I have been into a jumbo school of micro bass from 12 to 24" for the last few days. This is the first time in recent memory that I have seen this many small fish, all with sea lice and aggressively feeding on peanut bunker in Narragansett Bay north of the bridges. Great sign for the future.

do you think this shows signs that the pollution is improving
down in the Chesapeake bay area that affected the hatch lings.

I have to agree. SoCo has had an abundance of schoolies around for some time, and this bodes well for the future.

Seeing them here in Newport for the past two weeks. Hopefully other regions are seeing them besides Rhody - if not it may just be a small local population in the big picture. Of course we need to see it as a trend over the course of a few seasons - not just an aberration. Cautiously encouraged - except for the many bass I'm seeing with red sores.

DZ

I ran into a rather large school of similar sized fish in Mt.Hope bay.

I have seen more schoolies on the north shore than in the past few years. This spring was lit up with them whereas the past two years the spring has been slow and my first fish would be keeper size.
Been seeing them consistently through the summer too, lots of surface feeds around with all small fish.
I believe three was a strong YOY a couple of years ago which would explain it right?
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

I though the world was ending :-p
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

I though the world was ending :-p
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Could still be.

Good to hear you guys have them south and north of the Cape, but Cape Cod does not have any huge schools of them. Unfortunately those hoovers of the sea with whiskers have done a good job keeping them away :wall:

only places there are a few schoolies are the rivers and inlets where there is small bait and no seals

the overall population of striped bass can't keep sustaining 2 fish per day and slaughters of cows up and down the coast for very much longer unless it is headed off at the pass

Ive seen more 20-26" fish in the places I like to fish than I can ever remember