Striped bass action continues to heat up at Block Island, while a nice push of keeper fluke are mixed in with some knot-head black sea bass.
Rhode Island Fishing Report
Captain Matt, of the Frances Fleet in Narragansett, reported some solid fluke action this week, including a much improved Monday marathon trip. It was not lock and load, but they chipped away all day and ended up with a nice mix of fluke and sea bass. High hooks ended up with limits of both sea bass and fluke, with the pool fish coming in around 9.5 pounds. They still have plenty of room on the upcoming marathon trips, which sail from 5 am to 5 pm. Captain Mike reported some better production on the half day trips as well. A new push of fluke seems to have moved in, and there is a nice pile of keepers in the mix.
Captain Brian of, Big Game Sportfishing, reports that the striped bass bite has been spectacular over the past few days, with day and night trips producing multiple fish up to the 50-pound mark. If you’re looking to catch a bass of a lifetime, now is the time! They will also continue to run offshore trips whenever the weather permits, and the bite has been solid out there for multiple species.
Captain Wade, of Booked Off Charters said that the striped bass bite was strong at the early part of this week, with plenty of fish to around 35 pounds out around the island. Fluke fishing has been up and down, but there have been some solid catches for the most part. Some days are seeing full boat limits, while other days the keepers are a bit harder to come by. Quality of the keeper fish hasn’t been as much of an issue, with fish all the way up to the 11-pound mark! Their last cod trip was also a success, with 15+ keepers to around 17 pounds.
Watch Hill Outfitters in Westerly reported that the fluke fishing has been showing some signs of improvement in local waters and around Fishers Island. Fish in the 5- to 8-pound range are showing up with some regularity, and 30-40 feet of water seems to be the ticket. Striped bass fishing remains very productive at the island, but you don’t always have to travel that far. The fishing at the local reefs continues to steadily improve, with good numbers of 30- to 40-pound fish. Black sea bass remain mixed in with the fluke, and some large knot-heads are holding on the deeper structure.
Captain Kelly, of C-Devil II Sportfishing in Narragansett, reported that Block Island is solidifying its title as Striper Capital of the World this week. They’re eating pretty much everything they’re throwing at them, and their anglers are loving it; especially after seeing a couple over 50 pounds this week. The sea bass action has been great as well, with a few over the 5-pound mark. The cod action also remains very consistent at the ledge.
Dave, at Ocean State Tackle in Providence , told me that the fluke fishing has been strong in Newport, due to another nice push of squid into the area. Sea bass and scup are in the mix just about everywhere, but the best fishing for all the bottom dwellers remains at or around Block. The striped bass fishing is very consistent at the island, but some better local catches have been coming from the South County beaches and rips. A ton of cocktail blues have shown in the Providence River to provide some great light tackle action.
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Fishing Report For Connecticut
Fishin Factory 3 in Middletown reports that the local fluke bite is up and down, and there are still big numbers of short fish. The action seems to have improved quite a bit out east, with better reports from Fisher’s and the Rhode Island beaches this week. The sea bass can be found just about everywhere, but the better fish are now holding on the deeper structure. Scup can also be found just about everywhere, and there are some very nice fish in the mix. Some bigger bluefish can be taken around the bunker schools and there are taylor blues spread out throughout the sound, but there doesn’t seem to be a large concentration of them in any specific area. Striped bass action remains spotty, but there seems to be slow but steadily improving reports in and around the river.
Chris at Black Hall Outfitters told me that the striped bass action continues to steadily improve at The Race and on our side of the sound, as more bait continues to push in. Livelined or freshly chunked bunker have produced some nice fish by day, while drifting eels is consistently producing after dark. A slight uptick in keeper fluke is reported locally and around Fishers Island, including a few in the 10- to 11-pound range this week. Customers are swearing by the Skinner rattle and swing jigs, and they have produced a number of those larger fish. Scup action has been great in shallow and deep water, while 1-to 3-pound bluefish are readily available throughout the sound.
Heather from Black Hawk Sportfishing told me that they had another great week of fishing in and around Long Island Sound. The day trips have seen easy limits of jumbo scup and sea bass; while the after-work trips have had a good mix of stripers, blues, sea bass and scup. These trips head out on most Thursdays and Fridays at 4pm, and reservations are strongly recommended as space is limited. They’ve got some more night bass trips coming up this week, so stay tuned next week for the report on those.
Josh from Three Belles Outfitters in Niantic says striped bass fishing has picked up a bit more locally, and bunker have shown up in a few areas in decent numbers. Bass seem to be keying in on hickory shad on certain rips. Large plastics or eels seem to be the way to go. Big bluefish are scarce, but small blues are all over Millstone, lower Connecticut River, and Westbrook beaches. Fluke have been a struggle for most locally, but patience with weeding through the shorts can pay off. Big doormats are being caught at Montauk. Scup are reliable and some big ones have been reported out east lately. Sea bass have been consistent as well. Freshwater bass fishing has also been consistent. One kayak angler reported seeing smallmouth blitzing on young herring in the Connecticut River this week. Pike fishing is up and down, with smaller fish being most active this time of year. Low light and colder water are a good recipe for a giant. Carp and catfish are sometimes overlooked but very good sources of fast action this time of year.
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 striped bass bite remains consistent at Block Island and around Montauk. He’s had no problem getting his clients on big fish this week on live eels and soft plastics. Things are a bit slower locally, but he is starting to see more fish in the 36- to 44-inch range on livelined bunker when you can locate the bunker schools.
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Rhode Island Fishing Forecast
This weekend is going to be a scorcher, especially inland, so why not spend it on the water. The heat index should be considerably lower at Block Island, but the fishing will be just the opposite. The annual big bass blitz is on, and this tends to be your best chance at a 50-pound+ fish all season. Fluke and sea bass action is also red hot at the island, but if you’re not up for the ride you should be able to find plenty of fish in local waters. Fluke action has seen an uptick in Fishers Island Sound and off the Rhode Island beaches, while big sea bass and scup are all over the local hard bottom. Big striped bass action has been rather consistent on the South County rips, and we may finally be starting to see some better action in eastern Connecticut.