Rhode Island Fishing Report
The Frances Fleet out of Point Judith lost most of the week to the wind and weather, but fishing was strong before the blow, and the weekend forecast is certainly trending better. The fleet has been doing well targeting a mixed bag of black sea bass, tautog, and scup on recent trips. Prior to the storm, Captain Cole reported a pile of quality sea bass to 5 pounds, so it certainly seems like the sea bass bite is holding up well. Tautog fishing is going strong, too, and the fleet intends to hit them heavily with the better weather forecasted this weekend.
Dustin Stevens at Rhode Island Kayak Fishing Adventures provided the following report: “It looks like our local albie bite has run its course. However, with great weather on the horizon, we will see what the upcoming weekend holds. Stripers have made a strong push back into the middle and upper bay, giving us plenty of options of places to target. It seems like every week the theme continues — tautog continue to be the most reliable target. Some nice-size sea bass are also coming up as bycatch while tautog fishing. On the freshwater side, the DEM has stocked a lot of local fisheries with some quality trout. Largemouth action has also been decent as they are feeding hard and fattening up for the winter. We will keep making trips until things freeze over, so reach out to book your kayak fishing trip ASAP.”
Captain Rob Taylor at Newport Sportfishing Charters continued to fish inshore this week, focusing just about all of his attention on tautog. The tautog bite has continued to improve and will only get better as the temperatures and fishing pressure continue to drop. Currently, these fish are still in relatively shallow water, so he’s been able to get the job done with light jigs. Tog can be found on the rock piles outside the bay, but there are plenty of fish up in the bay as well, which provided some refuge from the weather this week. There are still some bigger sea bass showing up as bycatch, so filling the coolers has been relatively easy. Rob also mentioned that the continued windy weather seems to have maintained the local striper bite. He has been able to find some nice fish on top on most of the days that he has dedicated some time to target them.
When I spoke to Jay at Pamela May Charters, he told me he has been heavily focused on tautog since the last blow. Since the storm’s passing, it seems as if the false albacore and bonito numbers have diminished quite a bit, although they are still in the mix. Striped bass fishing, however, has picked up the slack. They can be found feeding more frequently out front, with some big blitzes on almost every trip. They are also just as plentiful in the backwaters, which provides a nice outlet during the bad weather. The temperatures are starting to take a pretty steep drop, which is likely helping to fire up the striper feeds and should only intensify the tautog bite.
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Dave, at Ocean State Tackle in Providence, told me that the fishing across Rhode Island has remained good when the weather allows boats to get out which, yet again, hasn’t always been the case. Striped bass and bluefish are still plentiful, although the hardtail numbers have started to wane. Anglers are reporting plenty of slot and over-slot bass in the Providence and Seekonk Rivers, which has also provided a little bit of shelter from the wind. Tautog fishing has really fired up, with good reports also coming from the Providence and Seekonk River areas. The Lower Bay and South Shore should provide some good tautog fishing as well, whenever it is calm enough to stay on anchor. At least the fish haven’t been getting pressured too hard. The fish are still shallow for the most part, so jigs have been getting the job done. Dave’s hours will start to change for the fall season, so be sure to check his Google page or Facebook for updated hours.
Eric, at The Saltwater Edge in Middletown, provided the following report: “The theme for this fall run has been a quote from Capt. Ray Jarivs, ‘The nastier the weather, the nastier the fishing.’ We’ve had plenty of opportunities to test this statement out so far, and he is spot on. We still have tons of albies and bass around. They have been feeding hard during the wind and storms we’ve had lately. Peanut bunker have been finding their way out of the small harbors and estuary systems, which means no more dealing with tiny bait when targeting false albacore or bonito. It also means it’s a great time to break out some classics, like the Po-Jee tin, Ava jig, or other classic metal lures. As fired up as you get on a bass blitz this fall, try to remember to care for each fish. A recent experience of mine on a bay blitz left a pretty sour taste in my mouth. Not every fish needs a photoshoot, and if you are keeping your one slot fish, be sure to measure it (and do so properly). Spend a few extra minutes reviving a fish that is going to be released if it took some time to land; it will pay off in the long run. Tautog fishing remains excellent with no signs of it slowing down. These days, it seems like every rock and dock in RI is holding double-digit fish. It’s a great time to get out and give it a try.”
Rhode Island Fishing Forecast
Some frosty mornings — including a few below freezing forecasted for this weekend — and relentless strong winds have made things feel more like winter. That said, fall fishing is still at its peak. Fishing reports were a little tougher to come by this week due to the extreme wind just about every day, but tog and stripers are keeping anglers busy amid less-than-ideal conditions.
Tautog fishing will be the top draw across Rhode Island as we get deeper into fall, and the recent drop in water temperatures has seen them become increasingly active. Strong tautog reports have come in from the Upper Bay around the Providence and Seekonk Rivers, which has provided some refuge from the weather. The Lower Bay and South Shore rockpiles are fishing equally well, whenever it is calm enough to stay on anchor. There are still plenty of sea bass and scup hanging around as well, so it shouldn’t be too tough to fill the cooler in the event that tog are uncooperative.
Prior to the storm, false albacore and bonito fishing took a turn for the better, but recent reports suggest that they’re beginning to thin out. That said, a few anglers noted seeing some large schools of hardtails blitzing in the swells this week, so it may not be over just yet. This weekend’s settled weather should make it a little easier to go hardtail hunting.
Striped bass continue to put on the feed bags in the wind, with strong reports of big bass coming on topwater out front for those with vessels that can handle the wind and swell. Reports were good from up in the bay around the Providence River, to the lower bay, the South Shore, and even at Block Island. While the rough weather probably moved some schools around, I’d imagine there are still plenty of bass to be had — especially the fish that are still working bait schools in the rivers.
Another staple of October fishing is fall trout fishing, and the DEM has started up their fall stocking program this week.
While it doesn’t seem that this latest storm has slowed the fall run bass action, it is a reminder that our weeks are numbered, so get out there and cash in before it’s too late!