Rhode Island Fishing Report- April 4, 2024

Rhode Island Fishing Report

Over at the Frances Fleet in Point Judith they are eagerly waiting on the return of nicer weather with plans to start fishing for tautog and cod around mid-April and then add in squid trips as soon as the bite starts to come together. Fishing for fluke and black sea bass will start up in May as the seasons open for both species. Their full schedule can be viewed on their website where you can also make reservations for upcoming trips. 

Dave at Ocean State Tackle in Providence is gearing up to open the shop for the season, which will happen this Saturday. He’ll have the shop open from 8-1 this weekend and will have a number of deals/sales going on for his opener. He also mentioned that he fully intends to have green crabs for tautog anglers by April 12th.  In terms of fishing, word is that anglers are starting to find more holdover striped bass, and the squid anglers are anticipating their first big hauls of the year. Die-hard squid anglers across the state are hitting up Dave for squid jigs and rigs, so we should be very close in terms of that fishery. Dave will also be plenty ready for the start of the Rhode Island trout season and early season tautog fishing. Currently, anglers could look to most of the inland bodies of water that do not hold trout for solid bass fishing, along with a decent calico bite.  
 

Rob, at Newport Sportfishing Charters told me he’s spending most of his time getting the boat ready for the upcoming season. That said, he’s found some time to target big largemouth bass, and has had plenty of success. The water is still cold, so the fish want slow presentations, mainly jigs, but they’re chewing well. He’ll be transitioning to salt soon, so be sure to lock down a date for a trip before it’s too late! 

Elisa, at Snug Harbor Marina reports a bit of a lull in the fishing activity this past week due to cold, wet, and windy conditions. The few anglers that have been out have been targeting holdover striped bass or winter flounder with some success. Tautog fishing has opened, and they have green crabs, Asian crabs, and sandworms in stock for those looking to get out. They continue taking in gear for the annual used tackle sale which will take place on April 27th and 28th. There has been a lot of interest and activity around the shop already this year and they will likely open full time in mid-April. Until then, it’s best to call ahead to be sure that the shop is open before heading down. 

Chris Catucci with Hobie Pro Team told me that he has been focusing on freshwater largemouth bass fishing, with some pretty solid results. Prior to the last round of rain, water temperatures were about as warm as ever for mid-March, but they have dropped back down into the 40s over the past week. Most of his success has come by working jigs along the deeper shorelines, especially if you can find some wood or other structure along these deep shorelines. He also noted that some of the herring run ponds are starting to see more largemouth activity, and in those instances look for the fish to be holding in current looking to ambush their prey. Word from early season tautog anglers are starting to improve as well, so he’s going to be shifting some attention to that this week! 

Ralph, at Crafty One Customs, reports that him and his crew have been busy filling orders for the upcoming season. The shop is now open 7-days a week, from 9-5 on weekdays and 9-3 on the weekends. The shop is fully stocked with just about everything you will need for a successful 2024 season. Fishing activity has been pretty light, besides some anglers targeting late-winter largemouth at some of the smaller ponds, but things should pick up soon after the tautog opener on April 1st and opening day of trout season on April 13th. He also mentioned that they will be getting the new Jigging World Nexus 2.0 rods in the shop soon along with Jigging Worlds new line of AMF jigging and popping rods. 

Dustin at Rhode Island Kayak Fishing Adventures told me that with local water temps in the mid 40s, now is great time to start exploring and wet a line. Blackfish opening day was slow, however he was able to catch a few, including one 17-inch keeper using crabs. If you have access to seaworms you may expect a few more bites. In addition to blackfish, codfish has also been a fun target during the early spring. While cod bite should slow down in the next couple of weeks, the blackfish bite is just getting started. Holdover striped bass are still an option however I think it’s a good idea to start throwing some cast in your early season striper areas because the fresh migratory fish will be here in no time. For those not interested in trying saltwater right now, freshwater fishing is really good. Quality largemouth bass are being caught in the shallows with regularity, crappie and other panfish are feeding heavily, not to mention that Rhode Island’s opening day for trout is right around the corner (perfect opportunity to catch a golden trout!). Now is the time to head over to his website to book a kayak fishing trip for yourself and/or loved ones. The “main” season is right around the corner! 

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

Rhode Island Fishing Forecast

In what might sound like a broken record, for those of you that remember records, the cold rain and some cooler nights have kept the water temperatures down, after what was a warm spring. Despite this, freshwater anglers are still finding success for largemouth and smallmouth bass, along with some decent panfishing across Rhode Island. We’re still a few weeks away from the opener of trout season, but in the meantime look for some good bass fishing along the deeper shorelines and structure. Saltwater anglers who have got their vessels wet this week, have been rewarded with steady enough early tautog fishing to make it worth it, along with some winter flounder/cod catches. The holdover striped bass bite has picked up as well, specifically around the herring runs, while the salt ponds are starting to see more school-bass activity.