With the opening of black sea bass in Rhode Island, the action is the best it’s been all summer, and continues to improve as we enter the holiday weekend. Big striped bass are still being caught in spots, and bluefish have inundated New England water’s; providing a few more great angling options for the weekend.
Rhode Island Fishing Report
Howard, at Galilee Bait and Tackle in Narragansett, reported that the striped bass fishing is still pretty steady out at Block Island, and more 40-50 pound fish have hit the scales this week. Locally, the striper bite has slowly but steadily improved and a few good bass were taken from the Narragansett shoreline and inshore reefs this week, mainly to anglers fishing live eels after dark. Fluke fishing has remained excellent locally, and the black sea bass opener has not disappointed. Anglers are reporting great catches of keeper black sea bass in the mix with their fluke catches in 40-50 feet of water.
At Quaker Lane Bait and Tackle in North Kingstown, Captain Thom reported that not much has changed over the past few weeks. Some decent striped bass remain in hot pursuit of bunker in the upper bay, despite warming water temperatures. While there are some good fish to be had locally, the best bet for a cow striper remains fishing the rips of Block Island with live eels after dark. There are plenty of bluefish in the area and anglers fishing the Narragansett beaches with small tins have had fish, both day and night. Fluke fishing remains very good at the usual hotspots like the Aquidneck and Jamestown Islands, and there are still some keepers to be had in the upper bay. Black sea bass action has been hot and heavy since the opener with keepers coming from just about every piece of structure in the area.
In Westerly, the fluke bite has picked up off Misquamicut Beach and scup reports have been excellent on the Watch Hill Reefs and rockpiles. Watch Hill Outfitters reports that anglers have been hitting dinner plate sized scup on the reefs and shore anglers have had equal success fishing in front of the lighthouse. Outfitters customer Dale Sawle, made the trip to Block Island this week and was rewarded with his personal best 56-pound fish. While the Block Island bite has garnered the most attention, the Watch Hill Reefs have started to see a few more bass in the low 30-pound class.
Best Bets for the Weekend
The tropical storm running up the coast may bring some rain and kick up the surf just a bit, but overall it looks like New England may dodge a bullet. Whether you fancy sea bass, fluke or scup, finding your target species this weekend shouldn’t be too difficult. Despite the inconsistency, striped bass fishing should also be very good this weekend if you are willing to put in the effort.