What makes RI's notorious hot spot for early season stripers so good?

[Fish_Eye]

Hi Folks,

On this very important religeous week, I would like to wish everyone a happy Easter, Passover, and last but not least, Festivus (feast of the first fresh fish of the new season -- stripers of course).

I feel there are several reasons why Rhody's most celebrated spot for greeting early season stripers is so productive.

Before I share my thoughts, let me hear yours.

Mike

[cheferson]

Bait gets blown in and trapped in pocket , water is shallow and warms quickly, jetty rocks warm up in the sun and warms the nearby water, salt pond dumps out holdovers

[spence]

There's 60,000 nitwits that flock there every spring increasing the odds of a catch by 100 fold

-spence

[JohnR]

Hey Mike - I have to tell you, my 6 year old son likes SGW so much it is as much a favorite as the Power Rangers - He loves it and is dying to go to Cuttyhunk

[cow tamer]

Commercial fish waste sends out a pretty good scent trail

[BigFish]

Because stripers arrive in Rhody before they get to Mass!

[Nebe]

Originally Posted by cheferson

Bait gets blown in and trapped in pocket , water is shallow and warms quickly, jetty rocks warm up in the sun and warms the nearby water, salt pond dumps out holdovers

my thoughts exactly.

[ThrowingTimber]

clamworm hatches happen year round BUT are more prevalent around may june. These fish when caught will usually have dark wormlike creatures in their gullets Or little black stringy things as Ive heard them called.... which would be a give away that they've been feeding over some very rich muddy waters.. like ummmmm where these hatches occur

The shallow water and radiant heat Im sure has something to do with it as well. They leave the ponds and round the bend to warmer water, grub up then boogie back and go nighty nite.

Kids do have fun with them though dont they Too bad theyre too little to carry tags, it would be a pretty cool study

[Pete_G]

Originally Posted by cheferson

Bait gets blown in and trapped in pocket , water is shallow and warms quickly, jetty rocks warm up in the sun and warms the nearby water, salt pond dumps out holdovers

Newport's traditional early spring hot spots also support and follow this idea.

I did get adventurous though last year and found baby stripes in many places around Newport that don't, but those catches were no where near as consistent as what takes place in the corners.

For bonus points, where do the Newport fish come from? I have serious doubts they're holdover between the lice and the location, but who knows...

[Pete_G]

Last year, there was so much bait in the corners that it was spraying out of the water, fall blitz style. Rat stripers were happily jumping on top water lures as well during the 2nd week of April.

I think food is the over riding reason they are where they are (as always?) but there might be other contributing factors...

[eelman]

Most of the fish at the west wall are simply fish that have wintered over in salt pond ...some others are from places like the Thames..The "wall" is extremely long and does trap bait . its just a natural occorence for the fish and bait to be pushed in on certain winds. I do think however that many of the bass there especially early are not migrating fish from the south at all but rather fish that have wintered over in the pond and are stretching there wings and cruising out and around. The pawcatuck river has the same thing, a healthy winter pop that starts moving around .

The areas like matunuck at the Ocean mist , the rockpile,deep hole etc...usually see a good push of real migrants the last week of April and the first couple weeks of may but, by then there are better fish to be had.At that point there all mixed in. Places like providence hold thousands of bass all winter that also join the mix.

Then we have water temps and we simply warm faster than ma waters..No one really knows why it happens like it does, it just does...I have seen years there when someone caught bass on April 8th and then another one was not had until April 18th...the oppisite also..I have caught fish there as early as St. Patricks day ! No way those are southern migrants...so it can happen for any number of reasons...The bottom line is there here.....Its funny because last year I had all I wanted in the bay the same time they showed up in Matunuck..made me wonder if it just happens all at once..it most likely does..But That wall is special and it traps them right in there, thats why everyone heads there..how many other spots does it happen at that go unfished?

Another thought on water temps, Look at the winter populations in some of the Ma and rhody spots, these fish were hitting top water in January !! Ask Clammer and Jim White...Hearing that threw everything I thought I knew about bass out the window...if they can hit that aggresive in the winter then why would it matter so much now?? So again, no talking head knows, its all guess work..these fish defy logic at every turn...and thats what makes them so interesting.

The bottom line is ..Its time to go Fishing again

[MarshCappa]

Originally Posted by #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&

The bottom line is ..Its time to go Fishing again

I'm all about the bottom line!

[fishaholic18]

Originally Posted by #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&

Most of the fish at the west wall are simply fish that have wintered over in salt pond ...some others are from places like the Thames..The "wall" is extremely long and does trap bait . its just a natural occorence for the fish and bait to be pushed in on certain winds. I do think however that many of the bass there especially early are not migrating fish from the south at all but rather fish that have wintered over in the pond and are stretching there wings and cruising out and around. The pawcatuck river has the same thing, a healthy winter pop that starts moving around .


The areas like matunuck at the Ocean mist , the rockpile,deep hole etc...usually see a good push of real migrants the last week of April and the first couple weeks of may but, by then there are better fish to be had.At that point there all mixed in. Places like providence hold thousands of bass all winter that also join the mix.

Then we have water temps and we simply warm faster than ma waters..No one really knows why it happens like it does, it just does...I have seen years there when someone caught bass on April 8th and then another one was not had until April 18th...the oppisite also..I have caught fish there as early as St. Patricks day ! No way those are southern migrants...so it can happen for any number of reasons...The bottom line is there here.....Its funny because last year I had all I wanted in the bay the same time they showed up in Matunuck..made me wonder if it just happens all at once..it most likely does..But That wall is special and it traps them right in there, thats why everyone heads there..how many other spots does it happen at that go unfished?

Another thought on water temps, Look at the winter populations in some of the Ma and rhody spots, these fish were hitting top water in January !! Ask Clammer and Jim White...Hearing that threw everything I thought I knew about bass out the window...if they can hit that aggresive in the winter then why would it matter so much now?? So again, no talking head knows, its all guess work..these fish defy logic at every turn...and thats what makes them so interesting.

The bottom line is ..Its time to go Fishing again

Wow..DeJaVu..Didn't we just have this conversation? I totally agree with Bill's take on that..

[TunaCell]

Originally Posted by ThrowingTimber

Too bad theyre too little to carry tags, it would be a pretty cool study

No, not too small at all. ALS recomends a minimum tagging length of 12". The ones I usualy tag in Matunuck are approx. 15" and up. That being siad here are some tag recaptures of fish tagged in Matunuck:

Tagged: 4/21/05
Recap: 5/20/06- Justin Pilachowski, Westerly, RI

Tagged: 4/25/06
Recap: 7/02/06- James Makein, Peter and Rowley R., MA

Tagged: 4/01/06
Recap: 8/29/06-Rob Brothers, Pleasant Bay, MA

Tagged: 4/11/06
Recap: 8/5/06- Michael Polakowski, Harpswell, ME

Tagged: 4/29/05
Recap: 8/5/06-Richard Rudolph, Hampton, NH

In addition to these I also had a few tagged in April end up in Truro about a month later, although I've misplaced the return data at the moment. On an interesting side note, fishing friend and mentor Al Anderson has tagged fish at the wall and that have ended up in Jersey only months later. Go figure.

So far all the tagging data I've collected does not indicate that any of the Matunuck fish overwinter in the Thames. With the ammount of fish I tag on the wall and the ammount tagged in the Thames at least one would have shown at the other location.

Also I'm not sure if these are pond fish either. I just began tagging salt pond fish last spring and winter. It'll be interesting if any of them show in Matuncuk. And does it seem to anyone else that the coldness of the water would be more likely to cool the rocks than vise versa?

[Nebe]

Originally Posted by TunaCell

And does it seem to anyone else that the coldness of the water would be more likely to cool the rocks than vise versa?

feel those rocks in the afternoon..... they're nice and toasty.

[Fish_Eye]

I agree with a lot of what has been said, yet I’m as puzzled about where they come from as everyone else. Let’s face it, until they start talking and telling us what we want to know, it’s all conjecture…and god knows, I’ve interrogated a few of them…they just won’t crack.

A visit to Google Earth will reveal a lot. The shallow sloping pocket of sand sits with a compass heading that guarantees it will warm up fast and the breakwater “heat sink” theory might even hold water. Yes, like all abrupt walls alongside a beach there is a certain amount of corralling of bait, however in the early spring there isn’t always an abundant of tiny finfish in the area.

One of the reasons I think the wall gives up a lot of early season stripers is the abundance of sand shrimp in the area…the place is loaded with ‘em. A plain old fashioned bucktail jig, even one that isn’t garnished with pork or plastic will produce fish, especially if you allow it to bounce of the sandy bottom (when shrimp take off out of the sand they produce the same ‘puff’ of smoke like effect that a jig creates when it hits bottom. The addition of a plastic tail only heightens the allure of the offering. Small teasers are also very effective off the wall as they do a good job of replicating these tiny crustaceans.

According to a recent journal on the Seasonal Distribution and Abundance of Sand
Shrimp in the York River-Chesapeake Bay Estuary Maximum concentrations occurred in winter when bottom water temperatures were between 5 C and 11 degrees C (41 - 51.8 degrees Fahrenheit) The concentration of shrimp was reduced in spring when the temperature exceeded 15 C (59 degrees Fahrenheit). This sounds about right for the spring conditions along the wall.

There are also a ton of green crabs and lady crabs to feed the somewhat larger linesiders and tiny lobsters use to cover the bottom like nightcrawlers on a wet lawn.

Fishing the wall is akin to opening day of trout fishing, it’s not the size or the quantity of fish that matters; it’s simply the fact that you’re out there doing it again. Maybe I’ll run into a few of you there.

[TunaCell]

Originally Posted by Nebe

feel those rocks in the afternoon..... they're nice and toasty.

Granted, the rocks can get pretty warm come afternoon. But those are the dry ones. The ones exposed to the water are either partialy or completely submerged in 40 degree sea water. It's not the first time I've heard the warm rock theory, but every time I hear it I can't possibly agree with it. So the sun warms the rocks which warms the water? Does it not make far more sense if you eliminate the middile entity in that scenario? The sun just warms the water?

[Fish_Eye]

TunaCell,

My thoughts lean more towards the fact that even a small increase in temp close to the rocks will sometimes stimulate the critters that live amongst them or swim next to them.

In early spring I've found small areas of bottom in Cuttyhunk where the temperature spikes a few degrees because of depth, color of bottom and lack of current, and that's where the bass are hanging.

The heating of the rocks is the least significant factor in why the stripers come calling. Obviously they go there because they're curious as to why so many people are all lined up along the rocks.

[Back Beach]

Originally Posted by Fish_Eye

One of the reasons I think the wall gives up a lot of early season stripers is the abundance of sand shrimp in the area…the place is loaded with ‘em. A plain old fashioned bucktail jig, even one that isn’t garnished with pork or plastic will produce fish, especially if you allow it to bounce of the sandy bottom (when shrimp take off out of the sand they produce the same ‘puff’ of smoke like effect that a jig creates when it hits bottom. The addition of a plastic tail only heightens the allure of the offering. Small teasers are also very effective off the wall as they do a good job of replicating these tiny crustaceans.

I agree Mike. Portions of South Cape beach hold a lot of shrimp too. It will usually produce numbers of smalls in about another 10 days to two weeks.Might even be singles there now. I used to catch a lot of early season fish there with a small popper(hooks removed) and about 30" of 20# mono tied to the rear hook wire. At the end of the mono was a small white 1/4 oz bucktail. Its all I ever needed.

[TunaCell]

Ultimately, I think temperature (whether that be of rocks, air, or water) is the least important (and most overrated) factor regarding schoolie arrival. The single most important factor, in accordance to my ever brief experience on the water, is wind direction. I caught fish on April 1st last year. Looking back at weather logs, April 1st was approx. the fifth day of a sustained SW wind. These fish are extraordinarily wind dirven. On a flat calm day on an East wind you can see the shadows of fish schools. One can see that on these days the wind keeps them just out of casting distance. Gradualy, these fish get driven so far off the wall you can no longer see them, nor catch them. Therefore what I believe to be the ultimate factor regarding to their arrival is sustained SW wind. This is also supported by their meager showing thus far.

[Nebe]

theres no doubt wind is important. And jsut to set the record straight, i dont think the warm rock theory is what draws the fish to the wall and agree with what fsheye is saying about the smaller things along that wall becoming more active. Sort of a jump start on life so to speak.. Anohter example of this is anywhere you can find a discharge pipe submerged under water in the spring. Chances are, there is more bait around it, which attracts predators.

[Nebe]

about the wind theory, alot of people say they do better at dusk than sunrise, and back it up by the warm water theroy, but IMO its better at dusk becasue the w-sw winds have been blowing all afternoon. Pair the wind factor with the optimal tide and fish on!

[TunaCell]

Originally Posted by Nebe

And jsut to set the record straight, i dont think the warm rock theory is what draws the fish to the wall.

I never thought you did. I like Fisheye's theory as well, it has a lot more follow through and makes more sense than simply "The rocks heat the water" (FYI these were SNESA words of wisdom I saw a couple years back )

[TunaCell]

Originally Posted by Nebe

but IMO its better at dusk becasue the w-sw winds have been blowing all afternoon. Pair the wind factor with the optimal tide and fish on!

Yes indeed

[Bob Senior]

The rocks get warm in the sun no matter where the wind is coming from. But many fewer fish are caught when it's not the RIGHT wind. Therefore I think the reason it's a hot spot when the right wind is blowing, is because the right wind is blowing...and trapping schools of bait in front of my favorite rock.

[Roger]

Let me think about this:
There's a point (the elbow)
There's some current - both wind and tide driven
There's shallow water adjacent to deeper water.
There's structure -esp for crustaceans.
There's chum - from the lobster pots.

Frankly, I wonder why it is not more productive, given the hoards of addicts (er, I mean my brother fishermen) that flock there looking for a spring fix.

[Saltheart]

The fish show up in middletown the same time as the wall. The common feature is that they both have structure that sticks waaaaay out there and corrals the bait in a S-SW wind. Its not just finfish bait but every kind of living thing that gets driven along by the wind and gets trapped in these big corners.

Anyway , that's one theory.

i have heard the theory about the warmth of the rocks at the wall but that doesn't really apply in middletown since sachuest has only the normal rocks so maybe that theory is less important?

they do spread out fast some years. I remember some years when they were all spread out by this time in April. This appears to be a late year.

[bloocrab]

IMO -
I believe temperature is THE most important factor right now.
Skinny water gets warmer faster, whether it's a warm SW wind, or just the temperature in general that drives the water temperature up...it's still temperature that drives the fish this early. As the ocean water acclimates, getting closer to the temps in the ponds, the fish start to venture outside the pond. Some make their way back in, others continue to search and eventually the newer fish show. As far as why the WW....simple, it's a nice fishing platform...and as stated above, a LOT of fishermen show up increasing the odds of catching fish as they show up, whether from the ponds or arriving scouts, giving the impression that it's an early hot spot. I'm SURE there are plenty of other spots that produce at the same time, they're just not so exposed or publicized.
As far as the rocks heating the water??? A small stretch of rocks isn't going to affect the ocean like that, maybe a fraction of a degree right up close and tight, but I don't see them warming the water enough to make a difference fishwise.

I think the biggest reason they show up at the wall is for that slim chance of making "Stripers Gone Wild II"....
They're pretty jealous already given the fact that there was a blue-crab showing off her stuff in part I.

OH, and did I mention...it's a point? I heard once that points are fish magnets.

[ThomCat]

[QUOTE=Saltheart;481950]The fish show up in middletown the same time as the wall. The common feature is that they both have structure that sticks waaaaay out there and corrals the bait in a S-SW wind. Its not just finfish bait but every kind of living thing that gets driven along by the wind and gets trapped in these big corners.

I agree. This extended incumbrance to the northern migration along with the combination of food, structure, water temp. related to surrounding waters and current create a comfort zone for the fish. Unlike us, Bass rarely leave fish (food) to go look for fish.

[Joe]

There's a big wall there and the fish coming up from the south bump into it and get stuck.