Rhode Island Fishing Report
The Frances Fleet in Point Judith has seen a steady pick of fluke and black sea bass on recent full and half day trips. They have found some areas holding good numbers of fluke and black sea bass and many customers have been limiting out on at least one species. Their big fish of the week was a 29-inch fluke that was just shy of 10 pounds that was taken on a half day trip. Half day trips will sail from 8 to 12 in the mornings and from 1 to 5 in the afternoons. Full day trips leave the dock at 7 a.m. You can get a look at their full schedule and make reservations on their website, or you can call the office.
Dave, at Ocean State Tackle in Providence, reports that the tuna bite has continued to improve and is garnering attention from a number of local anglers. Most anglers have been able to find bluefin of mixed sizes on most of their trips, with fish coming on both the troll and the jig. Some seriously large striped bass are patrolling the waters around Block Island and are also garnering a lot of attention from anglers. Those bass have been pretty easy to find for shore and boat anglers, while the bass bite in the Bay is now better for those working after dark. Fluke fishing has been a bit more challenging as the fish have started to transition to deeper water, but the sea bass and scup action is as strong as ever. A decent push of squid has hit the Point Judith area and there are plenty of blue crabs in local waters for those looking for a different option.
Ralph, at Crafty One Customs reports that the buzz around the shop has been on the offshore fishing which is really heating up south of Block Island and Marthas Vineyard. Bluefin and yellowfin are being caught 20 to 40 miles south of the islands and there have been reports of bigeye out near the canyons. Locally, those targeting striped bass are still doing well on topwater baits and soft plastics. The bass are feeding heavily on sand eels so thinner profile soft plastics seem to be doing the most damage. Fluke fishing is still holding up pretty well and there are plenty of scup and black sea bass around.
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Jay, at Pamela May Charters told me that they finally made it out to the island and were rewarded with loads of fluke by day and some monster bass on eels after dark. Locally, they have been finding some monster knothead black seabass around Point Judith, along with a few keeper fluke mixed in. The striped bass and bluefish have started to transition out of the bay and are hanging close to bottom, so trolling the tube and worm is the best bet for these fish. There has also been a good deal of shad in the salt pond for the fly anglers.
Connor, at Tail Tailz Charters reports that fishing has been off the charts this week. The bass bite is as consistent as ever. They’ve been seeing tons of fish in the 20- to 30-pound range feeding heavy on both sides of the tide. They’ve also caught some big stripers on topwater to 40 pounds! There are also some gator bluefish mixed in with the bass schools. Almost every bluefish we’ve seen this week is over 12 pounds, with the biggest going 17. Bottom fishing is good as well with big knucklehead seabass all over the humps. Fluking has been solid as well, mainly in deeper water over 80′. The offshore bite is excellent with bluefin tuna ranging from schoolies to giants not far from home. Reports of big yellows are coming in with more consistency as the warm water continues to trickle in. Summer fishing at its finest right now in RI.
Dustin at, Rhode Island Kayak Fishing Adventures reports that the striped bass action is still hot and heavy, with plenty of fish of mixed sizes being caught. There is no shortage of gator bluefish as well, and they are providing clients with the fight of their lives on the kayak! The bottom fishing bite seems to be picking up, with a lot more keeper seabass, fluke, and large scup being taken. This is great news because on days that striper action is slow, bottom fishing can provide great table fare. Don’t sleep on the summer freshwater bite either, as the largemouth fishing has been really strong. With summer fishing in full bloom and the fall run not too far away, be sure to reach out to Dustin to book a trip at rikfa.com.
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Rhode Island Fishing Forecast
Rhode Island striped bass anglers can take advantage of the migration of giant striped bass to Block Island. These fish are right on schedule and anglers are catching nicely whenever they make the run. South County has stripers moving all over the area on the tail of sand eels, but it’s getting tougher to find them during daylight hours. Anglers fishing low light or after dark are finding the best results locally. Fluke reports have been up and down, but generally some good catches are being reported for anglers that have gotten away from the crowds/commonly fished areas. The sea bass season has been strong since the opener and the sea bass season starts this weekend for the charter boats. Scup has been rounding out the catch nicely, with plenty of keepers for shore and boat anglers. The offshore bite has continued to improve, with solid reports of recreational bluefin relatively close to home, a few giants, and strong yellowfin numbers. Freshwater anglers have no shortage of opportunities, with strong reports for post-spawn largemouth, crappie, pike, carp, and trout.
Another week nothing about shore fishing.
yet there are plenty of short fluke for sale at the seafood counter