Rhode Island Fishing Report
The Frances Fleet in Point Judith continues to offer customers fall tautog trips as well as trips targeting cod and black sea bass. They had a busy weekend, being sold out on Saturday and chartered by RISAA on Sunday. The weather conditions weren’t ideal, but they made the best of it, with a number of limits and most anglers getting a few fish for the table. High hook took a 10-pound fish, which was released to swim another day. There are still a few nice cod and sea bass showing up as well. Water temps are still in the 60s and the bite is only going to get better. The cod/sea bass boat had great fishing both days. The dogfish seemed to push off so the sea bass and cod could get to the boats. Cod fish to just shy of 20 pounds, and sea bass to 5 pounds, were showing up with regularity. They’ll be sailing all weekend for tog at 6 AM on the Gail Frances. 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 told me that reports quieted down just a bit this week due to some colder temperatures, but the reports have been status quo otherwise, as the fall season rolls on. The main interest for anglers across Rhode Island continues to be hunting for big tautog. The lower bay and just out front have been hotspots, but the fishing has been good across multiple depths and on just about all the rockpiles across the state. Per usual after a few weeks into the season, finding smaller pieces of structure that aren’t as heavily fished is a good strategy. Anglers are still reporting big sea bass and scup in the mix as well, so coolers have been as full as ever. The striped bass fishing has remained solid in the bay and rivers, while South County surfcasters reported an uptick in action and quality of fish along the beaches and breachways. Big plugs that will dig into the high swell, along with big eels are still getting the job done out front. For the fall squid enthusiasts, reports picked up a bit with the cooler temperatures this week, and we should have another week or two before they’re out of here for the season. Freshwater anglers are reporting excellent trout fishing since the recent stockings, with powerbait and worms working equally well. Silver Spring in North Kingston and Olney Pond at Lincoln Woods have been hotspots, but a number of other trout ponds are fishing good as well. Dave is now back to work a few hours a day, and the shop is open seven mornings a week. Check his Facebook page for schedule updates.
Ralph Craft at Crafty One Customs reported another great week of tautog fishing in and around the bay. Limit catches have been the norm and there are some very big fish being caught. There are still some nice-sized black sea bass mixed in with the tautog, which is always a nice bonus. There are also quite a few striped bass around, along with some bluefish. The bait and bass are on the move this time of year and the bite can be inconsistent but, overall, people are doing well. Reports of bonito around the mouth of the bay and Point Judith continue to come in, but false albacore have been very tough to find this season.
Captain Connor at Tall Tailz Charters provided the following report after a strong week of tautog fishing: “Fishing this week has been stellar. Temperatures are finally starting to drop closer to their November range and the tog are really chewing. This is the magic part of the season where you can have great days in depths from 30 to 100 feet, which provides a nearly endless amount of good structure to fish in the area. We’ve been getting a lot of quality fish on the jig, with the Tall Tailz white legger and yellow belly being the most productive jig colors. Each trip we’ve been getting easy limits with some nice donkeys in the mix. I’ve been using an even mix of both green and white crabs. Building the bite appropriately has been paying off well for us. It’s only going to get better as the temps continue to drop!”
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Eric at The Saltwater Edge in Middletown reports that fishing in Rhode Island remains rock solid, with the recent cool down and subsequent warm-up only helping things. Inconsistency remains a common theme this season, which is no surprise with the ups and down of the weather recently, but if you spend some time exploring, you’ll find the fish again. Albies, like they’ve been all season, are unreliable. However, the bonito are still showing themselves in decent numbers around the mouth of the bay. The striped bass bite is still going strong out front across the beaches and bays, while it also started to pick up in the backwaters, which is a general theme for late fall. The bass are often attracted to these backwaters for a warm-water refuge and also to mow down all the bait that’s also using it as a refuge. Smaller offerings such as the Rebel Jumpin Minnow, Game-On X-Walk, along with 5- to 7-inch soft plastics are key for late-season striped bass. Tautog fishing has remained the highlight of the week, per usual this time of year. There are two main methods of targeting these fish right now, and Rhode Island has such an incredible fishery that both are working. Anglers are either still using light tackle, with better presentations on the shallower structure, or heavy lines/leaders/weight and fishing the deeper, rough structure. Both options are producing consistent keeper fish, along with plenty of studs!
Captain Rob at Newport Sportfishing Charters is coming off the high of landing the state record tautog last week, and while he hasn’t seen sizes like that, he reports even more consistent fishing. The fish have been chewing across a number of depths, with the bigger girls still holding a bit deeper. Per usual this time of year, the fishing pressure is still relatively high, so look to get off the beaten path and find some untapped structure for your best chance at some big whitechins. The above-average temperatures have kept the shallow jig bite going strong longer than usual, so you should have no shortage of structure to work. The amount of quality, fishable structure also helps with the weather. Outside of the extremes, you should be able to find some fishable structure shielded from the wind, so there’s no excuse not to get out there and get after it!
Dustin at Rhode Island Kayak Fishing Adventures sent over the following report for the week: “Despite the calendar flipping to November, fishing has remained consistent, with not many changes since last week. Tautog has been the most reliable bite by far. Some days are leading to a lot of keepers, while other days we’ve had some pretty nice size fish landed. Stripers are still in the mix, however, most of the fish that have been caught on our trips are schoolies. When fishing for stripers, I’ve also ran across a few snapper bluefish schools, which is another great light-tackle option right now. I also saw another push of bonito this week, so don’t quit on hardtails just yet! I’ve heard that squid fishing has picked up considerably across the state, too—it looks like we’re in primetime for fall squid enthusiasts. In addition to tautog being a reliable target, black sea bass and scup are still being caught but the scup are thinning out little by little. Tog fishing won’t be slowing down for a while and holdover stripers should pick up in the next few weeks. Head over to our site and book your fishing trip today.”
Jay at Pamela May Charters reports that tautog is in full swing. They had another strong weekend, despite some wind. Fish are at all depths, but sweet spot remains in the 25- to 30-foot range. The fish are still all over the place though, so you can still find them on the lesser-fished pieces of structure, and/or in spots shielded from the wind. The lesser fished humps are still the best place to find some bigger fish, as well as the bonus keeper sea bass. Striped bass activity has picked up around Narragansett and points west, with better numbers of fishing showing up along most of the South County hotspots. There are still plenty of fish up in the bay, the rivers, and up inside the breachways/salt ponds as well, for those not looking to fish the big South County surf. Bonito made another appearance this week as well, so make sure you have all your light tackle gear on the ready.
Rhode Island Fishing Forecast
While last week was one for the record books, literally, for Rhode Island tautog anglers; this week has marked another stellar week of great consistency. While I haven’t heard of many 15-pound-plus tautog this week, there seems to be plenty in the 5- to 12-pound range, and the ease of locating them seems to have taken a turn for the better. The Rhode Island shoreline is certainly not devoid of hard structure, and right now you can find quality tautog anywhere from 15 to 100 feet of water. This not only allows you to avoid crowds and work different depths, it also still provides some options on days that the weather doesn’t cooperate, and your range is limited. Regardless of the weather, or the size of your vessel, you should be able to find some fruitful water on most trips. You’re likely to find plenty of big sea bass in the mix still, along with a few nice cod for anglers fishing deeper water.
The warmer weather has likely slowed down the striped bass migration, and reports have intensified from the South County beaches and breachways. This is a telltale sign of the season winding down, but it’s also a great time to intercept some big bass close to shore, before they make the big move. There are still some bass in the rivers and up inside the breachways as well, so if you don’t want to get smacked by a big swell, you should still be able to find some nice bass to play with in the backwaters.
Bonito reports improved once again this week and fall squid enthusiasts also reported steadier action.
Another staple of October fishing is fall trout fishing, and the DEM has continued their fall stocking program this week, and reports have been good from a number of bodies of water.