WAY OVERBOARD....Fish Around, NO Access

Parking along the Sate Pier at East
Matunuck is completely shut down.

"Too much, ridiculous, overreaction, PIA" These are not my words.  These are some of the reactions I got from talking to people along the oceanfront yesterday. These were from a scant few pissed people who wanted to just go for a walk or cast a line. The parking along most of the oceanfront is non-existent unless you know someone that will allow you to park in their driveway. Basically, all fishing is shut down along deserted beaches because you can't get onto those beaches.

The entrances and exits to East Matunuck
State Beach are barricaded.

I decided to take a ride down to the oceanfront yesterday to see what was going on.  I had my stuff with me and had all intentions of fishing. I went to the West Wall, a popular early season spot that everyone knows about. I drove down Succotash Rd. by East Matunuck State Beach.  The entrances were barricaded shut.  No access there.  I then went to the end of the road down across from Skip's Dock where there is on street parking for about 8 cars.  There were all red signs indicating "No Parking. Police Emergency.  No access there.  I continued a short drive to the State Pier where there is parking for about a dozen cars.  There were barricades, cones and signs that indicated no parking. No access there.  Finally I went down the dirt road just north of the pier.  I know there are two small lots there where a few people go to walk dogs (Dog Beach).  Those lots had boulders blocking the parking. No access there.  On the way back, I went along many of the side streets of East Matunuck.  They all had those red "No Parking signs" put up by the Narragansett Police I assume. This place was completely shut down.
On the way back, I went through Narragansett.  It was similar.  No parking on side streets, no parking on Ocean Rd. (both sides), no parking in any beach or town lots.
In my opinion, way overboard. East Matunuck Beach sees NO ONE at this time of year. Unlike Narragansett that draws a lot of college kids, no one is at East Matunuck. If the state fears big groups, why not open only a small section of the lots? The closing down of on street parking down across from Skip's Dock is a head scratcher. A grand total of 8 cars can fit there, hardly a place where crowds can form.

On street parking across from
Skip's Dock is shut down. It's
a head scratcher since only
about 8 cars can fit here.

Finally, I drove by the parking lot at Stop and Shop in Narragansett and the Walmart in North Kingstown.  These parking lots were loaded with cars and loaded with people. I guess if you are a Walmart shopper it is ok to be in a crowd.  But, if you want to walk along a deserted beach or fish along a deserted beach, that's not ok.
Both the State and the town of Narragansett are painting this crisis situation with a  broad brush.  "Lets just shut down everything even though some places see limited or no activity." No one should be surprised at this in the Town of Narragansett since the Town has the reputation of being very anti-outsider even in good times.
Yes, the fish are beginning to move along the south shore, but forget going down there to fish.
I hope the State develops a plan to at least partially open some of those empty parking lots along the waterfront. Do what RI did with freshwater fishing by allowing a limited number of fishermen to fish (on/off days) and making sure anglers observe social distancing. Just shutting down all beach access along the oceanfront is really ridiculous.

Newsflash: RI Trout Season Suddenly Opens Up

Trout fishing season suddenly opened today in RI. Under normal circumstances, trout fishing would normally open the second Saturday in April, or April 11 this year.  The DEM wanted to avoid the big crowds that come out on Opening Day so they decided to go with a “soft” opening at mid week, similar to what CT did this year.  Smart move considering the coronavirus situation we are in.

There is a twist to this opening. DEM has said that you can fish for trout on odd/even calendar days.  If your last name begins with A to M, you should be fishing on even days.  If your last name begins with N to Z, you should fish on odd days.

There are other restrictions in effect. State parks are not open for parking, there should be no more that 5 people together and social distancing (at least 6 feet) are if effect. Additionally, trout will be stocked throughout the season but will not be publicized. They are also suggesting if a pond or lake is crowded, look for other areas which are not so crowded.

All of the details and information about this unusual trout opening can be found HERE.

It Will Not be Business as Usual

The stripers should be along the RI south shore in a couple of weeks, but will the fishermen be there? At this point, things are not looking good.  Most of the oceanfront is shut down and locked up.  Every state park, every state campground, every state beach parking lot, some town beaches and a lot of on street parking has been closed down.  Here is just a partial list from the state DEM of the closed areas.  The list keeps growing by the day.  You can technically walk in and fish the oceanfront, but you have to keep the social distances.  But, at this point, nearly all the parking is shut down.  If you do want to fish, you will have to get creative on how to get into certain spots. And, surely if a lot of fishermen congregate in certain areas, those places will be shut down.
Keep in mind, too, the state of RI has been very aggressive toward out-of-staters. I know a lot of fishermen come from out of state to fish the RI oceanfront in the spring. By order of the Governor, any out-of-staters should quarantine for 14 days upon entering RI.  Just this week, three golfers from MA came into RI to play golf and were stopped by the police and cited. There have been other instances where local police and the national Guard have been checking out of state cars parked in south county and knocking on doors to check on occupants. It's not good.
Much of the Bay is affected just like the oceanfront so no better there. As for boaters who might want to try the Bay, a lot of the state ramps that are in state parks are also closed.  I have no idea about private ramps and marinas.
As you all know, these are unusual and difficult times, and most of us see fishing as a means to relax and put the problems of the world behind us. I'm not sure we will have that option in many places.  Certainly, this spring will not be business as usual.

What Will Happen with Opening Day of Trout Fishing?

What is going to happen with Opening Day of Trout fishing here in RI? As of right now, it is slated to open on April 11. This is a day that traditionally sees tens of thousands of fishermen descend upon the stocked waters of RI in search of trout.  Some places like Carolina Trout Pond, Lincoln Woods, Silver Spring Pond and many other hotspots see hundreds if not thousands of fishermen standing shoulder to shoulder.  In other places dozens of people camp in close quarters waiting for daybreak. Under the present circumstances, I see no way this will be allowed to happen. So, as of now, no one seems to know what will happen.

Nearby CT has taken a novel approach to this, one that I think RI should immediately adopt. Yesterday they opened all their trout waters to fishing.  They previously had the same Opening Day as RI, but they decided to open early to avoid the masses of fishermen that would normally hit the waters on April 11. It was also smart to open during the week.

Here is the press release from CT:

“On March 24, 2020, Governor Ned Lamont issued an Executive Order opening many lakes, ponds, rivers and streams to fishing statewide.  Opening the fishing season early helps to limit community spread of COVID-19, by eliminating the large crowds that often accompany the traditional Opening Day of fishing in April. During this time of social distancing, fishing should be enjoyed as solitary experience or with members of your immediate household, not as a group activity. 

DEEP is encouraging all anglers to follow social distancing practices.  Anglers should maintain a distance of at least six feet from others, practice good personal hygiene, and stay home and away from others if you feel sick.  If you arrive at a favorite fishing spot and see that crowds are forming, choose a different location, or return another day or time. “

Smart policy!  Now, will RI follow? 

Wading into the Unknown

In just about three to four weeks, the first migrating stripers will hit the RI oceanfront. We know the fish will be there, but will the fishermen? With social gatherings in RI  limited to 10 people, does anyone think you'll see crowds of fishermen lined shoulder to shoulder in some of our spring striper hotspots like we've seen in previous years? No social distancing practiced in those spots.  I have to wonder how that's going to be controlled. I also have to wonder what will happen to beach parking lots and on street beach parking, access points that lots of fishermen as well as beach goers use to get to the water. I hate to say this, but I'm guessing a lot of those places will be shut down if this current crisis persists.
I'm guessing that many of the experienced guys will hit the "off the beaten path" spots that get little attention and few fishermen. There are loads of these places tucked away along our shoreline, but you have to know how to get into these spots and you have to be able to park. Nighttime fishermen should have easier opportunities to get out and fish while at the same time avoiding any crowds since so few people fish at night anymore.
As for boaters, will those state ramps be open and available? They can get mighty crowded on weekends...certainly more than ten people at times.
We are headed for uncharted waters here in the next few weeks.  After what's happened in the last week or two to society in general, nothing would surprise me.

Look on the Bright Side, You Can Still Fish!

Here is a holdover striper that I landed just a couple of days
ago.  They are around the backwaters and rivers along the Bay
and oceanfront, but you have to find them.

Holy smokes, what a mess we are in right now. Did you ever think you would see a pandemic in your lifetime? Whether it's fear or panic or a combination of both, all you hear about is the coronavirus, and its disruptions on our daily lives. With just about everything all around us closing down, about the only bright spot is that we can still fish and be safe doing it.
I can tell you that just about no one is fishing right now.  Both freshwater and saltwater fishermen just don't think about fishing at this time of year even though it can be quite productive. And, with few people out and about, social distancing is not much of a problem. For those who may be bored and holed up at home, there are opportunities to get out and fish in saltwater and saltwater. Here is the scoop:

\Large carp are a freshwater option at this
time of year.  I got this one in the morning
the same day I landed the striper (top photo).

Saltwater- There are wintering over stripers to be had in many of the backwaters and river systems in the Bay as well as along the oceanfront. You'll have to do a lot of looking and casting to find these fish. In the last week my son Jon and I have gotten out and caught fish every time out on Zoom flukes mounted on jigheads.  Not many, but enough fish to say we caught.  While all these fish we landed were schoolies, I also know of keepers that have also been landed.  In addition to stripers, white perch also inhabit these same backwaters, particularly brackish rivers.  The perch will hit the same small jigs that the stripers are hitting. If we are lucky, the masses of migrating stripers should arrive early, maybe around April 10-15. It could be even earlier if this weather stays warm.
Freshwater-  All stocked trout waters are off limits to any type of fishing in RI right now until Opening Day, but all other waters are open to fishing.  I know some fishermen are now targeting crappie, white perch and largemouth bass in these spots.  I have been targeting carp and doing fairly well.  I've gotten many fish in the last two weeks up to 10 lbs., decent size for this time of year.  The hot bait has been sweet corn on the hair rig or combo baits.  Carp fishing at this time is best in shallow water spots that warm up quickly on warm, sunny days. Note that if you want to fish freshwater now in RI, you will need a new 2020 freshwater license.

It's Official...Slot Limit, 28-35, for RI for 2020

It's been settled.  After many meetings in which the slot limit was debated, tweaked and argued over, the DEM director, Janet Coit, has made the final decision.  It will be a slot limit of one fish of 28 to less than 35 inches for RI recreational fishermen as well as charter boats in 2020.The RI regulations will now be consistent with all the states from NY to Maine which have adopted similar limits for recreational fishermen. Like many other concerned fishermen, I hope this works in reducing mortality and preserving our stocks of larger fish.