“Trout is not the only fish on the menu this coming week,” says Bill “Eelman” Nolan. “There are fresh-run mini stripers at the West Wall. They’re spotty but there nonetheless. Tom Maguire had the first ones a few days ago.

“Providence, around the Hot Club area is very, very good at times also. Mike “Clammer” McElroy and Dave Parillo from Warwick have been scoring some impressive numbers there nightly on small jigs

“There are also some menhaden already showing themselves in various coves of the Bay. Naturally, large stripers are a long way behind them, but it’s very good news and has us on track for another great season in the Bay.”

Nolan and Jim White, the author and charter-boat skipper, have launched a new Web site at www.shallowwaterstripers.com. It’s definitely worth a bookmark for frequent visits.

Ron Mouchon of Breachway Bait & Tackle said bass are at Cemetery Cove on the Pawcatuck River. Up the Bay, Billy Barbour said some of his fellow shellfishermen spotted a school of bass in Greenwich Bay last week.

Carping day

The Rhode Island Carp Fishing Group will hold its annual fish-in April 26 on Lake Tiogue, Coventry. It’ll be a chance to learn about catching trophy-size freshwater fish throughout the year. The event will run from 1 p.m. through dark at Briar Point Beach.

“We had a fish-in there last year and landed some decent common [carp] up into the high teens,” writes David Pickering, a member of the group known for his writing in many regional fishing publications. “This year’s date is a bit earlier in the year, and according to Tiogue’s expert carper, Kevin Wasliewski, who is helping to set this up, it should be prime time.”Rhode Island has several ponds that hold carp.

“Tiogue is considered by many to be the state’s prime spot for large carp,” says Pickering. “It boasts good numbers of common carp in the 20-pound range. The average sized fish here is in the high teens. Note that Tiogue is also stocked with trout, making this water off limits to the use of corn. Baits such as dough balls, chick peas, tiger nuts and boilies should all work well here.”

Group members will explain tackle, rigging, and everything else one needs to catch carp. The event, cosponsored by the Pawtuxet River Authority, is expected to attract carp expert anglers from Massachusetts and Connecticut, too. “For anyone new to carp fishing, this is a great opportunity to get valuable information,” Pickering writes.

To get there, take Route 95 to Exit 7, New London Turnpike. Go north on New London Turnpike and take a left onto Arnold Road. Take a right onto Beach Street. The beach entrance and parking area is located at the end of this road. For details, contact David Pickering at imhooked2000@cox.net

Free range

The public shooting range at the Great Swamp Management Area has reopened for the season, according to the Department of Environmental Management.

The facility in South Kingstown is open seven days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on a first come-first served basis.

It offers an eight station, 50-yard, rifle/pistol range as well as a shotgun field for clay target shooting. Allowed firearms include shotguns, muzzleloaders, rim-fire rifles, and handguns.

It’s free, as long as you bring your own targets.

Free permits are available to qualified users of the shooting range at DEM headquarters, 235 Promenade St., Providence, and at the Division of Fish and Wildlife headquarters at the Stedman Government Center on Tower Hill Road, Wakefield. Qualifications include a firearms hunting license, hunter education card, DEM pistol/revolver certification card, pistol permit, military ID or equivalent.

Blackfish season opens

Rhode Island’s tautog-fishing season opens Wednesday.

Daily limit is three fish, each at least 16 inches long.

If you got a list of fishing seasons and limits at last weekend’s saltwater fishing show, it probably contains incorrect information, according to John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait & Tackle in East Providence. The correct info, with size- and bag-limit regulations is available online at www.dem.ri.gov/programs/bnatres/fishwild/mfsizes

For the record, winter flounder season opens on salt ponds April 26 – May 25. The limit is four fish, each at least 14 inches long.

tmeade@projo.com