Dress warm and go stock the freezer! Temperatures will be taking a nose-dive this weekend, but will not be much below the ordinary, and based on the recent reports it seems that the tautog and black sea bass don’t mind the cold. The next ten days or so should provide a few more chances to go out and load your freezer before the long winter sets in. Pre-ice freshwater fishing is also at its best right now and great opportunities for bass, pike, walleye and trout can be found throughout our region.
Rhode Island Fishing Report
The Frances Fleet of Narragansett reported excellent success with their full-day tautog trips on all of their boats. Nearly everyone aboard the boat last week was able to come away with a limit, and every trip saw a pool fish of close to or over 10 pounds. A private chartered trip over the weekend saw similar results, with limits of fish up to 9 pounds for everyone. Black sea bass have been mixed in with the tautog catches in good enough numbers to also provide a limit of keepers for many anglers. Cod fishing is not yet in full swing, but the guys have seen an increase in action, with keepers up to 8 pounds taken over the weekend. Availability still remains for a November tautog trip aboard the fleet, and the fishing should remain good through the Thanksgiving holiday.
At Galilee Bait and Tackle in Narragansett, Captain Howard reported that results have been mixed due to windy weather, but overall the tautog fishing has been very good from Newport to Narragansett. Along with tautog, most anglers are still picking up good numbers of black sea bass in deeper water. Striped bass fishing has slowed tremendously but it is not quite over, as local surfcasters are still reporting some good catches at the mouth of the breachways and in the salt ponds. A good push of squid has moved into the area over the past few days, and they are being caught in good numbers in Newport and Point Judith.
At Quaker Lane Bait and Tackle in North Kingstown, Steve reported that striped bass efforts have been down, as the number of fish across the ocean state has dwindled. Schoolie blitzes are still popping up along the westerly beaches, and the breachways are still holding a few bass that have been late to leave. Blackfishing remained strong through the weekend; with boat limits and fish over 10 pounds being quite common. Steve also mentioned the influx of good squid reports from Newport and Pt. Judith and added that they have been thick around Stonington and Westerly.
Best Bets for the Weekend
A few mild days and a break from the wind allowed some great tautog and black sea bass fishing across Rhode Island this week. These favorite fall fisheries are still going strong, and are not showing signs of letting up just yet.