Sporadic Action as Small Schools of Fish Move Along South Shore

This hefty schoolie was landed on a Cocahoe threaded
onto a jighead. It was part of a quick hit school of fish that
was there one minute, gone the next.

This is no last hurrah yet.  I've been down to the south shore surf in a number of spots twice in the last four days, and I can tell you the action is sporadic at best.  There are small schools of stripers chasing small schools of bait.  A few birds will suddenly start diving signaling the presence of fish.  You might get a couple of fish if you are there at the right time, and just as fast as they appear, they are gone.  These are all schoolies for the most part that are running 18-25 inches. In the last two outings I landed 10 schoolies. With decreased numbers of stripers and a lack of big schools of bait, this is the type of action  I expected.
On another note, I have been unable to find any keepers after dark.  Other fishermen are reporting the same story as the large fish that were around a couple of weeks ago seem to be gone.  They were around mostly when big menhaden were around.  They, too, are gone. More schools of this big bait that are dropping out out Gansett Bay could be coming.
Did you look at the forecast for the next week?  An Arctic blast will be coming our way at the end of the week.  The cold is forecast to stick around for a week to ten days with daytime highs in the 30's and low 40's and nights in the 20's. That will certainly drop the water temps into the 40's.  If that happens, it will probably put an end to the worthwhile fishing.  So much for all the armchair reporters predicting a longer than normal season!