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Striped Bass Morone saxatilis
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| Striped Bass are perhaps the most prized, migratory game fish in the Northeast.
Striped Bass command the respect of most anglers due to their strength and speed, beauty, and their ability to navigate and hunt down their own prey under extreme weather and tidal conditions. Striped Bass are also a popular fish to eat. Rhode Island Bag Limit is here Best Months- April through October Best Times- Daybreak/Early morning, Late Afternoon/Sunset, Night Time Best Tide- Two hours before to two hours after high or low tides Skill level- Supervised Beginner to Experienced Angler Best Fishing Methods- Use swimming, darting, and popping plugs, plastic baits, jigs, live and chunk bait Best Areas for the Beginner East Bay: Colt State Park in Bristol, Barrington Beach in Barrington, East Providence Bike Path shoreline, Fort Adams Seawall in Newport, Fogland Point in Tiverton, Warren River in Warren. West Bay and South Shore: Conimicut Point in Warwick, Goddard State Park in Potowomut, Allen Harbor in North Kingstown, Wickford Harbor and Town Beach in Wickford, the Narragansett beaches, the West Wall in Jerusalem, Matunuck Beach in South Kingstown, Charlestown Beach in Charlestown, Misquamicut Beach in Westerly Best Areas for the Experienced Angler East Bay: Ocean Drive in Newport, Sakonnet Point in Little Compton, Sachuest Point in Middletown, Sachuest Point in Middletown, Beavertail State Park on Jamestown. West Bay and South Shore: the rocky Narragansett Shoreline, Charlestown and Quonochontaug Breachways in Charlestown, Weekapaug Breachway and Watch Hill Lighthouse in Westerly, Napatree Point in Westerly Other facts Striped Bass migrate to Rhode Island in large numbers starting in April. The first "schoolie bass" are well short of keeper length, but provide excellent sport for young and old. Small, bucktail jigs, swimming plugs, and weighted, plastic baits cast with light salt water rod and reel combos using 10-15 lb. test line are popular with most anglers. Striped Bass have no teeth, so anglers can safely secure them by the mouth to remove hooks, and quickly return the young fish to the water to ensure their survival. As April progresses, larger fish start to show up. Keeper sized fish are usually present in good numbers by mid-May. These large Stripers follow schools of bait such as squid, mackerel, and herring, any of which can be obtained through your local bait shop and fished on the bottom. The Bait/Tackle shops can provide you with the popular fish finder rig, used for bottom fishing also. Accordingly, the shops can also advise you on the best rod and reel combo to use given your level of expertise. Usually an eight to nine foot medium action rod and reel combo using fishing line from 15-20 lb. test, that's capable of casting lure weights up to 2.5 ounces, will be sufficient for these larger fish. |
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