Expect an Early Start

Expect and earlier than normal start to the spring season
due to a warm winter and warm water.

It's been a record warm winter, there is no snowmelt and water temperatures are well above normal.  That all points to an earlier than expected spring migration of stripers along our RI waters.
Traditionally, stripers arrive along the oceanfront around the second or third weeks of April. But, some years, such as last year (a record cold and snowy year) they showed at the the very end of April.  That was late by past standards.  However, I have seen very warm years in which they arrive as early as late March.
So, with this warmer than normal winter when will the first schoolies be caught?  If I were a betting man, I would go for the ending days of March into the first week of April, one of the earliest starting times we will ever see.
Time to start getting the gear ready!