Photo of the Day....First Oceanfront Fish

Here is my first striper of the year from the RI oceanfront.
There is a trickle of fish moving along the shore right now.
If you are lucky, you might get a fish or two. Hopefully,
the action will explode with the warm weather that is on the way.

Oceanfront Poor; Holdovers Hit-or-Miss; First Keeper Comes from the Bay

So, here's the REAL fishing report:

The first keeper of the year for me comes
from the Bay. Was it a holdover or a new fish?

Oceanfront Poor- I fished a couple of times this week and have yet to catch a fish from the oceanfront.  But, I did see one small striper caught in a spot in which there must have been at least two dozen guys coming and going. The word from those fishing every day is that about a half dozen fish were caught in the last week by loads of fishermen trying. So, one can conclude it is not happening yet.
Hit-or-Miss on the Holdover Fishing-  I was doing well with holdovers from the backwaters last week, but the last couple of days have been so-so.  I landed 4 last night and got 8 tonight. They were all small, 12- 15 inch fish.  Other fishermen have not been so lucky.  Holdovers tend to move around a lot, even leave their winter holding spots about this time of year, so the fishing can get inconsistent.
First Keeper from the Bay- I landed my first keeper from the Bay today and it was a small keeper of about 28 inches.  It was a shock because I got this fish in an area where you wouldn't find holdovers. Maybe it was a holdover roaming around the Bay; maybe it was a fresh fish.  I makes me wonder if there are migrating fish moving into the warmer, more hospitable waters of the Bay and by-passing the cold waters of the oceanfront.

Photo of the Day....Battle in the Backwater

A hard fighting holdover tears it up on the surface!

Holdovers....Only Show in Town

This is one of ten holdovers that I landed in a backwater
location this evening.  I could find no fish along the oceanfront
today.  Just too cold.

Rumors are swirling about some fish being caught along the oceanfront, but I haven't found any yet.  I went down today and fished a number of places along the south shore oceanfront.  I never had a hit, and never saw another fisherman. That kind of tells you that not much is going on.
The only action I was able to find was in a backwater location towards dark where I landed a number of holdover stripers.  These were all schoolies which hit a zoom fluke mounted on a jighead. The holdover game seems to be the only show in town right now.
With more favorable weather coming this weekend into next week, that might just get things going. Let's hope so!

DELAYED

Here's a holdover that was landed a few days
ago.  Migrating fish have been
delayed due to the cold weather

Temperatures way below normal, cold water, unfavorable winds. It all contributes to a big delay in the arrival of migrating stripers to our shores. Contrary to some of the fake news fishing reports I've been reading, the fish are not in yet. I have tried several times, and I know some real good fishermen who have tried and all have nothing to report on the oceanfront fishing.  With water temperatures (Newport) at 42 degrees this morning, most will tell you that is too cold for stripers along the oceanfront. The good news is that a warm-up is coming.  Starting this weekend and into next week, we should see temperatures in the 60's and that should get the season going.
I have been fishing some backwaters for holdover fish, but that has not been too productive either.  I seem to be able to nail a couple of fish an evening, but this weather has even the holdovers in a holding pattern.
We have been lucky in recent years to get the start of striper fishing off to an early start. However, if you look back on the history of striper fishing here in RI, it was not unusual to catch the first arrivals during the last week in April. It looks like it will be one of those late years.

First Ones Likely Holdovers

I landed my first stripers of the year today.  In all likelihood, they were holdovers because of where they were caught. I've heard nothing about any fish along the oceanfront where the migrating stripers should first appear.
I landed seven fish this evening.  These were all schoolies in the 12 to 18 inch range, typical of holdovers found in this location. The hot lure was an albino Zoom fluke mounted on a 3/8 oz. jighead. Best time was right before dark.
Within a week, I would guess that the fishing will break wide open.

First striper of the year for me!

Close, but No Cigar

No stripers landed today but did manage to get this
white perch in a backwater location.

I made my first run of the year down to the RI south shore today.  I had planned to hit a number of backwater locations where I was catching holdover stripers last year and the year before.  It was a different story today as I came close, but no stripers landed.
I did, however, manage to land one white perch on a Zoom fluke fished on a jighead (see photo at right) that was caught right at dark. In many of the saltwater backwaters where freshwater enters through a brook or river, white perch can be found so this one came as no surprise.  I also had a striper on but lost it at my feet. Word is that there are some holdovers around, but you will really have to look to find them.
The cold weather has really taken a toll on the fishing so far. With little warmth in sight, expect everything to be late this spring.

Coming Attractions

It's coming as the migrating stripers should
arrive about the middle of the month.

As I write this, it is 32 degrees outside and snowing. It has been that kind of late winter and early spring. However, rest assured the stripers are coming.  April is THE month it will happen.
Right now the water is a cool 40 degrees off Newport.  Everyone I know who lives along the water tells me the water temperatures are below normal for this time of year. Of course, that can all change quickly in the coming weeks as surface water temperature in shallow areas can rise and fall real fast with the weather. This cooler weather and cooler water point to a later than expected start.
So, here are a few tidbits to keep in mind in the next couple of weeks as you get ready for the first of the migrating stripers:
*Expect the first ones to arrive along the RI South Shore Beachfront around April 15, give or take a week. I tend to believe in might happen a bit later this year but who knows if the weather suddenly warms up.
*The fish should appear in the Bay about a week after they hit the south shore. I usually get my first ones in the Bay around the last week in April.
*Expect a huge glut of schoolies in the early going. The population right now is overloaded with schoolies from 12-24 inches and we should see a load of them in April.
*No need to get complicated with the lures.  Light tackle will rule the early going. Cocahoe minnows on jigheads will be the killer along the oceanfront.  Zoom flukes on jigheads will rule the Bay. Small bucktail jigs spiced with curly tails are good second choices in the Bay and oceanfront.
*Warm days will be best. Nothing like warming weather and a southwest wind to deliver a blitz of spring schoolies. Afternoons and evenings will produce far better than cold mornings. Nothing doing at night until the water warms up.
*The first keepers will be taken around May1 or about two weeks after the schoolies arrive. Once the keepers arrive, expect the nighttime fishing to pick up.