Rhode Island Fishing Report- May 2, 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 as soon as the weather decides to stabilize and then add in squid trips as soon as that 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. Call their office for updates on planned sailing times as spring fishing is often weather dependent. 

Jay at Pamela May Charters told me that they kicked off their season last week, with their usual target, holdover striped bass. They found a ton of small stripers in the 12- to 15-inch range, landing over 30 in a 2-hour span. All were caught using light tackle, including the cocahoe minnow and white grubs on jigheads. They were also able to fool some stripers using the 6-weight fly rod. They also fished out front a bit this week, and found some bigger schoolies, up to slot size. There are also plenty of slot fish up the bay, which are starting to offer some exciting topwater action. The striped bass action will only get better from here in the coming weeks, and Jay also anticipates some fruitful tautog trips over the next two weeks. 

Dave at Ocean State Tackle in Providence reports that striped bass fishing is improving across the area, with a glut of bigger fish moving into the area this week. Reports from the beaches have been quieter, but there should be some nice schools of fresh bass showing up any day now. Anglers fishing the pre-dawn and post-dusk timeframes are finding some nice bass that will fall to artificials, such as SP minnows, darters, and various soft plastics. A nice push of pogies into the area has really kicked up the bigger bass bite though, and per usual, is the top bait choice for those looking for big bass.  Blackfish reports have improved a bit over the past week, and it appears they are starting to move inshore. Squid reports have been inconsistent to poor from Hyannis to Newport, however reports from the past few nights have been much better locally, so things may be trending up. Trout fishermen are taking advantage of some fresh stocking and better weather, with good reports from across the state. Dave is open daily 6 AM to 6 PM for all your freshwater and saltwater needs. 

Rob at Newport Sportfishing Charters finally got his boat in the water and had a couple of shakedown trips this week. He reported some steady tautog action on all of his tautog trips, along with some hungry stripers that have been willing to eat live pogies, or the occasional topwater offering. It will only improve from here, as more bait and squid infiltrate the area. 

Over at Snug Harbor Marina, reports have been decent for anglers fishing around the walls of the Harbor of Refuge for striped bass. Fresh school bass are also being caught along the adjacent beaches and in the salt ponds. These fish have generally been on the small side, but better numbers of slot fish are being reported each day. Tautog fishing out front is still on the slow side but reports from up in The Bay really started to heat up this week. Squid reports are just starting to trickle in locally, and reports have been strong from Massachusetts, so it seems that some strong squid action is right around the corner. 

Ralph at Crafty One Customs reports that the striped bass have really started to move into the bay. Not quite in full force, but we’re certainly getting close. Tautog fishing is also starting to heat up and that’s fueling some nice multi-species days. Last weekend, one customer reported catching a half-dozen quality stripers, along with around 20 tautog. The tautog bite has been most productive in shallow water, using light jigs. The squid haven’t shown up in good numbers yet locally, but reports from the cape are improving, so it should be any day now! 

Dustin at Rhode Island Kayak Fishing Adventures told me that the striped bass bite has improved a bit this week. Compared to last year, the bass bite seems to be a little behind schedule, but he expects that to change very soon. Although there are some outliers, most of the fresh migratory fish being caught are up to mid-30-inch class. Tautog fishing has been very consistent for a few weeks now providing some nice action and table fare. Bluefish, weakfish, and scup should be here any minute now which will really kick off the spring bite. The squid have pushed in nicely providing yet another target for saltwater fishing. The DEM has continued to stock trout a few times per week since opening day so now is the time to target them. Largemouth fishermen are still doing well, as the fish are feeding heavy in their pre spawn mode. Dustin’s weekend dates for May and June are taken, however there are some weekdays available for both months in addition to some availability for July, August, and September. Fishing is really getting ready to fire up in a major way. Book your kayak fishing trip ASAP! 

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

Rhode Island Fishing Forecast

As water temperatures continue to climb in Narragansett Bay, and like clockwork, the tautog and striped bass bites have responded as you would expect. Better specimens of both species are being caught with regularity in the Bay, and are providing some excellent multi-species trips, without having to travel too far. While some larger bass are chasing the pogie schools through The Bay, there are increased reports of smaller fresh striped bass showing up around the Harbor of Refuge and along the beaches. Fresh pogies, live or chunked, always produces, but for those throwing artificials, the bass seem to be responding to big soft plastics and swimming plugs right before and after the sun is present. Squid reports have been mostly quiet locally, but reports from Massachusetts have been good and local reports over the last two days seem to be trending in the right direction. Get out whenever you can, as both the striped bass and tautog bite is bound to hit a strong level of consistency at any time now, while the squid action blows open. Freshwater anglers are reporting quality largemouth catches, especially in the herring ponds, and the trout fishing is as strong as ever following increased stocking and settled weather.