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RI Fish Report Blog. Closed Season. Last thoughts?

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Capt.Castafly

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My biggest thought of 2021: keep up the good fight in terms of access and good stewardship of the coastline.
 

More people are finding their way to these shores. The reaction of waterfront owners is to increase efforts to shut out access. If they had their way, we’d all be fighting for access to a small number of constantly crowded spots. I’d rather increase access everywhere,  more coastline users spread across more of the coast. But it’s an uphill battle that we will need to continue to fight. Part of that fight is to keep it clean and quiet, and teach the youngsters to do the same.

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1 hour ago, Pescador710 said:

My biggest thought of 2021: keep up the good fight in terms of access and good stewardship of the coastline.
 

More people are finding their way to these shores. The reaction of waterfront owners is to increase efforts to shut out access. If they had their way, we’d all be fighting for access to a small number of constantly crowded spots. I’d rather increase access everywhere,  more coastline users spread across more of the coast. But it’s an uphill battle that we will need to continue to fight. Part of that fight is to keep it clean and quiet, and teach the youngsters to do the same.

Good points on keeping home owners on our side. Good Public Relations sure does help are cause.

Many times I try to  repay their appreciation and kindness by leaving a slot sizes striper at their front door.  

Nothing flies by me without a hook!
If my fly is down, That's a good thing.

Public Access.....It's a shore thing. My daily requirement of "Vitamin Sea".


Capt. Ray Stachelek

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Bass fishing was very hit or miss all season. Either feast or famine with big gaps between waves of fish. I had a few great nights where the smallest fish was 15lbs but most nights it was a grind for larger fish mixed in with 26" bass. Took a couple breaks this summer to fish for other species and spear fish when the stripers were absent from my waters.

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21 hours ago, Capt.Castafly said:

Good points on keeping home owners on our side. Good Public Relations sure does help are cause.

Many times I try to  repay their appreciation and kindness by leaving a slot sizes striper at their front door.  

I hope they are not on vacation…

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All I can say is I find consolation in such well established anglers as DZ and others on this board finding difficulty this year. I was able to grind out a slot on many of my outings, in particular through one or two spots where I found some solitude a lot of nights. But, I never had any real bang up tides with a non stop bite and definitely had my share of skunks and shorts as well. I basically missed the fall run outside of an hour or so of schoolies and bluefish blitzing, but did learn a little tog. Thanks to all those that provided useful context here this season.

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This season has been my most enjoyable and fulfilling season; even more so than 2017. I couldn’t miss this year. Wasn’t always sunshine and rainbows but for the most part it was a blast. Spring, summer, fall. All good to me. Spring tog wasn’t that great but I was just messing around with my weapon jr so couldn’t expect much. Fall tog was on fire for me. Limit every trip pretty much. Best part was getting to fish with some new people and my buddies. Wasn’t trying to fish alone this year. I appreciate all of those who came out even though I kinda failed to put you all on fish for some reason lol
On a side note: hunting for me this year has been awesome as well after 4 years of nada lmao

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On 12/6/2021 at 7:31 AM, bdowning said:

Thanks, its been a tough go for them on lures the past 10 yrs, even though they supposedly showed up better in ri this past season. 

I've only caught them with native squid I've caught myself. The boxed stuff they seem to ignore. 

 

Shoot me a message early next season I can give you the exact spots I caught them once I unwrap the boat and get the fish finder back in there. Also I stock up in the mid spring on squid and throw it in the freezer. I'm usually out by the dog days of summer time but I can give you some bait to try out as well.

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Highs:

I caught my first, second, third, fourth, and so on weakfish(s) (squeteague). These were schooled up and THICK in certain spots throughout Narragansett bay this spring. A fish that was at one time an enigma to me was suddenly biting at every drop. Pretty amazing for someone who only knew of them in stories and pictures.   

 

- The spring bluefish bite was absolutely savage throughout May-June. Upper, mid, lower bay, and out front. Some true gators were taken. I never landed one over the 10 lb mark but I saw some monsters had.

 

-The spring bass on herring bite was hot..sometimes. I had a few good nights with slot to over slot.

 

-The September/October bass bite was also solid at certain spots at certain times. If you battled the crowds or happen to dial in on a unknown bite you were catching decent fish around slot size. Some got overs.

 

-August is the new fall run. The amount of slot sized bass around southern RI in August was impressive. Just hoping we didn't lose them all to harvesting... The initial run of Albies in late august was awesome. They were littered all around the shoreline, feeding in medium sized schools on LARGE bait. I had one cough up a snapper blue (believe it or not). Watching them chase the half beaks was half the fun. 

 

Lows: 

 

The bluefish that were prevalent in spring, totally disappeared by September. There were no big surface feeds on peanuts, no tackle breaking bruisers hitting anything you threw at them, no sign of them anywhere I fished. I've said it before, but the days of the fall bluefish blitzes exist only in memory. I haven't seen them in 4 years. Maybe it's just the spots I fish but, that's been my experience.

 

- Striped Bass fishing is on the DECLINE. Spots I've fished since I was 14 years old, that produced on a nightly basis were desolate. I mean dead water. No fish, no bait, just dead. Large gaps in between schools. Sometimes a week or two before they fill in again. Our inshore fishery is in trouble, don't believe anyone who tells you differently.

 

- The awful september and early fall weather killed the Albie fishing. They were scattered and picky for most of the fall. I had one here, a couple there, and many skunks. Both shore and boat.

 

- The crowds are insurmountable. Spots that were kind of crowded even a couple years ago, are now overrun. If you work and want to get in on sunset bite, good luck. Parking is hard to come by and people are just inconsiderate. Lines crossed, casting over you while you're hooked up, arguments, even heard of a fight happening. It's a big problem, and I don't see it improving. They are here to stay. I can't blame them for enjoying the same passion that drives me. Spent more time on the boat and will continue that trend.

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29 mins ago, Peelin' Drag said:

- Striped Bass fishing is on the DECLINE. Spots I've fished since I was 14 years old, that produced on a nightly basis were desolate. I mean dead water. No fish, no bait, just dead. Large gaps in between schools. Sometimes a week or two before they fill in again. Our inshore fishery is in trouble, don't believe anyone who tells you differently.

 

- The awful september and early fall weather killed the Albie fishing. They were scattered and picky for most of the fall. I had one here, a couple there, and many skunks. Both shore and boat.

 

- The crowds are insurmountable. Spots that were kind of crowded even a couple years ago, are now overrun. If you work and want to get in on sunset bite, good luck. Parking is hard to come by and people are just inconsiderate. Lines crossed, casting over you while you're hooked up, arguments, even heard of a fight happening. It's a big problem, and I don't see it improving. They are here to stay. I can't blame them for enjoying the same passion that drives me. Spent more time on the boat and will continue that trend.

Yes, yes, and yes. 

Pfantum Pfishah

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     The [New Fall ] run is August ]           over 15 years ago .......................I was saying that labor day  is the new Colunbus day .......... striper wise 

 

   also we all  pretty much say & believe that the stripers are on the decline ... food for thought .if you read  & follow the fisherman / in the last  4 years they have  tagged 5 bass I think .. anyway ,, with the results that they have gotten back [ALL} the fish  went were we would never have caught them  &  in the duration of their time with the transmitter  .....I think only two fish came close enough  to ne caught by boat or shore .

 

 how many years has it been that they just keep slamming  LARGE   at BI     and the time table  has been getting earlier in the season & A  bite lasting much longer  / without  having to go over the EEZ line >,      Just  my  observations 

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On 12/5/2021 at 5:54 PM, bdowning said:

What were you getting the weaks on ? Bait or lures?

They can easily be caught on lures or flies. Just need find the schools. Got them all summer in a few areas. Fish finder was key (big arches right on the bottom and very tight together). 

Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. -Thoreau
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14 hours ago, clammer said:

     The [New Fall ] run is August ]           over 15 years ago .......................I was saying that labor day  is the new Colunbus day .......... striper wise 

 

   also we all  pretty much say & believe that the stripers are on the decline ... food for thought .if you read  & follow the fisherman / in the last  4 years they have  tagged 5 bass I think .. anyway ,, with the results that they have gotten back [ALL} the fish  went were we would never have caught them  &  in the duration of their time with the transmitter  .....I think only two fish came close enough  to ne caught by boat or shore .

 

 how many years has it been that they just keep slamming  LARGE   at BI     and the time table  has been getting earlier in the season & A  bite lasting much longer  / without  having to go over the EEZ line >,      Just  my  observations 

So you're saying the bass population is just outside casting range? I take it people on shore get concerned when they see so much of the bait schools untouched by predators. Is consistent BI bite you talk about all on boat or from surf?

 

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much  furten than that .........more like  as far as the Canyons ..

 

 even tha bay ......... the fall use to as good or better than the spring ,

  except for exceptions   how many large do know for sure have been caught in the bay   from (=9/15   to 11/15 ]   

 

 I know quite a few fisherman whose personal best  came out of the bay in the fall .not the case anymore 

 

BTW  ....took a ride  north  this afternoon ...............tin rig  was there  and guys in the usually holdover spots .

 

that  F%^&*() mayor   must be a idiot  with the bike route he has on south water street .death wish >,.

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18 hours ago, clammer said:

 

that  F%^&*() mayor   must be a idiot  with the bike route he has on south water street .death wish >,.

Isn't the bike path on the curb side of the parking spaces with a buffer in between?  seemed pretty protected to me, though i didn't really examine it too much

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