Newsflash....RI DEM Rules "One 28 inch striper a day for 2015 for recreational fishermen"

The roller coaster regarding striper regulations for 2015 has just taken another turn.  The RI Marine Fisheries Council, an advisory board to the DEM, submitted a reduction plan last month that called for one fish a day (28 in.) for recreational fishermen and 2 fish (32 in.) a day for "for hire" charter boats. Today, the DEM director, who had the final say, ruled one 28 fish a day for all recreational fishermen for 2015. From what I am hearing, two things swayed the final verdict.  The recreational fishing community, which wanted a fish a day, 28 inch limit, mounted a huge letter writing campaign and e-mail writing campaign directed toward Janet Coit, DEM Director, and newly elected Gov. Raimondo.  Secondly, all the states around us already opted for the one fish a day at 28 inches. So, starting this spring it will be one striper a day (28 in. ) for everyone (except commercial fishermen whose catches will be reduced by 25 %).
Here is a further link from the Providence Journal.

Will it Ever Get Started?

A lot of saltwater fishermen are itching to get out fishing after this brutal winter. While migrating fish have hit the oceanfront in late March in past warm years, don't expect that to happen this year.  There is still ice and ice flows along much of the coastal ponds and rivers from Narragansett Bay to the oceanfront. And, we can measure the snow in many feet that still has to melt inland which will send cold water gushing into the rivers and bays. Right now, NOAA is reporting a uniform water temperature of 35 degrees and that goes from Providence to Newport.
It will be a late start. If you took the average start along the oceanfront from the last 25 or 30 years, you would find that fishing usually begins about the second or third week in April.  But, everything is behind this year and the cold is not retreating. So, I'm guessing we won't see those first ones until the third or even fourth weeks of April.  Yes, it will get started eventually, but you'll just have to wait a while.