Rhode Island Fishing Report
The Frances Fleet in Point Judith continues to do well with squid and has also seen improving fluke results on recent trips. The squid trips this week were a success once again. Those who were dialed in easily got full buckets, with high hook seeing around 200 pieces! Fluke trips from last weekend saw an increase in numbers and size. Most anglers went home with a few nice keepers, including the best fish of the trip coming in at 28 inches! Short fish were plentiful as well, but at least they help to keep the action steady. Long lines and Gulp were getting the job done, and it should only get better from here. Make sure you book a trip soon to get in while the fluke bite is good.
Dave at Ocean State Tackle in Providence reports that the striped bass fishing has continued to trend in the right direction. With more pogies infiltrating the area this week, anglers saw an increase in larger fish just like clockwork. Those targeting striped bass are doing best on fresh pogie/mackerel chunks, worms, and clams in the upper bay and rivers. Throwing large plugs at the breachways after dark is starting to produce better catches. Anglers fishing from both boat and shore have reported a nice push of big bluefish over the last couple of days as well, so let’s hope they hang around for a while. Another strong weakfish season has continued, with solid reports coming from Greenwich Bay and Mount Hope Bay. Squid fishing has continued to be consistent for both shore and boat anglers across the state. Tautog throughout the bay have been more active, but short fish are still greatly outnumbering keepers. Scup fishing is reportedly great for anglers fishing worms, squid, and clam tongues. Mid-bay reports are improving as well at Colt State Park and Rocky Point. Recreational black sea bass season has just opened up and positive reports are coming from the usual early season hotspots. Dave is open 7 days a week for those who need to load up on gear or bait for the weekend.
Captain Connor at Tall Tailz Charters told me that he had another great week of local fishing, with the focus mainly being on striped bass. They had a good number of larger bass this week, with fish to 30-pounds or so feeding on pogies further up the bay. Connor has also been on a strong flutter spoon bite in deeper water, with fish ranging from around slot size to 40 inches. Deeper areas have also been holding some gator bluefish, but with so much bait entering the bay daily, they’re seeing multiple topwater feeds on every trip. Bottom fishing for sea bass and scup on the ledges has been very consistent and is a safe bet for some meat on most trips. The fluke bite has been a bit more inconsistent and very tide dependent, but there are some large flatfish starting to show up.
Eric at The Saltwater Edge in Middletown sent over the following report for the week: “Spring fishing is as good as it gets here in the Ocean State. The surprise of the week was how good the fluke fishing and weakfishing turned out. We seem to be in the midst of another tremendous weakfish resurgence, while the influx of squid is firing up the early season fluke bite. There are striped bass of all sizes here, from very small migratory fish all the way up to the big cows. The big ones seem to be hunting bunker, so keep your eye out for schools and you’ll find some good-sized fish. Try targeting bass with some bigger profiles like large topwaters, soft plastics, and proven classics like trollers and metal lips. For fly anglers, we’re anxiously awaiting a worm hatch here but the weather hasn’t been cooperative—it could be any day now, but my guess is it’ll be after this storm cycle. Tog fishing remains great, so get out there for the end of the season!”
Captain Rob Taylor at Newport Sportfishing Charters told me that the bass bite has been lights out over the past week, and he saw a “sizeable” increase in quality over the past few days. He also mentioned that a mass of very large bluefish has entered the area over the past couple of days, and hopefully that resurgence will continue. Squid fishing has been as steady as ever, while bottom fishing for tautog is consistent enough to make it worth a trip before the spring season ends. Rob hasn’t spent a ton of time fluking just yet, but local reports indicate that things took a turn for the better this week.
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Jay at Pamela May Charters continued to do pretty well in the salt ponds this week, before the temperatures started to drop. Worm “hatches” were plentiful on the warmer days, and hopefully they will kick back up as temperatures rise again. If you’re looking for larger bass, there is no shortage in the bay if you live line bunker or work a flutter spoon. Squid fishing remains fantastic off the south shore, and the fluke have taken notice and started to filter in. Some big, knot-head sea bass have been in the same areas, and the amount of squid should help to bring more fluke and sea bass in this week. With the last week of spring tautog on the horizon, Jay also mentioned that the action has been solid in the bay, but you need to weed through a lot of shorts to find keepers, so be patient.
Dustin at Rhode Island Kayak Fishing Adventures reported another solid week of fishing across the board. Striped bass activity is heating up, and they are running around crushing bait all over the bay. Tautog is still going strong and should remain that way until the season closes at the end of the month. The weakfish bite has arguably been the most consistent bite over the past week. With the weakie action being as hot as it has been, Dustin is curious what the next week will look like after this storm. Black sea bass opens up today, and based on the bycatch that Dustin is seeing, the season should kick off nicely. Bluefish are available, but they are moving around quite a bit, so finding a consistent bite could be tough day to day. With fishing only getting better, now is the time to start planning your kayak fishing trip. The motorized kayaks have been a hit for Dustin’s clients so far. Reach out to him to book your 1- to 4-person kayak fishing trip ASAP!
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Rhode Island Fishing Forecast
As we approach Memorial Day weekend, the weather feels more like the kickoff to fall, not the kickoff to summer. That being said, the summer fishing trends seem to be right on schedule across Rhode Island. Striped bass continue to be prevalent throughout the state, with some much bigger bass entering the bay on the tails of pogy schools, along with some quality, migratory fish showing up along the beaches. A recent influx of big bluefish this week seems to be a trend across the state, and hopefully they’ll actually hang out for a while. Weakfish are providing another great gamefish option, with many anglers reporting one of the best weakfish seasons in a long time. It is also reportedly one of the best squid seasons in recent memory, with steady reports from shore and boat anglers. The squid filled in around the South Shore this week as well, so you can find them all over the state at this point. The early season fluke seem to be keyed in on squid, as the first few reports of the season consisted of some solid flatfish. Scup are starting to show themselves as well, sea bass is now open, and the spring tautog bite remains consistent, despite a lot of short fish.