My season ended today.  I fished long and hard in a number of good late season locations and came up completely empty. In the last  four outings I've landed exactly one small schoolie and one hickory shad. There was a time not too long ago that I would catch good numbers of stripers, even some bluefish, from Thanksgiving to December 1. Not this year. It should come as no surprise that the season ended in disappointment. Most of the year was filled with on and off disappointment if you are a striper fisherman.  There are just not as many fish (in all categories) as there us ..read more

I landed this weakfish, or squeteague, a couple of nights ago.  It's been decades since I've caught one. I also saw others caught. Yes, they are around. This one was caught on a NLBN paddle tail.   ..read more

As the sun sets on another striper season here in RI, I want to wish all my loyal readers and their  families a Happy Thanksgiving. We live in a beautiful state with some great fishing!   ..read more

 Last week I hit some great fishing, but the last two outings have been poor.  Things change fast at this time of year, and what was around a week ago is often not around a few days later.  The last two days have produced exactly one schoolie and one hickory shad in a number of places fished.  There are also other signs that the fishing is nearing the end.  Today I saw good amounts of bait, but no stripers on it, a sign that most of the predators have left.  Also, I know that holdovers are entering their winter over places, another sign that the fishing is coming ..read more

Albie Snax rigged with BKK Titan Rider hook,  I busted out of my November doldrums today in a big way.  I had good numbers of stripers along with my biggest fish of the last month.  I just knew this northeaster would produce because this type of weather was so good in the past at this time of year.  My big surprise of this rainy day was a 40+ inch striper.  Add to that a slot, several near slots and some schoolies. Finally, lots of action. I found the fish but getting them to hit today was a chore. After countless casts with a jig to breaking fish and no hits ..read more

 The fishing along the RI oceanfront continues to be poor. Those abundant schoolies along with the bait we had earlier in the month have moved on. Now, it's a matter of waiting to see if another bunch of fish moves through. Yesterday was the first time in a long, long time that I got totally skunked.  Not a fish, not a hit and saw nothing! I fished and looked all over the place.  I hit several spots along the south shore. Saw no birds and no one fishing.  In past years I could walk those beaches and throw a bucktail jig and jig up something along the bottom even though noth ..read more

  Here are just a couple of Frank's books. He was a prolific big striper hunter, writer and lecturer. He had a profound affect on surf  fishing for striped bass that carries on to this day. It is with sadness that I report the passing of Frank Daignault, a legend and pioneer of saltwater surf fishing.  Frank was someone who many consider the “Godfather of Surf Fishing”.  He was a prolific big striper hunter, and he popularized striped bass surf fishing in the hundreds of articles that he wrote for publications like The Fisherman magazine, On the Water and Saltwate ..read more

This was Charlestown Breachway late in the day this afternoon.  Not a  soul there, not a soul along the beach. That says it all. Suddenly, the striper fishing along the oceanfront has gone downhill.  The last couple of days have not been good for me or good for anyone I know. So, this all begs the questions: Are we just in a a late season lull or is the end near? I'll make the case for both. In a late season lull- I've seen this happen many times at this time of year in the past.  A big bunch of fish comes through, and then you have to wait for the next bunch to m ..read more

  There has been a glut of schoolies along the RI oceanfront in the last couple of weeks. Here is one of many that I landed this afternoon. All year I have been writing on this blog about the lack of schoolies. The poor Young of the Year Indexes from Chesapeake Bay, a barometer of spawning success, has been poor in the last five years. That has fueled this "no schoolies around" belief that most fishermen (including myself) have had. Now, I'm not sure what is going on. I have seen a glut of schoolies, fish 15 to 20 inches, around in the last three weeks. They seem to be everywher ..read more

  This was the hot ticket in the last two days when stripers were feeding on peanut bunker. The glut of small stripers continues unabated.  I hit a massive blitz of them today.  There seemed to be fish everywhere in front of me as big schools of stripers had peanut bunker pinned up against the shore.  Birds everywhere, fish busting and frenzied baitfish running for their lives! The first 35 casts I made I landed 35 stripers.  There were that many. Today was almost was a repeat of what happened yesterday but in much calmer water.  The interesting thing ab ..read more