Rhode Island Fishing Report
The Frances Fleet out of Point Judith had to cancel a few trips due to strong winds and rough sea conditions but reported that fishing has slowly been getting better when they have been able to get out for fluke and black sea bass. There is a ton of bait out on the fluke grounds, but so far, fishing has been a bit behind where it should be for this time of year. They are starting to see more keeper sea bass mixed in with the fluke, which is a good sign, along with some large scup. Keep an eye on their website for upcoming trips, and you can also make your reservations directly from the site.
Dave, at Ocean State Tackle in Providence, told me that the scup bite has continued to improve for many of his customers, who are using local squid, seaworms, clams, and bloodworms. Anglers are reporting strong scup catches from Colt State Park and Rocky Point Park. In terms of striped bass, there are still some keeper bass in the Providence and Seekonk rivers, but most of the bass fishing is taking place in the lower bay area or out front along the South Shore to Block Island. The mid-bay is also holding strong for anglers tossing topwaters at dusk and trolling or dropping flutter spoons during the day. The bass out front along the beaches are responding to white soft plastics and bone-colored swimmers, along with different types of jigs. If these fish start to get finicky, many anglers are turning to trolling umbrella-type rigs like the 9er. Fluke fishing saw another slight improvement this week, with solid reports from a few different areas throughout the bay. The squid bite also remains strong despite getting later into the summer. Squid anglers are finding them throughout the area, including as far north as Barrington. Ocean State Tackle will now be open daily from 4:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Captain Rob Taylor, at Newport Sportfishing Charters, told me that the giant train has rolled on in terms of the striped bass bite. The quality of fish continues to improve, and there is no shortage of fish, both local and around the island. This latest new moon, coupled with the warm temperatures, seems to have restocked the striped bass shelves, both locally and offshore, as they settle into their summer haunts. Bottom fishing has been strong for scup and sea bass, and Rob also mentioned seeing some better fluke action over the past few days. Loads of squid and sand eels are still in the area, and this is likely contributing to at least some consistency in the fluke bite. Hopefully, these fluke decide to hang around for the summer!
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Captain Connor MacLeod at Tall Tailz Charters told me that another push of big bass moved into the area after the tail end of the new moon, right on schedule! There are schools of very large fish around, averaging 30- to 40-plus pounds, along with plenty of school- to slot-class fish. The early morning topwater bite has been insane! These fish are still feeding on sand eels in many cases, so as the sun gets higher, you need to match the hatch with smaller offerings. Connor is finding success on small-profile jigs such as the Daiwa Zakana and the 4-inch Ron-Z. Connor is still getting a few slot fish on most trips, but you just need to know where to look, as the bigger bass are outnumbering them. Bottom fishing has continued to improve, with sea bass, scup, and some quality fluke feeding under these same sand eel schools that the bass are keyed in on. Be sure to bring your bottom-fishing jigs for when you have a lapse in the striped bass action. The magic number is 70 to 80 feet for the quality fish. Chartreuse and pink jigs have been the ticket! Metal jigs are catching most of the bigger fish. The Daiwa KO Jig has continued to kill it on the inshore grounds.
Jay, at Pamela May Charters, told me that things remain great on the striped bass front. Bass of mixed sizes, from 40-pounders to slot-class fish for the table, can be found out front from Newport, across South County, and out to Block Island. These fish are mostly keyed in on sand eels, so they can be challenging at times, but it’s generally not too difficult to find some willing to eat. The Ron-Z and Albie Snax have been top producers this week. Jay has also been doing well with the bottom fishing, landing some dinner plate-sized scup with consistency. The fluke and sea bass fishing still requires picking through a ton of shorts to find some keepers, but things are trending in the right direction on the sea bass front. The larger sea bass should continue filtering in as we get deeper into the summer.
Eric at The Saltwater Edge in Middletown provided the following report for the week: “Things are still active out there. We have a population of large striped bass, and if you can find what’s on the menu for the day, you are going to have the time of your life. Newport and Block Island are hot spots both day and night. We’re still flush with squid and sand eels, so match your lures to the available bait. The offshore bite is heating up, and people are getting ready. We have been spooling and splicing all week, getting people ready to get out there. We have heard some really positive reports coming from areas that are not too far away! So far, we’ve seen a lot of success on the jig-and-pop bite. Inshore fluking and sea bassing is better this year than last. The large amount of bait that’s around has lured in some nice keeper bottom fish, so get out there and put something in the cooler.”
Dustin Stevens, at Rhode Island Kayak Fishing Adventures, told me that the striped bass activity has been relatively consistent recently. The sand eel feed is still going on, so some days are better than others. Bluefish are around in small waves; usually, they see them one to two days per week. Bottom fishing has been strong for Dustin in terms of action, but getting keepers has been a grind. They haven’t seen them on their trips, but bonito activity is supposedly starting to warm up and should pick up quite a bit in July. Freshwater fishing is solid for largemouth bass and carp, with first light and evenings being prime time. With a few dates available for the rest of June and July, Dustin encourages you to reach out ASAP for your kayak fishing trip!
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Rhode Island Fishing Forecast
Masses of sand eels and a continued glut of squid have kept the bite going strong both inshore and at Block Island, as our summer patterns start to really kick in. Striped bass continue to chew well throughout Rhode Island, and while they can be finicky at times due to the mass of sand eels, there are more than enough willing to bite. Parts of the bay are still holding fish, but they have thinned out a bit. While that bite has thinned out, the bite along the South Shore, and especially at Block Island, has been very strong. Squid and sand eels have been the main bait of choice for striped bass, regardless of where you’re fishing, so you’ll want to match the hatch. Smaller offerings like the 4-inch Ron-Z, Zakana jigs, and Albie Snax have been getting the job done. Three-waying bucktails and/or soft plastics on jigheads have also been top producers, especially around the island.
Fluke reports have continued to be strong in the eastern part of the state, and while the sand eels have started to spread out, so have the fluke. Reports have picked up a bit on the South Shore reefs and rips. The fluke remain relatively shallow, while hammer black sea bass can be found in similar areas on the deeper sides of the humps. Scup fishing has continued to improve and should continue to do so as water temperatures climb. Squid fishing is still solid this late in the year, but it won’t last forever, so take advantage!
Some early offshore reports are coming in from jig-and-pop tuna anglers on the nearshore grounds, along with some very encouraging reports from canyon anglers.