Rhode Island Fishing Report
The Frances Fleet canceled all trips this past week due to the storm and plans to resume fishing this week as soon as conditions improve enough for them to get back out on the water. Their schedule shows availability for tautog fishing starting on October 1, but call ahead to confirm if you plan on getting out with them. As always, you can view their full schedule on their website, where you can also make reservations for upcoming trips.
Dave, at Ocean State Tackle in Providence, told me that the fall run is in full swing and the fish are feeding well after the storm. The nor’easter sent the bass upriver into a fever pitch and set up a strong bite in the Providence and Seekonk Rivers, even before the weather settled. It has continued to be strong after the blow as well. The bass aren’t just upriver; they can be found throughout the bay, and topwater blitzes have also been noted along the shoreline from Jamestown to Narragansett. The hardtails haven’t left just yet, with a mix of false albacore and bonito reported from the mid-bay area. The numbers may have dwindled a bit, but they haven’t completely blown out. Tautog fishermen are starting to focus more on that fishery as the calendar has turned to October. Based on Dave’s recent crab sales, things are going well for those trying! Dave will be having a year-end sale on rods, reels, lures, spreader bars, and more. Details can be found on his Facebook page, along with information on his late-season change in hours.
Eric, at The Saltwater Edge, heard reports of some pretty good striped bass fishing from shore this past week. Surfcasters were able to find hungry bass along with some bluefish in protected areas that were sheltered from the wind and waves. Aside from that, it was a slow week of fishing, with boaters staying tied to the dock. With the storm clearing out, fall fishing should pick back up soon for striped bass, bluefish, tautog, and black sea bass. Hopefully, we will also still have some false albacore and green bonito around. Early indications from anglers who got out over the past few days noted that bait numbers may have actually increased since the storm, the bass bite is strong, and hardtails were spotted. With all that, it sounds like the nor’easter may have actually helped kick the fall run further into gear.
Captain Connor, at Tall Tailz Charters, provided the following post-nor’easter report: “The bite this week has been excellent. It’s peak fall run right now, with bass, blues, bonito, and albies all busting on top from the bay to the ocean side. The majority of the bait I’m seeing are bay anchovies, sand eels, and peanut bunker, so match your jig profiles accordingly! When the bass are down or in between feeds, jigging small metals and bucktails has been working best. We’ve done a few ‘warm-up’ tog trips this week as well, with great success. Both the jig and rig have been producing equally, with the green crabs far more productive than whites. We’ve primarily fished 20-40 feet. Tons of fall action to be had!”
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Jay, at Pamela May Charters, told me that the storm seems to have helped the striped bass fishing in his area. The fish are active and feeding heavily, so there has been an abundance of topwater feeds. When the topwater feeds dissipate, the fish are still generally feeding down in the water column. Jay hasn’t personally seen any bonito or false albacore since the storm, but he has heard some first-hand reports that are encouraging from the Narragansett area. Jay will start transitioning to tautog fishing this weekend, and his season will run through November. Spots fill fast, so if you’re interested in a trip, check out his booking page ASAP!
Dustin, at Rhode Island Kayak Fishing Adventures, provided the following report for the week: “After a crazy weather week, things appear to have solidified again. Striper fishing is still going great, with fish ranging from slot size to 40+ inches. We have seen more surface feeds, which has made targeting stripers more visual and fun. However, after the blitzes die off, the subsurface bite is still there. Bluefish have also shown up more post-storm. A lot of small blues are in the mix, but some larger blues have been caught. We haven’t seen or heard any credible reports of albies post-storm, but the bonito are still around. Tog fishing is going well and will get better going into November. Speaking of tautog, there’s going to be a great tog tournament this weekend, Jim’s Dock Blackfish Blowout. Reach out for details on the boat or kayak division. The action is hot, but the end of the main fishing season is near. With that being said, October dates are very limited, so reach out ASAP to get your kayak fishing trip on the books.”
Rhode Island Fishing Forecast
With the calendar turning to October and a crispness to the air this morning, it’s hard not to think about fall tautog fishing across Rhode Island. A number of local anglers were thinking the same this week and found a strong bite across a variety of depths, while mainly sticking to the shallow side. The fish can be had out front, but are also chewing well in The Bay, which was a good thing this past week due to the large swells out front. The bite will only improve from here, and so will the fishing pressure, so try to work some lesser-known pieces of structure. The keeper sea bass numbers have improved for a second straight week, and they can often be found mixed in with the tautog. The crisp air also reminds anglers of hardtails season, and they can still be had in the area, although they have been a bit tougher to locate post-storm. False albacore feeds are sporadically consistent, if that makes any sense, from Point Judith to Newport. Whether it was the large swells or the abundance of bait this week, the Upper Bay and Providence River have filled up with striped bass, bluefish, and bonito. These fish haven’t been nearly as finicky and have been keeping anglers busy. Prior to the large, dirty surf, shorebound anglers were finding plenty of striped bass along the south-facing shoreline. These fish will likely be back when things start to clean up, and we should start seeing some more topwater blitzes as the fall run kicks off. Offshore reports were minimal this week, but we should have a few more weeks of bluefin and yellowfin fishing within range for many. Another staple for this time of year is fall trout fishing, and with RIDEM starting up its fall stocking program, that will be another great option in the coming weeks.