The combination of cleaner water and some cooler weather has really kicked the blackfish bite into high gear; while the false albacore are still showing no signs of quitting from the central sound to Fishers.
Big tautog are being landed in Rhode Island and Connecticut waters. This tog was jigged up by Rob Taylor of Newport Sportfishing Charters.
Rhode Island Fishing Report
According to The Frances Fleet in Narragansett, the recent colder weather has helped to wake up some big tautog. Captain Matt said they were chewing hard on Saturday, and anglers were limiting out quickly! Many fish over 7-pounds were caught, and the pool fish came in at 9-pounds. Captain Mike saw similar results on Sunday, with a full boat limit of tog before noon. It was pretty easily the best trip of the year thus far, despite some rain and tough weather. The weather was once again a little sporty on Monday, but it didn’t stop the big fish from chewing, including a 10-pound beast that took the pool. Along with the strong tautog action, Captain Rich reported a pretty good full day mixed bag trip on Saturday. Black sea bass was the star of the show yet again, with nearly a full limit of fish to 5-pounds. Scup showed up in big numbers, and a few nice cod to 10-pounds were also taken. Be sure to check in with the office for updated sailing schedules for the weekend!
Dave, at Ocean State Tackle in Providence, told me that surfcasters in the Newport area are reporting a pretty good striped bass bite, with fish taking eels and darters all along the rocky shoreline. Black sea bass has been strong around the island, while cod has been slow but is showing signs of improvement. The big target species this week though remains tautog, and the fishing has been excellent around Tiverton, Jamestown and Newport. Big numbers of quality scup are being caught in most of the same spots as the tog, so multi-species days are pretty easy to find. Dave also mentioned that a decent squid bite is going on in Bristol Harbor, and seems to be improving by the day.
At Watch Hill Outfitters in Westerly, Mike reported that the tautog fishing has really started to improve now that the water has cleaned up from last week’s storms. The fishing has been strong throughout Rhode Island, and has been excellent around Fishers. Sea bass fishing is still rock solid, and fish to 8 pounds were weighed in at the shop last week. There are also still plenty of scup around, and reports have been good from shore and boat anglers. A few better cod were caught at Coxes and around Block this week, but most are reporting that it is hard to get through the sea bass. The fishing along the beaches is not quite done just yet, with striped bass, bluefish and a few albies feeding tight to the shore last weekend. The albies are scattered around Rhody, but are still surprisingly thick at Fishers and in eastern LIS.
Connecticut Fishing Report
Andrew, at Fishin Factory 3 in Middletown, told me that there are still some great surface feeds going on from Niantic to the Thames. There are good numbers of small bass, a few bluefish and loads of false albacore! The speedsters may take off any day now, but the way things are going they may end up being in the sound longer than they have in years. The blackfish action was steady last week, but seems to really be getting going after these last few cold nights. Andrew was out multiple times this week and found quick limits each time, with the bulk of the fish being over 20-inches! In the northern stretches of the river the fall carp bite seems to taking off, and the pike reports are just starting to trickle in with the cooler weather.
At Hillyers in Waterford, Lou also mentioned that there are still loads of albies around, and those with their boats still in the water are loving it. There are still good numbers of small keeper striped bass around from the river to Bartletts, and a few 20-30 pound fish are still in the mix as well. The deeper structure from Niantic east is still holding a ton of good sea bass, and limits remain relatively easy. Scup are still pretty thick in most of their usual haunts, including the Spindle, Race Rock and around Fishers. Blackfishing has been very steady since the water cleaned up, with most anglers finding limits by bouncing around to some lesser fished boulder fields. There haven’t been any true monsters weighed in yet, but 6 to 9 pound fish are popping up with some regularity.
Captain TJ, of Rock n Roll Charters said that the storm last week had a great effect on the local fishing, but over the past few days things are certainly starting to turn around. There are still a few quality striped bass around, and the blackfishing is really starting to pick up. The weather is certainly starting to cool down, but the water temps are still a bit above normal and perfect for the blackfish bite. TJ hopes to sail right up to the 19th, so be sure to get a trip scheduled soon!
James, at Norwalk Islands Fishing told me that fall fishing is still on fire in the western sound. The albies are still being spotted all over the area, but they are a bit spottier then the last few weeks. The stripers and blues have really stolen the show though, with blitzes up and down the Fairfield county shoreline accessible by either boat or surf. A new arrival this past week was some gator bluefish that are feeding on the remaining adult bunker schools. Some monster blues, pushing 17+ pounds, were caught in and around the islands this week. Togging continues to be steady, with plenty of quality fish for the taking on shallow and deep structure. The less-frequented spots with less pressure are not surprisingly producing better, so it’s time to be creative and experiment.
Best bets for the weekend
While things are starting to quiet down our front, with some guys starting to winterize their boats, the blackfish diehards are cashing in on some excellent fishing since the weather started to turn. 20+ inch fish are being taken pretty consistently, in anywhere from 10-30 feet of water. The false albacore addicts aren’t pulling their boats just yet, as there are still loads of fish across southern New England. Don’t let the cold mornings scare you off the water this weekend, as the marine forecast and fishing forecast looks promising for the next couple days.