13 July 2024
I fished the last couple of evenings along the oceanfront in some great water. Last evening the waves were rolling in with white water as far as I could see at times. The water was clean, the wind was manageable and there was lots of current and surge. It was ideal conditions in the spot I was fishing. If this were any other year (in recent memory), I would have had a big night. Not last night.
I worked this place for a couple of hours before dark. At first I used a float and jig, a killer in past years here. Nothing. Then I went with a Super Strike stubby needlefish plug, a good lure in the past month. Nothing. I tried a big Hopkins metal lure for distance. Nothing. And, I was fishing multiple spots in this area with all these good lures. I was looking at the skunk when just before dark a fish hit my float and jig. It was near slot of about 27 inches. But, that was it. I continued to fish at/after dark with NO success.
This is typical of how shore fishing has been going here in RI this summer. EVERY shore fisherman I know, and I know a lot of good ones, rate this the poorest year of striper fishing from shore that they have seen in a long, long time here in RI. There has been little or no bait around. Couple that with a decline in striper numbers and you can understand why the fishing is so poor. Many fishermen are so discouraged that they have even hung up the gear until fall.
I know that the fishing can change quickly at this time of year. I am especially hopeful we will see those big schools of peanut bunker migrating northward soon. More than anything, they can change the fishing dramatically for the better.