The REAL Fishing Report

Contrary to what you find in fishing reports in the papers these days, the fishing for stripers along the inshore waters and the Bay is POOR. In fact, it is probably the poorest for this time of year that I have experienced in the last 10 years.
The Bay has been cleaned out of menhaden by the pogie boats. Yes, it is legal to do this in RI. However, the ecomonic impact of allowing this is just ridiculous since wiping out menhaden allows a few to profit at the expense of sport fishing which generates far more money for the state. With the pogies gone, the big bass fishing in the upper Bay is done except for occasional bluefish. Compared to other years, there are few schoolies and little bait in the Bay and that has caused slow fishing also. The only place I am able to find a few sandeels and some schoolies is Conimicut. Past hotspots like the Bike Path and Save-the-Bay have little or nothing. Bluefish fishing is sporadic as it often is at this time of year, and the few that are around are small.
The south shore is no better. I've had poor outings with a fish or two recently along Narragansett. There is little bait down there also. Not surprisingly, there are few fishermen. You will have to put in long hours after dark for a fish or two.
This is the real story of what is happening right now in RI. I will continue fishing after dark since I don't mind working for a fish or two. Unfortunatlely, I don't see the action picking up until early fall.