Tropical storms have a bright side: they signal the start of autumn striped-bass fishing season, and the storms often stir up the bite. Steve McKenna of Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle says the last three 40-pounders he caught were taken in the surf following tropical storms.

“Before a storm, Point Judith light is the quintessential northeast spot to fish,” he says. After a storm, the east side of Point Judith often holds bass on the prowl.

“When a storm get going, the fish head into inlets, like the Narrow River and the breachways. The short wall at George’s Restaurant [in Galilee] is a good spot.”

Fishing during a storm can be dangerous, and McKenna does not recommend it.

“I prefer fishing on the first clearing wind after a storm,” he says. “After the most recent storm — when we had northeasterly winds for four or five days — I caught two decent fish, 22 and 28 pounds, in Narragansett on the first clearing wind.”

Read more at http://www.projo.com/outdoors/content/Outdoor_Notes_striped_bass_tropi_09-05-10_H1J_v2.16a4220.html