Loads of Small Stripers; Tons of Small Bait

I landed this hefty schoolie today
on a bucktail jig. There have been
big numbers of small bass in the last
few days along the oceanfront.

The good times are rolling at the RI oceanfront with the migration is full swing. This week we've seen tons of small bait, mostly bay anchovies that are a half to an inch long. In places their masses have turned the water brown. Last night I was on a beach and saw big numbers of them being washed right up onto the sand. The abundant bait has lured all kinds of fish right close to shore at times. While smaller stripers have made up the big numbers, I have also seen some hickory shad, bonito, bluefish and black sea bass. Just about everything is eating this stuff.

Today I had a banner day in some stormy conditions. I landed big numbers of stripers, mostly schoolies, working my float and bucktail jig in the white water where I was fishing. While most of my bass were in the 18 to 24 inch range, I also managed one slot fish. Mixed in with all these schoolies this week have been some slots and even some over slot fish.

All year we have seen very few schoolies. It's been mostly slot fish. So this is a bit unusual. There have been big numbers of these smaller fish in the last week so that is a good sign.

There was a glut of bait in front of me today.
Here cormorants are feeding on the bay
anchovies along with seagulls diving down
for the bait. Stripers were lurking below!

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