To all my Loyal Followers.....

 Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Grading the 2023 Season Here in RI

 

It was a very good year for slot and above slot
stripers from shore and kayak in Narragansett Bay.

This season had its ups and downs. Striper fishing overall was very good for large fish, slots and above, but a lack of schoolies was evident.  Bluefish showed in good numbers with large fish fairly plentiful in the first half of the season. Albies were a disappointment overall.  Here is an in depth look at how things went for me in 2023.

Stripers:

Schoolies- We continue to see a decline in the numbers of schoolies which is probably due to poor spawning over the last five years in the Chesapeake Bay. The lack of schoolies, mostly those fish in the 14-24 inch range, was evident in the spring as the spring run of these small fish was poor along the south shore. I knew we were in for a different type of season when I landed my first five stripers along the oceanfront on April 18.  They were all slot fish! It would be the first time in decades that I failed to catch a striper at the West Wall (hotspot in past years) in the month of April even though I tried there often.  The schoolies were just not around in any numbers. For me, the Bay fished better than the oceanfront in the spring.  It was mostly slot fish there with some schoolies mixed in.  In fact, I caught very few small stripers through much of the year except in the late fall when we did have fair numbers of 16 to 20 inch schoolies around. Grade for schoolies-C-

Slot fish- The year started off at a 28-35 inch slot and then slimmed down to 28-31 inches. Regardless of what size you are using, there were very good numbers of these larger fish. Once again, the Bay fished hotter for me than the oceanfront in the spring and early summer.  I was getting good numbers of these fish from both shore and kayak. May was especially good.  Mixed in with these fish were good numbers of large bluefish (more on that later). This was a year in which I found less big menhaden in the Bay, although these slot fish were very willing to hit plugs like Jumpin Minnows, weightless flukes and Finesse Fish and NLBN paddle tails. This hot fishing for slots carried right into the fall with September being the best month of the fall.  The big northeast blows from mid to late September brought super fishing along the oceanfront in the rough water.  Still, the Bay continued to produce real well since a lot of peanut bunker were holed up in the Bay which attracted big numbers of slots. October and November fishing overall was subpar along the oceanfront. Note that we saw very few schools of peanut bunker along the oceanfront in mid to late fall. Grade for slot stripers-A

Both slots and over slots were abundant in 2023.
This one was taken in a September northeaster.
September was the hottest fall month this fall.

Over Slots- Those bigger fish, mostly over 35 inches were also around in good numbers, though I thought there were less around than last year. In other years I would find these fish around schools of large menhaden in the Bay. With less of this large bunker around, there were less large stripers around. Still, I was catching fair numbers of those 35 to 40 inch fish from both shore and kayak in the spring. September was excellent for slots and above slots in the stormy weather. My biggest striper of the year from RI, a 45 incher was caught on a float and jig in a September northeaster.  I had quite q few fish from shore in the 40 inch during that rough September weather along the oceanfront.  I also got several 40 inch stripers in the Bay fishing around schools of large peanut bunker from my kayak. Grade for over slots- B

This monster blue was landed in 
Narragansett Bay in May. There
were some monsters around, especially
in the first half of the season.

Bluefish- I will say that I landed more bluefish this year than any year in the last decade. And, I had some monsters.  They were around in good numbers, especially from May to September.  While I never found massive blitzes of these fish, these seemed to be mixed in with the stripers.  I found more in Narragansett Bay than along the oceanfront and had some wild days from my kayak in late spring. My first big hit on blues happened on May 20 in the Bay when I landed 17 from shore with fish up to 10 lbs. This hot fishing for blues would continue right into early summer as I landed many bluefish up into the 15 lb. range. The big ones were especially keying on the sparse schools of big menhaden.  I was also getting big loners along the oceanfront, mostly on bucktail jigs. But, the blues seemed to all disappear as fall progressed and I caught very few in October and November. Grade for blues- B

Albies- One word spells it out- SUBPAR. Overall, the shore fishing was way off, but you had a better shot at catching from a boat.  There were some around, but way off compared to other years.  In fact, this will be the first year in recent memory that I failed to catch even one albie.  In all my travels I never saw any within casting range.  Those sharpies who put in a lot of time and effort from shore probably caught less than half of what they caught in 2022. I threw in the towel on these and opted to put in my time chasing the far more abundant stripers. I think the lack of peanut bunker and the big storms along the oceanfront in September contributed to the subpar albie fishing this year. Grade for albies- C-

I caught good numbers of big blues from the kayak
in Narragansett Bay.  They were often feeding
with the larger stripers.

Subpar November Exposes Big Problems

 

Here's a November schoolie that hit
my NLBN paddle tails. It was a 
subpar November with schoolies in
short supply.

November is in the books, and it was NOT memorable.  There was a time just a short while ago when November shore fishing was lights out. I remember that surf casters would simply sit on a lawn chair on any of those south shore beaches and just wait for waves of fish to move along the beach.  Almost daily blitzes were common  along much of the south shore of RI.  In fact, I wrote many times that November was the new best month of the fall.  Not this year. That has all gone by the wayside this in what I think might be a new trend for future Novembers.

For me, this November was a matter of picking off fish here and there.  I would probe the white water, fish the boulder fields and work the breachway currents in search of a fish here and there.  Rarely did I find blitzing fish with birds diving and lots of bait. And, even when I did find numbers of fish, I rarely saw anything showing. 

This subpar November fishing exposes a big problem with the striped bass fishery.  Novembers in the past, especially the second half of the month, used to be dominated by small schoolies, those fish in the 16 to 20 inch range.  Those schoolies used to make up the bulk of the late November migration.  Today, because of poor spawning in the Chesapeake Bay for the last 4 years, there are fewer and fewer of these schoolies around.  Generally, I saw almost none all year until the end of November when we had some.

Everyone will rave about the bigger fish that were around in good numbers this year, mostly slots in the 28 to 31 inch range, but I also think there were less of them than last year for shore fishermen. Mixed in with those few November schoolies were occasional slots and even over slots that I caught mostly after dark. But, once again, less of them than last year.

This all points to a disturbing pattern of less fish with the pressing problem of far fewer schoolies. It does not bode well for the future unless the regulations are tightened.

Winding Down?

 

Most of the stripers lately have been schoolies
under 20 inches. Bucktail jigs and 3 inch NLBN
paddle tails have been the hot lures.

Normally I don't fish the oceanfront much after Thanksgiving, but I have had such good success lately that I am still fishing. While most of the fish of late November have been smaller schoolies (fish we have not seen most of the year), there are still some good fish around. I am also getting them in multiple spots along the oceanfront. On Thanksgiving evening/night I landed 9 bass with 3 slots and one over slot. I went back two days later and landed 7 bass, all under 20 inches. Yesterday afternoon/ evening I went out again and got skunked for the first time in weeks.  Is it winding down? I think so but there are still fish trickling through and with a little effort I think you can still find some action. I plan to give it another week or so.

From Cold to HOT- Fishing Picks up Dramatically!

 

It's been red hot fishing in the last four days for me.
The fish are all sizes from 15 inches to 40 inches!

You never know what's going to happen in this game. I had been having a fair to poor November like everyone else, and I was just about ready to give it up when suddenly my luck turned around. The last 4 days/nights have been super good for me- over 60 stripers. While most of these fish have been schoolies, I've also had some real impressive fish in the 30 to 40 inch range.  This has come with just about no other fishermen around since many have given up or they've chosen to stay home in this frigid weather. I'm catching good numbers both after dark and in the daytime and in multiple spots, so everything seems to be working right now.

What has touched this off in the places that I'm fishing is a sudden run of peanut bunker that I have not seen all month. Yesterday I saw big numbers of stripers blasting them out of the water at times as the bass were in a feeding frenzy. The lure that has worked great for me has been a 3 inch NLBN paddle tail on a half ounce jighead.  In places where I need a long cast I am fishing this off a float. Where a long cast is not needed, I fish it alone.  When the stripers are on peanut bunker, there is no better lure to use than the NLBN paddle tail.

So, while the fishing may be winding down for some, it is still going pretty well for me. How long will it continue?  Don't know, but I do plan to keep fishing while the goings good.

Photo of the Month- Beauty of the Surf

 

Some of us live it every day!

Photo of the Day- The Photo Says it All

 

You know the fishing must be poor when there is not
a single fisherman off Charlestown Breachway right
before dark!

Should Be Better

 This should be the peak of the fall fishing.  Instead, we are looking at a November lull that has brought only fair to poor striper fishing along much of the oceanfront these first seven days of November.  I've done a lot of driving around in November looking for fish, and I have seen and caught very little- way off compared to other years.  In the last three days, I have seen no birds working or fish breaking anywhere.  I have had to resort to slugging it out in some rough white water where I was able to pick up a fish here and there.  Today I fished for about four hours in multiple spots in daylight and darkness and landed only two schoolies. I saw other people fishing yet did not see another fish landed. 

As the calendar ticks away, we are staring at about two and one half to three weeks of worthwhile fishing left. The season is quickly winding down, but I do feel we will have more good fishing.  I suspect we will have one more push of fish and bait along the RI oceanfront in mid November.  

In the past, November has been blockbuster month for striper fishing in RI.  So far, it's been a dud. Hopefully, it will change.

This is one of a couple of schoolies landed today on the 
float and NLBN paddle tail.  Fishing in November has
been a disappointment so far.

Loads of Bait, Cormorants and Gulls Diving, but Where's the Stripers?

 

A big pile of mackerel at dark saved the day
which had been disappointing. The bait is around
but the stripers are in short supply as November
gets off to a slow start.

Today was a strange day.  In fact, it has been a strange week that brought big numbers of small bait to the shore along with birds diving.  But, stripers have been in short supply.  Everywhere I went today I saw cormorants and gulls working close to shore, but I only saw exactly four stripers caught by loads of fishermen who were trying. I also saw very few stripers breaking on the bait. My only saving grace was at dark when I found big schools of mackerel (bullet or Spanish (no sure)) feasting on the bait and more than willing to hit my small NLBN offering. In addition, I was able to coax one striper into hitting  my swimmer  after dark in the same area where I found the macks.

So, here we are entering November. It has not been a memorable October for shore fishermen along the oceanfront here in RI. And, things are starting off very slowly for shore fishermen in November. I'm hoping it perks up quickly because we are staring at about three to four weeks left to our season.

Video of the Day- "You've Just Got to Find Them!"

 And, I found big numbers of fish today. They are not in all the locations along the south shore, but with a little looking, you might just find a blitz underway.  The fish are really on the move!

Photo of the Day....NLBN Paddle Tail Strikes Again!

 

The bait was small today, and the stripers were plentiful and fussy.
It was a perfect set-up for a 3 inch NLBN (No Live Bait
Needed) paddle tail.  And, it worked like a charm!

Loaded with Bait/Fish BUT Way Out

 I had a frustrating day of it yesterday.  For hours, I watched masses of birds diving onto bait as predators attacked from below (see video below).  This was happening in multiple spots. And, it was all happening out of casting range. This is a pattern that I've seen very often this fall.  A lot of the bait and migrating stripers are tracking well off the shore.  It was only during those northeast blows in September that we saw consistent action close to shore.

Yesterday, I was almost sure something big would happen close to dark.  And, just as the sun set I saw a small pod of stripers start busting right in front of me. I tossed my float and jig right into them two casts in a row but no takers.  So, I scrambled to quickly snap on a Yo- Zuri  Hydro Pencil which got hit immediately.  I was onto a decent fish when suddenly I lost it.  I reeled in quickly and ran to my right as the fish were moving in that direction.  Next cast, Bang! I had another fish on but I lost that one also close to shore after a decent fight.  And, those were my chances.  Darkness arrived and it was all over.

Yup, this was a frustrating day for a surfcaster, but that's the way it goes.

Photo of the Day....Stunning Rainbow off the Beach

 

Yesterday's rainbow was a stunner.
Unfortunately, there was no pot of gold
and no fish at the end of the rainbow!

2023 Chesapeake Bay Young of the Year Index of 1.0 Near Historic Low; Will this Trigger BIG Changes for Striper Fishermen in 2024?

 The future of our striped bass fishery took a big hit in the recent release of the 2023 Young of the Year survey in Chesapeake Bay.  Stripers spawn in the Chesapeake and this index is a measure of the the spawning success or failure.  This year's index was an abysmal 1.0, one of the worst spawning years ever (it was .89 in 2012). This comes on the heels of 5 poor spawning years in a row (see chart below).  In addition, the young-of the year index for Virginia waters was 4.2, significantly less than the average of 7.7. It is clear to see that the fishery is in trouble. Some blame warming waters, others blame over fishing and poor management.

For the average fishermen, this was a pretty good year.  We have had very good numbers of 26 to 34 inch stripers around.  But, there are big warning signs here.  First off, there are almost no small stripers under 24 inches.  Those should make up the bulk of the population. Poor spawning in the last 5 years has taken a toll on the small ones.  In addition, I think there are less of those 26 to 34 inch stripers around this year than in previous years. The recreational fishermen have taken those out in record numbers in recent years, and that's why the slot size was decreased to 28 to 31 inches.  Poaching and mortality rates have also reduced this population. And finally, those big fish (over 34 inches) numbers seem to be less this year than in previous years. The commercial fishery has targeted those fish. Those are the problems; the fix is more complicated and will be painful for many.

This Young of the Year result will force the issue for fisheries councils that have been simply kicking the can for years in an effort to appease a lot of user groups. If I were to venture a guess, I think we are in for big changes next year in an effort to preserve those slot size fish.  Right now, they are the hope for the future. 

Mayhem on the Beach!

The beachfront was running hot today with lots
of slot fish in a mid day blitz.

 I have been chasing stripers up and down beaches for the last three days. Today I set out on a long walk in search of them.  I saw a few birds working in the distance about a quarter mile from where I was so I went down the shore to investigate. As I got to the spot which seemed to be a longer walk than what I anticipated, the water in front of me erupted.  Birds diving, fish breaking all around me, peanut bunker flying out of the water. It was mayhem, and the stripers were on a rampage. They were jumping all over  my 5 inch NLBN paddle tail as soon as it hit the water.

It was a rare moment where I was completely alone on the beach. The nearest fisherman was maybe three hundred yards away.  For half an hour it was a fish or a hit on just about every cast.  And, the fish were decent, running 26 to 30 inches.

Right now, the stripers and the bait are on the move.  They are popping up in various places daily along the RI south shore oceanfront. I've seen everything from a few fish breaking to all out blitzes to completely dead in the last few days. You just have to find them. Realize, too, that those dead spots can suddenly erupt just when you think there is nothing around.

The fall migration is in full swing right now.

A Bonanza in the Dark

 

It was a bonanza of slots tonight
in the darkness.

Overall, it was a pretty dead day today in the daylight along the oceanfront.  But, there was some bait around, and I have been making an effort in the last couple of weeks to fish later at night.  So, I decided that I would stick it out tonight well after dark.

It paid off. As it got pitch dark, I noticed fish starting to break right in front of where I was casting.  As a bonus I also saw large 5 and 6 inch peanut bunker washing up onto the shore as they tried to escape the predators.  When I saw that I snapped on my 5 inch NLBN paddle tail with a one ounce NLB head, a dead ringer for large peanut bunker. All of it worked to perfection as I had a hit or a fish just about every cast for a solid hour after dark.  The fish were also good size with most of them either slots or just under slot size.

At this time of year it is always a good idea to stick it out until after dark.  In today's location, there were a few fishermen at sunset.  But, they just about all left right at dark and missed out on the nighttime bonanza.

Tonight's hot lure was a 5 inch NLBN (No Live Bait Needed)
paddle tail with a one ounce NLBN jighead.
This is a dead ringer for large peanut bunker.

Find the Bait and You Will Find the Fish!

 

Here's a slot fish from yesterday 
coming to the kayak. It was caught 
in the Bay.

Everybody was complaining about that persistent northeast wind in late September except us surf fishermen.  When we had the northeast wind  from mid to late September, the striper fishing was lights out.  It has cleared in the last week with some beautiful weather, and my fishing along the oceanfront went right downhill.  When we had the northeast winds, there seemed to be birds everywhere diving on bait and there seemed to be stripers breaking whenever the bait appeared. Some days they seemed to be everywhere.  In the last week, there has been little bait, no birds and few fish along those same stretches of oceanfront that were so good for me weeks ago.

So, I made a move in the last two days and headed back into the Bay in my kayak. There I found loads of bait (peanut bunker) and sure enough, there were loads of stripers of all sizes. Yes, there are still big numbers of fish in the Bay.

No question, the stripers are hunting for bait, and I believe the bait and bass are on the move. The fall migration has begun.  Fishing activity in the next week should increase as much colder weather comes our way.  The south shore backwater ponds and rivers along with Narragansett Bay are all loaded with bait.  As that begins dumping out with the cooling waters, look for the fishing to light up and get far more consistent and productive along the oceanfront.

Metal to the Rescue!

 

This Hopkins metal lure delivered yesterday
in the wind and heavy surf.

I was looking at a skunk yesterday.  I was fishing great water and rough conditions, and I just knew there were fish around but I was not getting them. I was fishing mostly with my bucktail jig.  It was not working. I thought to myself, "maybe a longer cast in these rough conditions might just do it." So, I reached in my bag for a large metal Hopkins lure.  This thing casts like a bullet even into a stiff wind.  It got me an extra 15 yards over the bucktail, and it was just enough to get me to where the waves were breaking. Just a few casts into using the Hopkins and I was on. The fish ended up being a slot.  I landed several more fish with the metal including a good sized over slot.

That Hopkins lure is one of those specialty lures that I use when conditions dictate it and when a real long cast is needed. Yesterday it worked like a charm, and delivered.

Best Week of the Year

 

I've got my thumb in the jaw of
another good size slot that fell for
a bucktail jig with a pink Fat Cow
jig strip. Fishing has been read hot
in the last week for me.

For me, this has been the best week of the year for saltwater fishing. I fished hard the last 5 days in a row and caught staggering numbers of stripers of all sizes from schoolies up to over slots. My count in the logbook shows close to 100 stripers landed and released in the last five days. Roughly thirty percent of those fish were slots.  I also had tow fish of 40 inches.  Add to that a bunch of blues from little 5 pounders to gators in the low teens. 

The action has also been widespread.  I landed very good numbers in the surf along the oceanfront, but also got big numbers from the kayak in the Bay. Along the oceanfront it was all bucktail jigs scoring with the rougher the water, the better.  In the Bay, it was all topwater action with a Rebel Jumpin' Minnow catching the most fish.

Wind, rain and rough water is coming for the weekend.  I say "bring it on" since the roughness has really turned the fish on.

The best of the fall action is now here. Hopefully it stays that way!

Here's a slot taken from my kayak in the Bay
today. Action in the Bay has also been red hot.

Brute Strength

Today's biggie was a brute of a fish- big head,
big girth and strong as an ox.

 I landed a brute of a fish today. It was one of those "old fashioned" fish we used to catch 30 and 40 years ago.  It was at least 40 inches long with a  big head and a wide girth.  And it possessed some brute strength.  

The fish took a two ounce homemade bucktail jig with a pink Fat Cow strip added.  It was able to put up a drag screaming fight, and I knew I was onto a good fish within seconds after hooking her. That jig that it hit was made with a heavy duty size 7/0 Mustad hook.  I've never seen one of these bend until today.

When I got the fish ashore I was astonished to find this fish actually bent the hook in half in its vice grip jaw. I was lucky I did not lose the fish. I kept the hook and jig as a reminder of just how strong a larger striper can be. Take a look at the hook and jig below.

By the way, all was good here as the fish was released in good shape to fight and maybe bend a hook again!

The fish above was able to bend this
heavy duty 7/0 Mustad jig hook. Big,
strong stripers can possess incredible
brute strength.

Storm Fizzles; Fishing Sizzles

 

This slot fish, one of many today, took a large
bucktail jig with a Fat Cow jig strip.

It was the storm that wasn't. Today's surf was supposed to be dangerously high and super rough. It wasn't.  In fact, by evening, the ocean was flat as a pancake with a gentle northwesterly breeze. The water was clean with no sand in it along the places I fished today.

Like many other fishermen I did not plan to fish today. But, I got several calls from friends who were fishing and catching this morning so I decided to go down and try. I'm glad I did.  I hit some of the hottest fishing of the fall today in a spot I had all to myself.  Big numbers of stripers were after peanut bunker.  These bass were all charged up and were in a feeding frenzy blasting the peanut bunker right out of the water as well as any offerings that I tossed their way.  I got some fish on bucktail jig with Fat Cow pink tails.  I got other fish to take a 5 inch NLBN paddle tail on a once ounce head.  Still, other fish went for my topwater offering, a Yo-Zuri Hydro Pencil in a bone color. The one common thread here was that all the fish were good size. They were mostly all slot fish in the 28 to 30 inch range. The action lasted well over three hours!

I'm guessing this rough water that we had a few days ago moved a lot of fish and bait ashore. I know it was as good as it gets today in the daytime.  I'm hoping it continues. 

Huge, Dangerous Waves Pound the Coast

 If you are even thinking about fishing anywhere along the oceanfront in the next few days, forget it.  I went down today to try and get in one more day of fishing, and it was impossible. I saw huge hurricane driven waves in the 8 to 15 foot range coming right over the East, Center and West Walls around the Harbor of Refuge in Narragansett. Keep in mind the Hurricane itself is two days away from brushing the coastline.  I can only imagine how bad it is going to become in the next few days. 

Realize, too, that many of the access points and rights-of-ways were shut down along with the parking today. Access points in Narragansett at Hazard Ave., Newton Ave. and Bass Rock Rd. were all shut down. In protected places where I could get a look at the water, it was all roiled up with sand and weed, making for poor fishing conditions.

I'm guessing very protected areas in Narragansett Bay or the coastal ponds could be fishable, but realize all that rain we got in the last five days (10 inches in some places) has really screwed up the water in the Bay.  I got out in my kayak a few days ago and saw coffee colored water all over the place.  The fishing was also poor.

These big waves will have a big effect on our fishing.  I'm guessing it will be at least mid next week before the water begins to clear along the oceanfront and some worthwhile fishing returns.

Check out the video clip below of the big waves coming right over the East Wall in Narragansett.

Blitz of the Week!

 It's been a big week of fishing here in RI with everything from stripers to albies.  Today's blitz of stripers was one of the biggest I have seen in a long time.  The stripers were after massive schools of bay anchovies.

Photo of the Day

 

They say "a picture says a thousand words", but in this
case the picture says just three words. "THEY ARE IN!"
Albie Master Tim shows how it's done.

Fishing Turns as Hot as the Weather.....Bass, Blues, ALBIES

 

I'm about to grab a schoolie that was caught from
the kayak this morning.  The fishing all over RI
was hot as the weather today!

The RI saltwater scene just took a dramatic turn for the better.  Along the oceanfront, a lot of that bait that was off the shore has moved in, possibly driven in by albies as the albie fishing has taken a big turn for the better with fish showing in a wide swath of the oceanfront today.  Also, fishing for stripers and blues have seen an uptick in the last day or two.

The Bay fishing is still as hot as the weather if you can find the bait.  I was out this morning in my kayak and found massive schools of peanut bunker in one location.  Stripers and bluefish were blitzing them on and off. In some places I could look down from the yak and see schools of baby bunker three feet thick. I scored big numbers of bass and blues using a Rebel Jumpin' Minnow.

So, I believe that fall run of fish and bait has finally started here in RI.  It took a while, but here's hoping the hot action continues.  Now, if we could get a little cooler weather that would be great!

Back to the Bay of Plenty

 

This is one of many stripers and blues
that I landed today in the Bay
from the kayak. They were 
chasing down schools of peanut
bunker.

Last evening/night I hit the oceanfront in a place where the tide and conditions were just right.  The only thing missing was bait.  I made a lot of casts and came away with one striper, a schoolie, along with a keeper fluke on a bucktail jig. It was slow, typical of what has been going on along the oceanfront.

Today I loaded the kayak into the truck and went back to the Bay of Plenty. Right off the boat launch, I encountered massive schools of peanut bunker, which led to stripers and blues breaking all around me at times. The fish were aggressive and I landed good numbers of both stripers and bluefish.  All the action came on a bone colored Rebel Jumpin' Minnow, a hot plug right now in the Bay.  Just goes to show that if you find the bait, especially peanut bunker, you will almost surely find stripers and bluefish. No bait, few or no fish!

Labor Day Weekend Outlook

I landed this gator blue from the kayak this
morning. Fishing in the Bay from boat or 
kayak has been more consistent than the 
oceanfront for stripers and blues.

A lot will depend on if the water along the oceanfront clears up or not.  Those big hurricane waves that battered the coastline for the last several days have roiled up the water with sand and debris which has shut down the fishing.  Will it clear up? Who knows?

Prior to the big waves, the fishing was entering a pre-fall stage along the oceanfront and improving.  Striped bass fishing had improved with better fishing after dark for the shore guys than in the daylight.  There were good numbers of slot fish around. The bait, though, was scarce from shore (contrary to fake news reports I was reading).  It seemed like if you could find a pile of bait, the fish were there, and it could happen anywhere. Albies were also starting to trickle in with a few being caught from shore.  Once again, contrary to the fake news reports that were blowing this up, there were a scant few from shore and your chances at scoring were slim.  In one VERY popular spot, there were 50 frenzied albie chasers casting one morning a few days ago after hearing reports that they were in.  There were half dozen fish caught.  This morning 40 guys were there casting away- none caught.  Now, does that seem like an albie run to you? It's still too early and there is not enough bait to lure in big numbers yet.

My most consistent fishing came from the Bay this week.  Earlier in the week I found good numbers of stripers and bluefish in the daytime from my kayak.  Many of the coves and bays are loaded with peanut bunker and that was setting off some big blitzes.  The big waves and dirty water from the oceanfront has had no effect on the Bay fishing.  If you are fishing from a boat, just ride around and look for birds diving on bait.  Fish will be there.  The blues are all sizes from those 4 and 5 lbers. to alligators in the teens. This has been the best early fall for bluefish I have seen in years in the Bay and I'm guessing it will continue.  The bass are running up to and over slot size, and there can be big numbers in places.  In a four day stretch in the last week, my son Jon had well over 100 stripers from the yak. Most were slots. Most fell for Rebel Jumpin' Minnows.

So, there you have the real fishing report.  The oceanfront could be good for stripers and blues if the water clears this weekend. The Bay is a much better bet particularly if you fish from a boat or kayak.  Good luck and enjoy.

Back to the Kayak.....Found the Bait, Found the Fish

Kayak fishing has been hot in the
last few days with good numbers
of slots and decent bluefish.

 It's been real hot fishing the last couple of days for me from the kayak. I found big numbers of peanut bunker and sure enough, big numbers of hungry stripers and blues were after them. It was chaos at times as fish were breaking all around me on and off. 

The stripers were running from 24 to 30 inches with about 50% slot fish.  The blues were running 5 to 8 lbs. Everything was hitting Rebel Jumpin' Minnows and the fish were super aggressive.  Very hungry!

So, looks like this sudden good fishing lately is turning into a fall run.  More bait is showing up and more and more stripers and blues are after them.

A slot from this morning from the kayak!

Rough Conditions Deliver Big Numbers of Stripers

 

This slot fish as well as most of 
my fish in the last two days fell
for a 2 oz. bucktail jig with a pink
Fat Cow jig strip attached.

The drought is over for me.  It's been a great two days/nights of striper fishing here  in RI. I fished multiple spots and found fish in all of them. I caught in the daylight and after dark. The common thread  in all the places I fished was that the surf was kicked up, the wind was howling and the stripers were in an active, fall feeding mode.

I had really good numbers of slot fish as well as some over slot fish. I got them on a variety of lures- big bucktail jigs with fat cow jig strips (pink), large NLBN paddle tails and even a large metal Hopkins lure.  The bass were not fussy. I'm sure I could have caught with swimmers and poppers but I wanted to avoid the treble hooks for my safety and the fishes' safety.

It is interesting to note that I saw little bait and no bird activity.  The fish were just there in big numbers poking around the white water.

Hopefully, this is the start of sustained, consistent fall run.  

Blues More Plentiful than Stripers Right Now; No Albies

 

I landed this blue yesterday evening
from shore on a Cocahoe.  They 
outnumber the stripers right now.

The striper fishing from shore continues to be poor along the oceanfront in RI. In fact, the bluefish fishing is a bit better as they outnumber the stripers right now.  I think we got spoiled over the last two years that produced some of the best August striper fishing I had ever seen here in RI.  This year is a different story.  There is a lack of bait, notably peanut bunker, along the oceanfront right now. The last two years saw massive amounts of this bait along the shore; this year has brought very little so far. I also think you are seeing the decline in numbers of stripers, something many have been predicting for a while.  We know there are few small schoolies around due to poor spawning in recent years.  The pressure has been on the larger fish, slots and above slots, and those were taken out in record numbers this spring and early summer.  You just can't keep taking and expect the well to be always be full.

As for the bluefish, they have been around, though I've seen no schools of them.  There seems to be loners here and there.  In one place that I fish, you probably have to cast for several hours and maybe you will pick up a blue or two. Boaters have been seeing small schools of them whenever a bit of bait comes around.  The blues I am catching are also super skinny, a sure sign that they are not eating much. Many of the blues this fall have been large ones over 10 lbs.

As for the albies, there have been a scant few taken by boaters mostly out near Block Island.  The oceanfront has had none that I know of.  Last year they appeared at this time, but there was tons of bait around to lure them in.  I don't think we will see a lot of them this year until the big schools of bait arrive.  Realize that albies have traditionally been a September fish with the first week of September marking the start. The albie thing has also been no guarantee.  Over the past couple of decades, there have been some banner years with lots of them, some average years such as last year with some and there have been some years with none. No one can accurately predict what will happen with these pelagic fish that spend most of their life offshore in the deep water.

Burning A Lot of Gas for a Few Fish

 

Here is one of four stripers I landed
today on the float and fly, a great 
choice when the bait is small and the
bass are fussy.  In this case, the fly
was a homemade pink Deceiver.

I've been out fishing four days/evenings in a row.  I've fished loads of places in RI along the oceanfront and elsewhere.  So, I have a pretty good handle on what's going on with shore fishing.

The RI oceanfront is DISMAL. There is little bait around and few resident stripers around.  I thought this would be the week. I had good water all week.  With a northeast wind, cool temperatures and rain, I fished great conditions with a lot of white water. In those three days of hard fishing, I landed exactly one 20 inch schoolie.  That was the only hit I could muster in RI. Last year and in 2021, things were hopping at this time in RI with terrific numbers of stripers, some blues, chub mackerel and even some bonito. None of that is happening this year so far in RI from shore.

Fed up, today I got in the truck and headed north rather than south. I found considerably more bait and fish in the places I tried.  But, the fish were very picky since they were feeding on half to one inch baitfish (baby peanuts or bay achovies, not sure). So, I got out my killer-for-small bait trick- the float and fly.  That did it since I landed some fish.  Not crazy, but I had a couple of slots and a couple of schoolies and good numbers of hits. Hey, it was action!

So, there are some fish around. You just might have to burn though a lot of that near $4 a gallon gas to find them if you are fishing from shore.

August Shore Fishing Fizzles Out; Lack of Stripers, Some Blues

 

We are back into slow fishing for stripers from 
shore. There are some big bluefish around but
you will need to make a lot of casts to catch one!
This one took a bucktail jig spiced with a Fat
Cow jig strip.

A week ago I would have told you we were on our way to fall-like fishing along the RI oceanfront.  But, as soon as it appeared, it ended.  I found that one big school of peanut bunker that was getting blitzed by hungry stripers last week.  Since then, I have not seen a peanut bunker.  There have been no birds and no amounts of bait near shore in the places I am fishing.  Just plain fizzled out.

So, I changed tactics a bit and started working white water locations in the hopes of finding a resident fish or two.  In four evenings of fishing I managed to catch just four schoolies.  Also, there are some big blues prowling around the oceanfront. I did catch a couple.  Make a thousand casts and you might get one blue to hit. There are no schools of them.

Last year at this time, the striper fishing was hot.  Tons of peanut bunker and bay anchovies were arriving daily with big schools of stripers after them.  Not so this year so far.

Hate to say it, but you are looking at slow fishing this weekend if you plan to fish from shore. Nighttime and very early morning or stormy days will offer your best shot at catching a bass or two.

Massive Amounts of Bait Light Up the Fishing

 The last couple of days have featured October blitzes in August along the RI oceanfront.  Massive amounts of bait in the form of peanut bunker and bay anchovies have lured in big schools of stripers and bluefish.  As I predicted a couple of posts ago, the fishing would light up once the bait arrives which would be soon.  Regardless of how warm the water is, large amounts of bait change the game.  Well, it's here and the fishing is fantastic! Take a look at this video clip from yesterday.....all stripers after peanut bunker!

Stripers, Blues and DOLPHINS!

 The fishing along the oceanfront has taken a dramatic turn for the better. Since the hot weather departed big schools of bait, bay anchovies and peanut bunker, have streamed into the area.  This has attracted good numbers of stripers and blues as well as other predators.

Yesterday I was watching a school of fish the size of a football field on the surface way out, stripers I presumed. Suddenly the surface erupted with massive splashes.  I thought it was bluefin tuna.  However, I soon saw the backs of dolphins cruising through the melee.  There were hundreds of them.  They put on a fabulous show for about 10 minutes. It was the first time I had ever seen them so close to shore (maybe 150 yards away). Take a look at the brief video below I shot with my phone of this event.

Signs of Life

 

I've landed good numbers of stripers
in the last three days from schoolies
to slot size fish.  

Ever so slowly, the shore fishing is ticking upwards here in RI.  In the last three days I have caught more stripers than in the last three weeks. I've also seen turns working here and there on small bait (bay anchovies?, maybe peanut tiny peanut bunker?).  That has led to sporadic fish breaking close to shore.

I hit some good fishing on the windy and stormy evenings of the last three days catching good numbers of hefty schoolies and small slots.  Friday and last evening were carbon copies of one another.  Approaching storms brought strong winds, lots of white water and a surging sea right into the spot I was fishing. I believe that moved some stripers close to shore.  It's those kinds of conditions that will move fish that are residing in deeper water close to shore at this time of year.  Recently reports have been loaded with news of lots of fish in deeper water, and boaters are scoring much more consistently than shore fishermen right now.

High water temperatures have driven most of the stripers into the deeper and cooler water.  Bay water temperatures of upwards of 82 degrees were reported this week.  Yikes! The ocean water temperatures are hovering in the low to mid 70's. Hopefully, this will come down as the cooler weather settles in this week. I've also said many times that huge numbers of peanut bunker will be a game changer regardless of water temperatures.  That hasn't happened yet, but I believe it is coming soon. When it does, the shore fishing will explode.

Slow Going in RI

 I've posted very little recently, and that should tell you I am catching very little.  Still trying almost daily, but not having a lot of success, especially with bigger fish here in RI. This happens in the doldrums of mid summer. 

The water is warm.  Water temperatures in the Bay hit 75 degrees this week.  Along the oceanfront, it was reported to be 73 degrees.  That is really warm for striper fishing. Because of that, many shore fishermen have been heading to places north of us where the water is cooler and the fishing is better. My son, Jon, hit some hot fishing for larger fish in the Canal a week ago.  Since then, the action has slowed.

In addition, the bait here in RI is small and scattered, and it is mostly sandeels.  In the last two evenings I found good numbers of sandeels in one location and caught a mix of hickory shad and small schoolies.  The hot lure was a Red Gill teaser. Still, the stripers were fussy in the warm water.  Last week, I did catch a few schoolies in some white, rough water, which seems to be producing better than calm conditions. 

This is the time of year in which boaters have a huge advantage over shore fishermen.  The boaters can fish deeper water and dropoffs along the oceanfront where the water is cooler and the fish are more active.

I suspect the fishing will improve greatly when the massive schools of peanut bunker head our way in the next two to three weeks (according to past records).  In the past the peanuts have lit up the fishing in both the Bay and along the oceanfront for more than just stripers. They have also lured in many pelagic fish including bonito, Spanish mackerel and chub mackerel and later false albacore. 

Float and Jig Scoring in the Rough Water

This hefty schoolie was landed on the
float and jig, a great choice in rough
water.  There are good numbers of 
stripers around from hefty schoolies
to slot size fish. along the oceanfront.

 It has been rough, I mean REALLY rough, along the oceanfront in the last couple of days. I like fishing rough white water, but this was a bit much in a number of places I fished as it was downright dangerous.  I did, however, find a couple of spots that were safe and fishable, and the stripers were hitting. I scored good numbers of stripers up to slot size fishing this white water.

The float and jig, so good in the fall, was the ticket to success.  With a lot of sandeels around, a small  jig is a good choice to imitate this slender bait.  In the rough water, the float is the ticket to deliver that small jig a good distance.

I have been using a homemade through wired egg float.  My jig is a homemade half ounce H style jig (looks like a slender fishead).  I also added a 3 inch, plastic Triple Ripple Bass Pro tail to the jig. Toss that into the white water and just reel it in slowly.  The turbulence and currents will give the jig all the action it needs. It's super deadly in rough water. 

There are good numbers of stripers around especially along the oceanfront, but you have to find them.  Daytime action can be good if the water is rough and the weather is stormy. Nighttime might be a better choice under calm conditions.  I'm guessing a lot of people will be getting out to fish this holiday weekend.  Good luck and hope you find 'em.

Two Biggest Fish so far Have Come from Freshwater!

 

My biggest fish of the year so far came from
freshwater.  This behemoth carp weighed
38 lbs., 12 oz.  It would have smashed the
official state record by OVER 6 lbs. I chose to 
release it!

It's been a good (though not great) first third of the striper season. No question, there are fewer big ones around than the last couple of years.  There are also a lot fewer small ones which is more of a problem for the future. My biggest stripers have been in the low to middle twenty pound range.  Last year at this point I had many thirties, particularly from the kayak.

Many of you will be surprised to learn that my biggest fish this spring have come from freshwater. As many of you know, I am also an avid carp fishermen, and I do this quite a lot in the morning and mid day. In the last two months I have been competing in the CAG National Big 4 Tournament.  In that event, you enter your four biggest fish, along with photos and documentation. This year I was able to land two whoppers of 38 lbs., 12 oz. and 36 lbs., 4 ounces. I also got a couple of twenty nine pounders bringing my four fish total to 133 lbs., 12 oz. Those fish landed me a third place finish in the national tournament!  All four fish beat the weights of any stripers I have landed thus far. Those 38 and 36 lb. carp would have smashed the RI state record for carp by a lot.  Instead of killing the fish and bringing them down to have weighed for the official record, I chose to release these two monsters. Most carp fishermen are very conservative and release everything they catch.

Carp are some of the most underutilized fish in southern New England.  However, make no mistake about it- the biggest ones are hard to catch.  They tend to be moody feeders, and the fishing for them is vastly different than traditional fishing. I've been fortunate to fish with and learn from some of the best European carp fishermen in the world who live in nearby MA.

Down in the Rough

A large bucktail jig spiced with
a pink Fat Cow jig strip has been 
my best producer in the last week.

 I'm back to fishing mostly from shore in the last week.  That persistent northeast/east wind has really kicked up the oceanfront. I've always said that rougher is better than calm water, and I will say that the fishing has been good this week.  Find some clean, rough water, and you will likely find some stripers.

Jigs have been the hot numbers for me all week.  I'm mostly fishing one ounce bucktails in rough water, but I have also fished half ounce NLBN paddle tails where the surf has been calmer.  Both have been getting me good numbers of 24 to 28 inch stripers.  I've gone back to using pink Fat Cow jig strips on my bucktails, and that has been effective.

Even when I have seen fish breaking I have been unable to catch anything on a topwater plug.  The float and jig is also not working.  It seems that the stripers are down deep in the rough water column, and that's where they are taking.

Expect this rough surf to continue as we have lots of rain and stormy weather in the forecast for the next week.

Father's Day Fishing, 2023

 The boys and I did our annual Father's Day Fishing Outing today.  Last year we did this for the first time out in the kayaks in Narragansett Bay.  This year we got a lot more fancy. Matt got a new boat, a Grady White 18 footer, and we decided to take it out into Buzzards Bay for a guy's day on the boat. There was myself and my sons Jon, Matt and Ben.  Chris, my fourth son, could not make it and is having me over for dinner tomorrow.

Buzzards Bay is a place that offers variety plus.  And, that's just what we got.  We landed some stripers. big numbers of bluefish, lots of black sea bass, a lot of scup and even a couple of fluke. We had great weather and could hit a number of spots in the Bay. Topwater lures got the stripers and blues while vertical jigging with skinny metal got the black sea bass, scup and fluke.

I cherish these days of fishing with the kids. We all share a common love of the water and fishing. And, today was just one more chapter in the book of life. 

Jon, myself, Matt and Ben

Ben got the first striper of the day, a hefty schoolie.

Matt lands a good size fluke.

I got myself a decent bluefish.

This was one of many black sea bass. Most were small but feisty.

Jon had this hefty schoolie.

Ralph Pickering, 1929-2023

Sea run brown trout on the fly rod!

 It is with sadness that I report the passing of my father, Ralph Pickering at the age of 93.  I know many of my readers knew him as we fished together for decades.  In fact, everything I know about fishing I attribute to him teaching me.  From the days of being a toddler to retirement days, I fished just about every weekend with my father. We went on a lifetime of fishing adventures together.

He was the best I ever saw when it came to fishing for everything.  He fished mostly freshwater in the early going.  It was generally largemouth bass and trout. He loved plugging the local ponds and lakes for largemouths, and he loved fly fishing for trout with flies he tied himself. He later taught my brothers and me how to tie, and we would frequently spend winter evenings at the kitchen table tying flies. Around the 1960's he began hearing about the great saltwater fishing for striped bass.  This piqued his curiosity, and we all began saltwater fishing which would lead to chasing stripers, blues, mackerel and squeteague. It was a chore getting down to the oceanfront in those days with no rt. 95 to guide our way. So, like many others who fished in those days, he looked to getting a camper so we could fish and stay down there on weekends. No one had the fancy campers like you see today.  He bought himself a 1950 bread truck and built the inside with beds, a small kitchen and bunks for storage.  Our water came from a beer barrel mounted on the roof!  He named the camper after my mother and called it "The Connie".  For almost a decade, two adults, three kids and a dog would crowd into the camper and head to the oceanfront to fish just about every weekend.

The family fishing Beavertail for tautog.

We got more sophisticated in the 1970's and 1980's as he got rid of the camper and bought a Jeep 4x4 Wagoneer.  Now, we could actually go right onto the beach.  His friend, Bob Thomas, lived at Orleans at the Cape, and we would stay at their place.  For many years we fished Nauset, Race Point and Chatham a lot in those days under star lit nights from sunset to sun up and caught a lot of stripers. It was the best striper fishing on Earth back in those days, and we were part of it.

My father loved the Cape and we began fishing in the spring for trout and smallmouth bass with the fly rods. We later branched out and started exploring some of the outflows for sea run brown trout.  We had decent success catching those too.

As he got older, my father tended to fish nearby in Narragansett Bay and along the RI oceanfront.  We fished some great squeteague runs in the Bay, epic bluefish years and great striper blitzes.  We bought a boat together, a Boston Whaler, which the whole family fished from for years.  He fished with the fly rod more and more in his old age as he really enjoyed the experience.

Our bread truck camper, the "Coonie"
that my father built.

Several years ago at the age of 90 his fishing greatly decreased. Most of his time now was spent taking care of my mother who was also 90 and suffering from dementia.  He was determined to keep her out of the nursing home as long as he could. His health was slowly deteriorating also at this time, and last year it all got to be too much, and he was forced to put my mother into an assisted living/ dementia facility.  While she thrived, his health problems mounted.  Several months ago he came down with pneumonia which he never could really shake. With worsening COPD, mobility issues and general worsening health, he ended up in and out of the hospital for several months, and grew weaker and weaker.  In the end it was a deadly blood infection, sepsis, that got him.  It all ended very quickly; really for the best. He did not want to live like he had for the past couple of years in poor health, unable to do anything including fishing and separated from his wife of 72 years.

I was with him the last day of his life and I was the last to talk to him. Like every time I had seen him recently in the hospital, he asked how was mom doing, how are the kids (his grandsons) are doing , and how was the fishing. He passed three hours later.

He lived a great life, and we have fishing memories that will last forever. 

First stripers at Nauset Beach at the Cape.

Early days along the RI shoreline.

A big blue from the Boston Whaler that we
bought together.

Grandpa (in the background) fishing for albies with grandsons 
and friends.