Rhode Island Fishing Report
Recent reports from the Frances Fleet in Point Judith show mixed results on recent full- and half-day fluke trips, with some days seeing quite a few keepers coming over the rail and others being kind of slow. This can often be the case with fluke fishing, as the bite can be very wind and tide dependent. They have been seeing more black sea bass on recent trips, which should be good news for when the season opens for charter and party boats on June 18th. Reservations for full- and half-day fluke trips can be booked on their website or by calling the office.
Dave at Ocean State Tackle in Providence has reported strong striped bass fishing over the past few weeks, and the action improved even more this week. A plethora of bait has entered the lower bay and the bass have taken notice. Bass are taking topwater offerings in the mornings and eels all day long around Newport. Some large schools of pogies around the Taunton River also attracted some big bass for anglers fishing fresh chunks or live lining. If you can’t find stripers on big artificials or live bait, the tube and worm bite is reportedly as consistent as ever. The first month or so of fluke fishing has been better than any recent years, with a solid keeper ratio and plenty of double-digit fish. Sea bass have been mixed in with the fluke, while the scup fishing remains strong both inside the bay and out front. Freshwater anglers are reporting a solid largemouth bite across the state on Senkos and Zoom Lizards, as well as live shiners. Meanwhile, stocked trout are keeping anglers busy as well, with the best catches coming on Powerbait and worms.
Rob at Newport Sportfishing Charters told me that the bass bite has continued to improve, and once again, the fish have taken another step up in the quality department. Some bigger bait has infiltrated the lower bay, and with it came a wave of some monster stripers. Another nice push of some big bluefish has also moved in, and hopefully that resurgence continues. The bass fishing has been too good this week to really focus on anything else, but reports of fluke and sea bass are still stronger than the last few seasons thus far. Word is that the tuna have started to filter in as well, so we’re right around the corner from full New England summer fishing!
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Ian at Ranger Charters has been spending most of his time cashing in on the big bass bite around Newport. It’s been consistent in terms of size and quantity, and while fishing has been better towards the mouth of the Bay, it’s strong enough to the north to provide refuge on the snottier weather days. Ground fishing has also been steady with a better-than-usual early black sea bass bite, along with an improving early fluke bite.
Jay at Pamela May Charters told me that the fishing continues to intensify locally, and they have started to turn their attention to fishing out front, as opposed to the bay. The striper fishing has been up and down in Narragansett but has picked up significantly on the oceanfront of Newport. Some big fish have been setting up on an early summer pattern, where they’re up in the shallows feeding early, then on the deeper rips and reefs by midday. Jay also got out toward Block Island earlier this week and found a ton of quality fish on topwater plugs. They have been doing well on topwaters and soft plastics early in the day, then switching over to eels as the sun gets high. Fluking still continues to be good on the south shore and includes a good mix of sea bass and scup. Reports of tuna are coming in, especially south of Long Island. It’s just a matter of time until the bite blows wide open.
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Dustin at RI Kayak Fishing Adventures reports that the striped bass bite is trending in the right direction. Despite a lot of picky fish, some big fish are being caught on a more consistent basis in Narragansett Bay and coastal waters. This is the sweet spot in the season, as a decent number of fish are spread out throughout the state. The bluefish bite has been a little hit or miss, however, he expects some nice gators to be caught with more regularity as we get closer to summer. Black sea bass fishing has been going pretty well. Although there are a ton of shorts, put in the time and keepers will come your way. Similar to sea bass, fluke is pretty steady but should drastically improve toward the summer. Largemouth fishing has been hit or miss; the trend has been either getting out early in the morning or taking advantage of the evening or night bite. June is off to a good start for anglers in Rhode Island. Although he doesn’t have many June dates available, head over to Dustin’s website to book your kayak fishing trip for July and beyond.
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Rhode Island Fishing Forecast
Summer fishing is now certainly upon us. A legitimate blast of warm weather has sent the big bait that we’ve been waiting for to the area. Striped bass are abundant throughout Rhode Island waters, with some much bigger bass continuing to enter the Bay on the tails of the pogie schools. And the big bait isn’t just running up the bay, they’re schooling out front, too, so the bass bite is just as strong on the ocean side. Bluefish numbers have waned a bit, but there are still enough around to keep things interesting, and that trend should only continue with this influx of big bait. Fluke reports have been as strong as ever inshore, so if you’re a flatfish enthusiast, I’d recommend looking for them now. There have been a lot more big sea bass in the mix as well, which is always a bonus, and there is no shortage of scup as well.
Where can my husband sign up to go fishing on the boat?? He hasn’t gone on a fishing boat in years…Can he sign up at the bait shop in Providence on Branch Ave.?
Notice one important element – all fish photos are boaters. The shore game is over and done right now. No bait in close to shore or much bait at all in the upper bay towards Providence.