SHOWTIME

The winter show schedule is upon us and I wanted to let everyone know where I would be doing striper fishing seminars this year.
On Sat., Feb. 7, I will be at the DCU Center in Worcester, MA, at the ASA Eastern Fishing and Hunting Expo. I will be doing my big striper show called "Striper Strategies from Shore and Boat". I'll be doing this Power Point show in the morning (10:30) and the afternoon (1:30). For additional information, visit the show's website at www.sportshows.com.
On Sat., Feb. 14, I will be at the Big E in Springfield doing seminars at the Springfield Sportsmens Show. I'll be doing the Striper Strategies Show and a show on carp fishing. For additional information, visit their website at www.osegsportsmens.com.
On Wed., March 11, I will be at the East Bay Anglers meeting at the Riverside Sportsmen's Club in Barrington to do a special show called "Upper Bay Opportunities". The show will outline some of the best striper fishing to be had in upper Narragansett Bay from shore, boat and kayak. The show begins at 7:00.
Hope to see some of my old friends at these shows.

Are You Prepared

Yes, winter stripers are available in the Providence River during the months of January, February and March. But, are you ready for the winter cold and the demands of winter fishing on a 25 degree night?.

Here is a checklist of necessary equipment.

Clothing- Keeping your hands and feet warm are priorities. I like to use quality hunting gloves that offer lots of dexterity as well as warmth. I use waterproof Rocky hunting boots that are rated for 130 degrees below zero (yikes). Pack boots also work well. Cabelas is a good source for boots and gloves. Quilted ski pants, winter hat, sweatshirt and a warm coat are also a must.

Fishing gear- Keep it light. Spinning reels spooled with 10 lb. test mono and seven foot rods are ideal. For lures, fluke-like bodies threaded onto jigheads are ideal. I like Zoom flukes in 4 and 5 inch lengths in an albino color. Mount these onto jigheads. Quarter ounce is ideal, but sometimes 3/8 and 1/2 oz. models may be needed for long casts. Fan tailed lures such as Storm shads also work.

Other gear- A landing net is a must to land a keeper bass in many locations in the Providence River since you are often high above the water. I always carry a Popnet (type of bridge net) with a long rope that can be lowered. These nets can be purchased at online stores such as http://www.tackletogo.com/. Some type of headlight is also handy.

For more detailed information, check out my latest article, "Gearing up for Holdover Stripers" in The Fisherman magazine in the Jan. 8, 2009 edition.

Winter Striper Fishing

It's a misconception to think that all striped bass migrate south for the winter. There are many places where some winter over here in RI. These places include the ponds of the south shore, the upper reaches of the Narrow River, the upper parts of the Seekonk River and the Providence River. The Mother Lode of wintering over fish reside in the Providence River.

This is urban fishing with the landscape dominated by walls, walkways, bridges, piers and city sidewalks. The fish are attracted to this area because of the warm water discharge that comes from the Manchester St. Power Plant located near the Hurricane Barrier at the south end of the river.

Unlike the warm months, winter striper fishing is simple fishing. Light spinning tackle and jigs scratched along the bottom rule winter fishing. Most fishermen use lightweight jigheads threaded with fish-like bodies, or flukes, in a light color. Keep the retrieve slow and along the bottom at all times.

Winter fishing also tends to be inconsistent with no established patterns. However, through the years it seems that nighttime and cloudy/stormy days produce the best. When the fish are around, they are often schooled up tightly, and their numbers can be staggering. For instance, last December I landed over 400 stripers from the Providence River with dozens of keepers up to 40 inches. Keepers are around but the fishery is dominated by schoolies.

For more extensive information on this fishery, watch the NE Fisherman magazine in mid January for my story on "Gearing up for Winter Stripers".

Welcome to RI Striped Bass

I am creating this blog about RI striped bass fishing in order to share my experiences with other fishermen about fishing for this magnificent fish here in RI. I fish year round for stripers and get out roughly 300 times a year. I've been doing it at this pace for the last 40 years. That's a lot of time on the water!

I fish all kinds of ways although surf fishing is my passion. I also fish a lot from my brother's 18 foot bass boat and from my 13 ft. Ocean custom kayak that I outfitted. I try to cover the entire state as I fish a lot in the urban sections of the upper Bay, along the mid sections of the Bay, along the rocky oceanfront and along the sandy south shore beaches.

I also fish a variety of methods. I especially like to fish with artificials and plugs that I make myself. However, I will also fish live menhaden and live eels as well as chunk baits and other bottom baits.

I will admit that I also fish for bluefish, fluke, false albacore, white perch, tautog, etc. If it's biting, I'll fish for it.

Finally, I am writing this blog in celebration of a milestone for me in striped bass fishing. This should be the year that I land my 50,000 th striped bass. I have kept extensive logs of my fishing and expect to catch this milestone fish sometime in the fall!