Rhode Island Fishing Report
The Frances Fleet in Point Judith is still running full-day and half-day trips targeting fluke and black sea bass. Fluke fishing has been holding up well on both the full and half day trips, and the sea bass results have been improving by the day. Other species that might come over the rails on these trips include scup, mackerel, striped bass, bluefish, and sea robins. Their full schedule can be viewed online, and you can also make reservations for upcoming trips on their website of by calling the office.
Dave at Ocean State Tackle in Providence reports that striped bass fishing has remained consistent both inside the bay and out front. Bass are being taken with a number of methods. Live pogies, or trolling the tube and worm and umbrella rigs, has accounted for some nice bass in Narragansett Bay, while working live eels around structure has been good in the bay and out front. The bottom fishing has been solid off Newport this week, with strong scup and sea bass reports, along with some big fluke for the anglers who know where to look. The scup are being caught on just about anything, including clams, squid, and worms. Sea bass are being caught on all the same bait as scup, along with jig/teaser/Gulp combos intended for fluke. A lot of anglers have been heading out to the tuna grounds in between bouts of wind, as things seem to be picking up quite nicely out there. The early indication is that spreader bars have been accounting for most of the tuna, but the jig/popping bite should be right around the corner.
Connor at Tall Tailz Charters told me that things are still heating up in RI. The bass bite is good and still getting better. Most of these fish are well over slot, but with a little hunting they’ve been able to find some slot fish for dinner. Bluefish are plentiful in the mid to upper bay feeding on silversides. The fluke and sea bass bites are consistent both in the bay and out front. The offshore bite is starting to form as well, with close to home giant fishing and recreational-sized bluefin tuna on the midshore grounds. Most of the rec. fish are coming on trolling bars and topwater. Everything is right on schedule!
Ian at Ranger Charters in Newport was happy to report that the fluke bite in his home waters picked up quite a bit and has been very solid for the past week. A push of bigger sea bass has entered the area as well, so most trips are seeing a nice mixed bag. There are some big striped bass hanging out by the island, but another push of slot-class bass and larger hit the Newport area, so there’s no need to travel too far on the bad weather days.
Ralph at Crafty One Customs reports that the striper fishing continues to hold up well around the deeper reefs and the islands, but the warmer areas in the bay are starting to thin out. This is all typical for this time of year, so we seem to be right on track. Fluke reports have been mixed and often vary from tide to tide. That being said, the die-hard flatfish anglers are still dialing in some solid bites. The black sea bass reports have been a little better, and it seems that some larger fish have started to move into the area. Scup fishing has been very good for both shore and boat anglers, so there are plenty of bottom fishing options, even when the fluke don’t cooperate. A few customers have been running offshore where they are connecting with bluefin and even a few yellowfin 20 to 30 miles south of Block or Montauk.
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Jay at Pamela May Charters told me that he’s finding some schoolie to slot-class stripers along the center wall and the west wall, which has provided some refuge with all the high winds and high seas this week. Due to the weather, Jay hasn’t been out to the island yet, but word is that the big striped bass have shown up out there in full force. The sea bass and fluke action has been decent, but the fish have been mostly small. Luckily, some big dinner plate scup have been filling the cooler. The tuna fishing seems to be going strong, but they are still out of range for Jay. Hopefully they move in closer, and we start getting some better weather windows! They still have some openings available for next week around the holiday, so be sure to reach out if you’re looking to get out on the water!
Dustin at RI Kayak Fishing Adventures reports that despite some tough winds and weather this week, he has still seen a good number of big stripers caught in the bay and along the ocean front. We can only hope that this trend continues. Big bluefish are still around, and while the numbers still seem to be down from previous years, there seem to be enough in the bay to keep things interesting. Bottom fishing continues to get better as the water temps warm up and fish are a little deeper. Some days are better than others as far as keeper sea bass and fluke, however the numbers are there, and the dinner plate scup are plentiful! Largemouth bass fishing is also pretty solid early in the morning when fishing shallow water close to structure and cover. Usually around mid-day, largemouth are either caught in deeper water or fishing a frog or swim jig through thick pad cover. Dustin still has a few openings in the schedule from mid-July and beyond for those looking to book their kayak fishing trip!
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Rhode Island Fishing Forecast
Summer fishing has taken over across Southern New England and most of the striped bass and bluefish are in their summer patterns throughout Rhode Island. Bass can still be found in the bay around the pogie schools, but as it continues to warm up you need to fish during the cooler parts of the day or poke around out front. Luckily, there’s no shortage of bass out front as well. The rips and reefs across South County are holding fish and the Block Island summer giants seem to be arriving right on schedule. Bluefishing isn’t as consistent, but they are more tolerant of the warm water and can often be found harassing bait in the bay. Bottom fishing took a turn for the better around Newport this week, with solid fluke reports from just about everyone who fished that area. Unfortunately, the rest of the Ocean State has been a bit slower in terms of fluke, but big sea bass are more prevalent, and there’s more hubcap scup than you’d know what to do with. The wind machine has kept reports quiet from the tuna grounds, but anglers who have gotten out are finding mixed-sized bluefin more often than not, along with some big early-season yellowfin.