Rhode Island Fishing Report
The Frances Fleet in Point Judith has been getting back on the grounds whenever possible between some bouts of windy weather. The fluke fishing isn’t always lock and load when they get out, but they’ve been managing some nice keepers and at least a few limits on each trip. The fish are still covered in sea lice, so they’re certainly still on the move. Be sure to check their website for a schedule of upcoming trips and to make reservations.
Dave at Ocean State Tackle in Providence reports that the inshore striped bass bite is still solid on most days, but it has been intermittently hot and cold recently. Dave mentioned covering 45 miles on one trip and finding only a few bluefish, but then reports from later in the day in the same area were much better for striped bass. The tide started dropping, so the bass started chewing—sometimes it’s as simple as that. The bluefishing was a bit more consistent this week, with solid topwater reports of bluefish from 6- to 8-pounds. Block Island is producing larger bass with more consistency recently, and there appears to be more bass on the reefs and rips out front of South County. That said, these bites can be inconsistent from tide to tide as well, so a little patience may be required. Using bait is always a safe bet—pogies if you can find them, or mackerel chunks, clams and squid. There’s also a steady bite on flutter spoons, topwater plugs, and on the troll with tube and worm or umbrella rigs. There are also still plenty of squid, with anglers reporting solid catches from the boat and shore. The fluke and sea bass fishing has improved a bit more this week, especially around Sakonnet. The scup bite has been steady on the rockpiles in the lower bay and out front. They can still be found around mid-bay as well, but the best reports are south of the bridges. Dave said the shop will be open until 8 PM Wednesday through Saturday, and until 7 PM Sunday through Tuesday.
Rob at Newport Sportfishing Charters stayed focused on striped bass this week and has seen another step up in the quality and quantity department. Bigger bait continues to enter the bay, and while numbers/locations can vary from tide to tide, you’re bound to find some feeding bass with a little searching. Decent numbers of big bluefish are still mixed in with the bass on most occasions, and they have been much more willing to hit topwater plugs throughout the day. The bass bite improved at Block Island as well, with reports of plenty of fish over 30 pounds and a few tipping the scales closer to 50. These bass are being caught by the usual methods: jigs, eels, spoons, and trolling, but the topwater bite on the south side has been very strong this week. A number of anglers have reported heavy bass sucking down Docs around dawn and dusk. The bass fishing has been too good this week to really focus on anything else, but reports of fluke and sea bass have improved inshore, with the Sakonnet area fishing best lately.
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Captain Connor MacLeod at Tall Tailz Charters provided the following report for the week: “Big bass are starting to fill in the southern ledges. We had several fish over 30 pounds with a solid mix of slot fish as well. Big blues have shown up, too. I’m seeing decent-sized bunker balls as well as piles of sand eels. Believe it or not, we saw schools of bonito busting up top, which is quite early for June! The bottom fishing is steady with consistent fluke in the 19- to 22-inch range. The bigger fish seem to be holding a bit deeper, from 70 to 100 feet, so don’t be afraid to vary depths until you find them. Late spring fishing is really heating up!”
Ralph at Crafty One Customs reported that fishing for striped bass continues to hold up well with most of the action in the lower bay around the island and on the reefs. There are some bluefish mixed in with the bass, but not so many that they have been a nuisance for bass anglers. Fluke reports have been pretty good with a decent keeper-to-short ratio. Some nice-sized sea bass are around and the scup bite has been improving. There seem to be fewer anglers targeting squid this past week, but a few squid fanatics are still going after them with relatively good results.
Dustin at Rhode Island Kayak Fishing Adventures had another week of consistency on the striper fishing grounds. It has been convenient over the past few weeks, being that the upper Bay, mid Bay, and ocean front have fished pretty well. Water temps in the Bay will warm up quickly now, so the bite could change in a week or so. Dustin hasn’t seen a ton of bluefish action, but they are around, and he’s stumbling across a few good ones on most trips. Sea bass fishing has started slow in the easily accessible kayak areas, however, those willing to go further and deeper have found success. Fluke seems to be pretty solid, but patience is the name of the game. Fluking can certainly be a grind at this point and often requires working a number of different depths. The early summer season is here and there are some great opportunities ahead. Reach out to book your kayak fishing trip ASAP!
Rhode Island Fishing Forecast
More summer-like temperatures have brought about summer fishing conditions and patterns across Rhode Island this week. Striped bass continue to be prevalent throughout the state, and while reports have been a bit inconsistent from tide to tide around the Bay, there are still plenty of big local bass to play with for those exercising patience. As water temperatures continue to climb in the Bay, things may get a bit trickier, but don’t worry, as the reefs/rips out front and Block Island will pick up the slack. Better bass have been reported from the South County for anglers fishing the reefs by day and tossing plugs after dark. Block Island saw fish filtering in for a few weeks now, but over the past few days the quality has increased quite a bit; fish over 30-pounds have been common, along with a few pushing 50 pounds, and a lot of them are coming on topwater plugs and plastics.
Decent bluefish numbers are being reported and they are mixed in with the bass, especially in Narragansett Bay, where they can be found working the surface at times. Fluke reports have slowed down at Block Island, but things have picked up around Sakonnet and Newport. Be willing to fish deep, from 70 to 100 feet, and change depths often if you aren’t finding them.
Squid fishing has still been solid, and it won’t last forever, so take advantage! Scup, along with black sea bass will help fill coolers for the bottom fishermen, as the former can be found on all their usual early season haunts, and the latter starting to fill in on the deeper wrecks and reefs.