Plan B

Whenever I go striper fishing, I ALWAYS have a back-up plan just in case my spots are not producing.  I like to hit an area in which I can fish several locations, ideally hitting each spot on the prime tide for that spot.  As many of you know, I like to fish the Narragansett area a lot at this time of year.  The spots there are so close together that I can hit many locations in a few hours of fishing.  I never remain in one spot if the fish are not there.  Usually half an hour of casting will tell me if anything is around.  In addition to hitting many spots in an area, I also have a completely different game plan in my mind if the area is not producing.
Today, for example, Gansett was dead.....no birds, no bait, no fish.  I tried multiple locations and was able to catch just two schoolies in some white water.  These were the only fish I saw caught in the Gansett area in five hours.  Time for Plan B.  I decided to completely ditch Gansett and head for the Bay on my way home.  Good move since I ended up catching 17 schoolies in a couple of hours there (see photo of fish at right). I can't tell you how many times Plan B has delivered fish for me this fall. 
So, my advice to novice striper fishermen is to have a plan before you head out, plan to hit multiple spots in a certain area and  have a back-up plan in a completely different area if things don't work out. You'll probably burn some gas, but it more than likely will lead to fish.