Rhode Island Fishing Report- August 11, 2022

Rhode Island Fishing Report 

The Frances Fleet in Point Judith reported that they have been seeing a decent pick of fluke on recent full and half day trips, along with a good number of black sea bass. A decent number of limit catches have come on most trips, and most anglers are going home with a nice bag of filets. Trips are filling up fast, especially the weekend trips, so make sure you make a reservation early enough. The full day trips depart at 7 a.m. and the two daily half-day trips depart at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m.  

Connor, at Tall Tailz Charters told me that the fishing remained hot this week, despite the water temperatures climbing to late August numbers. The big bass have been slightly more selective and are a little tougher to revive after a long fight. With that being said, there has still been some incredible fishing, including easy limits of slot fish and multiple fish over 40-pounds. They are also seeing a solid bycatch of 10- to 15-pound bluefish in the mix. The bottom fishing for fluke and sea bass has been decent, but the bite has transitioned to deep water, around 100-feet. The nearshore/offshore bite is still electric, with bluefin, yellowfin, and mahi all relatively close to shore. They have also heard of cobia on the striper grounds, as well as giant tuna a quarter mile from the beach! It’s that time of year where you never know what to expect! 

When I spoke to Jay, at Pamela May Charters, he told me that the striper fishing has remained excellent from Newport to Narragansett. Topwater action has been on fire, with easy limits of slot striped bass and some big bluefish coming during both the morning and afternoon hours. These fish have mainly been feeding on small rain bait, so the fly fishing has been prosperous; but they are also willing to take a large topwater plug. Sea bass fishing has been lock and load on all the local spots, and while the fluking has improved, it is still inconsistent from day to day. They haven’t been out to the island this week but reports of better fluke are still mainly coming from out there. Chub mackerel are still all over the place, and while there have been a few rumors of bonito, nothing is confirmed yet. When the hardtails do make it to the area in full force, it should be a good run based on the amount of small bait in the area.  

Captain Rob, at Newport Sportfishing Charters continues to find some strong multi-species fishing across Rhode Island. There has still been no shortage of large striped bass, whether you fish close to home or head out to the island. Slot class fish are easy to come by and catches to 40-pounds have happened on most trips. The bottom fishing has started to gain steam once again, as the fluking improved quite a bit this week in the bay and out front to the west. As for the offshore action, the canyons are still holding strong with multiple species; meanwhile, the nearshore yellowfin bite has been good most days if you bounce around a bit.  

Crafty One Customs reports that the summer patterns still prevail in the area, with solid striped bass fishing out front, despite the warm weather. Striper fishing is said to be strong around the mouth of the Bay, and there remains some big gator bluefish in the same area, as well as inside the Bay. Fluke fishing has remained steady, and it seems to be one of the better seasons in the last few years. The tuna bite has been tougher, as the fish seem to be on the move this year, and there are a ton sharks still in the mix. That being said, anglers are still reporting steady catches of mainly yellowfin on most trips. There have been some rumors of bonito coming from inshore anglers, but nothing has been substantiated just yet. Tautog season has opened back up, but not too many reports have come in. The shop will be hosting its Rhode Island Tog Classic on October 9th, keep an eye out for more updates! 

Will, at Big Bear Hunting and Fishing reported that local trout anglers are starting to look to the deeper ponds and/or the faster moving streams due to the recent heatwave. Largemouth bass, however, don’t seem to be affected much by the heat, with strong topwater reports coming from most of the lakes and ponds in the state. The shop is now fully stocked with all your freshwater bait and tackle needs. Will also mentioned that he is setting up a fishing club through the shop, and all members will receive 10% off at the shop, along with several tournaments set up through the Fishing Chaos App. Reach out to the shop directly for more information on the club! 

• Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain in Rhode Island!

Rhode Island Fishing Forecast

Summer fishing patterns have prevailed, and some cooler weather and big full moon tides on the way, we should see even more improvement in the fishing this weekend.  

Rhode Island anglers can still find some big bass hanging out in the bay and across the South County shoreline, but the typical summer big bass bite at Block Island has been the safest bet. If you don’t want to travel too far, you shouldn’t have an issue finding some solid bass on the reefs and rips off Newport, and in/around the South County breachways. Fluke reports have remained steady from the island, but the bite also seems to have picked up locally over the past few days, and there is no shortage of sea bass and scup close to home. Reports of some nice tautog have also started to come in for those that are targeting them. Some reports of bonito have come in, but remain scant and unconfirmed, although they shouldn’t be too far away right now. Offshore anglers had to work a little harder for tuna this week, but have found them, and there is still no shortage of sharks.