Rhode Island Fishing Report
The Frances Fleet out of Point Judith reported a busy week of fishing with great weather and lots of action on both half- and full-day trips. Fluke fishing has been holding up well, with a decent showing of keepers off the beaches and around Block Island. There have been more keeper-sized black sea bass caught on recent trips, along with some really nice-sized scup. You can view their full schedule on their website, where you can also make reservations for upcoming trips. Trips have been selling out, especially on the weekends, so be sure to make your reservations early!
Captain Rob Taylor, at Newport Sportfishing Charters, was still playing with the tunas quite a bit this week and has started to transition back to the inshore grounds for a few days. The striped bass bite seems to have improved quite a bit around Newport this week and will hopefully only get better after the swell pushes through and the water cleans up. Bass are still taking topwaters at times and can be caught all day long on live bait and jigs. In the offshore game, the recreational bluefin have moved closer to home, and Rob has cashed in nicely. Most trips are seeing multiple overs and/or unders on the jig or on soft plastics. As the water continues to warm and we get closer to September, there’s certainly a chance to see yellowfin, more bluefin, and even a few mahi on the midshore grounds.
- Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain in Rhode Island
Jay, at Pamela May Charters, continues to cash in on the strong bonito bite and told me he is finding solid action in many different areas! These bonito have generally been on the large side, so they’re providing a good fight and good eating. In terms of striped bass, the topwater action is picking up, with the small morning bite window expanding into late mornings as well as pre-dusk. Bluefish are also occasionally in the mix and gorging on the huge variety of bait. Fluke are still around, with some decent fish showing up in deep water this week. Sea bass and scup are also helping to fill the coolers. The recreational bluefin are starting to become more prevalent on the jig within reasonable range, which is a nice change, as it’s been mainly giants up to this point. It’s starting to feel a bit like the fall, and hardtail season is almost in full swing. The false albacore should be right around the corner, and Jay has some openings that he is booking for light tackle and fly rodding. Be sure to reach out before they’re booked!
Captain Connor MacLeod at Tall Tailz Charters provided the following report for the week: “This week’s fishing has been red hot. Most of the trips have been to the nearshore tuna grounds. We’ve been on a good jig bite, boating fish from 45 to 60 inches each trip. The UVT Captain Cory jig and the new Chief soft plastic have been out-fishing everything. Reports of yellowfin trickling into the nearshore grounds are becoming more common. Hopefully, as water temps peak, we will get another yellow(fin) September! The inshore striper bite is excellent, although they’ve become very tide-dependent as we begin to approach the August doldrums. Topwater plugs and live bait/pitch baits are working best. There is still a presence of sharks on the inshore grounds too, mainly browns and threshers.”
Dustin Stevens, at Rhode Island Kayak Fishing Adventures, provided the following report for the week: “The striper train keeps on rolling. They’ve been very consistent for our clients throughout the season, with most days yielding nice-sized fish (mid-30-inch to high-40-inch). We are in the dog days of summer, but we are also seeing fall-run activity happen more frequently. It’s no surprise that sharks are around in big numbers, which has been great if you enjoy a long fight but not so great for the stripers that are getting eaten while on the hook. Bonito are around, but we haven’t spent any time looking for them on our trips. With the aforementioned fall-run activity, we have seen more blues, but still not consistently. Tautog is the most reliable bottom bite, with black sea bass being second. Fluke are still around, but keepers are hard to come by on a consistent basis. As we get into September, the largemouth bite should be excellent, as well as the crappie and carp. There are plenty of good fishing opportunities throughout the rest of the year, but once we start seeing albies, the end of the main season will slowly creep up on us. With that being said, we have some fall-run availability, so reach out ASAP to book your kayak fishing trip!”
View this post on Instagram
Dave, at Ocean State Tackle in Providence, told me that the tuna bite off Rhode Island has been exceptionally hot most days, garnering the most fishing attention in the state. Recreational bluefin numbers have improved, and they are responding to Chatter Streaker Jigs and Al Gag Big Game Jigs. Anglers trolling daisy chains and spreader bars are also producing well. If those methods don’t work, consider live-lining mackerel on deep-drop rigs. Back inshore, striped bass fishing remains consistent, and the fish are still in their summer patterns. The bonito have spread out a bit but are still around, and a few unconfirmed sightings of false albacore have popped up. Bottom fishermen have reported continued strong scup fishing. Some larger sea bass have moved into eastern Rhode Island, but you still have to weed through shorts. The fluke bite has taken a turn for the better, with some larger, keeper-size fish eating squid in the bay and a steady pick of quality fish at Block Island. Crabbing and strong clamming have also been reported across the state, keeping anglers busy during off-days. Dave said the shop will be open from 4:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily until Labor Day.
Over at The Saltwater Edge in Middletown, there was a lot of talk about the inshore tuna bite this past week, which finally is shaping up south of Block Island and Montauk. There have been tuna around the usual areas most of the season, but the bite has been very inconsistent, and this past week was the first time we started hearing reports of boats consistently catching better numbers. Locally, bottom fishing continues to produce well, and anglers are having success targeting fluke, black sea bass, and scup. Striped bass fishing is a little slow right now, but some nice bass are still being found under the cover of darkness. Bonito are around in good numbers, but no word on false albacore showing up just yet.
Rhode Island Fishing Forecast
While we still have plenty of summer ahead of us, the recent cooler nights and fishing trends have things starting to feel a bit more like fall. Big bonito are prevalent across Rhode Island and keeping inshore anglers busy from Charlestown to Newport. They are feeding on a plethora of small bait and are responding to most small offerings: jigs, soft plastics, and flies. With the amount of bait, it won’t be long until false albacore are available inshore as well.
Striped bass fishing has remained consistent across the board, but it’s been noted that the dawn, dusk, and overnight hours have been best. That said, there has been an influx of small bait moving into the area, which seems to be setting the stage for some fall-like blitzes. Anglers looking for striped bass should be working the lower bay around the mackerel or rain bait schools, or cover some ground with the tube and worm. You can also look to the rips and reefs in front of Newport and the rockpiles/breachways of South County, especially after dark.
Bottom fishing has remained steady across the state, with strong scup and better sea bass results from the deeper wrecks and rock piles. It appears the fluke are starting to transition to some deeper points as they slide out of their summer inshore haunts, and with that transition comes a good chance to get a late-season doormat. Anglers targeting tautog are taking advantage of the shallow-water fishery, and it is one of the steadiest inshore bites that we have at the moment.
Tuna fishing has also been one of the most popular attractions, with improved recreational bluefin numbers and decent weather driving loads of reports this week.