Pictured above: This big striper was caught aboard Diorio Guide Service.
July is here and Block Island is producing large stripers, sea bass, and fluke — right on schedule. Connecticut waters have seen an influx of bunker, and therefore more striped bass.
Fishing Report For Connecticut
Andrew at Fishin Factory 3 in Middletown told me that the schools of bunker in the lower Connecticut River are finally starting to thicken up, and they continue to draw in some better bass. The bite hasn’t materialized on the eastern sound reefs just yet, but things are going strong at Southwest Ledge, The Race and around Watch Hill. School bass can be found along the Connecticut shoreline, and there are quite a few small bluefish in the mix as well. The sea bass bite is solid around Six Mile, and Andrew is starting to hear of more keepers just to the east. The fluke bite remains spotty, but the local bite continues to be the best, so traveling long distances isn’t always necessary.
Chris at Black Hall Outfitters told me that the bunker is finally in and the bigger bass have found them. Anglers that are just snagging and dropping fresh bunker are consistently scoring good catches. Local fluke fishing has been pretty good, and the fish remain relatively shallow. The best catches are coming on M3 spoons and traditional rigs tipped with Gulp. Offshore action has been very good, with tuna, shark and tile catches all being reported with regularity. Take advantage of the good weather while it is here!
Black Hawk Sportfishing reports that their first “after work special” trip last Thursday was a success, with a good amount of striped bass action. There weren’t any true “cows” like they’ve been seeing on the night trips, but there was plenty of action and some keepers. They mixed in some bottom fishing and everyone caught a handful of nice scup and sea bass. Scup limits have been very easy, and sea bass limits are popping up as well, despite quite a few shorts. They will continue to sail every weekday, and twice on the weekends. They will also be adding more specialty trips, so be sure to check with the office for updates.
Captain TJ, of Rock N Roll Charters said that the bass bite remained good last weekend, although it may have slowed down a touch since last week. The strong moon tides made the fishing a bit more difficult, but it should be picking back up. Bluefishing is still slow, but a good amount of smaller fish have moved in; hopefully the big girls are right behind. Scup action is red hot, and the sizes remain great. The summer fishing patterns seem to be settling in, and TJ still has openings for the second half of July.
Mike Roy of Reel Cast Charters told me that bass fishing has continued its upswing with an improvement in quality and quantity each week. Things should only get better as the fish start to settle on the reefs, and we are seeing much more bluefish action than last year. There are small bluefish all over that are eager to hit a topwater, and a few bigger fish to 10 pounds in the mix. Sea bass action remains very consistent, and there are plenty of big scup in the mix as well.
Joe, from Diorio Guide Service, told me that the Connecticut River and the adjacent reefs continue to produce a consistent striped bass bite, while the Block Island and Montauk bite have fired up very nicely. 30- to 40-pound fish are being caught on live bait and soft plastics, and finding a 50 is getting a touch easier. The sea bass action is similar, with some good fish in CT and a lights-out bite going on at Block Island.
Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain for Connecticut.
Rhode Island Fishing Report
Captain Greg, of the Frances Fleet in Narragansett, reported much better results on the full-day boat over the weekend. The bomber sea bass have shown up in full force, and plenty of quality fluke remain in the mix. Nearly everyone left with a limit of sea bass and a few got their limit of fluke. GULP and bucktails continue to produce best for both species. The weather continued to cooperate on Monday and so did the fishing. With the new moon approaching there has been a great drift, which has resulted in some strong fluke catches. As the drift died out, they transitioned to sea bass and found plenty. High-hooks left with limit catches of fluke and sea bass, with the pool fluke coming in right around 10 pounds. You couldn’t ask for a much better marine forecast for the holiday week, so be sure to get out and take advantage of it.
Captain Wade of Booked Off Charters told me that he’s been able to find a good striped bass bite of late, with quick limits and fish to 33 pounds. Once the bass fishing winds down, they transition to fluke fishing, and that finally turned back on. The end of last week was strong, with a ton off keepers and a few fish in the 9- to 10-pound range. The weekend was more of the same, with plenty of quality keeper fluke and striped bass. The weather and tides are lining up nicely for the weekend, so we should see more of the same from all species.
Captain Brian of, Big Game Sportfishing took advantage of the weather and made an offshore run late last week, and they were rewarded with some very good trolling action. They boated 2 of 7 bigeye, a couple of yellowfin and some big mahi while trolling large Rapala X-Raps. Brian also mentioned that a good slug of 40-pound-class fish have moved into the Block Island area over the past few days, so fishing has been great. Big fluke remain in the same area, so multi-species trips are as strong as ever right now!
Watch Hill Outfitters in Westerly in Westerly reports that the fluke fishing around Block Island has fired back up as of late, and the numbers continue to improve. There are some good-sized sea bass in the mix, along with hubcap scup, and both species should become more prevalent in the coming weeks. Bass fishing is improving throughout the state, with a good mix of fish around Watch Hill, and some larger fish making their way onto Southwest Ledge. As always, both live eels and wire are producing good fish, with the first confirmed reports of 50-pounders showing up with some regularity.
Captain Kelly of C-Devil II Sportfishing in Narragansett reports that the fishing continues to be great, as the big stripers have shown up again, and most trips are seeing quick limits followed by some good fluke and sea bass action. Sea bass action has been best in the deeper water and helps avoid the dogfish. Scup continue to be plentiful and the bluefish are getting more common now as well, including a few around the 40-inch mark this week. The offshore bite is intensifying, with plenty of sharks and water temperatures approaching tuna territory! Be sure to check their facebook page for updated reports, and their live booking calendar.
Dave at Ocean State Tackle in Providence, told me that the striped bass have continued to spread out and there has been a solid bite in Newport, Jamestown, Narragansett and Block Island. A couple fish in the 50- to 60-pound class have popped up this week, so the time is now. Scup are all over, but they have started to spread north. They can be found in good numbers at Sabin Point, Conimicut Point and Rocky Point.
Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain for Rhode Island.
Connecticut Fishing Forecast
Like clockwork, July has hit and the big stripers, sea bass, and fluke are all available at the island. Mother Nature has granted us a tremendous holiday week, so it should be easy enough to cover some ground if you so desire. Striped bass action throughout the rest of Rhode Island has been steady as well, and the same could be said for fluke. The eastern sound is lagging in terms of bass action, but the Connecticut River is full, and so are just about all the borders, so we should be seeing fish settling on the reefs soon enough. Bottom fishing across the eastern sound has been very steady and may be more consistent than Rhode Island at this point, so if you need to stay close to home there will be fish to be had. The offshore reports are firing up nicely, and if that’s your cup of tea, you can’t ask for a much better holiday marine forecast!