Rhode Island Fishing Report - July 9, 2015

Bottom fishing appears to have hit its high point, with anglers reporting big scup, fluke and sea bass all over our region. Striped bass and bluefishing also appears to be taking another turn for the better.

Rhode Island Fishing Report

Captain Russ, of The Seven B’s in Narragansett, reports that their half-day bottom fishing trips continue to go strong, with plenty of fluke, black sea bass and scup for everyone on board. Fluke fishing involves weeding through quite a few shorts to find some keepers, but nearly everyone has gone home with a few for the table. Black sea bass and scup have been plentiful, and limits have been easily attainable. These half-day trips will continue to sail from 8:30 A.M. to 12:30 P.M., with the second taking off at 1 P.M. and returning at 5 P.M. Striped bass trips will continue to sail on Friday and Saturday nights from 7 P.M. to 1 A.M., depending on conditions and amount of interest. Private charters are also available on the Jeanie B, and a lucky group who chartered the boat this week was rewarded with multiple fluke in the 8- to 9-pound range. Be sure to check out their website or call ahead for detailed sailing schedules.

Over at The Saltwater Edge in Middletown word is that the fishing is fairly quiet but consistent enough to keep all anglers interested. The Beavertail area has come alive with small and large bait, and some high-quality striped bass were taking topwater plugs across the area this week. The local reefs are also holding good fish, as anglers trolling and 3-waying live eels caught in good numbers this week. Black sea bass has remained very steady, and anglers are easily finding their 1-fish limits. Big scup are on the rockpiles out front, as well as inside the bay; while fluke fishing has been hit or miss locally but very good from Napatree to the breachways.

Howard, at Galilee Bait and Tackle in Narragansett, reported another week of quality fishing inshore, around Block Island, and just offshore. Locally, the fluke bite has been consistent enough for most anglers to find some keepers near the Harbor of Refuge, however much better results were reported from Block this week and most anglers are making the trek out there. Scup fishing has been great and the fish are big! Black sea bass fishing has been just as good but the 1-fish limit has turned some anglers off. Big bluefish are all over the area, and Howard weighed in multiple 15-pound gators this week. The striped bass fishing has been the trickiest of all species but Howard mentioned that there are plenty fish to be had for those putting in the effort. Block Island has seen a good daytime bite for bass on the southwest side, with anglers trolling wire having the best results. Along the Narragansett shore, local surfcasters are reporting good success with 15- to 25-pound fish after the lights go down. The offshore bite remains strong just south of Block Island, but the fish are much more spread out than in previous weeks. Bluefin can still be had if you put in some time, and fish around the 100-pound mark are not uncommon; while shark fishing has really taken off, with a pile of good makos caught this week.

Mike Wade, of Watch Hill Outfitters in Westerly, also chimed in on the great mako bite, reporting that a friend of his took 4 fish over 150-pounds recently, and didn’t have to travel far past the island to find them. The Watch Hill reefs are still producing good bass, and they are still feeding on bunker, which is generally uncommon for fish in that area this late into the summer. Surfcasters are also finding success, including longtime shop regular Scott Aragoni, who weighed in a nice 30-pound fish that took a live eel last night. Livelined bunker and fresh chunks are producing best by day, while nighttime anglers are having success drifting eels. Fluke fishing remains hot around pink house, Misquamicut and the deeper water outside of Quonnie Breachway; while scup fishing has been excellent for shore and boat anglers off of Napatree Point.

Connecticut Fishing Report

Lou, at Hillyers in Waterford, reported that things have stayed steady and not much has changed since last week. Striper fishing has been hit or miss, with a few anglers finding good fish on the reefs after dark. Bluefishing is great all over the area, and they can be caught on just about anything, with any type of presentation. Fluke fishing seems to be improving with more and more keepers reported close to home this week, in 40-60 feet of water. Just about everyone is reporting a high short to keeper ratio, but they are all managing a few fish to take home. Scup fishing is great for shore anglers at Harkness and Pleasure Beach, while the boat anglers are cleaning up and Black Point. More and more blue crabs are showing up in the Niantic River each day, and managing a dozen or so is getting much easier.

Andrew, at Fishin Factory 3 in Middletown, told me that there are still some fish in the mouth of the river; while the usual hotspots just outside the river are continuing to pickup. Quality fish to the 40-pound mark have been taken not far from home, and reports from Long Sand Shoal and Bartletts have been strong. The gut and Race Rock are still producing, including a 48-pound fish that took a live eel at The Race over the weekend. Blues up to and exceeding 15-pounds are all over the mouth of the river as well, and fresh chunks in the dark of night have been producing the most. Fluke fishing has improved slightly around Misquamicut and started to slow down around Fishers. Scup are easy to find on all the eastern sound rockpiles, and blue crabs are starting to pour into the river in good numbers.

Captain TJ, of Rock and Roll Charters in Clinton, also reported that not much has changed from last week, with bass results being strong on most trips but slow on a few of them. Customers are all going home satisfied, as just about everyone is catching fish; however some charters are getting 6-7 while others are seeing 2-3. As has been the case most of the year, the lack of quantity is being made up for by the quality, with a good majority of the fish falling in the 20-40 pound range. The immense numbers of black sea bass and scup have also helped to make up for the lower numbers of stripers, as giants of both species are extremely plentiful.

Rich, at Fisherman’s World in Norwalk, was happy to report that the mid-summer doldrums have not yet hit the striped bass fishing in the western sound. The fishing around the Norwalk Islands has been very good, with bass from 20-30 pounds taking live bunker and fresh chunks with regularity. Topwater schoolies and small keepers can also be had around the islands at dusk and dawn. Fluke action appears to be stronger in the western sound than out east with a very good short to keeper ration, and limits being fairly easy to come by. The porgies are in out west, and like much of the state, they are on the large side. 11B has been a steady producer of dinner plate scup this week, with a few pushing the 18-inch mark. Sea bassing is strong on all of the same spots as scup, and bluefish are starting to get much easier to come by, both inshore and off in the depths.

Best bets for the weekend

Summer fishing is in full swing across southern New England. Whether you’re looking for doormat fluke, dinner-plate scup or a couple of chunky sea bass, the bottom is carpeted with all species close to home. A little patience and some time on the water is all that seems to be needed to manage some nice striped bass, while there are now plenty of bluefish around to keep your arms tired while you wait for the bass to show up.