Block Island - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

redlite · 11-10-2003, 03:54 PM

Does anyone know if much has been happening from shore over across the sound on Block Island? From what I have found and heard, the South County beaches have been quiet and not many big fish. My pops, buddy and I have planned our journey across for this weekend, but if things are slow over there, may save the time, effort and money and bag it, especially with the forcasts of honkin' NW winds and 5 foot seas. Any info or advice on how to get any info if there are fish over there would be much appreciated.

GoFish · 11-11-2003, 09:19 AM

Doesn't appear to be much being taken from the beach. Boat guys still seem to be doing OK drifting eels just off the west side, and a couple of the charters still seem to be going out a little further. I'm not giving up though!

Steve K · 11-11-2003, 09:26 AM

I spent last weekend on the Block and the fishing was terrible. I got some small fish Friday and Saturday morning but nothing after that. The eclipse was amazing, though. Man was it cold on Sunday morning.

GoFish · 11-11-2003, 09:30 AM

Had to fish during the eclipse (eels off the south side) just in case something wacky happened. NoFish and damn near froze my fingers off.

DZ · 11-12-2003, 09:55 AM

Red,
Just cancelled my trip over for tommorrow and upcoming weekend. Screaming winds forecast through Saturday made my decision easy. Fishing hot and cold out there. At least two 50s taken there in the past three weeks, last one around 10 days ago. Maybe next week - weather will be determining factor.
DZ

JohnR · 11-12-2003, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by GoFish
Had to fish during the eclipse (eels off the south side) just in case something wacky happened. NoFish and damn near froze my fingers off.

THAT was cold - I was in the Weekapaug area during the eclipse - heard but did not catch bass

GoFish · 11-12-2003, 12:10 PM

Quote:

heard but did not catch bass

Not to be paranoid, but were they laughing at us???

redlite · 11-13-2003, 01:40 PM

Something has come up and my buddy can't make it this weekend. So I am wisely not going to fish Block Island John Wayne style, and combined with the bad weather and fishing reports, going to cancel for this weekend. I may give a shot at South County Saturday, but it looks like I may be done bass fishin for the year. Thank god for cod.
Best of luck to all that brave the weather this weekend. Don't get blown off the rocks.

GoFish · 11-13-2003, 02:22 PM

OK. Just took a midday tour of the Island. With the wind honkin' out of the NW I'd end up casting backward on the West Side. But there's a pretty good surf on the South Side, and I bet I can cast about a mile downwind.

Problem is my wife says she'll have me taken away in a rubber truck. Bet I could get a bunch of casts in before they caught me though. Hmmm....

Nebe · 11-13-2003, 03:33 PM

Go Fish, did you ever try catching eels??? any success??? I'm thinking of giving it a try in some salt marshes around my parts. $1.50 an eel at my tackle shop's got me pinching my ¢¢¢¢¢

RIROCKHOUND · 11-13-2003, 03:37 PM

Eben.. used to have some success when I lived on Aquid. Island with an oversized minnow trap (usually was after fluke bait.. mummies) but almost nightly you would have one or two... Also have caught some monsters as a kid fishing the reservoirs in middletown, usually after dark, worms on the bottom... some well into the 2ft range.. damn they can pull....
Been out at all latley?
Bryan

GoFish · 11-13-2003, 04:23 PM

Eben:

Got a large rectangular minnow trap from Cabella's (I think about $35) and expanded the entrance slightly. A couple of people recommended baiting it with inexpensive cat food, leaving the food in the can and drilling it full of holes. I only tried it one night in the New Harbor with no success.

However, a friend tells me that in the inner ponds her kids can't avoid catching eels in their minnow traps. Unfortunately, the fishing season ended abruptly before I had a chance to try. Sounds promising though.

Good Luck!

Nebe · 11-13-2003, 06:06 PM

There ya go! get the kids to catch em for ya! I had mentioned the cat food trick to you in a post a while ago as well as to try Newharbor.. More specifically, the marshes up in the north side..
I hope I didnt burn someones eel hole!

The more I think about it, there are eels in almost any salt mash..

fishweewee · 11-13-2003, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Eben

I hope I didnt burn someones eel hole!

Sounds painful.

beachwalker · 11-13-2003, 07:35 PM

Nebe · 11-14-2003, 12:01 AM

yikes!!!

GoFish · 11-14-2003, 06:23 AM

Well, if it's someone elses eel hole they must have fished it out before I got there. (I was in the inner NW reaches of the New Harbor estuaries, near Andy's Way. Looked promising but I guess I'm no eel.)

Hey, are you allowed to say eel hole on a public forum???