Rhode Island Fishing Report
The Frances Fleet in Point Judith lost a few days of sailing due to the recent winds, but the trips leading up to it were producing a nice mix of cod, fluke, black sea bass, scup, ling, and mackerel! The water is starting to clean up, so the fishing should fire right back up. Be sure to call the office or check their website for reservations!
Dave, at Ocean State Tackle in Providence told me that the recent winds have kept fishing reports down, but anglers working the protected waters are still finding some good catches. The striped bass and bluefish bite has been solid throughout the bay, and some encouraging reports have come in from the Providence and Seekonk Rivers. The false albacore bite had been quiet with the blow, but there are still sporadic pods popping up, so they should still be around when things settle down. Bottom fishermen are reporting solid sea bass and tautog fishing, with the latter being easy enough to find without leaving the bay.
Ralph, at Crafty One Customs has been keeping busy preparing for their RI Tog Classic, and Ralph is expecting a huge turnout this year. The event is set for October 8th, but you need to sign up by September 29th, so be sure to get those last-minute entries in. He also reported that the bass bite has been good out in front of Aquidneck Island, with big numbers of 30-40-inch fish, and a few bigger fish around the 40-pound mark. Albie fishing has still been good when anglers have had a good enough forecast to get after them, and there are still quite a few bonito around as well. Tautog fishing has been good, but the rough weather has kept the pressure at bay, which should be a good thing for the upcoming tournament.
Eric at The Saltwater Edge in Middletown reports:
“Surf season is here! We have a lot of bait around, either leaving the ponds and estuaries or making their way past our shores. Don’t wait to get out and get some striper fishing in. Super Strike Poppers, Northbar Darters, and the 6-inch X-Walk have been performing very well day and night. Hardtail season hasn’t been easy for any angler in RI this year, but there is still hope for a strong finish. The fish are still here but they are tight to the bait and with the wind pattern we’ve been having that bait isn’t always on-shore. The boat anglers have been having a tough time of it with the wind and waves as well, but if you can get on them there are some truly giant albies around. Tautog fishing is off to a great start with easy daily limits both inshore and near shore. It can be tough to give up chasing breaking fish but if you can manage it you’ll find some really nice tautog in our local waters. Don’t be afraid to go shallow even before the water cools down.”
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Captain Rob, at Newport Sportfishing Charters has been hanging inshore when the weathers not too bad, but things remain pretty churned up. Since the blow, Rob has been focusing on striped bass and bluefish, with quality specimens of both species in and around the bay. Bottom fishing is reportedly strong for tautog and sea bass, and Rob will be focusing his attention on tautog very soon.
Connor, at Tail Tailz Charters told me that fishing has been good when the weather has cooperated, which hasn’t been very often lately. Mahi and tuna fishing was good before the blow, but reports have been quiet for offshore anglers. The inshore fall run is in peak form for anglers that have gotten out there, with reports of albies and bones out front as well as the bay. There are still plenty of big bass and blues in the mix as well. With all the bait around, and improving tautog fishing, it’s shaping to be another epic fall season!
Jay, at Pamela May Charters also had quite a few trips lost to the weather, but word is that a strong striped bass bite is still going on in the aera. A good push of mullet has entered the area and is firing up a bass bit in the bay, the rivers, and the salt ponds. The water is starting to clean up, so hopefully the light tackle false albacore, bonito, and striped bass action picks back up this weekend. Bottom fishing is also reportedly very good for tautog and sea bass, and Jay’s looking forward to putting in some anchor time this weekend.
Dustin at, Rhode Island Kayak Fishing Adventures told me that after a couple weekends of storms, the false albacore bite persists. As the fall run develops, Dustin is also finding stripers and bluefish in a lot of different places. Tautog fishing has been pretty solid and will get better as the water temps cool down. When the tautog bite heats up there is usually a nice black sea bass bite to go with it, so there’s quite a bit of strong fall fishing still ahead of us. Really good squid fishing is also right around the corner for fishermen that want to mix it up a bit. Dustin has some dates for October and November for kayak and shore fishing trips, so be sure to reach out to schedule your kayak and/or shore fishing trip today!
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Rhode Island Fishing Forecast
A strong and steady east wind has kept fishing reports to a minimum over the past few days, but we should be early enough in the calendar, where things should rebound nicely as we clean up. Rhode Island light tackle anglers should see no shortage of options, with steady striped bass and bluefish action persisting through this week’s weather. False albacore reports have been a bit spottier in the dirty water, but there have been enough sightings to provide anglers some hope this weekend. Bass and blues of mixed sizes can be found blitzing on the plethora of small bait in the area, feeding on the usual reefs and rips, and also feeding in the wash. Whether you’re on the boat or shorebound, you shouldn’t have a problem finding some bass to play with. Sea bass and tautog fishing saw another step forward this week and should only see more improvement with the water cooling and cleaning. There is also no shortage of big scup on any of the local rockpiles. The tuna and mahi bites were solid before the blow, and while no one has ventured out recently, there’s likely still some good offshore fishing to be had.