Block Island Stripers

Some old friends asked me along for their annual block island trip. Sure, why not, work has been trying and the fall striper run can be absolute killer.
On the way out the first season snows were hanging on the mountains...
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You take a ferry from Galilee, Rhode Island, the first light you spy is this one on a sandy spit with tons of eastern gray seals either side of it. A natural ambush spot for migratory schools but a folly to fish if you don't want your catch stolen

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An old federal building, now a house...

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Attended a nationwide civic protest for the preservation of democracy on a certain Saturday. This was after a morning session throwing tin for blues and stripers and false albacore. No time to change so did the protest in waders. Even though this pic doesn't show it, lots of people showed, like maybe 40 others.

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Another light, another federal building with a killer fresnel ...
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Fished Snake Hole beach.
this guy told us his buddy nailed a 40 inch striper at Montauk point the day prior, some 10 miles west south west of here and perhaps the East Coast fall mecca for surfcasting. He was kinda annoyed he wasn't there.
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Not me though, after he left and even though no fish were around, this place didn't suck... on the horizon you can see wind farms
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Sun is about where Philly would be...
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Rode a bike out in waders, backpack and stripping bucket and rods made for a solid suffer club workout. Riding into a stiff northerly wind, to the north side of a lagoon cut to fish flies for false albies. None were there, at least on my side of the cutt, but a cool thick layer of weed from a storm the week before, three feet high, mounds of it, made for some weird sculptures...
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Swells picked up and Joe had some solid rides
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As did Rabbit Man
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Boot and a horseshoe crab
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For Stones...
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The last night turned out to be the best fishing night, all of us got on board
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First cast, fish on. Metal outfished poppers and plugs and I didn't bother with the fly as wind and surf made it hard. Crocodile spoons and deadly dicks...
There's a slot limit 28-31 inches. One of the fish was over, the rest were right at 27-ish. The East Coast version of Bobo...

Anyway, a good time, you get the sense mid September to late October here is just downright fantastic....All in all, a fun trip
 

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That seal will smoke up fine.

I’ve never caught a striper. You had the odd year memory fresh in mind…pound for pound…pink salmon or striped bass?
 
Beautiful photos. So much history to see there.

Used to take the boat out to Block Island from Quonochontaug Pond (pronounce that one !) with my father in-law (RIP Bob). He fished gear, so I did too and we caught all kinds of fish that were new to me. Stripers, Bluefish, Tautog, Scup, Flounders and Fluke. Pickled bluefish and fresh winter Fluke were some of the best eating fish I’ve ever had.

Thanks for the memories.
 
Matt B said:
That seal will smoke up fine.

I’ve never caught a striper. You had the odd year memory fresh in mind…pound for pound…pink salmon or striped bass?
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In my experience, Pinks pound for pound…. no contest. Stripers are prettier though, and they get a lot bigger. And you can sight fish for them on shallow flats.
 
Matt B said:
That seal will smoke up fine.

I’ve never caught a striper. You had the odd year memory fresh in mind…pound for pound…pink salmon or striped bass?
Click to expand...
Probably striper, the hit is harder, the fight longer, the chance of top water smash and jump better, the flies and lures are cooler...

@Matt B the last really big brute of a striper I caught (not on this trip) was a 10-15 minute fight and timing with the fish landing occurring between roving patrols of Eastern Gray seals. It was like a fishing version of Frogger and with some laying off of the fight when the seals swam by and then dialing down the drag and horsing when they were gone. It was sorta fun, sorta not fun, but nothing like a pink just reaching a point where they give up. They, as in stripers, perhaps fight a might more like big carp....pound for pound though bluefish are probably stronger than both pinks and stripers
 
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I haven’t caught a pink in a couple cycles now but stripers are amazing fish. They have a different style of fight than coho. Less air and possibly the runs aren’t as fast but overall more brawl if that makes any sense. Half the time coho fights are awesome with runs and jumps and the other half of the time they just spin themselves into a mess and you handline them in sideways or backwards. Stripers are mean and fight to the end 100% of the time.
 
its a nice place. was only there once, and didnt figure out the fly fishing. stayed at a hotel near the ferry dock. had a weird night when i had to listen to the neighboring room, and the fellow was trying to talk his way into his gals pants.... i finally raised my voice, pounded on the door between rooms, and said something about it appeared that she was not interested.... :) .
 
Matt B said:
That seal will smoke up fine.

I’ve never caught a striper. You had the odd year memory fresh in mind…pound for pound…pink salmon or striped bass?
Click to expand...
Looks like a great time together.

Labor Day, +/- new moon, at night, SW of Block, just off the ledge, boat, anchored, motor off, bucket of chum, nothing lighter than a 10 wt with 40# leader and 1 to 2 feet of wire the 20#+ bluefish will find you, your top water flies, hook point bent up, or cut off, so it won’t engage. You'll keep all your fingers.
They will whip your ass if you’re into mental cruelty for the yellow eyed devils. More fun than free beer at a brewhaus.

The seal? Sharked? Incisors look like a young fish stealer.
 
vagabond-I could totally see that setup working great....

tried the block island special, needlefish lure. It's was about as fun to fish as sniffing a hot chum bucket. It has all the exciting action you get when re-spooling a reel...
 
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