Big striped bass continue to prowl Block Island, while school bass are feeding on the surface throughout the region. Bottom fishing remains steady, while blue crabs and snappers are plentiful in the tributaries.
Rhode Island Fishing Report
Captain Matt, of The Frances Fleet in Narragansett, reported a decent day of fishing on the marathon trip this week. The stiff northeast breeze made for a fast drift, and made things a bit more difficult than the previous weeks. Those who stayed at the rail had some nice catches, with a few anglers taking home limits. Next Monday is the last marathon trip, as the tuna season will be starting up shortly, so be sure to check with the office and book a spot while it is still available. Matt also mentioned that the full day trips on Tuesday and Wednesday were quite successful. The action was best in the morning with most drifts seeing 10-15 keepers each. Most anglers left with a limit, or close to it; and a full boat sea bass limit was easily obtained.
Captain Russ, of The Seven B’s in Snug Harbor, reports steady fishing on the half-day trips this past week, with a good mix of fluke, sea bass, bluefish and scup. Most of the trips are seeing pool fish in the 7- to 10-pound range, so the quality has been there. They will continue to run half-day trips in the morning and afternoon from Monday through Saturday, and then on Sunday’s they run a morning half-day trip followed by and an extended 1 to 8pm trip in the afternoon. “6 pack” charters are also available on the Jeannie B, but spots are filling up fast. Be sure to call soon!
Dave, at Ocean State Tackle in Providence, told me that the fishing at Block Island remains excellent for striped bass, with fish all the way up to the 70-pound mark reported this week! Sea bass action is also excellent around the island, and remains strong on the deeper reefs and rock piles through South County. Green bonito are still around, but they are hit or miss in most locations. It seems that the Narragansett area is producing the steadiest action. Dave got out with Captain Rene Letourneau this week, and while they didn’t find any bonito, they managed around 25 stripers on topwater plugs and light tackle.
Watch Hill Outfitters in Westerly reports that most local striped bass anglers are still heading for the island. Along with the 70-pound fish that was caught and released last Friday, there has been a ton of 40- to 50-pound fish caught right up through this week. Most anglers are catching on live eels, but umbrella rigs and some larger plugs are producing as well. The local reefs are also fishing pretty well, with a steady pick of 30-pound class fish and a few approaching the 50 mark. Scup and sea bass action remains red hot in South County and around the island, while the green bonito reports tend to be best around the Narragansett area.
Connecticut Fishing Report
Andrew, at Fishin Factory 3 in Middletown, told me that the eastern sound through South County Rhode Island is holding tremendous schools of peanut bunker. There are a few pods of bonito popping up around these schools, but for the most part they are going un-molested. The massive schools of bait have most anglers pretty jazzed up for the fall run though, as things are shaping up nicely. The sea bassing has been strong on the deep-water reefs and wrecks in the sound, while the fluke fishing has started to die out locally. If you’re looking for good numbers of keeper fluke, your best bet is the south side of Block. There are loads of school bass in the sound from the Connecticut River to Waterford, but the big bass hunters are still focusing their energy on Block.
Lou, at Hillyers in Waterford, reports that the local bottom fishing remains solid enough, with good sea bass and scup action from Bartletts to Hatchets. The same area is holding some fluke in deeper water, but it’s becoming tricky to figure out when they will cooperate. School striped bass are being taken with regularity around the Niantic River and the adjacent reefs, and some larger fish have come from anglers fishing Bartletts and The Race after dark. Bluefish remain very scarce, with a few being caught one day and then none to be had the next. Blue crab and snapper bluefish action have been two of the most consistent games in town, with good catches in all the local creeks and inlets.
Mike Roy, of Reel Cast Charters, reported that the topwater bite continued to improve this week. He has had no problem finding some good bass on top, and he is starting to get more consistent bluefish action as well. Bigger bass are also getting a bit more prevalent, especially when fishing live baits around dusk or after dark. A few of his clients have requested doing some bottom fishing for scup and sea bass, and they have had no problem filling coolers when they’ve tried. Mike also mentioned that he is starting to see some schools of Atlantic Mackerel popping up in the eastern sound. This is a great sign, as they are a blast to target on light gear and are also a staple food source for many of our larger gamefish.
Rivers End Tackle in Old Saybrook reported that the striped bass bite around the lower river continues to steadily improve. There have been some bass pushing bait on the surface, and the arrival of a few pods of bluefish has helped to drive the bunker up into the river. Scup action is great throughout the sound; while some decent sea bass and fluke catches have come from the deeper structure. Snapper bluefish remain thick around the Causeway, DEEP Dock and around the launch, and the blue crab fishing has been excellent throughout the river.
Captain TJ, at Rock and Roll Charters, reported that the striped bass action has been fair, but the bluefish action has finally shown some great improvements. There have been quite a few schools tearing up tackle on the local reefs; you just have to hop from reef to reef to find where they’re at each day. The scup bite is as good as ever, and the fish are very large. There are also enough fluke and sea bass around to keep the haul pretty diverse. TJ still has openings and will be running through November 18th, so be sure to book a trip soon!
Captain Bruce on The Otter reported another strong week of striped bass fishing with many limits of fish in the 40-inch class. There have been no false albacore sightings yet, but there have been massive schools of small bass and blues feeding on the surface all day long.
At Fishermans World in Norwalk, reports from anglers targeting striped bass after dark have been finding some decent catches around 11B and 28C. Live eels and fresh chunks have been the ticket; while large swimming plugs have produced bass to 20-pounds around the island. Bluefish have finally started to fill in to the west, with fish to the mid-teens being taken on plugs and chunks. Snapper bluefish action has been great in all the usual haunts. Fluke fishing has started to improve, thanks in large part to the influx of snappers; while black sea bass are biting pretty well in deeper water (60-80). Scup are just about everywhere and are taking clams and squid on high-low rigs.
Event:
Join World Record Holder Greg Myerson and the Connecticut Cancer Foundation for the 2nd Annual Fishing Against Cancer Tournament on Friday, Sept 14 and Saturday, Sept 15, 2018. The captain’s meeting will be at 8:00 pm on Friday, Sept 14 at Brewer Pilots Point Marina in Westbrook and then it is lines in after the meeting to see who can catch the longest striper fluke, seabass, and bluefish in this catch-and-release tournament. The Fishing Against Cancer Tournament raises money to help Connecticut cancer patients pay basic living expenses, so each team is required to raise at least $1,000 to qualify for prizes. Register here!
Rhode Island Fishing Forecast
Striped bass anglers can continue to look to the island for a shot at some monster fish, and those who don’t want to make the run can find some decent fish after dark on the local reefs or loads of smaller fish feeding on peanuts. Scup and sea bass action will remain strong, with enough decent fluke in the mix to keep things interesting. Bonito are sparse, but can be found, while the plethora of small bait throughout the area should set the table for some great false albacore feeds in a few more weeks. Those closer to shore can find some great snapper bluefish action and blue crabbing in the estuaries and tributaries.