The water has cleaned up since the storm and our late summer patterns are holding true. Strong scup and sea bass action; with some great striped bass and bluefish action at night or in deeper water.
Rhode Island Fishing Report
The Frances Fleet in Point Judith reports that the half-day fishing has remained as good as it gets. The local rock piles are loaded with hungry sea bass, making limit catches common. They have also started to see a bit more fluke coming over the rails since the storm. The full day trips have been similar, with easy sea bass limits and some nice fluke to 7-pounds in the mix. Trip reservations can be made on their website and spots have been filling quick, so we sure to book soon!
Dave, at Ocean State Tackle in Providence, told me the striped bass fishing remains very consistent Block Island, and that area has started to see at least a small uptick in fluke action this week. Scup and sea bass fishing remains very good on all the hard bottom at the island and throughout inshore waters. The tautog bite continues to steadily improve, with good reports from Newport, Jamestown, Tiverton and Portsmouth. Bluefish are still prevalent in the area, but they have been scattered. Some skipjacks have started to show up in the coves and harbors of the east bay, while the blue crabbing remains excellent in the east bay as well as the south county salt ponds.
Captain Connor, at Tall Tailz Charters in Newport, told me the striper fishing off Newport is still stellar with a wide variety of sizes, from school bass to 50-pound cows. The fish have gotten a bit pickier due to the warmer water temps, but properly presented live baits are still getting it done. Bluefish of all sizes can be found up and down the coast, along with frigate and chub mackerel. These fish have been keyed in on small rain bait, so flies and very small epoxy jigs have been the best bet. Fluke fishing picked up again locally, with more keepers being caught each day, while sea bass and tautog action has been steady as well.
Captain Kelly, of C-Devil II Sportfishing, told me that the stripers have been a bit less than abundant than prior weeks, likely due to the rising water temperatures. They are still finding limits of slot fish, but the larger bass seem to have taken a bit of a hiatus. Small bait is everywhere and so are the chub mackerel, which have caught the attention of some big bluefish. A few more bonito have moved into the area, and they have landed a few on several trips this week. The sea bass have been saving the day when the stripers haven’t been around. The sea bass have been crushing Hogy jigs and limits have been easy to come by. They are also starting to see some large tautog, which bodes well for the full season. The summer season is booked, but they are taking bookings for fall cod/tog trips.
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Connecticut Fishing Report
Andrew, at Fishin Factory III in Middletown, said the striped bass fishing has been quiet locally. A few guys are catching out by Fishers and in the Race, but the bulk of the anglers are steaming to the Block for some very strong striper action. Fluke fishing has been relatively weak, with some decent catches at Block and Montauk that have been hard to dial in, and not much doing in CT waters. There are snappers in most tidal rivers now. Tailors are all over the place, Pine Island, Race Rock, Watch Hill… Sea bass action has been good at places like Two Tree Channel and Plum Gut, the deep spots off the Rhody beaches are covered with them. Bonito reports pop up between Point Judith and Watch Hill, but its been tough to find them with all the chub and frigate mackerel around.
Matt, at Black Hall Outfitters, reports that the striped bass fishing remains solid, but has still been best around dawn, dusk and overnight. The gut and the race have produced some bass on jigs during the day, and those same areas are seeing some schools of macks and bonito. The macks and bonito have also started to make an appearance in the sound, so things are shaping up for a great fall run. Snapper bluefishing is good in the rivers, and small blues can be found on many of the reefs and rips as well. The sea bass fishing has been consistent on most of the humps and bumps throughout the area, while the fluke fishing (like most of the season) remains hot and cold. Scup continue to be all over the area and are readily available for shore or boat anglers. Blue crabbing remains top notch in all the tidal rivers and estuaries.
Mike Roy, of Reel Cast Charters, told me that the fishing has picked back up as the water has cleaned up from the storm. He has started to see a good number or large bluefish once again that will hit topwater plugs. If you’re looking for a trophy bass or blue right now your best bet remains live bait though, as the water temps continue to warm and have sent the fish down a bit deeper. A ton of small bait has moved into the area, along with an influx of schoolies, harbor blues and chub macks right on their tail. Scup and sea bass fishing also remains as consistent as ever for those who want to pound the bottom.
Heather, from Black Hawk Sportfishing, told me that the fishing has continued to pick right back up after Isaias. The bottom fishing trips have once again started to produce limits of scup and sea bass all over the boat. The after work trips also saw plenty of sea bass, along with some quality bluefish action. They have also continued their seal watch trips, in which all the proceeds go to local non-profit organizations. These trips are usually on Monday nights and they sell out quick, so be sure to book soon.
Joe, at Diorio Guide Service, told me that the striped bass fishing picked up for him this week with the full moon, and he had fish to 52-inches this week on live eels and soft plastics such as GT Eels. They also had a better mix of big bluefish this week, with plenty of gators in the 12-14-pound range. Sea bassing remains very steady, with limits coming in 2-3 drifts, while the chubb mackerel has filled in and has provided some great light tackle action.
Captain Chris, of Elser Guide Service, is still dealing with the aftermath of the storm, but he has been able to get back on the fish pretty consistently. He is still finding loads of quality striped bass in the 30-50-pound range, and he has been able to get them on topwaters in the middle of the day at times! Bluefishing also continues to be strong, with Chris commenting that it’s the best local bass and bluefish run in at least 10 years. The bait in the area has been incredible, with loads of herring, squid, peanuts and silversides.
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Rhode Island Fishing Forecast
Things have settled down since the storm and we continue to roll through our late summer pattern. As has been the case most of the year, the fluke fishing has been tough. Luckily, the scup and sea bass are all over the hard bottom and are providing good action. The tautog are starting to chew as well for those that have been targeting them. The striped bass season remains a good one, although the warm temps seem to have made it a bit more difficult, or at least causes you to change up your tactics a bit. Bluefish of all sizes remain more plentiful than in years past, and the snapper blues have entered our tribs and are providing tight lines close to home. Big numbers of chub mackerel are here, just like last year, and keep an eye our for more bonito moving into the area this week.
Does this forcast include the Mount Hope Bay and Taunton River area? there is never any mention of that area.