Rhode Island Fishing Report
The Frances Fleet in Point Judith was able to get back out on the grounds this week after a weekend of wind kept them tied to the dock. The fluke fishing wasn’t quite as lock and load as it was before the blow, but they found a decent showing of keepers to 7 pounds. The fish were covered in sea lice, so they’re certainly still on the move. The squid fishing was strong before the blow too, and the fleet may add a few more of those trips in the coming days. 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 good but has become a bit more challenging as the schools are small and on the move. That said, he got a fresh report from Captain BJ Silvia while I was talking to him this morning, who found some quality schools of big bass in the upper bay. Fish can be found all over, but the upper bay wouldn’t be a bad place to start. There are still a good deal of bluefish mixed in with the bass as well. 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 and on the troll with tube-and-worm and umbrella rigs. There is also still plenty of squid, with anglers filling buckets on the regular in Newport, Tiverton, and out front in South County. Fluke and sea bass fishing is starting to improve in the lower bay and out front. A lot of the fluke that were out at Block Island last week seem to have moved inshore with the blow. Spro bucktails dressed with squid or Gulp have been producing the best of both species. The scup bite has been steady on the rockpiles in the lower bay and out front, but they are being reported as far north as Rocky Point. Freshwater anglers are still reporting good trout results on worms, shiners and PowerBait, while largemouth anglers are catching on Senkos and Yum Lizards. Dave said the shop will be open until 7 PM Wednesday through Saturday.
Captain Rob Taylor at Newport Sportfishing Charters told me that the bass bite has continued to improve, and once again the fish have taken another step up in the quality department. Some bigger bait has infiltrated the bay, and with it came a wave of some monster stripers. Decent numbers of big bluefish are still mixed in with the bass on most occasions, so hopefully that resurgence continues. The bass bite has started to pick up at Block Island as well. It seems that the blow from last weekend sent a mass of bass and bait to the island, and the bass can be found feeding on top during morning hours. Striper fishing has been too good this week to really focus on anything else, but reports of fluke and sea bass have improved inshore, as the fish seem to have made the move in from Block.
Captain Connor at Tall Tailz Charters reports that following the blow this week, fishing has been excellent. He’s been mostly targeting bass, both in the bay and out front. The last moon phase brought in a push of bigger fish, and they are hungry. Connor has had success on flutter spoons, live baits, and topwater offerings. The inshore fluke bite has started to show a bit more promise, but it is still hot and cold from day to day. The deeper water, roughly 70 to 90 feet, in the middle of the tide has been producing best. Blue and pink jigs also seem to be producing better results than other colors on the fluke grounds. Overall, Connor said it was a very productive week of fishing, and he anticipates it will improve even more this week.
Ralph at Crafty One Customs reported that fishing for striped bass has started to slow a bit in the upper bay but is very good right now on the reefs and down around the mouth of the bay. Fluke reports were much better this week with customers catching a mix of short fish and keepers to around 7 pounds. A few keeper-sized black sea bass are being caught, and scup fishing is starting to pick up. Squid reports haven’t really shown any sign of slowing down yet and both shore-based and boating anglers continue to do very well.
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Dustin at Rhode Island Kayak Fishing Adventures provided the following report for the week: “Striped bass fishing has been relatively consistent over the last week, which is a great sign for the near future. A lot of 30-inch-plus fish are around, however, there have been some really large fish caught as well. I haven’t seen many bluefish over the past week, but depending on the day and the side of the state you’re in, there’s a good chance that you’ll find a big school. Weakfish have slowed down quite a bit, but it’s not over yet. With tog being closed now, it’s time to pivot to black sea bass and/or fluke. Both have had an OK start, and the bottom fishing should only improve going forward. With the last week being pretty solid across the board for multiple species, I’m optimistic for an excellent June. Reach out to us as soon as possible to book your kayak fishing trip!”
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Rhode Island Fishing Forecast
It feels like summer weather and summer fishing is upon us. Striped bass continue to be prevalent throughout Rhode Island, with some much bigger bass entering the bay on the tail of the pogies schools, along with more migratory fish showing up along the beaches. The first solid push of striped bass at Block Island arrived right on time, with reports of fish all over the water column on the southwest side of the island. Decent bluefish numbers are being reported in the mix with the bass, especially in the bay.
Fluke reports have slowed down at Block Island after the rough weekend weather, but they have started to improve inshore. The ticket has been fishing deeper water when targeting fluke, but continued warming temperatures should get them moving a bit shallower. Squid fishing remains solid, but 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 are starting to fill in on the deeper wrecks and reefs.