Rhode Island Fishing Report
The Frances Fleet in Point Judith has had another busy week and has found mixed levels of success on most of their trips. Their full-day fluke/sea bass trips have seen mostly strong results. The fishing over the weekend was up and down in terms of quality, but over the past few days things have been better. Keeper sea bass have been easier to come by, and there have been better numbers of keeper fluke on both the half- and full-day trips. Anglers are working hard for their catch, and while the bite isn’t on fire, there are quality fish coming over the rails on each outing. They are currently targeting fluke and sea bass, and trips are heading out daily. Be sure to check their website for updated scheduling and reservations.
Dave at Ocean State Tackle in Providence told me that tuna fishing remains the hottest bite in the area. It is quite rare to have this level of tuna activity this early in the season, and anglers are taking advantage. Trolling is still taking most of the fish, but jigging metals and/or soft plastics is starting to become productive as well. Back inshore, the striped bass fishing has remained consistent for shore and boat anglers. Fish are still in the bay, but the water temperatures are rising quickly, so fishing dusk to pre-dawn has been the most productive. Out front, most of the reefs and breachways across South County and at Block Island are producing more consistent bass results. Fluke and black sea bass fishing reportedly took a turn for the better this week, with more keepers of both species being reported. The best fluke/sea bass action has been around Block, but there are enough inshore to keep you busy. Scup fishing has been very good in the lower bay and out front, and has also started to improve around Mid-Bay/Colt State Park this week. The scup are feeding on just about anything including bloodworms, squid, and clam tongues. Ocean State Tackle will be open from 430 AM to 8 PM daily, until Labor Day.
Captain Connor at Tall Tailz Charters provided the following report for the week: “We had continued great fishing this week. Most of our trips have been offshore on the tuna grounds. Rec-sized bluefin are all over south of Block Island! The primary bait is still sand eels, but we’ve seen a ton of bullet mackerel on top. We’ve been getting our fish on the troll, jig and bait. The rainbow and blurple Chatter Lures side trackers are producing best on the troll, while pink, green, and silver Daiwa SL and FK’s are the top jig producers. Warmer water around 75-76° has started to trickle in and we’re seeing a good amount of mahi on the buoys out there. The inshore bite has been good too! The reefs are loaded with quality bass and there are even a few schools of slot bass around. Plenty of options to have some fun days fishing here in RI right now.”
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Dustin at Rhode Island Kayak Fishing Adventures told me that striped bass activity is still going strong. Most outings are resulting in some pretty nice fish so far. Bluefish activity is starting to show signs of improvement, but Dustin is still seeing about 90% stripers compared to 10% bluefish. The bonito are still here, but they are in smaller schools and are not blitzing as often. That being said, there are still plenty of them around, so keep blind casting around the bait schools even if you’re not seeing breaking fish. Inshore bottom fishing has been solid, yet not spectacular. We’re likely in the midst of the summer doldrums, as keeper fluke and sea bass have been a bit tougher to find. Scup fishing is much more consistent and is helping to pick up the slack. As we inch closer to the fall run, Dustin’s schedule is starting to fill up, so be sure to book a trip before it’s too late.
Jay at Pamela May Charters has been laid up for a good portion of the season due to an injury, but he has been cleared to get back on the water and is taking advantage of it. Over the weekend he stayed inshore and found a pile of nice striped bass off of Newport, many of which were taken on topwater with light tackle. White Albie Snax and Heddon Spooks have been the hot lures. Bluefishing is a bit more sporadic, but he’s found some big ones on topwater plugs off Scarborough Beach and to the east of Newport. Bottom fishing has been slow inshore, but he did find some decent fluke around Jamestown Bridge this week. On Monday, he made it offshore and was able to cash in on the strong bluefin bite around Coxes. The bite started a little late, with the first strike coming at 11 AM, but they went 4 for 5 pretty quickly after that. Now that Jay is clear from the injury he’s taking bookings online from August through November, so be sure to book a trip and get in on the action.
Captain Rob at Newport Sportfishing Charters has continued to work his way offshore and told me that the tuna are starting to show up a little closer to home, but regardless of the ride, it is generally worth it. Most of the usual offshore haunts are home to some massive tuna feeds. The key has been to find some clean water, once you do, you should be greeted with bait and plenty of pelagics. While tuna fishing is catching quite a bit of attention, Rob also noted that the striped bass fishing has remained tremendous this week, whenever he’s targeted them. Bass are taking topwaters during the day and can be caught all day long on live bait and jigs. Rob hasn’t done much bottom fishing this week, but sea bass and fluke reports seem to be trending in the right direction.
Ralph at Crafty One Customs said that local anglers continue to do well fishing in and around the mouth of the bay. Those targeting striped bass have been met with positive results when fishing after dark with live eels or early in the morning, especially in and around the bay, where warm water has started to slow down the daytime bite. There are still some nice-size bluefish around and they are often mixed in with the bass. Fluke are still being caught and there are plenty of black sea bass around. Scup fishing is very good right now. Offshore reports are heating up with bluefin tuna moving into the usual areas and a few yellowfin further south.
Rhode Island Fishing Forecast
Summer temperatures and fishing patterns have persisted along with strong striped bass fishing, relatively steady bottom fishing, and some incredible mid-shore tuna fishing, which has been garnering the most attention. Tuna reports have been coming in hot and heavy from southwest of Montauk to the southeast of Block Island, and most points in between. Bluefin from 40- to 60-inches have been prevalent, but there are some much bigger fish in the mix, so be prepared! Trolling the usual presentations, especially in purple, has been getting the job done, but the jig bite continues to improve by the day. Water temperatures are rising quickly, and out by the Canyons you can find yellowin, bigeye, and plentiful mahi.
Back inshore, striped bass fishing still rolls on nicely. Fishing in the bay has turned into more of a low-light game, but there are also plenty of bass across the reefs in Newport and South County. Block Island also remains a safe bet for quality striped bass fishing, despite rampant sharks. Bottom fishing has remained steady across the state, with improving scup reports inside the bay and steady enough fluke and sea bassing. You can chip away at keeper fluke and sea bass inshore, but both of those fisheries are reportedly better around Block Island if you can make it out there.