Can't Beat the Egg Float and Jig in Rough, Shallow Water

 

I landed this slot fish today in some
rough, stormy conditions using the
egg float and jig.

 I fished this afternoon and evening in some rough, stormy water. The wind was whipping and the rain was like stinging needles right into my face. In front of me there was a lot of white water.  I just knew I could find some stripers even though nothing was visible. Conditions were perfect for my egg float and bucktail jig.  It didn't disappoint as I did mange to find some decent slot fish.

The egg float and jig is my go to lure when the water is rough and shallow and when stripers are feeding on small bait as they have been all week. My float is a a homemade craft egg that is drilled through and wired. My go to jig is a half ounce H style (fish head) homemade bucktail jig that has a Bass Pro 3 inch Triple Ripple curly tail added. I attach my jig to the float with roughly 3 feet of 35 to 40 lb. test Varivas fluorocarbon. The set up is cast into the white water and reeled in slowly.  No need to put any rod action on it because the wave action and current will bring the jig to life.  Just reel in slowly.  This works great in rocky or shallow areas since the float keeps your jig above the snags.

I remember when I was just a kid I used to make these floats from cut off sections of my mother's broom handles.  Back then I used screw eyes from the local hardware store to set up my floats. It worked back then on stripers in the 1960's, and it works with equal efficiency these days.

Columbus Day Weekend Outllook

 

I landed this hefty schoolie in
some white water yesterday. There
are stripers around but you have to
really work to find them.

The fishing has cooled in the last couple of days along the oceanfront.  It seems that the albies are thinning out or moving south.  There were good numbers of them just a week ago but a week is an eternity in October when you are talking albies. I was out the last couple of days and saw only a few jumping here and there with no concentrations. The numbers being caught are way down in the last few days though a lot of diehards are still trying.  Still, you never know about these fish. Could be loaded tomorrow!!!!

Striper fishing has also taken a hit. Less around in the last few days, but still some if you really look for them.  Yesterday I found a great white water location along the oceanfront and landed three of them on a float and jig. I saw no other fish landed all day. If you can find a lot of bait you will most likely find some stripers. I found very little bait in the places I looked in the last couple of days. Without the bait, your best bet is to look for loners in white water locations. The Bay is still a good bet for both bonito and stripers.  The peanut bunker (bait of choice) is holed up in the Bay, and that's why the fishing there is more consistent. Note that it's generally a boating thing- a boat or kayak will get you out where the fish are and make it easier to move with them. Look for birds working.

Even after dark the striper fishing has been inconsistent from shore. I tried a couple of times this week and had just one good fish on after dark in a great spot.

Good luck if you get out this weekend.  Nice tomorrow and showers on tap for the rest of the weekend which could be a good thing.

Photo of the Day- "They're Back!"

 

They may have disappeared after the storm, but I can tell you they are
back with a vengeance. Albies were blasting the surface in wide swatches 
of the oceanfront today and seemed to be just about everywhere.
The bait has come back also with huge schools of bay achovies
moving around.

Post Storm Report- Albies Gone, Striper Fishing Hot in the Bay But Poor Along Oceanfront

 

It's been hot fishing for me this week from
my kayak in 'Gansett Bay. Most of the fish
have been slots and all were caught on Finesse
Fish. They have been around in good numbers.

It's been almost a week since that big northeaster. The ocean and the fishing have settled down. I've been out the last 7 days in a row.  Here is what's going on:

Albies Gone- I'm in touch with a lot of albie fanatics who fish every day for them. NO ONE has seen or landed an albie since the big blow. At least a week with none.  Heck, haven't even heard of any from the boats. There are still a few bonito around but that's about it for pelagics. The fanatics are confident the albies are coming back.  I'm not so sure.

Striper Bonanza in the Bay- It's been some of the best fall fishing ever in the Bay for me for stripers.  They have been around in big numbers chasing down schools of peanut bunker that seem to be holed up in the Bay but not along the oceanfront. I have been getting most of my fish from the kayak. Most of these fish are in the 26 to 35 inch range and slots make up the majority of fish. They have moved around a lot this week, and it's a matter of finding the stripers and the bait.  Look for birds working. All my fish have come on a 5.75 inch white Finesse Fish fished weightless and rigged with a BKK 5/0 Titan Rider hook. I wish I could report good fishing along the oceanfront for stripers but it has been generally dead once the northeast winds and ocean calmed down. Most of my sharpie friends have been striking out. Rest assured the stripers and peanut bunker will move out of the Bay eventually.

Striper Fishing Blows Up Post Storm; Blitzes from Shore and Kayak!

A bucktail jig coming off a wooded egg float
was the ticket from shore yeaterday.

I had two great days of striper fishing in a row.  

Yesterday I walked into a massive blitz of fish going crazy in the white water and rough conditions along the oceanfront.  It was a good ole fashioned blitz with birds diving and fish breaking.  It was still quite rough from the northeaster, but safe and very fishable where I was.  I ended up landing 25 fish that ranged from 24 to 30 inches.  Hefty schooolies made up the bulk of the catch.  I got them all on a wooden egg float and a jig, an ideal set up to use in white water where a long cast is needed and where stripers are feeding on small bait (looked like bay anchovies to me).

Today I took the kayak out into Narragansett Bay where my son Jon has been killing them in the last few days.  I found good numbers of fish breaking here and there.  And, these were larger fish than what I saw at the oceanfront yesterday.  At times the breaks were like cinder blocks hitting the water.  But, they were fussy in some super calm conditions.  I could only get them to hit an unweighted Finesse Fish on a super slow retrieve with stops. I ended up the morning with 7 stripers- generally all slots with one over slot. I had a ton of hits but a lot of fussy takers.

It was hot fishing in the kayak today
for large fish. Most of my fish were slots
with this one over slot.

So, that big northeaster has charged up the striper fishing. It's about time.  Looks like a fall run is in progress!

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.