Photo of the Day- "Back in Business"

 

It's been a while (June) since I've landed a striper this
big. They are back as the shore fishing has picked up dramatically.
This fish was released in great shape.

Massive Schools of Microbait/ Big Numbers of Stripers Hit the Oceanfront

The Albie Snax was the only
artificial that would work
last evening. The stripers were
on micro bait about a half inch long.

In the last two evenings I've found huge amounts of bait and big numbers of stripers on them. There were birds diving, schools of fish breaking and individual fish here in there  I haven't seen this much surface activity since last fall.

The massive amounts of tiny bait, bay anchovies, has set off a feeding spree along the oceanfront. It's just what we have been waiting for months to happen, and it's here!

Be aware, though, these stripers are tough to fool when they are on small bait.  Last night I had schools of fish or individual fish breaking to cast to for 2 straight hours.  I ended up with 3 stripers and one more on.  Yes, poor results for the amount of fish I saw. My fish were all caught on Albie Snax fished on a deep, slow retrieve. I tried everything in my bag of tricks to imitate small bait- small bucktails, float and fly, Jumpin' Minnow and NLBN paddle tails.  Nothing would even get a sniff except the Snax. And, there were times that I threw the offerings into a pile of breaking fish. I can tell you no one else except my son Jon could catch a fish and there were a good number of guys trying.

While I left a few breaking fish at dark, my son Jon stayed.  He had live eels in the car.  He's had good success fishing eels at night in the past when the fish were fussy and on small bait. It happened again for him. In a couple of hours of tossing the eels, he landed 5 stripers OVER 40 inches apiece along with a breakoff. Those are the most large fish I have heard about from the surf in over 2 months.

This is one of 5 big fish over 40 inches that Jon
landed after dark on eels.

The striper action from shore is finally here and here big time. As long as the bait remains the action will continue to be good. Good luck trying to catch them! 

Turning the Corner

I believe this is the week in which we have turned the corner on shore fishing here in RI. For the most part, we saw a poor July. The happenings of the last week point to improved fishing as bait arrives, more species of fish follow and stripers come to life.

Here are some of the indictors that things are turning around and moving into a prefall pattern that we generally see in August. 

*More bait has arrived. Big schools of small bait, mostly silversides, have arrived in big numbers this week along the south shore oceanfront.  I've seen birds diving and fish breaking in my last three outings. Some fishermen also report small peanut bunker are around.

*Rough water has perked up the striper fishing. When it's been rough, it's been good. The stripers are around and I am guessing the striper fishing will be more consistent and better as August moves on. They are on the bait also.

*Bonito are around in ever increasing numbers. There have been some big catches in the last week from shore and boat as they are blitzing on the abundant silversides. You have to find them, though, and they are not all over the place yet.

*Even reports of some bluefish have surfaced.  They, too, are on the bait.

So, suddenly the fishing is looking better and better here in RI for shore fishermen.  With stormy weather predicted for this week, it should rough up the water and light up the fishing.

Look closely and you will see birds diving and a big fish
breaking in the lower right corner. I saw this scene over
and over again this week as shore fishing has picked
up considerably.

Striper Fishing Explodes in the Rough Water

 

I landed all of yesterday's fish
on the egg float and jig. There were
massive numbers of stripers on 
the rampage in rough water.

I have written many times of how fishing in the summer can suddenly come to life in stormy and rough water. Well, I had the conditions yesterday as a stiff easterly breeze mixed with showery rain charged the water up into a sea of white. And, it brought the fishing to life. While I struggled in the last month to land a fish here and there, I was getting them on just about every cast yesterday evening.

The fish were on a July rampage as if it was an October blitz.  At one point there were birds diving everywhere in front of me, and the ocean exploded with schools of stripers the size of a football field breaking everywhere.  Further out I saw a school of fork tailed fish, bonito I'm sure, racing on the surface like small torpedoes. It was wild for a July evening.

All these fish I landed were hefty schoolies in the 20 to 26 inch range, fish we have not seen a lot of in the last few months.  I assumed they were on small bait bay anchovies or peanut bunker. I landed all my fish on a float and bucktail jig.  The bucktail was spiced up with a triple ripple Bass Pro curly tail. I got most fish  out far but I also landed several at my feet as they seemed to be everywhere the water was white.

I'm hoping we have turned the corner on this poor summer fishing here in RI. I do believe there has been an influx of small bait in the last few days along the oceanfront that have touched off bonito blitzes in various spots. Now, we are seeing some big numbers of stripers.  Let's see if it continues!

Signs of Life

 

Here is one of the fish I landed this week in some
rough turbulent water.  Striper fishing from shore
continues to be poor overall.

I got out twice in the last five days.  The first day I was chased out by thunder, lightning and torrential rain. The next evening I found some great water and actually found some fish.  What a surprise!

The few times I have found fish this past month have been in rough, clean white water.  I had that this week in multiple spots that had produced in the past under these conditions. In one spot I had perfect water.  There were no fish to be had but I did see birds working way out.  This is the first time in a long time that I saw some bird activity.  The second spot had some fish.  Of the first three casts I made with a float and jig, I landed 2 hefty schoolies.  I also saw birds diving way out in this spot. Hmm, more life. Later, I landed one more schoolie in this location. Hey, three fish in one evening is a big night these days from shore. Finally, I hit my last spot at/ after dark.  Great water, a bit weedy and no fish.

So, maybe the fishing is trickling to life.  Or maybe I hit something lucky in some rough, turbulent water.  We'll see in the next week.

Finally, let me say this has been the worst July I have ever seen for shore fishing for stripers. Yes, even worse than the days of the moratorium. There are also no bluefish or bonito around which makes fishing even worse. I'm still betting on the fishing to come back in late summer or early fall, but that might not happen till mid to late August. Watch for a big influx of massive schools of small bay anchovies.  That usually triggers a prefall feed. It also tends to bring in lots of stripers and bonito.

Shore Fishing POOR Right Now

 That little uptick I had back on July 8 (last post) in the northeaster was short lived.  Since then the fishing has pretty much been dead for me and everybody else I know who's fishing. Here's a quick summary:

*There are very few stripers around from shore right now

*There are NO bluefish

*There are no pelagics

*There is very little bait

We are in a dreadful lull right now. I've been out two times in the last week and put in a good amount of time in some good spots.  I fished the evenings into darkness.  The score- one 20 inch schoolie. Several of my friends have also been out and have caught nothing. Jon has landed one schoolie in the last week. On the days/nights I fished, I saw no activity.  I did not see a single bird diving anywhere and saw no amounts of bait.

I don't see this all turning around until we get a big influx of small bait- either bay anchovies or peanut bunker.  Usually that happens in mid to late August. It usually sets up good September fishing for stripers and pelagics (albies and bonito).  In recent years, September has been our best fall month. So, sorry to say it looks like another month of poor fishing. 

Suggestion: You might try looking for a fishing friend who has a big boat! 

Fishing Perks up in Northeast Winds and Rain

 

This schoolie, landed yesterday, was
caught on a wooden egg float and 
bucktail jig. Shore fishing improved
in the stormy weather of the last few days.

Fishing activity perked up in the winds and rains of the last few days.  I fished three straight evenings in some beautiful white water and came away with eleven stripers and a couple of hickory shad.  All the stripers were schoolies in the 15 to 25 inch range, fish we have not seen all season. It was far better action than I've seen in the last two weeks.

I knew from experience that the fishing would improve in this weather. Summer northeasters can deliver a taste of fall with rough water and stormy conditions, two things stripers love.  I fished this one spot with a lot of white water, and I saw occasional fish jumping for schools of small bait, something I haven't seen in a while. Right now we do have a good amount of bait which incudes herring fry, sandeels and squid. We just needed the rough water to get the stripers feeding.

All of my fish were landed on jigs, either NLBN paddle tails on jigheads or bucktail jigs trailing off a wooden egg float. Both these are good imitators when small bait is around.

So, in the next couple of weeks, watch for these weather events that can perk up the shore fishing for stripers.  Northeasters, southwesterly blows and rainstorms can all dramatically perk up the fishing in the doldrums of summer.

Fourth of July Weekend Outlook

 

Striper fishing from shore right
now is poor with a few fish
being caught at night.
Boaters can expect better 
action in deeper water. 

The last time I fished was three nights ago before this heat wave hit.  I fished until dark in perfect water. I was in a great spot, the tide was high and I should have been getting fish.  I got nothing, not even a hit. In a spot that was known to be a hotspot at this time of year of year, I never saw another fisherman casting for stripers.  That same night two of my friends were slugging it out way into the night in great spots elsewhere. They also got nothing. This is a clear example of where we are at right now.  For the most part, the striper fishing is poor from shore here in RI.

I see reports from people catching here and there from shore on Instagram, but its hard to sell just how old these reports are. I do believe fishermen may be stumbling into fish here and there where large amounts of bait come ashore. You just have to be lucky. Nighttime will be your best bet.

I also know that boaters are doing much better than shore guys right now.  They can get out into deeper water where the fish are holding as the water temperatures rise in this heat.  Those areas at the mouth of the Bay, the south shore reefs and Block Island are all good bets right now for boaters.  Early morning, evening and nighttime are your best times. You might even run into fish feeding on top on small sandeels which are still in abundance. Stripers on sandeels can be very fussy. Fly rodders might have the advantage with these fussy fish.

I haven't heard of any bluefish around.  No surprise there as I still have not landed one nor seen one caught this year.

A few pelagics (bonito) have shown along the oceanfront but they are so few, it's like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Ah, there's always bottom fish to go after. News is that most of these fish like fluke, black sea bass and scup are around but undersized.  My son Jon has been trying for them from the kayak but he's caught no keepers.

When you look at the poor fishing right now and the hordes of people heading to the oceanfront, it might be your best bet to fish at night or just stay home, relax in air conditioning and watch the fireworks on TV.

Enjoy this Fourth of July and stay cool. 

A Slowdown from Shore; Boaters Have the Advantage

 

I landed this hefty schoolie last evening.
It's been a typical summer pattern with a fish
here and there. Boaters are scoring much more
consistently than shore fishermen right now.

We are in a typical summer pattern.  The water is warm, the bait is small and the stripers are heading for deeper and cooler water. I would describe shore fishing as fair to poor right now. There are small windows of opportunity when you can get them from shore. Daybreak and dusk might get you a fish or two.  Fishing at night might also get you some.  However, the fishing is way off right now compared to where we were a month ago.

I got out two times in the surf in the last three days.  On evening one I landed a nice slot fish and had several more small hits on skinny plastic.  On the second evening I landed one hefty schoolie and had no more hits.  Both fish came right before dark. So, this is typical for me right now- a fish here and there with a good amount of effort.

I saw an Instagram report from a good fishermen that fishes the RI south shore a lot. He says he's caught NOTHING in the last eight nights he's been out. Yikes, not good. I know other fishermen who have given up or who are fishing for bottom fish like scup and fluke. Still, some of my friends who slug it out all night are getting a fish or two here and there, much like what I am doing in the evening.

Now, boat fishermen are a different story.  Those guys fishing the oceanfront at the mouth of the Bay or Block Island are scoring.  There are lots of squid and small sandeels around the keep the stripers feeding. All these boat fish are coming in deep water where the water is cooler and the fish are more active. But, I am told that even these boat fish are fussy and tough to fool when feeding on small sandeels.

So, still some fish around but way off for the shore guys compared to a few short weeks ago. Hey, summer is here and that's the way it goes.

Shore Fishing Cools in this Heat

 

I landed this hefty schoolie last evening on an 
Albie Snax. There are still fish around though
not the numbers and sizes we saw several weeks
ago.

The shore fishing is cooling.  I believe the water is heating up quickly, and the stripers are moving to deeper water at the mouth of the Bay where they will reside for the summer.  In addition, there are few if any schools of pogies in the Bay so there's little bait to hold them there.  The oceanfront offers squid and sandeels right now, though we are not seeing much of that close to shore.

Still, there are fish to be had.  In the last three outings I have landed exactly 6 stripers.  Five of those were schoolies (yes, they do exist!) and one was a slot fish.  I am getting them on skinny plastic and a float and bucktail jig.  The float and jig are good choices in rough water and when sandeels are around. The skinny plastic is best suited to calmer water where a finesse type of approach works better.

I've had most of my action in the evening just before dark.  Some of my friends are also catching after dark though not with the same action as a few weeks ago. Daytime fishing is poor right now.

Hey, it's summer and we usually do expect a slowdown in the doldrums of summer. But, the main takeaway is that there are still some fish around.

My New Fishing Bike, a Ride1Up Portola

 

Here is my new fishing e-bike, A Ride1Up
Portola bike

I treated myself to a new fishing bike, an e-bike. I bought a Ride1Up Portola foldable bike.  This bike is a large step through and I found it so easy to get on and off. I rigged the bike up with a milk crate and rod holders. See the website: Ride1Up

This bike is constantly in the top 3 as far as ratings. I got mine on a Memorial Day sale for $795, a phenomenal deal for e-bikes.  Normally, this sells for over a thousand dollars. The bike comes with a 10.4 ah battery and can go 20 to 40 miles on a charge. They also sell an optional larger battery.  It comes as a Class 2 bike out of the box meaning it mostly runs by pedal assist.  You start pedaling, and the motor helps to really get it going. For fishing this is a gamechanger as I can cover a lot of territory with little effort. The battery comes off when folding it up.  Without the battery, the bike weighs 51 lbs. I just fold it up, lift it and store it in the back of my truck when coming and going.

My milk crate with rod holders simply slide onto
the rear rack by using a Connect + bracket.
It can be easily removed with the push of a lever.

One feature that I really love is the Connect + system for the back rack.  You can slide in accessories if they have the Connect+ bracket.  I bought the bracket from the Ride1Up website and mounted it to my milk crate.  Now, I can easily slide it on and off.  This makes it so much easier to fold up the bike.

I took the bike on its maiden cruise yesterday along the most famous place where biking fishermen gather.  It worked like a charm pedaling into the wind and up hills. I can see myself using it in other private locations where you can't park a vehicle.

And, by the way, the bike DID get me into some fish! So, all's good for the first outing

Photo of the Day- "Catching with The Grandkids"

 

I went out last evening in my son Matt's boat.  We fished 
along the south shore of Boston, and just like here in RI,
there were good numbers of slots around! This one was
released in good shape.

This Baitfish Changing the Game

 

Sandeels have arrived and the stripers are on them.

As I arrived at the water last evening, I looked out to see lots of turns hitting the water about two to three casts off the shore where I was standing. At the same time I glanced down in a tidal pool next to me to find several dead sandeels. Yes, they have arrived, the birds have found them, and they will bring some hot fishing for stripers in the next month wherever they come ashore.

My evening started off slowly yesterday.  But, as the sun dipped below the horizon, the fishing suddenly improved.  Bait and predators moved closer to shore with the setting sun. I was fishing an Alie Snax, a good imitator of these slender baitfish. Before darkness set in, I was able to land a couple of schoolies and a couple of slot fish in the 28 to 31 inch range.  I also lost a much bigger fish.

Albie Snax are great to use when
stripers are feeding on sandeels.
Slim profiled artificials will be your
best bet.

No question, stripers tend to be fussy when feeding on this small, slender baitfish. Sandeels are hard to imitate, but I have a set of lures specifically packed into my bag to use when this happens.  The Albie Snax is a good choice as is the 7 1/2 inch Slug-Go.  Think thin profile and movement, and both have it. I might also use a Red Gill teaser when the fish are very fussy. The drawback to the teaser is that you could hook two big fish at the same time.  In that case, you will likely lose one or both fish. Some fishermen also opt for slender plastic flukes like a Lunker City Finesse Fish on a small jighead. Even small topwater plugs like a Rebel Jumpin' Minnow could get you a striper or two when sandeels are around. Fly fishermen do well with Deceiver flies. Large plugs tend to be ineffective when this small, slender bait is around.

The sandeel invasion tends to be a June thing here in RI.  It is just starting and should continue in the weeks ahead.  I see it as the prevalent bait right now.

Lure of the Month- Lunker City Slug-go Lures

 

This huge overslot, was landed last evening on a
white Slug-go. The 9 inch white Slug has been
my most effective big fish catcher all May.

The good ole Slug-go- it's been the hottest lure for me in the past month. I've landed schoolies, slots and oh, so many over slots with this lure that it's hard to deny it's effectiveness. It's appeal has been widespread.  I've landed big fish on it along the RI oceanfront, Narragansett Bay and along the Cape Cod Canal.  I've gotten them from shore as well as from the kayak. As many of you know, this has been a record breaking year for large fish, and just about every fish over 40 inches (and there's been a lot of them) that I have landed this spring has come on the Slug-go. Yet, few fishermen use it. Many don't know how to rig it; some don't know how to work it.

My favorite this spring has been a white, 9 inch Slug-go.  I rig mine with a single hook up front.  I tend to use a 6/0 BKK Titan rider hook that has the screw type device up front. That screw is placed in the head of the Slug-go and screwed in.  Then the hook is lined up and pushed through the body.  It should be hooked in the narrow underbody and pushed up through the flat top of the lure. The lure should sit straight horizontally on your hook set-up. Note that I have had several BKK hooks straightened out or bent so the sturdiness of these hooks are questionable in my mind. 

I tend to use a BKK Titan Rider 
6/0 hook (weightless) on my Slug-gos.
The single hook in the head of
the lure will do the trick.

To work the Slug-go, simple cast and reel in slowly with twitches of the rod tip to give it a swimming action.  Stop the lure every once in a while and just let it suspend for a second or two.  Many hits will come on the pause. 

These lures are affective in the daytime as well as at night. I believe this is the MOST effective daytime catcher for big stripers in the spring.

Note that many fishermen have their own preference for rigging.  Some will rig two hooks in the front and middle (Mc Kenna style).  Others will add nail weights to the body, and some will use weighted hooks to get a slightly longer cast. I think the single weightless hook with no weights gives the lure the most natural action and is the most effective overall. But, I also know many fishermen have confidence in the way their are fishing their creations.  If it's working for you keep doing it.

Another Good Week of Fishing

It's been another good week of fishing for me
with Slug-gos and Albid Snax doing most of the
damage.

This has been another good week of fishing for me.  It wasn't all big fish, though, as I also landed good numbers of schoolies. I did have a couple of over slots up to 40 inches that I landed on Slug-gos.  I also had slots and hefty schoolies that fell for an Albie Snax.  The skinny plastic in a white color has been hot all week as it has been all season long. 

I must admit that the fish have been fussy.  One day this week my son and I could actually see large fish near us that were swimming under pods of herring. They were super fussy and would whirl, chase and sometimes take the Slug-go. Other fishermen using standard swimmers and even glide baits were catching very little or nothing.  Just goes to show the effectiveness of the Slug.

The white Albie Snax has been a hot
lure this week for me.  It caught the
slot shown above.

Memorial Day Weekend Outlook

 

I landed this one a few nights ago on an albie
snax in the Bay. There are still fish around if
you work for them.

That outstanding fishing for large stripers that we saw a couple of weeks ago has really cooled off. They are still around in small pockets but you have to really look around to find them. Just not as easy as it was. Also, for shore fishermen, the bite has really turned to nighttime fishing.  For those in a boat or kayak, it's a lot easier to find the fish since you have the easy mobility to move around. My son, Jon, and I have been been fishing every day/night for the last week in multiple locations from the oceanfront to the Bay to the Cape.  Here are some ideas for those who might want to wet a line this three day weekend.

The Bay- The Bay was really hot a few weeks ago, but fishing has cooled.  Still, I got out a couple of times this week from shore there and landed some hefty schoolies.  There was action every time out with hits and some hook-ups. Slug-gos and Albie Snax have been the hot producers as the fish have been fussy in this heat.  Jon has been hitting it hard from the yak. He had a good night last night with 5 big ones that were all slots and overs.  All his fish fell for 7 1/2 inch white Slug-gos. I have also been out in the kayak, and its been one here and there. He's at the Cape for the next few days at his brother's house as we've heard of some fish down there. There has been a noticeable lack of pogies in the Bay so far.  Normally at this time, they are all over the place but I have seen none so far this year.

I landed this fish earlier in the week from 
the kayak.  Boaters and kayakers who
can move around should have an
easier time of it this weekend.

The Oceanfront-  It's a game of slugging it out after dark.  Jon hit the oceanfront a couple of times in the last week and it was a pick of one here, one there.  Still, I have heard of some good catches if you are at the right spot at the right time. Jon got his fish on Slug-gos so that's working along the oceanfront also. There has been a noticeable lack of bluefish around.  I haven't landed one yet and haven't seen one caught.  Jon got one from the kayak last week.

The Cape-  The Canal has been an off and on deal.  My sons, Jon and Ben, fished there last weekend and Ben had one 40 inch fish.  There were some breaking, but they were fussy. They saw one other fish landed. So, I guess that, too, has been an off and on deal.

Kayak Working

I got some decent ones from the yak today!
This one slammed a 7 1/2 inch Slug-go.

 On the days in which I don't have favorable conditions from shore, I head out in my kayak to slug it out in the calm water.  I'm out further than a shore cast, but still fishing shallow water with lots of boulders. Yes, that is working as we are clicking on all cylinders right now.  Today I landed several decent ones both casting and trolling from the yak.  The hot lure was a white 7 1/2 inch Slug-go, a lure my son Jon loves at this time of year.

So, the hot fishing here in RI just keeps rolling along.  As long as the weather stays cool, it should remain good.  Still, you have to find them, and that takes a bit more effort than just clicking away on social media.

Best Week of All Time in the Spring for Large Stripers

 

It was an epic week for very large stripers. 
There was phenomenal numbers of slots 
and over slots as my son and I caught and
released over 100 stripers this week.

In the last week my son Jon and I landed over 100 stripers. The majority of those fish have been slots and over slots.  In fact, the over slots have outnumbered the slots with many of those overs going over 40 inches. In the past those real large fish were pretty non-existent in RI waters until mid to late May. This year they were as abundant as schoolies.

We got a lot of our fish from shore, but we also found good numbers from the kayak when shore conditions were not favorable. 

Most of our fish this week were caught on skinny plastic.  From shore the 9 inch Slug-go was a hot lure. A variety of colors were working. From the kayak it was more of a finesse game as the  white Albie Snax and 7 1/2 inch Slug-gos were our most effective lures.

Towards the end of this phenomenal run of big fish which brought out more and more fishermen thanks to social media, I saw a lot of fish being caught on a number of different lures.  Docs, Yo-Zuri Hydro pencils, swimmers and even standard poppers were getting them.

I sense the big push of large fish has gone downhill in the places my son and I were fishing. But, no problem, since I'm sure they are still around somewhere, and I have a few good ideas about where I will be looking this week.

52 INCHES!

 Last evening I landed the longest striper I have ever caught from shore.  The fish measured 52 inches.  So, was it 50 lbs.? No, this fish was a streaker- very skinny for its length.  It had a huge head but nothing in the belly.  Still, I'm guessing it was in the upper 30 lb. to low 40 lb. range.

We are in an unpresented time with massive numbers of large stripers in RI waters right now. I've never seen anything like it in the spring.  It reminds me of the heydays in the Cape Cod Canal about ten years ago. While there are a ton of large stripers around, there are very few schoolies.

While I had that 52 inch fish last evening, I also had about 7 or 8 more fish at or over 40 inches.  Numbers and sizes like this are unheard of in the spring from shore here in RI! I think this spring's striper bonanza is a once in a lifetime event here in RI. Jump on it while you can.

By the way, all my fish were landed on 9 inch Slug-gos.  I was using a discontinued rainbow trout color with a BKK Titan Rider, 6/0 hook up front.  My son, Jon, who was with me, was doing equally as well with a white Slug-go.

Big Stuff from the Kayak

 I went out on my first voyage of 2026 in my kayak tonight, and it was just like I had been experiencing from shore all week. I landed good numbers of fish with slots, over slots and hefty schoolies in the mix. Like from shore, I had never landed fish this big from the kayak so early in May.

The hot lure tonight was a white Albie Snax.  It was a finesse game as the water was quite calm and the fish were quite fussy on the take. I had a Varivas fluoro leader tied to the end of my line and I used a slow "twitchy" retrieve below the surface with a "stop" once in a while. That worked great for me.  My son, Jon, was also out with me, and he had equal success with  7 1/2 inch white Slug-go.  The Slugs have been hot numbers for us in the past week.

Fishing for large stripers has carried right over into May. I'm hoping it continues as it is as good as it gets right now for this time of year.

Real hot fishing tonight for big fish from my kayak.

Best April EVER for Big Fish?

 

Holy Smokes- this big fish was landed this week
as a slug of big stripers have entered RI waters.
Jon and I had many slots and overslots this week.

Conventional wisdom says April fishing for stripers is a schoolie game here in RI. But, this year has been far different like I have never seen before.  In the last week, the last week of April, my son Jon and I have fished every evening and we have been into some big stripers with good numbers of them. We caught several in the 40 inch range with the biggest of the week at 43 inches. Along with these big ones, we had good numbers of slot fish.  I had only one schoolie this week.  The small fish have just not been around.

In all my years of fishing, I have never landed a 40 inch striper in April until this year. These large fish generally come around in early to mid May when the water warms up and the menhaden come around. 

 Nine inch Slug-gos were the hot lures all week.

Everything was wrong this week- cold northeast winds, cold water, no bait, but the fish were just around in real good numbers.  We landed nearly all our fish on 9 inch Slug-gos.  I was using a rainbow trout color (discontinued), and he was using a white one. This single hooked lure made for easy catch-and-release fishing. The Slug-go was also the most effective lure as we tried others with nowhere near the success.

No question, this April was the first year we have even seen large fish this early.  I hope it continues into May.

First Migrating Fish of the Year- An OVERSLOT!

 

First migrating fish of the year
for me proves to be an
OVERSLOT.  It was landed 
on a Slug-go.

I was into some big fish this evening.  My first fish of the night blasted my nine inch Slug-go.  That fish proved to be an overslot in the 36 to 38 inch range.  Next cast- a slot fish of 30 inches. A few casts later- another 30 inch fish. Twenty minutes later, I lose another big fish. Clearly, I was into something hot tonight. It's about time!

No doubt, there are some large fish around if you can find them. I've been reading on social media about many of these large fish being caught in RI waters.  Interestingly, there is a lack of schoolies or smaller fish.  No surprise here as the spawns of the last 5 years have been poor.

This is real early for these big stripers to be around. I saw no bait where I was fishing and no bird activity but the fish were just there prowling around. I guess it's a matter of getting out and casting and putting in your time, and good things will happen.

POOR

 

Here's one that I landed last week
in the backwaters. I'm guessing it might
have been a holdover.

The striper season is off to a very poor start.  The weather has been cold, especially at night, and the winds have not been favorable for the migration to get underway.  And, there are no fish in the areas where they should be at this time.

I know of no fish that have been landed along the oceanfront, and I certainly know a lot of good fishermen who have been trying the usual early spring hotspots.  I landed a few fish over a week ago in the backwaters.  I'm guessing they may have been holdovers since there was no lice on them.

This is late for the migrating fish, but we have seen these late starts.  It may have been decades ago, but I have seen April starts that happened in the closing days of the month.  Maybe this will be one of those years.

I've been trying along the oceanfront and my son Jon has been hitting a lot of early season hotspots in the Bay.  Neither one of us have caught anything in these locations.  Heck, I can count the fishermen on one hand that I have seen out trying, and that should tell you a lot.

Photo of the Day- "First One for 2026!"

 

I landed my first striper for 2026 today. I actually landed 2 fish
tonight and had multiple hits to begin my new striper season.
Both fish fell for a white Albie Snax, one of my hottest
lures last year.

One Month From Now

 

It's coming roughly one month from now!

It's coming.  In about one month from now we will begin to see the first of the migrating stripers along the south shore oceanfront of RI. I expect we will see the fish at about the same time as we've seen them in recent years.  Yes, it's been a cold winter this year, but I've seen cold winters and warm winters in the past, and it all has little effect on when the first ones arrive. They always seem to get here around the same time.

Here is a rundown of when I have caught my first ones in the last five years:

2025- April 15

2024- April 15

2023- April 18

2022- April 15

2021- April 19

Note that I started trying before these dates above, but April 15 seems to be the ticket, give or take a few days. On all those dates above I know I had migrating fish since all of them had sea lice, a dead give-away that these were migrating fish. Of all those dates above, the most interesting was in 2023.  That date, April 18, on my first 7 casts with a one ounce bucktail jig, I landed 7 stripers, all slot fish. With the low numbers of schoolies around these days, don't be surprised if your first one of the year is a slot fish.

Here is one other common theme of all those first fish of the year.  They were all caught on jigs. Some hit the bucktail, some went for a Cocahoe on a jighead and in recent years the NLBN paddle tails have been hot. All these first ones were taken right off the bottom, the main strike zone where you will find the first ones.

Highlight of the Day- A Huge Perch

 This yellow perch is about as big as they get.  My son Jon and I got out on the ice today.  We were just jigging, and it was all yellow perch. I got this big one on a small Kastmaster tipped with a plastic maggot. 

We continue to see the thickest ice in a decade especially away from the coast. Looks like the ice fishing is going into March this year!

Ice fishing remains hot in RI and nearby MA.  This huge 
perch that I jigged up today was the highlight of the day.

Catch of the Day!

 My son, Ben, holds up the catch of the day as he jigged up this beautiful largemouth bass through the ice today.  It was a banner day as we jigged up 8 largemouths along with numerous perch, sunfish and crappie. They were all caught on small gold Kastmasters tipped with either a plastic mealworm or a Gulp maggot.

By the way- over 12 inches of ice, the most we've seen in decades!

 

Next Seminar Stop- Springfield Sportsmens Show

 My next stop on my winter seminar trail is the Springfield Sportsmens show at the Big E in Springfield, MA.  I will be there on Saturday, Feb. 21.  This show is billed as the biggest pure outdoor show in the northeast. There are a lot of fishing related booths and exhibits for freshwater and saltwater fishing enthusiasts.  But, there are also a lot of other outdoor features like hunting, camping, taxidermists, kayaks, boats and more. It's a very well attended and popular outdoor show that has been running for a long time.

I will be doing my "Situational Striper Fishing" seminar which is all new for 2026.  It will feature various situations striper fishermen encounter and how you fish those situations for best results. The seminar is mostly about shore fishing but I do also have segments on kayak fishing for stripers.  I did this seminar a couple of weeks ago, and it was very well received. I will be doing my first seminar at 1:00 and I will be doing it again at 4:00.

For more information on the show and seminar schedules, check out the website HERE

Only Show in Town- ICE FISHING REMAINS HOT

 

I jigged up this nice crappie today in some bluebird
weather.  This fish hit a small gold Kastmaster
tipped with a Berkley Gulp Maggot.

The weather is cold, really cold, but the ice fishing remains hot.  I've gotten out several times in the last week jigging several different ponds and I've gotten good numbers of fish.  It's been a lot of variety with perch, pickerel, crappie, largemouth bass and bluegills all hitting. 

Today I got out on the ice with my son Ben. I was amazed that there was almost 10 inches of ice in the pond we fished.  For the most part, we were jigging small Kastmasters tipped with Berkley Gulp maggots. That seemed to do the trick but the biggest fish caught today actually hit a Kastmaster with a plastic maggot.

My son, Jon, hit a first yesterday as he jigged up a pike, the first we ever caught while jigging. It was a small one, about 3 to 4 lbs. A day earlier he got a bigger one on a tilt. He's been scouting around in a number of places and doing quite well jigging after his work day is done.

Yellow perch have been on a tear this
winter. This one was caught today.

VARIVAS on the Ice

 

The weather was cold, but it was
hot fishing today while jigging.
I had a chance to try out some 
Varivas nylon line today, and it
worked out well as you can see
from the photo!

As many of you know, I am a line tester for Varivas lines.  I've written a lot about their braided lines and fluorocarbon for saltwater applications. Now, I'm back to ice fishing when I'm not skiing, and I had a chance today to try out some of their monofilament lines (called nylon line) on my ice jigging rods.

I received several samples of Varivas lines to try ice jigging. I spooled up one of my outfits with 6 lb. test Super Trout Advance line, a thin monofilament line.  On the end of the line I tied on about a three foot shock leader.  I used Varivas 10 lb. test Extreme Shock leader.  Like their braided lines, these lines were super thin for their pound test, but provided a great feel for those "soft" hits you get while jigging. I was jigging a small gold Kastmaster with a Berkley Gulp maggot on the hook. I was trying out the maggots for the first time.

I got a chance to put the lines to the test as the action was very good.  I landed about fifteen fish with a lot of variety- largemouth bass, crappie and yellow perch. Some of the bass were decent size. So, the two things I was trying out today- the Varivas line and the Gulp maggots worked great.

By the way there was about 8 inches of ice where I was fishing in nearby MA although about two to three inches of it was that crappy, snowy ice. Still, there was at least 5 inches of hard, solid ice. There was also a good amount of snow on the ice as you would expect.

If you are interested in Varivas lines, visit the website at https://www.varivas.fishing

The main line on the reel was Varivas Super Trout Advance
in 6 lb. test.  My shock leader was 10 lb. test Extreme Shock Leader.

St. Croix LEGEND Surf Rods

 As many of you know, I did a review on my St. Croix Avid surf rod a while back on this blog. That rod was great and served me well. One day last fall I was using it along some rocky dropoffs when I hooked a decent size striper. I was on a high perch and when I got the fish rear the rocks, I did something really stupid.  I attempted to lift the fish up, and when I did, I heard a "snap". My favorite surf rod was now in two pieces. I knew the rod had the best warranty in the rod business-no questions asked if it breaks, one of the great advantages of St. Croix rods.  I filled out all the paperwork and sent the required $60 payment for replacement under warranty.

Unfortunately, the replacement rod was not in stock, and I would have to wait till December for the rod to come in.  In the meantime, I planned use an old Mojo surf rod I had. It was just way subpar compared to the newer Avid rod.  With two months left to the season, I decided to check out the St. Croix website and see what else was available. That's when I noticed they had the 10 foot Surf Legend in stock.  So, I went ahead and purchased it.

I bought a 10 foot medium power, moderate fast action rod, #GSS100MMF2.  The website describes this rod as "an elite surfcasting performer" and I have to agree 100% with that evaluation. This rod has a legendary feel to it.  It's a bit stiffer than the Avid, and it has a real solid feel to it. But, it's still lightweight. It has a lot of power on the cast and is super solid when fighting a good size fish. The website says it can handle 1 to 4 oz. plugs and I agree with that assessment. 

Everything about this rod is elite- a beautiful blue color, titanium guides and a unique a handle of neoprene overlay that looks and feels cool. In addition, the Legend carries an incredible 15 year warranty. Yes, it's pricy, but not any more expensive than some of the top brands of surf rods these days.

So, I finished off my season with my St. Croix Legend, fished in some rugged terrain with big water and came away with a good number of large fish. I have to say the rod performed flawlessly. 

I think I have found my ultimate surf rod.

This is my new St. Croix Legend surf rod that I used at the
end of the fall. It was a elite performer and was flawless
on the cast and on the fight.

First "Big Show" Seminar- New England Fishing Expo, Jan. 31

 

I start my 2026 fishing seminars at the big shows on Saturday, Jan. 31 at 2:00 at the New England Fishing Expo in Marlboro, MA. This is one of the biggest pure fishing shows in New England.  It features a lot of freshwater fishing as well as saltwater fishing.  There are reps from a lot of companies showing their new stuff as well as independent tackle dealers selling their wares along with guides and charter boat captains. They also feature an all-star line-up of seminar speakers.  The seminar schedule is on their website at nefishingexpo.com

I will be doing my all new 2026 striper fishing seminar titled Situational Striper Fishing. From the high surf of the oceanfront to the backwaters of bays and ponds, we’ll explore a number of situations (how-to approaches) that striper fishermen encounter as they cast for these gamesters. Such topics as how to fish skinny water (from shore and kayak), how to tackle rocky shorelines, how to take a finesse approach, big bait tactics, storm tactics, and many more situations will be covered to help anglers to catch more fish and bigger fish.  The seminar mostly focuses on shore fishing, but has segments for boaters and kayakers.

The New England Fishing Expo runs for three days from Jan. 30 to Feb.1. It is held at the Best Western Royal Plaza Trade Center in Marlboro, MA (181 Boston Post Rd.) right off Rt. 495.

Hope to see many of my followers at the show!

On the Ice

I landed this nice size largemouth
bass today while jigging.

 With all these cold temperatures the ice is thickening all across southern New England.  I got out in the last couple of days and found safe ice in northern RI and nearby MA. The ice seems to be running 3 to 6 inches thick with higher amounts the further north you explore.

Today I got out with my two youngest sons, Ben and Jon.  Jon is an avid ice fisherman and fishes extensively in the three state area of RI, MA and NH. He's already been steadily hitting the ice for the last couple of weeks, mostly in NH. Ben is on "maturnity" leave and has some time on his hands. He also lives on lakeside property along a very productive shoreline so that makes things easy.

We mostly jig when we ice fish and that usually leads to a lot of fish and a lot of variety.  Today we landed perch, pickerel, largemouth bass and yellow perch in good numbers.  Ben and I were jigging small, 1/12 oz. Kastmasters tipped with fake, plastic meal worms.  Jon, who landed the most fish, was using a 1/12 oz. grub jig. We cut a lot of holes looking for fish using my power auger, a real valuable tool when ice jigging. It's a trial and error game and we hit the jackpot after about a half hour of fishing.

Jon landed this good size pickerel on a grub jig.

If you are looking for some wintertime action, think about jigging freshwater ponds in southern New England.  If you are fishing in RI, CT, or NH, you will need a new 2026 freshwater fishing license.  In RI, your old 2025 license is good until the end of Feb.