Albie Outlook Looking Better and Better

Albie fishing is looking better and better.  It's looking like this
will be a good year in RI with good numbers of them.

Albie fishing is on the upswing here in RI.  In fact, in the last three days I have landed more albies than I caught all of last year! Yes, they are are around in good numbers if you can find them.  It's never a sure bet in this game, but this is looking more and more like a good year for them here in RI.
Lots of stuff seems to be working.  I've gotten some fish on my float and fly.  This year I have been going with a homemade pink Deceiver for my fly which seems to be doing the trick when the fish are hitting the float and fly. Skinny metal has also been hot.  I've gotten some on a Kastmaster XL although I see other fishermen doing well on more fish-like colored metal. Metal with pink in it seems to be hot.
The fish are traveling in small pods and they pop up in various spots once in a while.  Good numbers of fish are also being caught by simply blind casting in known albie hangouts. My advice is to keep your lure in the water and keep it moving.

Photo of the Day...."First One!"

First albie landed for me! Could be the start of something big?  We'll see in the coming days.

Albie Outlook- Uncertain

So far, not so good. The albies have not
appeared in good numbers yet. The outlook
is uncertain at this point.

We should be seeing good numbers of albies at this time.  But, we are not. I'm down the oceanfront just about every day and there are very few around. If they are coming in big numbers, expect them to show between Sept. 10th and Sept. 20th. If they don't show in that time period, big numbers are not coming.  The clock is ticking.
In the last 50 years, these pelagic fish have been impossible to predict.  About a third of those years, like last year, saw some, but not many.  About a third of those years saw lots of them like we had in 2016 and 2017. But, about a third of those years saw none.
Already we have some. One here and one there.  I can confirm that a few have been caught. We do have good numbers of small bonito this year, and many fishermen as well as bait shop reporters like to report there are albies and bonito around.  Truth is that many fishermen don't know the difference, and the two  names are often used interchangeably. Also, there have been other pelagics around like Spanish mackerel and chub mackerel.  Once again, many think these are albies.
I'm concerned about the lack of bait right now along the oceanfront.  Those hurricane waves of last week sent a lot of bait packing into the south shore ponds as well as into Narragansett Bay. Albies are on a hunt for bait when they come close to shore and right now, there is not much.
I've seen years in the past with little around one day and millions around the next.  Let's hope we are heading for that kind of year.
The clock  is ticking.

Miles of Bluefish; Loads of Stripers

Most of the stripers we landed were
good size from big schoolies to small
keepers.  At times they were mixed in
with the schools of blues.

There are massive numbers of small
bluefish, 3 to 5 lbs., in the Bay right
now.  The Jumpin Minnow was the hot
plug yesterday.

With the hurricane waves over and the condition of the ocean uncertain, my brother and I decided to hit the bay yesterday from the boat.  It was the right move, and proved to be our best outing of the year from the boat.
THERE WERE FISH JUST ABOUT EVERYWHERE.  We found bonito breaking in mid Bay.  We found acres and acres of bluefish and we found big numbers of stripers close to shore.
The bluefish action was phenomenal.  At one point there were fish breaking for miles.  We could turn around 360 degrees in  a circle and see blues breaking everywhere we looked.  These were blues on the smaller side, what the Bay has right now, fish of 3 to 5 lbs. on average. What they lacked in size they made up for in aggressiveness. At times, the stripers were mixed in with the bluefish. At other times, the stripers were close to shore in shallow water.  All the stripers we landed were decent fish of 22 to 30 inches. They were feasting on peanut bunker that was close to shore in astronomical numbers.  The blues were feeding on both peanut bunker and massive schools of bay anchovies.
All our fish were taken on Rebel Jumpin Minnows.  We crushed all the barbs on the trebles to make for easier catch and release.
This year is turning to be epic for bluefish in the Bay.  It is the best I have seen as far as numbers in probably TWO DECADES.  With all that bait and stripers and blues in the Bay, it looks to be a phenomenal fall for oceanfront fishing once all those fish leave the Bay in the coming weeks.

Bluefish Mayhem

These are the good ole days if you are looking for bluefish in Narragansett Bay. Tonight's blitz was a sight to behold as masses of blues and some bass were blitzing massive schools of peanut bunker.

No Stripers, No Problem

Blues inhabit the Bay in astounding numbers
right now.  It is the best bluefish fishing in
over a decade.

The striper fishing has become a roller coaster lately.  Millions around one day, gone the next. But, we are in a period of time when there are other fish to go after when no stripers are to be had.
Bluefish are the most consistent thing going right now.  They are in the Bay in astounding numbers.  Find any amount of bait and you will most likely find blitzing bluefish.  They inhabit the Bay from the upper reaches of the Bay all the way to the lower parts. Those who prowl the Bay in a boat are at a big advantage since they can move around and find them.  From shore, it might help to spot hop in search of the fish.  In the last three evenings, I've gotten well over 30 bluefish. While most of these fish were on the small size, three to five pounds, there are rumors of schools of bigger fish around. I've also gotten an occasional striper mixed in with the bluefish.
Bonito have hit the oceanfront shores in good numbers this year.  Once again, they move around and can pop up just about anywhere bait exists. These, too, are on the small side, running 3 to 4 lbs. on average.  Boaters, also have the advantage here since they can move around in search of schools of breaking fish.
Looks like a promising Labor Day weekend if you are looking to bend a rod. But, realize you will have to look around to find the bait and the fish.

August Madness Returns

Massive schools of small peanut bunker, thousands of frenzied seagulls diving from above and countless numbers of stripers under all of it. At one point, yesterday's school of fish stretched for a quarter of a mile. IT'S BACK!