a Lunker City Finesse Fish on a small jighead. Even small topwater plugs like a Rebel Jumpin' Minnow could get you a striper or two when sandeels are around. Fly fishermen do well with Deceiver flies. Large plugs tend to be ineffective when this small, slender bait is around.

The sandeel invasion tends to be a June thing here in RI.  It is just starting and should continue in the weeks ahead.  I see it as the prevalent bait right now.

Lure of the Month- Lunker City Slug-go Lures

 

This huge overslot, was landed last evening on a
white Slug-go. The 9 inch white Slug has been
my most effective big fish catcher all May.

The good ole Slug-go- it's been the hottest lure for me in the past month. I've landed schoolies, slots and oh, so many over slots with this lure that it's hard to deny it's effectiveness. It's appeal has been widespread.  I've landed big fish on it along the RI oceanfront, Narragansett Bay and along the Cape Cod Canal.  I've gotten them from shore as well as from the kayak. As many of you know, this has been a record breaking year for large fish, and just about every fish over 40 inches (and there's been a lot of them) that I have landed this spring has come on the Slug-go. Yet, few fishermen use it. Many don't know how to rig it; some don't know how to work it.

My favorite this spring has been a white, 9 inch Slug-go.  I rig mine with a single hook up front.  I tend to use a 6/0 BKK Titan rider hook that has the screw type device up front. That screw is placed in the head of the Slug-go and screwed in.  Then the hook is lined up and pushed through the body.  It should be hooked in the narrow underbody and pushed up through the flat top of the lure. The lure should sit straight horizontally on your hook set-up. Note that I have had several BKK hooks straightened out or bent so the sturdiness of these hooks are questionable in my mind. 

I tend to use a BKK Titan Rider 
6/0 hook (weightless) on my Slug-gos.
The single hook in the head of
the lure will do the trick.

To work the Slug-go, simple cast and reel in slowly with twitches of the rod tip to give it a swimming action.  Stop the lure every once in a while and just let it suspend for a second or two.  Many hits will come on the pause. 

These lures are affective in the daytime as well as at night. I believe this is the MOST effective daytime catcher for big stripers in the spring.

Note that many fishermen have their own preference for rigging.  Some will rig two hooks in the front and middle (Mc Kenna style).  Others will add nail weights to the body, and some will use weighted hooks to get a slightly longer cast. I think the single weightless hook with no weights gives the lure the most natural action and is the most effective overall. But, I also know many fishermen have confidence in the way their are fishing their creations.  If it's working for you keep doing it.

Another Good Week of Fishing

It's been another good week of fishing for me
with Slug-gos and Albid Snax doing most of the
damage.

This has been another good week of fishing for me.  It wasn't all big fish, though, as I also landed good numbers of schoolies. I did have a couple of over slots up to 40 inches that I landed on Slug-gos.  I also had slots and hefty schoolies that fell for an Albie Snax.  The skinny plastic in a white color has been hot all week as it has been all season long. 

I must admit that the fish have been fussy.  One day this week my son and I could actually see large fish near us that were swimming under pods of herring. They were super fussy and would whirl, chase and sometimes take the Slug-go. Other fishermen using standard swimmers and even glide baits were catching very little or nothing.  Just goes to show the effectiveness of the Slug.

The white Albie Snax has been a hot
lure this week for me.  It caught the
slot shown above.

Memorial Day Weekend Outlook

 

I landed this one a few nights ago on an albie
snax in the Bay. There are still fish around if
you work for them.

That outstanding fishing for large stripers that we saw a couple of weeks ago has really cooled off. They are still around in small pockets but you have to really look around to find them. Just not as easy as it was. Also, for shore fishermen, the bite has really turned to nighttime fishing.  For those in a boat or kayak, it's a lot easier to find the fish since you have the easy mobility to move around. My son, Jon, and I have been been fishing every day/night for the last week in multiple locations from the oceanfront to the Bay to the Cape.  Here are some ideas for those who might want to wet a line this three day weekend.

The Bay- The Bay was really hot a few weeks ago, but fishing has cooled.  Still, I got out a couple of times this week from shore there and landed some hefty schoolies.  There was action every time out with hits and some hook-ups. Slug-gos and Albie Snax have been the hot producers as the fish have been fussy in this heat.  Jon has been hitting it hard from the yak. He had a good night last night with 5 big ones that were all slots and overs.  All his fish fell for 7 1/2 inch white Slug-gos. I have also been out in the kayak, and its been one here and there. He's at the Cape for the next few days at his brother's house as we've heard of some fish down there. There has been a noticeable lack of pogies in the Bay so far.  Normally at this time, they are all over the place but I have seen none so far this year.

I landed this fish earlier in the week from 
the kayak.  Boaters and kayakers who
can move around should have an
easier time of it this weekend.

The Oceanfront-  It's a game of slugging it out after dark.  Jon hit the oceanfront a couple of times in the last week and it was a pick of one here, one there.  Still, I have heard of some good catches if you are at the right spot at the right time. Jon got his fish on Slug-gos so that's working along the oceanfront also. There has been a noticeable lack of bluefish around.  I haven't landed one yet and haven't seen one caught.  Jon got one from the kayak last week.

The Cape-  The Canal has been an off and on deal.  My sons, Jon and Ben, fished there last weekend and Ben had one 40 inch fish.  There were some breaking, but they were fussy. They saw one other fish landed. So, I guess that, too, has been an off and on deal.

Kayak Working

I got some decent ones from the yak today!
This one slammed a 7 1/2 inch Slug-go.

 On the days in which I don't have favorable conditions from shore, I head out in my kayak to slug it out in the calm water.  I'm out further than a shore cast, but still fishing shallow water with lots of boulders. Yes, that is working as we are clicking on all cylinders right now.  Today I landed several decent ones both casting and trolling from the yak.  The hot lure was a white 7 1/2 inch Slug-go, a lure my son Jon loves at this time of year.

So, the hot fishing here in RI just keeps rolling along.  As long as the weather stays cool, it should remain good.  Still, you have to find them, and that takes a bit more effort than just clicking away on social media.

Best Week of All Time in the Spring for Large Stripers

 

It was an epic week for very large stripers. 
There was phenomenal numbers of slots 
and over slots as my son and I caught and
released over 100 stripers this week.

In the last week my son Jon and I landed over 100 stripers. The majority of those fish have been slots and over slots.  In fact, the over slots have outnumbered the slots with many of those overs going over 40 inches. In the past those real large fish were pretty non-existent in RI waters until mid to late May. This year they were as abundant as schoolies.

We got a lot of our fish from shore, but we also found good numbers from the kayak when shore conditions were not favorable. 

Most of our fish this week were caught on skinny plastic.  From shore the 9 inch Slug-go was a hot lure. A variety of colors were working. From the kayak it was more of a finesse game as the  white Albie Snax and 7 1/2 inch Slug-gos were our most effective lures.

Towards the end of this phenomenal run of big fish which brought out more and more fishermen thanks to social media, I saw a lot of fish being caught on a number of different lures.  Docs, Yo-Zuri Hydro pencils, swimmers and even standard poppers were getting them.

I sense the big push of large fish has gone downhill in the places my son and I were fishing. But, no problem, since I'm sure they are still around somewhere, and I have a few good ideas about where I will be looking this week.

52 INCHES!

 Last evening I landed the longest striper I have ever caught from shore.  The fish measured 52 inches.  So, was it 50 lbs.? No, this fish was a streaker- very skinny for its length.  It had a huge head but nothing in the belly.  Still, I'm guessing it was in the upper 30 lb. to low 40 lb. range.

We are in an unpresented time with massive numbers of large stripers in RI waters right now. I've never seen anything like it in the spring.  It reminds me of the heydays in the Cape Cod Canal about ten years ago. While there are a ton of large stripers around, there are very few schoolies.

While I had that 52 inch fish last evening, I also had about 7 or 8 more fish at or over 40 inches.  Numbers and sizes like this are unheard of in the spring from shore here in RI! I think this spring's striper bonanza is a once in a lifetime event here in RI. Jump on it while you can.

By the way, all my fish were landed on 9 inch Slug-gos.  I was using a discontinued rainbow trout color with a BKK Titan Rider, 6/0 hook up front.  My son, Jon, who was with me, was doing equally as well with a white Slug-go.

Big Stuff from the Kayak

 I went out on my first voyage of 2026 in my kayak tonight, and it was just like I had been experiencing from shore all week. I landed good numbers of fish with slots, over slots and hefty schoolies in the mix. Like from shore, I had never landed fish this big from the kayak so early in May.

The hot lure tonight was a white Albie Snax.  It was a finesse game as the water was quite calm and the fish were quite fussy on the take. I had a Varivas fluoro leader tied to the end of my line and I used a slow "twitchy" retrieve below the surface with a "stop" once in a while. That worked great for me.  My son, Jon, was also out with me, and he had equal success with  7 1/2 inch white Slug-go.  The Slugs have been hot numbers for us in the past week.

Fishing for large stripers has carried right over into May. I'm hoping it continues as it is as good as it gets right now for this time of year.

Real hot fishing tonight for big fish from my kayak.

Best April EVER for Big Fish?

 

Holy Smokes- this big fish was landed this week
as a slug of big stripers have entered RI waters.
Jon and I had many slots and overslots this week.

Conventional wisdom says April fishing for stripers is a schoolie game here in RI. But, this year has been far different like I have never seen before.  In the last week, the last week of April, my son Jon and I have fished every evening and we have been into some big stripers with good numbers of them. We caught several in the 40 inch range with the biggest of the week at 43 inches. Along with these big ones, we had good numbers of slot fish.  I had only one schoolie this week.  The small fish have just not been around.

In all my years of fishing, I have never landed a 40 inch striper in April until this year. These large fish generally come around in early to mid May when the water warms up and the menhaden come around. 

 Nine inch Slug-gos were the hot lures all week.

Everything was wrong this week- cold northeast winds, cold water, no bait, but the fish were just around in real good numbers.  We landed nearly all our fish on 9 inch Slug-gos.  I was using a rainbow trout color (discontinued), and he was using a white one. This single hooked lure made for easy catch-and-release fishing. The Slug-go was also the most effective lure as we tried others with nowhere near the success.

No question, this April was the first year we have even seen large fish this early.  I hope it continues into May.