Rhode Island Fishing Report
Over at the Frances Fleet in Point Judith they finally got out squid fishing this week, and found a good chip close to home as soon as the anchor came tight. They’ve had squid coming up before the sun went down and stayed into them well after dark. They bounced around a bit and marked piles of squid and mackerel all night. Things should only get better on the squid front and the fleet plans to sail for them on Friday and Saturday at 7 PM by reservation. They also plan on adding fluke trips very soon. Reservations and an updated schedule can be found on their website, or you can call the office.
Eric at The Saltwater Edge in Middletown told me that fishing in and around Narragansett Bay is heating up nicely. The big fish are here, and the fishing really opened up this week! From large tautog and bass to reports of the first bluefish, Rhode Island saw their first taste of a full bay and oceanfront. Striped bass are all over the area, with many in the 40-inch class showing up this week. If you’re going out during the day, pack yourself some big flutter spoons and soft plastics, and during lowlight hours, try a wake bait or topwater. From the surf, anglers are catching on darters, swimming plugs, needlefish and live eels. Tautog fishing had a slow start but has been consistently heating up. If you got skunked on an early-season mission you should go back and check those spots again. The tog don’t seem to be showing a preference for rigs over jigs or vice versa; it’s much more important to just get out there and get the crab in their face, so bring a couple rods rigged both ways.
Dave at Ocean State Tackle in Providence reports that striped bass fishing has improved all over the area, and especially in the bay. Large schools of squid and mackerel have moved in and have attracted loads of mixed class stripers along with them. Anglers targeting striped bass are doing best on fresh pogie/mackerel chunks, along with flutter spoons. Squid fishing really picked up this week for anglers targeting them around Newport, Tiverton, and a few points in the lower bay. As more squid filter into the area this weekend, Dave is expecting improved squid fishing for shore based anglers. Dave is also expecting to hear some of the first weakfish reports any day now. Tautog fishing has improved across the board, both in the Bay and out front. More sea bass have been mixed in with the tautog, which portends well for the season opener in a few weeks, while scup fishing is slowly but surely improving in the lower bay and just out front. Dave will be open until 7 PM Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for those who need some bait/gear for the weekend.
Rob at Newport Sportfishing Charters has continued to transition into his season, with a couple scheduled trips this week. He reported some steady tautog action on all of his tautog trips, along with big numbers of striped bass all over the area. The bass have been willing to eat live pogies, or the occasional topwater offering. It will only improve from here, as more baitfish and squid infiltrate the area. Speaking of squid, that bite has really picked up over the past few nights locally and is keeping everyone busy.
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Ralph at Crafty One Customs reports that fishing really picked up this past week for tautog and squid. The tautog bite has been solid, with good numbers of fish being caught from shore, kayak and boat. Squid fishing has been excellent the last few nights and should hold up well over the next several weeks. There have also been reports of some scup being caught already. Schoolie striped bass are spread out throughout the bay and pogies/bunker have moved into the bay, which means the larger bass shouldn’t be too far behind.
Jay at Pamela May Charters told me that the stripers have been piling into the bay this week. The bunker have shown up, which has helped with the bass bite, but the schools are still spread out. Live bait is always a good bet if you can find it, but large spooks are working in the early morning hours, while flutter spoons have been getting the job done once the day gets going. There has been a nice mix of bass as well, with plenty of keeper/slot fish, but enough cows mixed in to keep things interesting.
Dustin at Rhode Island Kayak Fishing Adventures told me that the striper bite continues to improve as the late spring season rolls forward. Early season stripers are chasing bait so some spots can be hit or miss from day to day, but there’s definitely a large number of fish around. Blackfish is still going strong and should continue that way until the season closes at the end of the month. A few bluefish and weakfish catches have been reported as well, so it appears we’re getting close to peak late-spring fishing. Squid fishing has improved quite a bit this week, with anglers reporting a much better level of consistency on most trips, especially in the evenings. Freshwater fishing is still strong. Largemouth are starting to spawn so sight fishing for them is becoming an option. Trout have been stocked recently too, so there is still time to catch them before the water warms up.
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Rhode Island Fishing Forecast
Water temperatures continue to climb in Narragansett Bay, and like clockwork, the tautog and striped bass bites have picked up as expected. 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 newly arriving pogie and squid schools through the Bay, there are increased reports of smaller, fresh striped bass showing up around the Harbor of Refuge and along the beaches. Some early reports of big bluefish, and some scup on the rockpiles have helped to round out the catch for saltwater anglers. We should also be hearing some local weakfish reports any day now.
Another great option is squid fishing. The squid reports have intensified quite a bit since last week, with anglers reporting good catches from Newport, Tiverton and the mouth of the bay. Freshwater anglers are reporting quality largemouth catches, especially in the herring ponds, and the trout fishing is as strong as ever following increased stocking.