Connecticut and Rhode Island Fishing Report 8-2-2012

Fluke Fishing Improves, Stripers abundant but finicky

Rhode Island

Phil at Breachway Bait and Tackle said the fishing is picking up. Tog, which just reopened this week, is very good. Anglers fishing in the rocks from shore have taken a few big blackfish at Charlestown Breachway. Tons of 2- to 4-pound bluefish are gorging on small baitfish all over the south shore of Rhode Island. They readily attack small topwaters and metal lures thrown their way. Bigger bluefish are being taken as well, but mostly by accident by anglers fishing for stripers with eels or cut bunker. Phil noted that there is a ton of bait in the backwaters. Mullet, tinker mackerel and bay anchovies are all swarming through the backwaters in big numbers. This could bode well for a memorable fall run if the bait remains abundant.

Fluke fishing is picking up, reports Thom of Quaker Lane Outfitters. The short to keeper ratio still isn’t where he’d like it, but Thom says there are more fluke around, and anglers are catching enough keepers to make it worth the trip. Nebraska Shoals is holding blues and bass, Thom said, but if you really want a big striper, Block Island is the place to be. Sea bass fishing is still good around Newport and Sakonnet, and porgies are hanging tight to just about any rockpile along the coast. Thom hasn’t heard any reports of bonito in his area as of yet.

David at River and Riptide said the backwaters are brimming with baitfish, more than he’s seen in a long, long time. This bait is drawing in keeper bass, but they are tough to tempt with artificial because of the abundant small bait. The waters around Point Judith have had some good schools of stripers and blues, and Watch Hill is swarming with 2- to 5-pound bluefish. Trout fishing is tough in the Wood River. The water is low, and the fish are lethargic.

Forty-inch stripers are feeding on the surface everywhere in Quonny Breachway, but good luck getting them to bite, Robin at Quonny Bait and Tackle said. The bass are feasting on small bay anchovies and are extremely picky. Robin said anglers throwing small metals after dark are catching a few fish. A small teaser might be a good call as well. Bluefish are plentiful but small Robin said. Porgies are everywhere, and are providing good fun from shore and from the boat.

Connecticut

Mark at Hillyers Tackle said the striper fishing is very good for this time of year. Montauk, the Race and Bartletts Reef are all holding good fish. There’s tons of bait in Long Island Sound, especially bunker. Small bluefish and snapper bluefish are abundant, the former making for fun light tackle targets, the latter making for great fluke bait. Mark has seen some bigger fluke come in over the past week. A 10.1-pounder was the biggest, but there were more 4- to 6-pounders than he’s seen all summer. There are still lots of undersized fluke around, but the big ones mixed in make it worth weeding through the shorts. Even better fluke fishing is taking place over on Block Island. Sea bass fishing is good off Connecticut and blackfish up to 8 pounds were caught in Long Island Sound this week.

Andrew at the Fishing Factory III said the fluke bite at the Block is worth making the trip. The fish are in 60 feet of water, and are big. Locally, the striper bite is slow, despite the large schools of bunker. Big bluefish, however, are taking full advantage of the abundance of big bait. The blues are big and fat thanks to the all-you-can-eat bunker buffet being served up in the sound. Blue crabbing at the mouth of the Connecticut River is excellent.

The word at Stratford Bait and Tackle is that things have slowed down this week. Tube-and-worm trolling produced a 40-pound striper at the mouth of the Connecticut River this week, but overall, bass fishing is slow. The fish are hanging deep during the day, but the action does improve somewhat after nightfall. Snapper bluefish are thick in the river, and slightly larger bluefish are feasting on small baitfish around the BH Buoy.

Best Bets for the Weekend

With all the bait inside the breachways in Rhode Island, that may be the place to go. Bring small offerings and match the hatch as closely as you can. The stripers are being finicky, but they are feeding heavily, and if you keep casting, you’ll eventually get a number of them to strike.

Fluke fishing seems to be improving, with more keepers being caught in both Connecticut and Rhode Island. The hotspot definitely seems to be Block Island. If you were going to make the run, bringing some live eels along with your fluke rigs would be a good idea as the striper fishing is still excellent off the Southwest Corner.

Bluefish are everywhere, though it seems like 2- to 5-pounders have taken over. Match your tackle to the fish, and you’ll have a blast catching them. For bigger blues, target the bunker schools. Live bunker will be your best bet, but topwater poppers should get some bluefish attention as well.