Normally , by about Oct 10 , Smokey and I are fishing southern RI. This year , do to the warm weather and the timing of the fall run , we are still fishing the canal. Then this morning , it snows!! :)

This has been a strange year so far.

I know. And I am thinking about canceling my plan for rhody shore trip this Saturday night because I don't have a neoprane wader or any fancy warm gear. I don't want my balls to get frozen while wading.

This is my first year fishing for stripers so I can't really comment based upon experience - but from what i've read - something doesnt seem right.

Everything i've seen talks about the fall migration having a strong correlation with the angle of the sun and daylight hours. (yes water temp also is a critical factor - and sustained northerlies / westerlies can push bait offshore) If the sun angle theory is true it there shouldnt be too much variation in the timing of the migration. From what I've read - we should have expected the bulk of the fish to be passing thru RI waters weeks ago -

So are the fish in full migration but just out of reach of shore / near-shore anglers? Are they truly late - and currently more north / east of RI? I know there are no real answers to these questions but I'd love to hear your thoughts

Thanks
Dave

Last year, it was plenty of rains in the fall and cold months begin late. and no cold months are startign early.

notaro as long as you stay in the water your balls wont freeze . the water is much warmer than the air has been . I was just in the water with 38 degrees air temp and promptly got back in the water to warm up . brrrrrrrr now I have no balls , they stayed in the water where they were warmer . no more pocket pool !

Originally posted by chris L
notaro as long as you stay in the water your balls wont freeze . the water is much warmer than the air has been . I was just in the water with 38 degrees air temp and promptly got back in the water to warm up . brrrrrrrr now I have no balls , they stayed in the water where they were warmer . no more pocket pool !

I stayed in the water when using the breathable wader.

It has been kinda of a strange year. I think the fishing should hold up till the middle to end of Nov(I hope!!!). Last year I was still catching bass in the middle of November and then I called it quits because I was freezing my ass off. Who knows if I kept at it maybe I could have caught fish into December?

If everything keeps going the way it has so far , there will definitely be more than usual (there's almost always some) fish around into early December.

very very screwy year. The water temp is crashing fast now...58..I think we have 2 or so more weeks and then its over for the most part. Yeah there will be some die-hard in Dec who catches a nice one but the bulk of the fish are movin out.
Montauk is the place you want to be....I heard it is nearly every cast there for a while last week.

Yah think this might be why it's getting hard to locate fish up here in Maine? By the way....hi yah Salty. Wish I could get down to Rhody for a couple of days but doesn't look like it'll happen. Unless the fishing is good into November...........

Hi Bill. Yep , if you were still getting them in Maine I'd really be worried! :) I think the fishing will stay good until Thanksgiving weekend , at least!

Notaro's balls must be made of molten metal. :eek: :laughs:

thanksgiving or better:bgi: