Not Much to Report

Bluefish have been popping up here
and there along the Bay and the oceanfront.

It's not looking like a banner holiday week of fishing for stripers from shore here in RI. Nearly all the reports I've read paint a picture of slow striper fishing from shore in RI as well as in southeast MA. I have to agree since I have been out a couple of times in the last week and it has been a schoolie here and there. However, most reports point out that boat fishing has been better, even though it has often been a hit-or-miss deal that is greatly dependent on finding bait. A major problem for boaters has been rough water along the oceanfront caused by thunderstorms and a persistent south and southwest wind that has really kicked up the ocean.
So, anyone looking to fish from shore this week should fish for what is available. Yes, schoolies are around in both the bay and along the oceanfront, but they are not around in any big numbers. Keepers are scarce from shore. Best times for striper fishing should be early morning, evenings and nighttime. Another option might be bluefish. They seem to be popping up here and there whenever bait is around. And, finally, you might opt for bottom fish such as scup, black sea bass or fluke. They seem to be the fish of summer these days along the inshore waters, and they are often around in good numbers, though many are sub legal in size.