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| 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.
