Too Much of a Good Thing?

 We are in the grips of a northeaster and it's wreaking havoc on the oceanfront. I've fished 4 days in a row this week and conditions have gradually gone downhill making fishing very difficult in most areas.

I landed this hefty schoolie in some
wild, but clean white water this week.
There have been some impressive
catches in the blows this week. Look
for clean white water with lots of
bait.

I love fishing rough water and over the years it has really produced for me.  However, this past week has been marginal with a fish here and there in some beautiful white water. Yesterday, conditions really took a turn for the worse with a lot of weedy and sandy water, stuff stripers try to avoid. It was the first time in a week I got skunked.

While I have not been lighting it up in this week's northeast blows, I have heard of some great catches. These have mostly occurred in places of clean, white water with a lot of bait.  My son Jon had the best outing I heard of with 10 stripers over 40 inches two nights ago. So, you can score in the roughness if you find the fish.

There are many well known "Northeaster Spots" to fish in RI.  Most of these are either points that offer fishing on three sides which gives you some shelter from the wind, but still gives you white water.  The backwaters are also good bets and within the breachways on the outgoing tides might offer some good fishing in clean water.

If you do get out in the next few days, proceed with extreme caution and stay safe. The wind and surf are really supposed to ramp up.

Marathon Outing in the Yak Really Produces!

 

One of the big black sea bass that I jigged up.

I was just supposed to fish for a couple of hours along the oceanfront for albies today from the kayak. I did do that, but plans quickly changed and what turned out to be a couple of hours turned into 8 hours!

Man, how plans can change, and sometimes you just have to make adjustments.  In the area I fished there were basically few or no albies around today.  I saw one small pod of them crashing into huge schools of bait.  I decided this was a waste of time and began jigging the bottom.  The bottom was absolutely covered with black sea bass.  I had one on just about every drop and jig of my Clarkspoon. While most of them were small, I did mange to get a couple of big ones.

I left the oceanfront and decided on a whim to hit the Bay on the way home in a place where I got

First blues of the year today and it was loaded!

skunked earlier in the week. Today was a different story. Immediately after launching, I ran into a massive school of blitzing bluefish.  It was like the good ole days with boiling water, huge numbers of fish in a frenzy and loads of birds hitting the water. Even when the blues weren't blitzing or showing they were scattered in a big area where I was fishing and hitting.  Using a Rebel Jumpin' Minnow, I landed well over a dozen of them.  They were generally 3 to 5 lbs. Mind you, these are the first blues I've landed THIS YEAR!

Mixed in with the bluefish were big stripers.  Every once in a while I would see a big boil at my lure.  I finally got one to take, and it was either a good size slot or one that was slightly over the slot. My son Jon was with me and he also got a decent striper.

So, the day did not go as planned, but I am happy with the results. There are fish around, but you have to really look to find them.

One good size striper was the icing on the cake!

Must Have Lures When Stripers on Tiny Bay Anchovies

 

Three MUST HAVE lures when fussy stripers are
feeding on small bay anchovies.

The key to catching when stripers are on small bay anchovies is to try to "match the hatch" as fly fishermen would say.  That means going small with small offerings with a thin profile.  I have three killers in my bag which that I use when I encounter this small bait. One of them usually works the best although there are days when all three will be effective. These lures will catch albies, stripers and bonito with deadly efficiency on some day. 

1. Float 'n' Fly- This is so effective and worked the best in that blitz type day in my last post.  I am using a homemade wooden egg float with about two and a half to three feet of Varivas fluoro (usually 30 lb. test) trailing off the egg. Onto the fluoro I am tying on a homemade pink Deceiver fly (other colors/patterns will also work).  Cast it out and reel in slowly with occasional twitches of the rod tip.  Stop it occasionally. This set up outfished everyone else fishing on that hot day for big stripers a few days ago. 

2. Albie Snax- This lure is a bit bigger than the bay anchovies but it has the profile and the movement to attract fussy  stripers.  I like the white color and I rig it with a BKK Titan Rider 5/0 hook.  Cast, let it sink a bit and reel in slowly with twitches of the tod tip.  Stop reeling occasionally. Many hits will come on the stop.

3. Albie Jigs- These metal or epoxy lures are great casters and have the looks to catch a predators' eyes. I especially like an all silver Clarkspoon Stick Jig. Fool around with the retrieve.  Sometimes fast works, sometimes up and down jigging works. Sometimes a slow retrieve with twitches of the rod tip is best. The biggest fish I landed the other day, a 45 inch stripers, was taken on this lure. I also landed a couple of bonito on this lure.

So, there you have it. While I know most fishermen are stocking their bags with big expensive wooden plugs these days, sometimes simple and cheaper is better, especially when stripers are feeding on tiny bay anchovies!

Massive Schools of Bay Anchovies Arrive; Fishing for Big Stripers, Albies and Bonito Blow Up along Oceanfront!

 

Huge numbers of big stripers hit the shore in the
last two days along the oceanfront.

The shore fishing along the oceanfront in the last few days has exploded. Huge schools of bay anchovies arrived right after Labor Day and the fish were on them big time.  Yesterday I saw massive schools of bonito and large stripers busting all along the shoreline where I was fishing. It was an on and off ALL DAY feed.  Right before dark I saw one of the biggest schools of stripers I have ever seen. There were acres and acres of them. They were right on the shore at times with their fins and tails on the surface just gorging themselves on the bay anchovies. And, these were all BIG fish in the 30 to 45 inch range.

I had the best day of fishing I've had in the last five months.  I ended up with 10 large stripers (mostly over slots) and 2 large bonito. I had three stripers in the 41 to 45 inch range. I also saw probably a dozen fish over 40 inches landed by other anglers along with dozens of bonito.

Big numbers of good size bonito have been
in abundance in the last few days.

I tried to key my offering on matching the bay anchovies so I used a wooden egg float and a homemade pink Deceiver fly to catch most of my fish.  It seemed to be the most effective artificial as it seemed to outfish many of the lures other fishermen were using.

Clearly the migration of fish has started.  Let's hope this action continues. It's just what we have been waiting for!

The float and fly was a killer yesterday.  It's a great imitator 
of bay anchovies and caught most of my fish.

Photo of the Day- A "Rare" Striper from the Yak

After blanking the last two days from shore, I decided to
get out in the kayak tonight. I got one striper, a hefty schoolie
on a Finesse Fish.  Stripers have been tough to come by
these days as there are not many in RI waters right now.

 

Labor Day Weekend Outlook

 

There are a few resident stripers around but the
action overall is slow. Hope for some rough,
white water this weekend to have your best shot.

The fishing is moving slowly into a fall mode. Some stripers, some blues, some bonito and even some albies around, but there is not a lot of anything right now. Still, you can find some action is you really look.  Boaters have a big advantage in that they can move around.  Shore fishing is a hit and miss deal. So, here's the report:

Stripers- Tough right now since you are targeting resident fish. There are no migrations yet. I got out several times this week and hit a bunch of spots from shore.  The best action was in white, rough water where I landed 5 fish.  These were mostly schoolies with a slot or two. I got all the fish on a wooden egg float and jig. My sharpie friends who have been slugging it out at night report poor fishing. Some of my boating buddies are also reporting poor striper fishing.

You had to really look to find anyone else casting for stripers.  Most are sitting on the sidelines and waiting for something to happen. Still, if we get a shot at northeast winds, cloudy weather and rough water this weekend, you could find some fish. I know I will be trying.

Pelagics-  That bonito bite that we had a few weeks ago has fizzled.  There are still some around but you have to really look.  The boaters are faring much better since they can move around a lot. It's been a slow bite for shore fishermen.

Albies hit the shore a couple of days ago in one particular location.  It was hot for a few days but poor this morning as my son Jon was trying.  He had one blow up and saw a couple landed by huge numbers of guys/boats.  The word is out. They are not widespread yet but this just might be the start. Worth looking around in the reliable spots this weekend.  Advantage for boaters.

Blues- I still have yet to land a blue this year, and I have not seen any. I heard of a few small ones being caught this week by shore fishermen, but no numbers.  Look for spots where lots of bait gathers.

Beware of Sharks- We are still loaded with brown sharks.  I know of a couple of surfcasters who won't wade past their knees to fish.  Some guys fishing eels at night have hooked sharks.  Others who manage to hook a fish have had their fish cut in half.  It's a big problem.

In a Lull

 That fishing that was perking up two weeks ago along the RI oceanfront has dissipated like a morning fog. Suddenly there are no stripers to be had as far as I'm concerned. In my last 5 outings from shore, I've gotten one schoolie. I've put in a lot of effort with nothing to show for it.

On just about every outing I've seen small micro bait.  The terns are picking at it but no stripers. Occasionally bonito will harass this small bait, but they have been in short supply lately also.

Last year the striper fishing from shore suddenly perked up in the first week in September.  Hopefully this happens again. 

I am also hoping to see some peanut bunker soon, a bait that really gets things moving.  I haven't seen any yet, but realize this is usually a September event.

And, let me finally say that I've seen very few striper fishermen fishing from shore along the oceanfront or in the Bay lately.  I'm guessing a lot of fishermen are waiting on the sidelines for something to happen.

INCREDIBLE Evening from the Boat

 

Earlier in the week I made plans with my son Matt to go out
fishing on Thursday evening in the boat with the grandkids.  Only problem was once Thursday got here the weather forecast was calling for a 50% chance of rain. We decided to go anyways and bring the raincoats just in case.  Heck, if it got too wet, we'd just head in.

I told the kids I had a feeling that this would be a good night if it didn't rain.  Pressure dropping, storm on the way for later, light winds and calm water- all good indicators for action. I said, " I have a feeling we are going to catch some big ones tonight!" And, we joked about who was going to catch the biggest fish.

Well, it started off slowly but the action picked up dramatically about 7:00.  I saw a telltale sign of fish when I saw a jump in the distance.  We motored over to that location, and suddenly the fishfinder lit up. It indicated fish from top to bottom in 40 feet of water. We casted our 9 inch Slug-gos out and the Slug barely hit the water, and both Matt and I were on. These were hard fighting over slot fish.  For the next hour it was a hit or a fish on just every cast and all these fish were over slots.  The grandkids got into the act as they started fishing with minimal help.  They landed many fish that seemed to be as tall as them and struggled to hold them up for a photo. As darkness came in, the action petered out but not before we landed 15 to 20 big fish.  These were fish up to 40 inches longs.  The Slug-go which had a single hook up front was an easy catch and release lure and all the fish were safely released.  The grandkids loved  watching the fish swim away.

This was probably the best outing we ever had from Matt's boat for stripers. It was just an incredible night, just as I had predicted. It never rained except for a sprinkle. We also never saw another boat as we had this pile of fish all to ourselves,

 By the way, grandpa landed the biggest fish!

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.