Rhode Island Fishing Report
The Frances Fleet in Point Judith has been running trips for tautog whenever the weather allows for it and the season continues to roll on nicely. They have seen steady action at the rails on recent trips with high hooks having limits of tautog along with some nice sized black sea bass. Along with the keepers there have been lots of short tautog and black sea bass keeping customers busy at the rail. They will also be running cod and black sea bass trips out around Block Island as the weather permits. You can view the full schedule and make reservations on their website.
Dave, at Ocean State Tackle in Providence reports that the late fall run remains steady across Rhode Island. Larger striped bass are prevalent throughout the bay, Providence River, and Seekonk River. These fish are on the hunt for pogies, so fresh baits have been getting the job done, along with Gag’s Whip It Fish. Tautog fishing has been excellent for anglers throughout the state, and over the past few days there have been more and more double-digit fish reported, including a 13.65-pound fish taken by Chris Higgins on ArchAngel Charters. There are still a good deal of scup and sea bass in the mix as well, so there’s no shortage of full coolers. Another bonus this week was improved squid fishing, with solid reports from the anglers who are targeting them in the Newport area. The Rhode Island DEM has continued fall trout stocking, and you can check their website for stocking updates. Dave fresh pogies, eels, and sea worms in stock, and is open 7 days a week, with reduced hours mid-week. You can check in on his Google page for updated hours.
Eric, at The Saltwater Edge in Newport reports that the inshore fishing continues to be fall run status, despite the calendar creeping towards November. Boat anglers have the advantage of late, but there are plenty of fish starting to make their way to the beaches and breachways. Schoolie size all the way up to large over slot bass are around and feeding. We aren’t seeing the large feeds as we’ve seen in the past, as the bait is a little more spread out with pockets of fish on each bait ball, but don’t get frustrated, if a bite turns off look a hundred yards in any direction and you’ll likely find another one. Tautog fishing is another highlight, and you won’t find anyone around who will argue with you about it. Both inshore and nearshore tautog fishing remains excellent and with this nice weather window, it’s a great time to get out there and land some dinner.
Ralph, at Crafty One Customs reports that there are still plenty of striped bass local waters, with the south shore beaches and shallow reefs producing well. There are still some slammer bluefish in the mix as well, but they have definitely started to thin out over the past few days. The false albacore haven’t left the area just yet, with some solid reports of the them, along with bonito and chub macks coming in over the past few days. The tautog fishing is excellent with plenty of limit catches and quite a few more double-digit class fish this week. There have also been some nice sized black sea bass mixed in with the tautog which is always a nice bonus!
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Connor, at Tail Tailz Charters provided the following report for this week. Not much has changed in terms of the tautog bite, outside of the overall quality of fish, which seems to be improving by the day. The bite has been very good. Some tides are fishing better than others but overall, it has been very productive. We’ve been seeing double-digit fish on most trips this week, including some serious bruisers that have tipped the scales in the mid-teens. A vast majority of these fish have been coming on the jig as well, which is about as good as it gets. A steady mix of green crabs and white crabs has been the ticket. As usual for this time of year we’re getting a nice pile of seabass and cod as bycatch. There’s only better fishing to come as the water temps continue to drop!
Captain Rob, at Newport Sportfishing Charters has also focused his attention on tautog and results have been excellent. They have been finding limits on all trips, with a good deal of double-digit fish to 12-plus-pounds in the mix. Both jigs and rigs are getting the job done, as the fish are spread out through multiple depth ranges. It will only get better from here, as the water cools down and the crowds thin out a bit.
Jay, at Pamela May Charters told me that tautog is in full swing, and he’s been doing well working some smaller humps away from the crowds. The weather hasn’t been ideal, but he has been able to make the most of his days out on the water. He told me that the topwater action has been consistent, and he’s had great success finding stripers blitzing on schools of small bait. Rumors have it that the false albacore are still in the area, and the weather looks much more promising this weekend if you’re going to be looking for them. There will undoubtedly be plenty of bass action and great tautog fishing this weekend though, even if the hardtails move out of the area.
Dustin at, Rhode Island Kayak Fishing Adventures told me that the albies haven’t left the area just yet, but the striped bass and bluefish are a safer bet, as large schools of both species can be found blitzing along the south facing beaches. Togtober is in full effect, as the bite has been improving every day, and there are still good numbers of black sea bass in the mix. This tautog bite is just starting to hit its stride, and temperatures are still great, so we have plenty of opportunities ahead of us. Dustin has a few dates still available in November for those looking to get one last late season kayak or shore trip in, so be sure to book a trip soon!
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Rhode Island Fishing Forecast
For the first time this fall I’m able to talk about an improving weather forecast as we work into the weekend, as opposed to the opposite. Temperatures have risen, winds have settled, and for the first time in a while, this Friday/Saturday isn’t a washout. While the calendar may be approaching November, it feels closer to September, with incredible temperatures and fishing on deck. Despite the warm daytime temperatures, the water has cooled to a point that the big tautog are really starting to chew. This is going to be the main focus of most Rhode Island anglers this weekend, and there should be no shortage of full coolers. Bass and bluefish of mixed sizes can also be found blitzing along the south shore, and some large specimens of both species are tailing pogies in the Providence and Seekonk Rivers. The false albacore haven’t left just yet either, so keep your light tackle gear ready for one more shot at those speedsters before it’s too late. Another bonus of the warmish water temperatures is that there are plenty of sea bass and scup around as well, so anglers looking for tog should have plenty of fish to top off the coolers.