ASA Eastern Fishing and Hunting Show Seminars

Contrary to a previous post, I got word today that I will be doing striper fishing seminars at the DCU Center in Worcester at the Eastern Fishing and Hunting Expo to be held the second week in February. See the website for complete show information located at http://www.sportshows.com/worc_main.html I will be doing striper fishing seminars on Fri., Feb. 12 at 1:30 and Sat., Feb. 13 at 3:30. At these seminars I will be unveiling my new show called "Striper Techniques from Shore and Boat". The show features all new photos and a lot of video clips that were shot during the 2009 season. The show also highlights the latest in tackle and artificials that were hot in 2009. While much of the show focuses on shore fishing, I do have segments on fishing from the boat and kayak in Narragansett Bay. I hope to see many of my blog supporters there.

Bass Pro Shop and the Local Shops

Bass Pro in Foxboro, MA.....adjectives just can't describe this Walmart of the fishing world. It's awesome, overwhelming, unbelievable, etc. It's got everything a fisherman could want...freshwater gear, saltwater stuff, kayaks, boating stuff, camping gear, clothing, etc. in a facility that features fish tanks and even a waterfall. And, for the most part, their prices are the lowest around.
Our family patronizes Bass Pro in many ways. My father loves to shop for clothing here. The assortment of quality footwear, jackets, hats , and pants and shirts all seem to have a sportsman's look which appeals to him. The clothing is also high quality stuff.
I especially like to shop for fishing stuff here. Looking for specialty items like Zoom flukes for winter fishing? It has them in every color and size imaginable. I especially like to buy things here that I can't find in the local shops, things like Bass Pro triple ripple plastic tails, curved hooks for skinny plastics, specialty braided lines, assorted plastic worms and spinner baits for freshwater, and jigshead in numerous colors and styles. I also like to buy the Bass Pro brand as it usually carries a lifetime of the product warranty that is unbeatable.
My brother loves the boating stuff. The boating department is full service and offers some of the greatest prices you have ever seen on kayaks, boats, motors, accessories and installment of motors and other gear. You might want to check out his experience that he writes about on purchasing a new outboard motor from Bass Pro at http://www.narragansettbayfishing.blogspot.com/, his fishing blog.
While Bass Pro offers unbelievable deals, I'm also cognisant of the fact that they are in competition with many of the local tackle shops and boatyards. I still think the local tackle shops that I link on the left column of my blog offer some of the best information about local fishing that can be had. They have their fingers on the pulse of local fishing. They are tops when it comes to selling bait, and they also offer some of the best local products that score big. For instance, Bass Pro does not sell Cocahoe minnows (but you can find a big supply at Quaker Lane Tackle). These are about the best lures for spring and fall schoolies to use along the oceanfront. Many of the local guys will also set you up with replacement guides, tiptop guides and rod and reel repairs that the big place doesn't offer. Yes, I still frequent and buy stuff at some of my favorite RI places like Big Bear, Ocean State Tackle, Erikson's, Snug Harbor, Dick's on Smithfield Ave. and Quaker Lane.

Showtime!

I will be doing many striper fishing seminars this winter, but the two biggest events will be held at Springfield's Big E (Springfield Sportsmen's Show) and the Shallow Saltwater University in Warwick, RI.
The Springfield Sportsmens Show is one of the biggest and most popular shows on the East Coast and features hunting and fishing. I will be doing striper and carp fishing shows there on Sat., Feb. 20. For more information on this show and directions, go to the website, http://www.osegsportsmens.com/ Hope to see you there.
The Shallow Saltwater University is a new type of show. It will be a three day event to be held at the Sheraton Inn on Airport Rd. in Warwick, RI. Its focus will be on striped bass fishing with continuous seminars by some of the top boating and shore experts in New England. There will also be vendors and exhibitors there. For more information and tickets, go to http://www.shallowwaterstripers.com/

To Snap or Knot

Make no mistake about it, winter fish are fussy and picky about what they will hit. The other night I fished an area with about five other guys. Everyone was using the same stuff, light colored flukes on a lightweight jighead. Another guy and I landed about 30 fish while most of the other fishermen went fishless. What gives here? I'm guessing the attachment of the jig to the line had a lot to do with it.

Here are three ways it can be done with the advantages and disadvantages to each of them. First off (at left), tie on a small snap and snap the jig onto the line. This works out well if you change jigs often. However, there are times that the fish will not take it when a snap is involved. The rule of thumb in jig fishing is to go with the least amount of hardware possible.

Second choice (at right) is to tie a hard knot such as improved clinch knot. This is an easy knot to tie and often works out well. However, sometimes angle of this hard knot holds the jighead in the wrong position, making the movement of the plastic unnatural.

Third choice (at left), the best choice, is to use a Rapala knot. This looped knot allows free movement of the jighead and the plastic body. Realize, though, it is a pain in the fingers to tie on a cold night, especially if you want to change jigs often.

On some nights when the fish are active, it makes no difference on how you attach. On other nights when the fish are picky, it makes all the difference in the world.

For more information on tying the Rapala knot and other fishing knots, go to http://www.animatedknots.com/ This is the best website I have ever seen for how-to info on tying knots.

Now That's a Winter Fish!

For those of you out there who think all the winter fish are small schoolies, think again. This has happened to me several times in the last week. I have been switching tactics a bit and experimenting with using 6 inch Slug-Gos and Hogys on small jigheads. It has produced less small schoolies but some big winter keepers.

Winter Keepers Arrive!

Not a lot of them, but this is the second large fish we have caught in the last three outings. Nothing like fighting a keeper bass in December while standing in snow! Nice fish, Matt.

Nasty Weather Lights up Fishing

It was cold, rainy, and snowy. Nasty weather, but ideal for fishing for winter striped bass in the Providence River. The fishing just lit up today with good sized fish that ran from about 20 inches up to a keeper fish of 32 inches. My son, Matt, and I landed over 20 fish this afternoon. Zoom flukes (what else!) fished on light tackle did the trick once again. The fish, too, were spread out in the river system from the city to the Point Street Bridge. It was the best fishing I have seen thusfar in the river.

Winter Finesse Game

For those who want to chase stripers all winter long in the Providence River, realize this is a finesse game. The fish are not as active as they are in the warmer months and the most successful fishermen employ a light tackle approach with slow moving plastic artificials mounted on lightweight jigheads.

My choice of outfit is a 7 foot St. Croix Triumph rod matched up with an Okuma Stratus reel. I like 10 lb. test Big Game mono. Mono tends to function better than braid in very cold weather. You also need to go light on the mono as higher pound tests will kink up in the cold.

For lures, there is nothing better than a Zoom fluke (4 or 5 inch sizes) or any other fork tailed plastic body. You want to get these in light colors with such colors as albino, Arkansas shiner, and smokin shad all good producers. Match these flukes up with a small jighead of about half an ounce. I actually carry a number of jighead styles from a quarter to three quarters of an ounce.

The retrieve is slow with an occasional bounce of the rod tip. Try to scratch the bottom as much as possible. Move around a lot since the fish tend to bunch up in wintertime.

Let the Winter Games Begin

The weather outside is more like late summer, but the calendar says December. And, yes the winter striper fishing season is well under way in the Providence River. In fact, it has been going on here since about Thanksgiving time. There are not big numbers yet, but I have landed 15 schoolies in the last 4 days. These are fish from 15-25 inches, and all were caught on Zoom flukes fished on a quarter oz. jighead.
Here's a hot tip. Watch for the water temperature in the river to take a 5 degree dive within a matter of a few days. That should happen when the next cold wave hits. When that occurs, big numbers of stripers will move into the river from the Bay. It happens like this every year. Most of the time it is around Christmastime, give or take a week. Right now the fish are in and out of the river resulting in inconsistent fishing.