Rhode Island Fishing Report – May 13, 2021

Tautog action continues to pick up for Rhode Island anglers as we wait for fluke and sea bass to get going. Striped bass activity is intensifying across the area, in both the tidal rivers and with fresh arrivals across the beaches.

Rhode Island Fishing Report

Captain Greg, of The Frances Fleet in Point Judith, reported a much better couple of days on the water last weekend and into this week. The fluke grounds are starting to bear more fruit, especially when they can dial in an ideal drift speed. High hook anglers have been seeing 3-4 keeper fish each trip, with the pool fish coming in around the 6-pound mark. They also had their first squid trip of the season last week and the season started off well. They had a steady pick all night, with some nice flurries of better action. These squid trips will sail on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday evenings at 7 pm, and like all of their trips, make sure to make a reservation online.

Dave, at Ocean State Tackle in Providence, told me the bottom fishermen in the area have reported a good scup bite as far north as Warwick and Barrington. Tautog fishing has continued to pick up across the bay and most of the hard structure in South County, with some quality scup coming as bycatch at most locations. Fluke fishing is just starting up and some nice keepers are being found in 60-90 feet of water. Some larger striped bass are now mixed in with the school fish that can be found across the state. The fish are scattered but can often be found pushing bait to the surface across Narragansett Bay, Greenwich Bay, the Providence River, and the Seekonk River. Keep an eye out for diving birds!

Jay, at Pamela May Charters in Narragansett, has been able to put together some excellent squid trips, with most anglers being able to easily fill the cooler. Striped bass action has intensified, as more fresh fish continue to show up at the west wall. Bottom fishing has remained consistent, with a strong tautog bite throughout the bay and some much better cod action over the past few days.

Dustin, at Rhode Island Kayak Fishing Adventures, reports that the striped bass bite has slowly started to pick up, with fresh, sea lice covered fish showing up across Narragansett Bay. They are being caught on a variety of techniques, including light tackle, flies, and bait. The tautog bite has remained very consistent with keepers being caught on both shallow and deep structure. Largemouth bass have started to spawn and can still be taken on shallow beds.

Nick at Big Bear Hunting and Fishing told me that the tautog fishing has gotten quite strong across the state. If you can find a day or time window that the wind decides to cooperate, easy limits are attainable. More stripers are showing up every day, including some better fish that are harassing the pogies that also just started to show up in good numbers. Freshwater anglers are reporting some hefty largemouth moving into shallow water, including a nice 5.5-pound bass caught at Watermens this week by one of the shop owners. Trout fishing has gotten a bit tougher, but some quill hatches in the Wood River have provided a bit of action this week.

Captain Rob, of Newport Sportfishing Charters, continues to put a nice beating on the tautog. They have found plenty of keepers on most trips and started getting into some much larger fish over the past few days. Things should only improve from here, be sure to book a trip soon!

Connecticut Fishing Report

Heather from Blackhawk Sportfishing reported a strong week in this early fishing season. The squid trips have been successful, with most anglers filling the coolers and buckets with fresh squid. There has been a lot of demand for these trips, and they will be posting some more dates soon! The early porgy trips have been successful as well, with steady action and some bonus weakfish! The trips will remain by reservation only at this time, and tickets will be available for purchase on Monday evenings at 8 pm. They are also booking private charters, but they are filling quickly, so be sure to book soon!

Mike Roy of Reel Cast Charters has been focused on the lower river bite and has found solid numbers of schoolie and slot bass. Water temperatures are still on the lower side, which has limited the surface activity, but 7-inch sluggos worked subsurface has remained a top producer. There seems to be more and more herring getting pushed on the surface this week, and that should only intensify as the water warms. Mike still has some openings this month, so be sure to book one ASAP!

Evan from Black Hall Outfitters reports that the warmer weather has certainly brought more fishing opportunities. The stripers are moving their way up the coast, with more fish showing up each day. It has mainly been school-class fish, with a few bigger fish in the mix. Fluke reports are quiet, but the season is open, and the sea bass opener is right around the corner. For those looking to pound the bottom, the time is coming, and BHO has all the gear and bait you’ll need to get on the board. Freshwater anglers are reporting steady trout action on the Farmington and Mill Rivers, while the CT River continues to produce catfish, pike, bass, and panfish. Bass action is heating up as well, with the smallmouth and largemouth starting to spawn in the shallow water.

Joe, at Diorio Guide Service, has continued to pound the lower river over the past few days, and the school bass fishing has been excellent. They have been getting fish on both topwater and jigs, with Yo-zuri TopKnock and JoeBaggs Patriot fish doing most of the work. Most of the fish are under the keeper size, but they seem to be getting a little better each day!

Captain Chris Elser told me that he has seen the first local bluefish action kick off this week in the western sound, along with some bigger striped bass that have started to move into the area. The bunker have started to show up in better numbers, which will help to continue to intensify the push of big bass and bluefish. The water temperatures are getting close to optimal, and Chris expects the fishery to really take off this weekend!

Fisherman’s World in Norwalk reports that striped bass bite has continued to intensify from New York to Norwalk. Bigger bass continue to make the move to our waters, and the average size has increased up to the 20-30-pound mark. Anglers heading towards New York are still scoring on the troll and on fresh bunker; while local anglers have been scoring nice fish on artificials around the beaches, the islands and the herring runs. The local fluke fishing consists of mostly shorts, but those putting in some time are finding some keepers, with most coming from the shallower water around the islands and beaches. The scup bite has been red hot in Oyster Bay, and there have been enough bycatch sea bass to get anglers excited for the upcoming opener. Freshwater anglers are reporting some better walleye action at the Saugatuck, using shiners under slip-bobbers, and there are still some nice 3 to 5-pound trout being taken using the same methods.

Rhode Island Forecast

Striped bass activity continues to improve with bass hot on the tail of herring in the rivers and fresh arrivals showing up out front. Tautog is the top pick for Rhode Island ground fishermen, while the fluke action steadily increases with the arrival of squid. The scup bite is starting to get going, and the amount of sea bass bycatch is encouraging for the season opener in the coming weeks. Freshwater anglers continue to report good largemouth and smallmouth bass catches in shallow water; while trout anglers continue to find steady action amidst the spring hatches.