Rhode Island Fishing Report – June 9, 2016

Pictured: Jorge Boror with a nice Rhode Island kayak bass

Striped bass are no longer just in the bays and estuaries, with strong reports coming from the inshore reefs. Fluke action is solid in Rhode Island and the western sound, with the eastern sound starting to show signs of life.

Rhode Island Fishing Report

Dave, at Ocean State Tackle in Providence, reports that customers Cody Trostel and Captain Rene LeTourneau have had some great striped bass fishing at the Port of Providence recently. Rene has done some great work on light tackle and flies, while Cody had a great week livelining pogies for bass to 30 pounds. Anglers in Pawtucket are still finding pretty consistent bass catches at Division St. and Parents Marina. Scup fishing is starting to pick up pretty nicely in Tiverton, Jamestown and around Prudence Island. Capt. BJ Silvia has been catching some quality fluke on Flippin Out Fluke Rigs dressed with squid, in both Newport and Jamestown. Freshwater anglers are still reporting excellent largemouth bass catches on heavy shiners at Stump Pond and Turner Reservoir, while trout fishing has been strongest at Olney Pond in Lincoln Woods.

At The Saltwater Edge in Middletown, the best striped bass action remains in the upper stretches of the bay. The majority of the large bait has stayed up north and kept the bass up there with them. Anglers are finding quality keepers around the Providence area but it shouldn’t be long before they start dropping down. A nice pile of silversides and some sand eels have shown up out front and are providing light tackle anglers with great action for small bass and bluefish around second beach. Fluke fishing is in full swing off of Jamestown and Newport, while the bite at Block Island continues to be steady. Reports of some decent-sized bluefin have just started to pop up at Block as well and have offshore anglers dusting off the gear in a hurry.

Captain Frank, of the Frances Fleet in Narragansett, reports that local fluke catches are continuing to slowly improve and the size of most fish has vastly improved. Quite a few large fish were caught last week, including an 11-pound doormat last Thursday. Sunday’s trip saw fish of 9 and 8-pounds, along with quite a few in the 5- to 6-pound class. It appears that there are strong numbers of fluke in the area, but there is such a huge mass of bait that landing a big one is more of a finesse game at the moment. Anglers have also been catching good numbers of large black sea bass; which is a good sign as the season opener is now less than 3 weeks away. Daily fluke trips will continue to sail at 7 AM daily.

At Watch Hill Outfitters in Westerly, Mike Wade reported that some of the enormous masses of squid that are spread out throughout the northeast have settled into the Stonington area. These schools of squid have caught the attention of some bass that have recently settled into the area. Anglers trolling big squid imitators have reported good catches from the Stonington shoreline to Fishers Island. Striped bass activity is certainly picking up out front, but anglers are still reporting steady catches of good bass in the Pawcatuck River. These bass are hanging out around the bunker schools and being taken on live bunker and eels. Surfcasters have also reported an uptick in striped bass activity at the breachways and around the lighthouse. Fluke has slowly and steadily improved along the local beaches with consistent keepers; while the best bet for 10-plus pound fish is at Block Island.

Connecticut Fishing Report

Hillyers Bait and Tackle in Waterford saw quite a bit of quality fluke come through the shop last weekend, as more and more fish settle in to the area. Three fish over 10 pounds were weighed in on Saturday, along with a couple in the 8- to 9-pound class. The bite is also starting to become more widespread, with big fish coming from Isabella, Montauk and Block Island. Anglers are finding good catches of keepers right inside Niantic Bay and also along the Rhode Island beaches, although they tend to be on the slightly smaller side. Similar to Rhode Island, the eastern sound has large masses of squid that recently moved in. Striped bass fishing has greatly improved over the past few days, and they are keyed in heavily on that squid. Bass are gorging themselves on squid at The Gut, The Race and the Sluiceway, while closer to home some good bass have been plucked from Bartletts and Black Point. Scup and bluefish are still on the slow side, but black sea bass is accelerating quickly as we near 60 degrees.

Andrew, at Fishin Factory 3 in Middletown, said it was more of the same around the mouth of the Connecticut this week. Anglers are still scoring plenty of quality bass ranging from 20-pounds to nearly 50, but the area gets more and more crowded each day. Luckily, some decent bass are now being taken at The Race and The Guy, as well as some local reefs, so anglers can get away from the crowds and start expanding their range. Fluke is just starting to get going locally, but Andrew mentioned that it seems to be behind the usual pace for early June. The best chance at a good limit is off the Rhode Island beaches, while the best shot at a big fish remains Block Island or Montauk.

James, at Rivers End in Old Saybrook, also mentioned that the Connecticut River is still fishing well but remains extremely crowded. Plum Gut and Bartletts have started to put up some bass this week, along with the Branford Reefs; which are reportedly full of small bait schools. Fluke anglers have found a few fish locally at Black Point but most are traveling to Montauk; while the best scup fishing remains out in the Peconic Bay. The bluefish are starting to get thicker in the mouth of the Connecticut, Plum Gut and at the Millstone outflow. Black sea bass is now strong throughout the sound, but the best catches are still coming from 6-Mile Reef and points west.

Captain TJ, of Rock and Roll Charters, reported that local striped bass activity was at its best of the season over the past few trips. Bass from 24 inches to 35-plus pounds are consistently cooperating close to home. Black sea bassing has been lights out and some jumbo scup are finally starting to show up.

Rich, at Fisherman’s World in Norwalk, reported that the big slug of quality striped bass around Greenwich has finally started to settle into the Norwalk area. Bass and big bluefish have been seen harassing bunker schools around 28C and the OB since last weekend. Live-lining and fresh chunks are always steady producers but anglers are reporting some exhilarating topwater action as well. Bottom fishermen have had steady sea bass action to 20 inches and fluke to 25 inches. The key to landing big sea bass and fluke has been tipping jigs with whole squid. Decent sized scup are also starting to show up and can be taken in relatively shallow water. Freshwater anglers had a great week of smallmouth and largemouth action at the Saugatuck Reservoir, and a few more walleye were caught this week as well.

Rhode Island Fishing Forecast

Quality striped bass fishing can now be found in places outside of Narragansett Bay and the Connecticut River, allowing anglers to avoid crowds and find fish throughout the region this weekend. Fluke anglers may have been frustrated with a slow start, but are now finding solace in strong limit catches throughout Rhode Island and improved activity in Connecticut. Sea bass is going strong in Connecticut and early indications from Rhode Island point to a strong opener on the 24th.