Pictured: Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle with a nice bass taken with Captain Jack Spregnel.
Sea bass and scup have taken off over the past few days, while local fluke reports appear to be getting much more consistent.
Rhode Island Fishing Report
Captain Frank, of The Frances Fleet in Narragansett, left the docks for quite a few trips this week; reporting solid fluke catches and excellent sea bass catches. Black sea bass are biting with ferocity and limits were easy to come by. Quite a few fish around the 5-pound mark came over the rails this week, so the quality is there as well. Fluke fishing hasn’t quite been lock and load but remained very steady. A few anglers took home limits on most trips, while most anglers went home with 4-6 quality keepers. Similar to sea bass, the quality of the fluke being caught has been very good. Paul Valois of Woonsocket, Rhode Island took home a 10.7-pound fish, while Joe Gagne of Cumberland took the biggest fish of the week at 12.3 pounds! Both the full day and half day trips were successful and that sailing schedule will continue. The nighttime striped bass trip last Saturday was on the slow side, but that trip will continue to sail on Saturday nights at 7 PM, by reservation.
The Saltwater Edge in Middletown reported that bottom fishing has been the center of attention for most anglers, as fluke fishing is strong locally and great at the island, while black sea bass is red hot all over. Striped bass fishing seemed to be taking off at SW Ledge this week, but the bite died out quickly, so we may still be a few weeks away from consistent fishing out there. Locally, anglers are picking up some small bass on the reefs with topwater plugs and small flies.
Dave, at Ocean State Tackle in Providence, provided me with a report from Captain Jack Sprengel who mentioned that the water temperatures in the upper Narragansett Bay have reached the low 70’s, so the striped bass bite has transitioned to more of an early morning bite. If you can locate some fresh menhaden in the early morning hours, chances are you can find some bass willing to take a livelined bait or chunk. During the daytime hours, fishing a fresh chunk or trolling around deep structure is probably your best bet to find some hungry bass. School-sized bass can still be taken on topwater plugs in tight to shallow structure around dusk; while the occurrence of topwater feeding bluefish is also picking up. While striped bass fishing may have slowed down a bit, fishing for fluke, scup and sea bass has steadily improved. All three species can be found in the bay south of the bridges, the south shore of Aquidneck Island and out around Block Island. Captain Rene LeToruneau also chimed in with a light tackle report of good numbers of school-sized bass and small bluefish taking flies in the Newport area. The fish are keyed in on silversides and other smaller bait, so shrinking down your offerings has been key.
Mike, at Watch Hill Outfitters in Westerly, reports that the scup fishing has really taken off around Watch Hill, with anglers scoring good fish from the boat and shore. The striped bass bite has slowed down locally, but some worm hatches in the salt ponds has accounted for some decent action of fish to 20-pounds. Block Island striped bass fishing has just started to get going this week, while Montauk seems to be a much better bet for larger fish. Black sea bass fishing has been great around Block Island and locally, while the fluke bite remains steady off the local beaches and at the island.
Connecticut Fishing Report
Hillyers in Waterford reports that scup fishing is now in full swing on the local reefs and at Race Rock. Black sea bass has also greatly picked up over the past few days for local anglers fishing around Niantic. Striped bass fishing has been far from great, but most anglers are reporting pretty steady catches. Bartletts Reef, The Sluiceway, Plum Gut and The Race have all put up some decent bass this week, with the best catches coming after dark on eels or around dawn on bucktails. Fluke fishing is steady in Niantic Bay, with a decent pick of keepers from Can 6 to Two Tree Channel. The summer blackfish season kicks off tomorrow, which is another quality and often under-utilized summer fishery in the Niantic area.
Andrew, at Fishin Factory 3 in Middletown, reports that there is still some bunker in the river, but they have become a bit more elusive. It appears that the larger schools have been hanging out north of I-95 and if you can locate them, there is often some striped bass close behind. Most anglers have turned their attention to the local reefs, The Race and Plum Gut, where striped bass catches have been decent on bucktails and diamond jigs. Fluke has finally started to become pretty consistent in local waters, with some decent catches in the Niantic area.
At Rivers End in Old Saybrook, James reports that we are starting to hit the summer striped bass patterns, with dawn and dusk being the best times to hook-up. It has been a tough go for shore anglers recently, but one angler did manage a 47-inch fish from the lower river, so there are still a few around. The eastern CT shoreline from Saybrook to New London has a decent pick of fish taking bait during the morning hours and eels after dark. Local fluke fishing has improved, but there still doesn’t seem to be a ton of big fish around. The deeper portions of 6 Mile Reef and Black Point have been the best bet for local doormats. Scup and sea bass anglers are reporting better catches around Hatchett’s and Harkness; while the best bet for bluefish remains around Millstone.
Captain TJ, of Rock & Roll Charters, also noticed that the striped bass activity seemed to slow down a bit over the past few days. He has still found some quality fish, but he had to work a bit harder for them. There seems to be a good pick of fish to the west and a prime moon cycle approaching, so things are looking better for the upcoming week. Black sea bass fishing was great for all his clients this week and a nice push of dinner plate scup has also made things interesting.
The Farmington is currently an excellent & clear total flow of 255cfs in the permanent Catch & Release area (157cfs from the dam in Riverton, 98cfs from the Still River). Sun & clouds with a predicted high of 79 today (Monday), and averaging in the 60’s to low 70’s after that. The entire river outside the permanent C&R section has been stocked multiple times over the past 6 weeks. Also hatching in the afternoons are #18 Mahogany Duns (aka Paraleps/Blue Quills), #16-18 Blue Wing Olives (Baetis), and Black Midges #22-32. Fishing is definitely picking up again with the mild weather, Hendrickson hatch, and frequent stocking by the state. It’s been good all up & down the river, from the dam in Riverton all the way down to Unionville. Don’t limit yourself to only the more popular sections of the river, as there is literally excellent fishing all over it.
Rhode Island Fishing Forecast
We are entering a prime time for bottom fishermen in New England. Scup and black sea bass fishing seem to have hit their pinnacle this week, while reports from fluke anglers are much more consistent than in recent weeks. Tautog will be opening in Connecticut this weekend and should provide another great option, as water temps are a bit down and these fish don’t tend to get pressured to hard during July. Striped bass reports have quieted down a bit, but the approaching new moon should be enough to kick things back into gear.