The residual effects of Hurricane Bertha are being felt along the Rhode Island coast, and while the storm remains far offshore, some sizeable swells are coming in. Pre-storm fishing for striped bass, fluke and sea bass was strong in Rhode Island, and there is no reason to believe it won’t pick right up when the surf settles.
Rhode Island Fishing Report
Howard at Galilee Bait and Tackle in Narragansett reported that the hot and heavy bass fishing at Block Island has quieted a bit, but is far from over. Anglers drifting live eels came home with more impressive catches in the 40-pound class this week, and hopefully the storm swell won’t be strong enough to move all these fish out. Locally, striped bass fishing for boat anglers improved on the Newport and Narragansett reefs; however, surfcasters reported less than stellar catches, likely due to the dirty surf. Some keeper fluke are being jigged up on squid strips inside the Harbor of Refuge, but for a better shot at a doormat look to the deeper water off Jamestown and Narragansett. Scup and black sea bass fishing remains excellent across Rhode Island, and more bluefish of varying sizes have filtered into the region. There are some bonito in the area, mainly around the east wall, but numbers remain low, although that may change following the storm surge.
Captain Rob of Newport Sportfishing Charters reported that the inshore striped bass and groundfish bite could not compete with a stellar offshore bite that kept him out of range for most of the week. The bigeye tuna bite is reported as excellent and there are also enough yellowfin in the mix to make things interesting. Aside from tuna, there are plenty of sharks to go around and one of the stronger marlin bites in recent years.
At Quaker Lane Bait and Tackle in North Kingstown most customers’ time was split between Block Island and the South County reefs. While the Block Island bite has slowed a bit there are plenty of big bass out there to make the trip worthwhile. Another push of sizeable fluke moved into the waters around the island this week, and keepers were plentiful for those who tried. Inshore, the striped bass bite at the Watch Hill Reefs was one of the best of the season, with multiple 30-pound class fish reported. Local surfcasters found some bass to 20 pounds casting eels on the Jamestown shoreline and in front of the breachways, but most reported that they had to work hard for them. The high seas from Bertha will slow the surfcasting game for a bit, but luckily it is not forecasted to last very long. Black sea bass and scup continue to be found on just about every rockpile in Rhode Island, and shore anglers are having success with keeper scup at the lighthouse and in the breachways.
Fishing Forecast
With the rough seas from Bertha now upon us things might slow down for a day or two, but on the bright side, things could have been much worse and the weekend looks to be far from a total washout. Striped bass fishing at Block Island and the Rhode Island reefs should pick up right where they left off earlier this week. If the storm keeps you close to home take a look at one of our many estuaries, where there are now enough snappers and blue crabs to keep you busy for the weekend.