If this past summer wasn't enough to confuse you as to what happend to all of our striped bass, don't feel alone. It has confused me as well. Just when everyone, and I mean everyone was thinking we were headed for another disaster in the striped bass fishing, BINGO- fish show up from nowhere. The run of striped bass along the south shore of Rhode Island this October and November had to rival some of the best runs ever in the last 10 or so years. Many of the fish weren't available to the shore angler and on most days it was anglers who were in boats that did the best. Reports of catches of upwards of 150 fish per day were common. It was the rule not the exception. Even stranger, many of these fish were under the 28-inch size limit. A size that has been totally misisng inshore for most of the season. So the question now becomes, where were all these fish and where in the world did they come from? The answer is no one knows. I've spoken with just about everybody I know who fishe's for striper's, and most of them have 40 or more years and knowledge of doing so. The common answer is "who knows"!!! It is becoming quite evident that we are experienceing a change in the striper population as to how and what they do at various times of the season. The rules are these: "There ARE NO RULES AN MORE" That's rule number 1. Rule Number TWO is: Refer Back To Rule Number One!! The Providence River which had been desolet for most of the summer is now seeing a decent number of school size stripers returning into the upper portions of the river system. Where were these fish all summer long? Did they go out to sea and then return again? That doesn't seem very likely. So where did they go? Again, no one knows for sure. To make things even more complicated, yesterday a friend of mine e-mailed me photo's of his fishing trip yesterday morning. Are you ready for this? He was holding a 32-inch bluefish in his hand. One of six that he and a friend caught yesterday morning. December 3rd. 27-miles from the open ocean. Some have suggested that it was all the rain we received this past summer and all the run-off it produced that slowed the fishing in most bays and river's up and down the coast. I suppose that is totally possible. At least it does make some sense. I suppose we'll just have to wait and see what next season brings and if all these fish deceided to come home to where they belong, or venture elsewhere, to where ever that maybe.
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Fly Fishing and Light Tackle Sportfishing Specialist
