Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all my Loyal Readers

 

A rainbow forms along RI Sound.
For the most part we found a pot of gold at the end of 
the rainbow that brought outstanding fishing in 2022.

Grading the 2022 Season

 

It was a phenomenal year for big 
stripers from shore and kayak.

Overall, 2022 was one of the best saltwater fishing seasons ever here in RI.  Striper fishing overall was fantastic and the albie season was one the most memorable also.  Bluefish, however, was an up and down affair. 

My logs reveal that I landed just about 1,000 stripers this year with the majority of the fish being slots and over slots.  It was that good. 

Here is the way I saw it with a grade for each species of fish:

Striped bass- I will divide this category into three with schoolies, slots and over slots:

Schoolies- Here is a bit of a problem area. Young-of-the-year spawning has been poor in the last few years and we are seeing the results of that.   The early season action was fair at best and the late season action (November) was only ok if judged by past years.  I got my first migrating fish on April 15 along the south shore beaches.  That puts their arrival right on time. I never had what I would call a big day (over 10 fish) along the south shore in the spring, and I fished a lot. It was some fish here and there.  I did considerably better in the Bay from both shore and kayak. Still, numbers were way down compared to other years. At the other end of the calendar, November/early December delivered more schioolies than the spring but still numbers were off compared to past years. Grade for schoolies- B-

Slots and even over slots were around in huge 
numbers from June till late fall. Shore fishing
was fantastic at times.

Slots- This was the best year I have ever seen for these 28 to 35 inch fish.  They were around in massive numbers, especially from early summer till mid fall. There were days I was catching and releasing upwards of 20 and 30 slots, and it seemed like everyday delivered slot fish after slot fish.  At one point, I saw packed schools of so many slot fish in one oceanfront location that anglers were snagging them (legal but unethical!) This went on for weeks. In a one month period while fishing from my kayak in June/July I had over 200 stripers that were either slots or over slots. I've been fishing since the 1960's and have never seen a better year for these size fish. Grade for slots- A+

Over slots- These fish also were around in very good numbers. It has never been easy to catch a lot of stripers over 40 inches, but this was an exceptional year for those bigger fish here in RI.  My biggest of the year was a 47 incher from shore.  I had numerous fish in the 45 inch range from the kayak along with countless fish over 40 inches. Narragansett Bay was especially hot as we had big numbers of adult menhaden enter the Bay in May and they were around in big numbers right into summer.  Those large bunker attracted large stripers and large bluefish in astounding numbers. Grade for over slots- A

I landed good numbers of big blues from the
kayak and from shore in the early going.
From late May to July they were abundant
but there were very few around in the fall.

Bluefish- This was a tale of two seasons, early season from mid May to July and late season in the fall. Spring brought good numbers of bluefish especially in the warming waters of Gansett Bay. When I can stand in the water in my waders on May 20 and land 17 big blues (over 10 lbs. ) you know there are a lot around.  I was catching good numbers from shore and from my kayak. Many of the big blues in the Bay were chasing down the schools of menhaden and it was often a case of both large blues and big stripers under the same schools of bait. Biggest blues for me in the early going were around 15 lbs. The fall was a completely different story.  I saw almost no blues all fall and landed exactly 2 of them.  Even at times when there was a lot of bait, there were no blues after the abundant peanut bunker. Note that this pattern of abundant blues in the early season played out almost exactly the same in 2021. Grade for blues-C+

It was a very good year for albies, one of the
best of the last decade.  Some albie diehards
reported well over 100 fish landed from shore!

Albies- It was a very good year for albies, one of the best of the last decade.  I got my first ones of the year on September 13.  While the albie season started off late and slow, things picked up as September moved forward.  I did not target them as much as past years because I was chasing down the more abundant and consistent stripers. Also, rough weather also played havoc with these fish.  But, I know of diehard albie hunters who landed well over 100 albies from shore this year, a testament to their abundance. Grade for albies- A-

All Done?

 It's come to an end for me along the oceanfront.  I fished several times in the last week and found a fish here and there.  I also found good amounts of bait in places but no stripers after them. The numbers of fishermen trying has dwindled down to just about no-one. That all tells me that the stripers, for the most part, are gone.  In addition, the weather has been so stormy. These big blows of the last week seem to have moved the last remaining schools of fish away. In my mind, the consistent fishing is over though I still may go down if I hear something positive from a few friends who are still trying.  That's not to say you can't catch a fish along the oceanfront.  I'm guessing there are still some small scattered schools of fish that will be quickly moving along the RI south shore oceanfront in the next couple of weeks.  You will just have to be there at the right place and the right time to cash in on the action.  And, there is the wintering over fish that seem to inhabit many of our coastal ponds and rivers.  You will just have to find them and find fish that are willing to hit in the cold (not easy on these bitter cold days).

Despite a sub par November, this has been a banner year of striper fishing here in RI.  Really, one of the best of all time for good size stripers.  I'll be doing a year long wrap-up in the coming weeks in which I discuss the 2022 season in more detail.

Photo of the Day.....A Near Slot

 

I landed this near slot this evening just after dark. Fishing was
slow for the most part today with only 2 stripers and a few
hickory shad while doing a lot of looking and casting. 
My gut feeling is that fishing is winding down.

Thankful

 

As I write this blog post, my son Ben is down the oceanfront and into a big blitz of stripers on this Thanksgiving morning. Man, this has been a great striper year in RI.  Really one of the best of all time.  What is going on now is the grand finale to a year filled with fishing fireworks. We are lucky for what we have here in RI…..great fishing, loads of stripers, good access and loads of places to fish.

I will be spending Thanksgiving at my son Matt’s house with my sons and their wives along with the grandkids. As many of you know, I have four sons that I am very proud of.  You often see photos of them fishing on this blog. While they were a handful when they were young, they all grew up to be very good students, great athletes, dedicated workers, family oriented and wonderful people who are all well-liked by everyone who knows them. Since they all live within an hour of us, we see each other often, and we still fish a lot together, and I am really thankful for that.

Three of my sons, Matt, Chris and Ben are married to wonderful girls who are similar to them. I also now have four grandchildren.  Just in the last year we added two new grandchildren to the family. These kids, like their parents, are the BEST. The grandkids remind me so much of what my kids were like when they were young. All of them have a sense of adventure like their fathers and they have all a zest for life even at their young ages. They all have big personalities and smiles that are infectious.  All I have to do is smile at them and they are quick to return the joy. I hope I am still around when they get a bit older.  Can’t wait for the day that they join me in the surf fishing for stripers.

In the whole scheme of things, family is the most important part of life for me.  Fishing is simply a way to relax and enjoy the outdoors, a welcome diversion for me, and something I really enjoy. Retirement and good health allows me the opportunity to fish just about every single day.

As I get older I really cherish the times I can get out and fish because I know it won’t last forever.  But, I also love spending time with my own kids and the grandkids. I am lucky the way things turned out.  And, I am forever thankful for my wonderful and growing family.

My four bundles of joy, all future fishing buddies!

 

Good Times Keep Rolling

My son Jon landed this
near 40 inch striper from
the kayak today. Good
size fish are still in the mix.

 

My son Ben holds a hefty
schoolie that he cought 
recently at dark.

It's been a real cold and windy week, but the fishing continues to be hot along the oceanfront. There have been lots of peanut bunker schools migrating along the south shore, and that has attracted a lot of bird activity and a lot of scattered schools of feeding stripers. While the majority of the fish this week have been schoolies, there have been some good size fish in the mix.  On Sunday I fished with my son Ben.
  We found big numbers of fish along one of the south shore beaches. While we had dozens of hefty schoolies, we also had four slot fish and one over slot fish.  It was all on jigs....bucktails as well as Cocahoes.  Yesterday I scouted around and fished a number of spots.  I found schoolies in one location in the daytime, and after dark I had a solid slot (30 to 32 inches) along with another near slot.  Cocahoes caught all my fish.  Today, my son Jon got out in the kayak.  He had only one fish but it was a whopping 38 to 40 inches.

So, fishing is still very productive as we approach Thanksgiving. With a lot of people off from work on this holiday week, I'm sure many will be wetting a line. You should have no trouble finding fish along the oceanfront.

As Wild as it Gets

Gulls are hitting the water right in front of me.
They were after large peanut bunker.

 I walked out onto a deserted beach today.  Not a fisherman in sight and not a walker in sight.  But what I did see was a phenomenal sight of hundreds of gannets divebombing into schools of bait right in front of me. All the activity was about 200 yards off the beach so there was life there, and it would soon to turn into pure chaos.

Nothing at first and then suddenly I looked down the beach where I saw flocks of seagulls hitting the water and loons diving for bait.  It was all happening right in the wash, and I just knew there would be stripers there.  Sure enough, first cast with my NLBN lure, I was onto a decent schoolie.  I could now see stripers breaking in the wash after large (4 to 5 inch) peanut bunker that were flying out of the water.  The chaos moved down the beach, and I moved with it picking up stripers on just about every cast. Some were good size as I had several slot fish in the 28 to 30 inch range along with hefty schoolies in the 20 to 26 inch range.  For one glorious hour, it was a hit or a fish on just about every cast.

This slot fish took my NLBN lure.
This five inch paddle tail was red
hot today.

Make no mistake about it, the late fall migration of bait and stripers in here. It took awhile to get going, but it is here big time right now.  I have fished the last 5 days and have been getting about 25 fish a day.  While most have been schoolies, slot fish are in the mix daily.  

If you can stand the cold, you've got some of the hottest fishing of the fall right now along the oceanfront. 

Divebombing Gannets Along the South Shore

 

No Live Bait Needed (NLBN) Lures Hot this Week

I was fishing this lure off an 
egg float.

This is one of many 
schoolies that fell for an
NLBN lure.

 I was into a ton of fish last evening and I was fishing with my friend
Steve.  We were both catching stripers, but he was catching three to my one.  I was using a Cocahoe off a float, and he was using a lure called a No Live Bait Needed. This little lure was so effective that the fish could not resist it. So, being the good friend Steve was, he asked if I wanted to try one of these.  By the way I never heard of this lure.  So, I rigged one up on my float, and on the first cast, I caught a schoolie.  They came one after another on this lure. Note that I had minimal success on the Cocahoe and no success on the half ounce bucktail jig, but this NLBN lure worked wonders.

The NLBN lure is a small paddle tail that is a bit chunky, and it fits onto its own custom head that you need to purchase separately. It's profile is a dead ringer for a small peanut bunker.  I was using a three inch body with a half ounce head. I was so inpressed with this lure that I after I got home last night, I ordered quite a few of these.  The website is here . I believe the Saltwater Edge also has them.

I went back to the oceanfront today and same deal.  The bass were jumping all over this lure when used off a float. In two days, I had close to 40 fish on this lure.

I'm happy to report the striper fishing just exploded along the oceanfront in the last few days.  I've seen wide stretches of beachfront where birds are diving and fish are breaking for small bait.  There are even some gannets divebombing.  Most of these fish are schoolies, but there are some slots in the mix. The late fall migration is finally here.

One of loads of schoolies landed in the last 
few days.  The late fall migration is here.

Eureka! Finally Found Big Numbers!

 My two week drought is over.  I found bait along with fish in multiple spots today along the oceanfront. In three spots, I found fish breaking after small pods of bait (looked like silversides). I used bucktail jigs as well as Cocahoes to catch big numbers of bass that ranged from small schoolies to slot fish.  Most of the fish were in that 18 to 24 inch range.

I suspect the shot of cold weather that we got yesterday and today has finally gotten the fish and bait moving. With the cold weather continuing, we should find decent fishing in the coming days. Dress warmly.  When I left my location tonight that I was fishing after dark, it was a cool 36 degrees!

The setting sun reflects off a schoolie that I landed
right at sunset tonight.  For me, fishing was hot along
the oceanfront today and tonight.  It was my best day
so far in November.

Why so Poor?

 In years past, that first half of November was peak time along the RI oceanfront for stripers.  This year it has been about as poor as it can be.  I was out yesterday prior to that big storm.  It was ideal conditions in late afternoon and early night.  The wind was moderate, it was rainy and the surf had a lot of clean, white water.  I landed exactly two schoolies while trying multiple spots into the night.  I had two other friends out in different places.  They also landed a few schoolies. For all of us, a disappointing outing.

So, what's the story here, and why is it so poor this November.  Here's a few ideas:

This is one of two schoolies that I 
landed last night. Striper fishing
along the oceanfront has been poor
in November.

1. Water is too warm- Yes, a lot of people think that's the case and the cooler weather will bring improved fishing. But, is the fishing any better north of us? I was at the Cape Cod Canal last week and it was poor the day I was there.

2. No bait- That is also a problem as I have seen very little bait in all my travels in November. Many people say it is in the backwaters and the Bay.

3. Blame it on the YOY- A lot of people in the know are citing the poor young of the year index in the Chesapeake Bay.  This measure of spawning has been poor in the last 4 years, causing far fewer schoolies which we tend to see at the end of the year and at the beginning of the year.  By the way, early spring fishing was also poor.

4. A lot of fish left early this year- True, we had outstanding striper fishing back in September and October.  But, with each storm (and there has been a lot of them), more and more fish and bait left.

For whatever the reason, the fishing is poor right now along the oceanfront, and the calendar keeps ticking away. I know fishing gets inconsistent after Thanksgiving so if it is going to happen, I hope it happens soon.

So Poor for This Time of Year

 We are mired in some of the poorest shore fishing for stripers I have ever seen in November.  This lull along the oceanfront has been going on for close to two weeks now.  There have been very few fish, little bait, no birds working and no fish showing.

Still, there are lots of people out trying and looking.  Today, I fished one of the more popular and productive beaches along the RI  south shore on this beautiful 70 degree day.  Before dark I counted 20 guys out there casting away.  I landed one small bluefish and another guy caught a small bluefish and that was it.  The mass of fishermen remained at and after dark, yet no more fish were caught. The conditions were perfect with a lot of white water and some small bait in front of me, yet not a single striper was caught. Later, on my way northward, I stopped and fished at two more "high percentage spots". Once again, no bait, no fish, no hits.

I have to say that I was quite surprised at the glowing fishing reports that appeared in numerous publications over the weekend. On what planet were they reporting this great striper fishing because I know of no one who fishes who is reporting any great striper fishing in the last ten days along the RI oceanfront.

So, some say the end is near.  I'm not buying it.  I think we are in a protracted lull that hopefully breaks once we get a shot of cooler weather.  I'm thinking the cooler weather will move some bait and stripers along the oceanfront, I plan to keep looking and fishing for stripers up until at least Thanksgiving, beyond if the weather stays warm. 

Lets hope our fishing gets back on track in the coming days because so far, November has been a bust.

Photo of the Day- "The Sunset was Great; The Fishing Not so Great"

 

Daytime Fishing in a Lull; Nighttime Your Best Bet

 

I landed this schoolie last night on
a bone colored Daiwa SP Minnow.
The nighttime action has been far 
better than the daytime action in
the last week.

We've hit a late October lull. All along the oceanfront fishermen are wondering what happened to our outstanding daytime fishing which saw surface blitzes on a daily basis throughout much of October. The last week has been slow. The bait seems to be gone for the most part, and the fish seem to have left also. While I have caught just about no fish in the daytime in the last week, I have been steadily picking up fish after dark so they are still around in good numbers. I've been getting them after dark on Cocahoe minnows and Daiwa SP Minnows.  The bone colored SP Minnow has been my best color.

Don't think for a minute we are nearing the end.  There are still a lot of fish north of us and a lot of fish in 'Gansett Bay.  That is all coming toward the RI oceanfront in November. The consistent fishing should hold up until at least Thanksgiving.

Photo of the Day...."A Rare Bluefish"

 

I landed this blue this evening on a jig
with a pink Fat Cow jig strip attached.
The last time I landed a bluefish was
back in July.  They have just not been around
in any numbers this fall.

Could Our Striper Fishing go from BOOM to BUST?

 These are unprecedented times.  We have some of the best striper fishing ever for large fish (over 28 inches).  I never remember a period in time where it has been better than this. And, with this abundance of large fish, they are being caught and taken out in record numbers by recreational fishermen. 

But, there are problems coming.  The striper population is top heavy.  Nearly all of the fish are over 25 inches. While I've landed (and released) thousands so far this year, I can't tell you the last time I caught a striper under 20 inches.  Maybe back in May.  There are just no small ones around. All you have to do is take a look at that Young of the Year Index from Chesapeake Bay to realize that we have a problem. This barometer of striper spawning shows a dismal year for 2022.  In fact, this is the 4th dismal year in a row. There are few small ones coming along in the population, and that spells trouble for the future.

The situation we see today is similar to the good ole days before the crash in the 1980's that led to the moratorium. But, today's situation is a bit more complicated. There are far more recreational fishermen today than back in the 1980's. The outstanding fishing has brought out masses of new striper fishermen.  Even guys with little or no experience can easily catch slot stripers these days.  Heck, there were so many stripers one week in a spot that I fish that fishermen were snagging them on a daily basis. As the DEM would say, "legal but not ethical". Many recreational fishermen are also keeping as many as they are allowed to keep. Good fishermen have no problem getting a keeper every time out.  I know fishermen who are taking their 7 slots a week (a fish are day times 7).  Yes, legal, but why not let a few go for the sake of the fishery?  So, record numbers of slots are being caught and taken out of the population. How long can this go on?

Add to that, poaching is at epidemic levels here in RI. On just about every outing, I see this devious stuff going on. I've seen fishermen hiding multiple fish in the rocks. Still, others use runners to bring fish back to hide in the trunk of their cars as they continue to catch more. Some boaters will fillet their illegal catch while out on the water. The latest tactic that's come up in the last week is anglers keeper over slot fish. When confronted they will get very defensive, and tell you it's their right to keep whatever they want, and you should mind your own business. DEM has made a few well publicized busts in recent weeks, but they will catch only a small fraction of the law breakers.

So, when you add up the recreational catch and the poaching catch (which I believe is almost as high as the legal catch) you can easily see that we are heading for trouble down the road. The fishery just can not sustain this pressure with no small ones in the pipeline to take the place of the larger fish being taken out of the population in record numbers.

Hot Pink!

 

Here is a good size slot taken last
evening on a large bucktail jig
spiced with a pink Fat Cow jig strip.
Pink has been a hot color for 
stripers this fall.

Most of you know I am high on the color pink. I have been catching loads of stripers this fall on my homemade pink Deceiver flies fished off a float when small bait is around. So, when I saw these Fat Cow jig strips in a pink color, I just had to give it a go. 

In the last few evenings, I have been catching good numbers of stripers up to slot size using these pink jig strips attached to large bucktail jigs. In the past, I always opted for white pork rind or white jig strips, but after my success with these, I am sold on these pink jig strips.  Very effective!

High Percentage of RI Stripers with Skin Lesions- Myco or Something Else?

 

Many stripers in RI have skin lesions
like the one pictured here that I 
landed last week. I'm pretty sure
this is not myco disease, but use caution
when handling fish that look like this.

Many of us have noticed a high percentage of stripers in RI waters with skin lesions this fall. In fact, a few weeks back, roughly 50 percent of the stripers I was catching had these skin lesions. At first, I thought this could be myco disease.  I've read about this disease (mycobacteriosis) that affects many stripers in southern waters.  It can be deadly once stripers catch it.  It can also cause infections in humans if you are handling the infected fish and have cuts or abrasions on your hands. 

But, myco disease is rare in northern waters, I found an article in On the Water Magazine that outlines a study that the MA Division of Marine Fisheries did back in 2012 when a high incidence of stripers with skin lesions were being caught in MA waters.  Biologists determined this was not myco, but rather a skin infection that was likely due to high spring and summer water temperatures which is exactly what we had this year. A photo of a fish in the magazine article was very similar to the photo of the fish I landed last week.

So, I don't believe these RI fish have myco disease.  Still, I would advise caution when handling stripers with skin lesions. Consider wearing gloves to unhook such fish. And, if you are taking one of these fish home to eat, cooking it properly is advised by the experts.

Darters

 

The Yo-Zuri Mag Darter landed this 
good size slot fish last week in some
rough, moving water. 

With all this wind and rough weather lately, I find myself fishing darters more and more. I have rarely written about this plug since I generally use SP Minnows or Yo-Zuri Hydro Minnows when I want to use a swimming plug.  But, these are lightweight plugs compared to a beefy and heavier darter.  When the wind is howling and the surf is moving, the darter is a great specialty plug to use.

I've got a number of different darters, but the one I have been using recently has been the Yo-Zuri Mag Darter which weighs in at 2 ounces.  I have used this numerous times in the last three weeks and have scored good numbers of slot fish with it.  I like to use this plug in places with current, and I like to use it at night.  These places can be breachway flows or even surf generated current that you find in rough water. I'm not high using this plug in calm water with no current.  The current is what gives this plug action.  When the water runs up against the face of the plug, the plug wiggles back and forth on a slow retrieve.  You can feel that movement in your rod tip. I will also give the rod tip short occasional pulls which breaks up the rhythmic movements with an erratic movement, or something different.

By the way, my favorite color is bone.  Most of you know by now I favor white colored plugs both day and night.

Back to the Bay in the Kayak

 

The unweighted Zoom Fluke on a swimbait
hook was the only thing that would fool
the fussy stripers today!

This was not the best weekend along the oceanfront for me. The fish were hard to find and there were few of them. A change was needed.

So, on this beautiful and tranquil day I decided to head out in the kayak.  I found loads of fussy fish feeding on massive amounts of peanut bunker.  Still, I managed to fool a good number of them and ended up with a mix of slots and hefty schoolies.  I had to resort to a finesse game as I fished the unweighted Zoom fluke on a swimbait hook and twitched it along on the retrieve. Not a silver bullet but it got me some fish. That seemed to do it and no other plug or lure got so much as a look.

Photos of the Day!

The float and fly did the trick today.
The surf was dead flat, the bait was tiny
and the stripers were fussy!

The full moon rises from the sea on a beautiful evening.

 

Holiday Weekend Outlook......Fantastic Striper Fishing Awaits

This past week saw wild weather swings but one thing remained the same along the oceanfront.  It was exceptional striper fishing.  We had big numbers of large fish in that northeast blow in the beginning of the week. The hot action was widespread from Westerly to Newport with exceptional numbers of fish in the 28 to 40 inch range.  In mid week, the big blows and rough seas subsided, but the fishing remained excellent.  Finally, we had this bluebird weather of the last two days along with flat calm seas, but still the fishing still remained excellent.

In the last seven days I have been able to find blitzing stripers somewhere along the oceanfront and even in multiple locations on a daily basis.  Today, I walked into a massive mid day blitz that stretched for about half a mile along one stretch of oceanfront (see the video below on just a small part of the action).  The stripers were blitzing on huge schools of bay anchovies.  They were fussy, but the float and fly was a killer, landing big numbers of stripers in the 25 to 30 inch size range. About half the fish I landed today were slots.  At one point I looked down into the clear water, and just like looking into an aquarium, I could see thousands of stripers in front of me.

The action has been red hot in the daylight hours but it has also been very good after dark.  I got good numbers of stripers when fishing at night several times this week.

Albies made an appearance today in some sections of the coast but it appears like their numbers have been greatly reduced as a result of the northeast blow.  Still, I know of several that were caught today, and I did see some breaking way out in the spot I was fishing.

Bluefish have been non-existent. While I saw thousands of stripers landed this week, I did not see a single bluefish caught.

So, it looks like this weekend should deliver big time striper action along the oceanfront and even in the Bay.  You might have to do some looking, but chances are pretty good that you will come upon a blitz of stripers wherever you fish.

Biggest Fish of the Year!

 Striper fishing has been so, so hot in this nasty northeaster.  I've been catching lots of schoolies, lots of slots, and today I landed my biggest fish of the year.  A fellow fisherman had a tape measure, and the fish measured out at a whopping 47 inches. I've had a number of 45 inch stripers from the kayak this year, but overall this has been the biggest, and it came from the surf.

The interesting thing about this fish is that it fell for a float and jig rig.  I was using a small, half ounce, homemade H style jig trailing off a homemade egg float(see photo below) Many fishermen who think they know what they are talking about will tell you that the float and jig only catches small fish. Absolutely not true and this fish proves it.  I also have many photos of other 40 + inch fish that I have caught over the years on this set up. In the right spot and conditions, it could just be the most effective thing to use on stripers of all sizes.

The float and jig has been the hot ticket in the
last few days.  While many will say
it's a set up to catch small fish, I beg
to differ.

This 47 inch fish was landed in today's northeaster.

It was revived and released in good shape.

Northeast Winds Light up the Fishing

Yes, I did fish in that gale today, and yes, it was very fantastic.  I also fished yesterday in the start of the storm, and it was good also.  In fact, today was one of my best days of fall fishing from shore even though I could barely stand up in the severe wind.

Give me rough water and wind anytime over tranquil conditions. Roughed up water and strong winds seem to charge up the fish into feeding. They will hit with reckless abandon in these white water conditions.  In the last two days it was the bucktail jig fished alone or off an egg float that lured big numbers of stripers top hit.  Once again, it was very good numbers of keepers with half the fish being slots or even above the slot and half the fish being hefty schoolies.

In the latest edition of The Fisherman magazine, I did an article called "Storm Strategies" .  In the article I outlined two keys to finding success in stormy weather.  It involved fishing the right and safe spots as well as using the right lures. One main lure that I highlighted was the bucktail jig as I used today.  As far as spots, I will let you figure that out.

By the way, I was fishing with two guys today who read this blog all the time. The two guys left right before all hell broke loose. You just never know when things will turn on in stormy conditiosn.  There is always some luck involved!

I landed this big fish in today's gale.  I had many fish in this
size range as well as good numbers of schoolies. The float and 
jig as well as lone bucktail jigs have been hot in the northeast
wind.

Never Been a Time with More good Size Stripers than NOW

Just one of many keepers landed in the last week.
Keepers are around in staggering numbers 
right now.

 In the last week, my son Jon and I have landed 100 stripers from both shore and kayak. The amazing fact is that 80 of them have been slots or over slots.  Think about that.....4 out of 5 fish were keepers and just 20 of them were good size schoolies.  The smallest fish of the week was maybe 24 inches.

I've been doing this for over 60 years and I can tell you that there has never been a period of time that had more good size fish than now. Many will say the population is top heavy with few small ones around.  Yes, that could be a future problem.  But, right now, fishermen are enjoying incredible fishing for good size fish from 28 to 35 inches.

Even over slot fish are fairly common.  In the last week, we had several fish over 40 inches.

However, there is an ugly side to this incredible, easy fishing. Abuses have been many as more and more unsavory characters have cashed in on the easy, abundant fish.  I've seen blatant abuses where fishermen will walk out of a spot with 2 or more fish.  Still others will send a runner to the car with a fish to hide in the trunk. They will continue to catch stripers, and the runner just keeps going back to the car with fish. And, others will keep those hefty 26 inch schoolies. While DEM enforcement will respond to most calls, by the time they get there, the lawbreakers are long gone in most cases. My suggestion is to not to confront these abusers. Most know they are breaking the law but they just don't care......just a reflection of what is going on in society in general.  If you see any abuses, call the RI DEM at 222-3070.

An EPIC Day from the Kayaks

 

Here's a slot that just came into the 
kayak.  Fishing for slots and over slots
was red hot today.

My son Jon and I went out in the kayaks in the Bay today. I debated whether to hit the oceanfront or try the Bay.  With the oceanfront rough and super windy, I decided on going out in the kayak in a protected location.  I normally don't do this in the fall, but I figured I'd roll the dice.

And, as it turned out we made the right decision.  We found masses of peanut bunker in the spot that we fished.  In addition, there were a big numbers of needlefish harassing the the peanuts.  I know because I caught a couple by accident on a Jumpin' Minnow, the first plug I tried. Surprisingly, it was the needlefish that the stripers were keying on.  They were also occasionally hitting the peanuts.

Both Jon and I fished Slug-gos the entire day. The Slug-go is a dead ringer for a needlefish. It was hit after hit of big fish (slots and over slots) on the Slug.  The two of us ended up landing dozens of stripers from 28 to 42 inches.  It was epic and one of the best fall days we ever had from the kayaks in the Bay.

Using the Slug-go with the single hook up front made catch-and-release a simple and harmless affair.  All the fish were released in great shape.

Right now in RI the Bay has far more bait (peanut bunker) than the oceanfront.  I heard of big numbers of stripers and peanut bunker in multiple locations in the Bay in the last week.

The majority of the fish today were hefty slots and over
slots.  All were caught on Slug-gos.

Photo of the Day- "Picture Perfect!"

The surf was charged up, a beautiful rainbow formed in front
of me and the stripers were hitting. Couldn't be better!

 

Float 'n' Fly Does it on Fussy Stripers and Albies

The float and fly also
fooled this albie today.

 

The float and fly landed
good numbers of stripers
today up to 30 inches.

Just one look at the water today, and I knew it would be tough going.  There
was a moderate northwest wind that flattened the surf so that it looked like a pond.  In addition, the water was crystal clear.  These are tough conditions to fool a fish with an artificial.  There was bait around and the albies would occasionally show on the surface while stripers were whirling in close to shore. Given the conditions, these fish were real fussy feeders.

It was a day to snap on the float and fly.  I'm talking a wooden egg float tied up with a couple of feet of monofilament along with one of my pink Deceiver flies at the terminal end.  While it wasn't lights out, that set-up landed me an albie along with good numbers of stripers up to 30 inches. I'm not sure that any other artificial would have delivered the numbers of fish that the float and fly caught today.

The float and fly combo is about the best thing you can use when fussy fish are feeding on small bait. It will give you a booming cast and it is equally effective for stripers and albies.

Finally!

 

My first albie of the year is in the books.  They
have been around in good numbers if you can
find them.

I landed my first albie of the year today from RI waters.  I know they have been around for close to 2 weeks, but I have been out of it while recovering from COVID.  Between the sickness and the after affects, it knocked the crap out of me for close to 2 weeks.  But, I have fully recovered and am back to fishing.

Today, I specifically targeted albies. I fished a location in which I saw none showing, but they were there.  On my second cast with a Colt Sniper (green) I had an albie come up and blast my offering. Several casts later, I was onto my first one for the year. I ended up getting a couple of more fish along with several more hits.  So, successful afternoon.

The albies are around in good numbers along the RI shore if you can find them. They have spread out into many locations.  My son Jon has been consistently getting good numbers in the last couple of weeks in different spots.  His best lure has been a wooden egg float and fly (pink Deceiver). My fish today all fell for metal- the Colt Sniper and a Kastmaster XL.

Big Push of Albies Hits the Oceanfront

 They are in! Like a light switch turning on, they suddenly appeared this week and in big numbers in places. Albies are tough fish to catch for the most part, and when you can get a couple, you have had a good day.  But, when guys from shore are catching 10, 15 and even 20 albies in one outing, you know the fishing has to be phenomenal. While the majority of the fish have been in one location most of this week, I saw signs today that they were spreading out as I saw albies breaking in multiple locations along the oceanfront in some very rough water. I wish I could report that I got one, but the few in front of me had lockjaw.  Earlier in the week,  my son Jon landed big numbers of them with the float and fly (pink Deceiver) scoring the best.  Unfortunately, illness kept me sick at home and I missed this hot early season albie action.

Labor Day Weekend Outlook

 Looking good, really good.  Things are hopping along the oceanfront whether you fish from shore or a boat.  We have loads and loads of stripers around with especially good numbers of slot fish in the 28 to 32 inch range. In my last few outings, the slots have been as numerous as the schoolies. 

So, here's the way it see it this weekend:

Stripers- These are your best bet.  The key is to move around and find the bait.  For the most part, the bait of choice has been peanut bunker, and where they show up, the stripers go bonkers. Realize, though, the stripers can be mighty fussy when a million peanuts are right in front of their noses.  On my last outing, the only thing that worked was the float and fly combo.  You might also get them on a float and bucktail jig, a small Cocahoe or a Jumpin Minnow.  Large plugs have not been effective.  Note that those few sharpies who are venturing out at night have also been doing well scoring bigger fish (over slots) on swimmers, Slug-gos and eels. If you are in a boat, you have the ease of mobility to get around and cover a lot of water.  Shore guys will have to do a lot of moving and looking.  Note that parking could be a problem in places this weekend.

Bluefish- They are mixing in with the abundant stripers, but I've seen no big numbers. While the stripers are not taking bigger plugs, the blues have no problem going after the big stuff.  In fact, many of the blues that I've seen caught in the last week or so have been taken on large, topwater plugs. Boaters seem to be having more success catching blues than the shore guys.

Albies- I have seen none and caught none, but I do know of a few that have been taken. There is no predicting what will happen here as these fish are highly unpredictable.  Note that in past years, there might be none around one day and the next day there are millions. All I know is that a lot of fishermen will be looking for them this weekend from shore and boat.  Catching might be a different story. Last year albie fishing was red hot on Labor Day weekend so there's hope!

Bonito- There have been a scant few taken from shore and boat, but no big numbers. Like the albies, they are unpredictable. 

With good weather and calm seas forecasted, boaters should enjoy good conditions.  Nasty and stormy weather favors the shore guys, but looks like we'll see none of that.  Regardless of the weather you should have no problem finding stripers around.  Good luck and enjoy!

Mayhem erupts in front of me as schools of stripers prey on 
massive schools of peanut bunker.  It is loaded right now with
stripers that are following the schools of bait.

Albie Confusion

This is a bonito.

This is an albie or false 
albacore.

 First off, I don't know of any albies caught from shore or boat here in RI so
far.  Last year they appeared around this time, but this fish is so unpredictable I just don't know what will happen this year.  I do, however, know of a few bonito that have been taken from shore and boat.  Not many, but a few.

When the reports come out at the end of the week, I am willing to bet that several tackle shops and even reporters will state that "albies and bonito" are in. It's almost as if these two different species are the same as they mention them in the same breadth. They are not. Albies have those black squiggy lines on their backs, they have black spots on the side of the head by the gill plate as if you stuck your fingers in black paint and stuck it on the fish and they have no teeth. Bonito, on the other hand, have a greenish tone, no black spots and they have teeth.  Both have hard, forked tails, thus the term "hardtails".

Adding to the confusion this year are various species of mackerel that have been swimming around.  I landed one in particular a few weeks back.  Everyone around me thought I had a "small albie". This was a frigate mackerel that was a foot long.  Two problems....you will never see a foot long albie, and the fish did not have those black spots on both sides of the head near the gill plate. I'm sure that those who don't know report these fish as albies and the tackle shops report these to the magazine, adding to the confusion.

This is a frigate mackerel, a species that many think
is a "small albie" Note that the colors are correct.
the tail is forked and hard, but no black spots on 
the side of the hear. Not an albie!

Wooden Egg Float- Versatile and Super Effective

I landed this slot fish yesterday on 
a float and fly.

 This has been a banner August of striper fishing here in RI.  From the beginning of the month to the end, I have been into blitzes of fish just about every day.  The fish range from all sizes from hefty schoolies to slots to even over slots at times.  There have been exceptional numbers of slot fish from 28 to 32 inches.

One theme that I have seen throughout the month has been fussy fish on small bait.  The small bait for the most part has been small peanut bunker along with small bay anchovies.  My most effective lure to use on these fussy stripers has been a wooden egg float with some kind of jig or fly trailing off the two or three feet of mono at the end of the rig. This set up allows for a booming cast if you need it and it can be fished in rocky areas without fear of hanging up.  Here are the three ways I have fished it in the last month to catch hundreds of stripers of all sizes:

1.  Float and bucktail jig- In this case I am using a homemade half ounce bucktail jig trailing off the float. I like the "H" style Do-It jig which is really a fish head jig.  I add a 3 inch, Pro Bass Triple Ripple, white grub tail to the jig which gives it super movement and effectiveness when stripers are on small bait.

2. Float and fly- I used this yesterday to catch big numbers of fussy fish that would not hit the jig.  For the most part, I use homemade, pink Deceiver flies. By the way, this same set up is a killer for albies

This hefty schoolie was landed on 
a float and bucktail jig.

and bonito.

3. Float and Cocahoe- I like to mount a three inch small, white or glow Cocahoe onto a half ounce jighead.  It works at times and the Cocahoe is super durable.

You can make your own egg floats from wooden eggs purchased online or in a craft store.  They will need to be through wired or set up with screw eyes.  You can also purchase the wooden eggs already to go in most tackle shops along the oceanfront. I know the Saltwater Edge, Quaker Lane, Snug Harbor and Maridee all have them.

August Mayhem!

 

August Nights

 

We have been catching good numbers of slot fish 
after dark along with big numbers of hefty
schoolies. This one was caught on a live eel
from shore.

My son Jon and I have been on a roll lately. While the daytime action has cooled for us, nighttime fishing has been red hot.  There have been good numbers of fish along with slots, and he landed one monster fish.

Mid to late August is a time that I fish a lot at night. My logs reveal that the fish are super active at night at this time of year.  Add to that it gets dark so much earlier now making the nighttime experience less "tiring" for old guys like me.

In the past week or so, Jon and I have been out nearly every night.  He has mainly been throwing eels looking for larger fish and I have been using a plug or a jig.  While I have caught more fish, he has scored much better with the bigger fish. I'm catching one slot for every six or seven fish I am landing so a pretty good ratio for bigger fish.  He, on the other hand, is getting a slot or over slot for every three or four fish he is catching.  Proves eels at night are the ticket to bigger fish!

In addition to those slot fish we are catching, Jon landed the biggest fish I know of caught from shore this year. He landed and released a fish that measured 48 inches.  It was caught on an eel well after dark.

Bluefish have also been around at
night.

Note that I am also occasionally catching bluefish also. Jon has had several chops on eels, a sure sign that blues are around.

We are quickly setting up on a fall pattern of fishing here in RI.  The peanut bunker are just streaming in and stripers of all sizes are on their tails.

Sometimes They Just Won't Hit

 

Here's a big school of stripers feeding on the
surface on tiny bait. They would not hit a thing
yesterday.

I was out yesterday looking for those peanut bunker and stripers that I found the day before. I didn't find any, but what I did find was a glut of stripers feeding on schools of tiny baby bay anchovies.  This was micro bait no wider than your fingernail.  I knew nothing could "match the hatch", but I figured I would run through my best bets from year's past.  That included small bucktail jigs, Cocahoes, float and fly, and Jumpin Minnows. None of those offerings got a hit although they did get a few follows that I saw in the calm, clear water.  At one point, I threw those offerings into a school of stripers the size of a school gym.  You could see all their heads just moving slowly on the surface slurping up the tiny bait. But, not my offerings.

After a while, the feeding stopped and it seemed to be over.  Nothing showing.  I walked to the edge of a large rock and peered down into the clear water.  Amazingly, I saw thousands of stripers just moving slowly along the edge of the water.  I tossed a few offerings right in front of their noses and didn't even get a sniff. Simply, not interested in what I had to offer.

It's frustrating to find situations like this, but I've seen this phenomenon many times before in the past. The stripers will be especially fussy when the water is warm, clear and calm.  You have a much better chance at catching in rough, white water.  And, when the stripers are feeding on bait that is tiny, especially those bay anchovies, they are nearly impossible to catch.  No artificial is going to match a half inch baitfish! 

Peanut Bunker Fuels Wild Blitzes

 I saw my first schools of peanut bunker yesterday along the oceanfront, and I also saw some wild blitzes of stripers.  At one point, the bass had the bunker pinned right up against the shore. They were after the peanuts in mere inches of water.  Most of the stripers are hefty schoolies in the 22 to 27 inch range that tend to be fussy.  I did land very good numbers of them in the last two days. I also had several slot fish from 28 to 30 inches.  Small artificials like three inch Cocahoes, bucktails off a float and Rebel Jumpin' Minnows were all working. 

If you didn't know it, you'd think this was an October blitz.

 

One of the Best Julys EVER in RI

The first  half of the month brought good 
numbers of big blues into the Bay.  I got this
one from my kayak.

 An abundance of stripers of all sizes- hefty schoolies, slots, over slots. Big bluefish. Big bait. Small bait.  Hot fishing in the Bay from the kayak. Great fishing along the oceanfront from shore. If you didn't know, you'd think I would be talking about October fishing.  But, this is July and it has been one of the best Julys I have ever seen.  Normally, I am fishing the Cape Cod Canal in July.  Not this year....it has been all RI fishing.

In the first half of the month, the cooler half, I was fishing just about every day in the Bay from my kayak. I was chasing down schools of menhaden, and there were loads of big stripers and big bluefish under most of those schools. About a quarter of the fish I was catching and releasing were over slot fish with the rest being slot fish.  Mixed in were good numbers of big bluefish up into the teens. I have never seen the good fishing for big fish extend this late into the summer in the Bay.

There were also good numbers of big stripers (slots
and over slots) from the kayak in the Bay.

Once the hot temperatures arrived around mid month, I began fishing the cooler times of evening and nighttime along the oceanfront from shore.  There I found loads of stripers of all sizes that were chasing down big schools of baby bay anchovies.  I fished some evenings where decent sized stripers were busting all around me in the white water.  Most of the fish were hefty schoolies in the 24 to 26 inch range, but I had some slots also and even one big fish of 41 inches that I measured. Most of these fish fell for jigs fished along or off a float.  I fished just about every evening in the second half of the month and never got skunked.  It was consistently very good.

This good size bass was taken from the shore 
later in June along the oceanfront. Large numbers
of stripers are feeding on tiny bay anchovies
along the oceanfront.

So, as we move into August, I believe this hot RI fishing will continue, especially along the cooler waters of the oceanfront.  Boaters will have a big advantage as they can move around a lot.  Still, shore fishermen should have good fishing especially during the cooler hours of evening, nighttime and early morning.

Another big fish comes ashore on a Cocahoe 
minnow. Jigs have been hot lures
along the oceanfront in the past two
weeks.