Rhode Island Fishing Report
The Frances Fleet out of Point Judith reports very good fishing this past week on its tautog trips. Many anglers have been reaching their tautog limits, with a few black sea bass and scup mixed in. Conditions look a little tougher for the weekend, but early next week is shaping up nicely. As always, check their website for updated scheduling and reservations. Some weekend trips have been selling out, but most weekday trips still have plenty of room.
Captain Rob Taylor, at Newport Sportfishing Charters, provided the following report after another strong week of tautog fishing: “Fishing this week has remained top-notch; however, the wind still remains a hindrance at times, including late this week and into the weekend. Temperatures are finally starting to drop closer to their November range, and the tog are really chewing. This is the magic part of the season when you can have great days in depths from 30 to 100 feet, which provides a nearly endless amount of good structure to fish in the area. We’ve switched over to deep-dropping with rigs for the most part this week, but we’re still scoring some nice fish on the jig during slower tide periods or on shallower pieces. Each trip, we continue to get easy limits, with a nice handful of double-digit fish in the mix. I’ve been using an even mix of both green and white crabs. Building the bite appropriately has been paying off well for us. It’s only going to get better as the temps continue to drop!”
- Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain in Rhode Island
Captain Connor MacLeod, at Tall Tailz Charters, provided the following report for the week: “Togging this week has been excellent. The water temps are still warmer than usual, around 58-59°, but the big-fish bite has definitely turned on. We’ve had at least one double-digit fish on each trip all week, with the biggest weighing 14.1 and 13.2 pounds. The rig has produced more big fish than the jig. The best action is still in the 40- to 60-foot range. Tall Tailz Tog Jigz in white legger and blue mussel have been the hot colors during the good jig bites. White leggers and greens have both been fishing well, but the white gold still reigns supreme. As water temps continue to drop, the action should only pick up, producing even bigger fish more consistently. As usual, promote conservation and harvest as few of these fish as possible to keep our RI fishery alive!”
Dustin Stevens, at Rhode Island Kayak Fishing Adventures, told me that things remain pretty similar to last week and provided this updated report: “Fishing has been status quo over the last week. Tautog remains the most reliable target. A lot of double-digits are being caught, so there’s still time for good togging. Black sea bass is a close second as far as reliable species go. Many keeper black sea bass are being caught while targeting tautog, which is a great added bonus. There is some striper activity in the backwaters, but mostly schoolies. Squid fishing is also going really well, as usual around this time of year, and should remain strong for a few weeks. Although the main fishing season is wrapping up, there are still plenty of species to fish for in both fresh and saltwater. Reach out ASAP about your kayak fishing trip this year, or get a head start and get on the calendar for next year!”
Dave, at Ocean State Tackle in Providence, told me that fishing across Rhode Island has remained good whenever the weather has allowed. As we all know by now, that hasn’t always been the case, but anglers taking advantage of the weather windows have been finding some excellent fishing. Tautog reports have been quieter, mostly because many boats are out of the water and overall interest has started to wane. Those who are still fishing, however, certainly haven’t lost interest, and their reports remain strong! Most reports indicate that bigger fish are being caught throughout the bay, as far north as the Washington Bridge. The Lower Bay and South Shore are fishing just as well. Anglers are still catching tautog on jigs during weaker tide periods and in shallower water, but things are starting to transition toward bigger fish holding on deeper structure and falling for rigs. Striped bass anglers are still reporting some fall-run fish, with the best results coming from those throwing plugs at night along the South County shoreline. Another thing Dave mentioned was that a late-season push of squid has continued to produce around the state. He’s selling plenty of squid jigs, and most anglers are reporting success. It’s certainly been a strong squid year, between the spring bite and this late-season push. Dave will close for the season on Sunday the 22nd, so if you need to stock up for the late-fall run, be sure to check his Google Business Profile for hours before it’s too late!
Eric, at The Saltwater Edge in Middletown, said that the focus continues to be on tautog, and reports have been very good, with many anglers reaching their limits on fish weighing up to around 7 pounds. A handful of double-digit fish have been caught as well, and we will likely see some larger ones as the water continues to cool. There are also still some bass being caught around the islands and along the South County beaches, but the bite has become less predictable as fish numbers dwindle. A few bluefish and shad have also been reported. Some squid should be moving into the area soon, if they aren’t already here, but there haven’t been many reports from anglers targeting them just yet. Meanwhile, the approaches to the bay have seen some good runs of mackerel for shore anglers.
Rhode Island Fishing Forecast
It’s starting to feel more like fall across Rhode Island, with stronger winds and cooler weather forecasted this weekend. Tautog fishing remains as steady as ever when anglers can find a spot to anchor out of the wind or take advantage of a weather window. Rhode Island’s shoreline is certainly not lacking in hard structure, and right now, quality tog can still be found anywhere from 15 to 100 feet of water. However, the better reports are starting to come from depths of 40 feet and deeper. You’re also likely to find plenty of big sea bass mixed in, with a number of anglers reporting some of the largest sea bass of the year coming over the rails this week.
Striped bass fishing has become more inconsistent, but an abundance of small bait is still triggering some blitz activity. Fish are dropping out of the bays and ponds, making the mouths of these areas a good place to start. Working up and down the South County beaches also provides a good chance of finding bass, especially if you’re willing to move around as needed.
Fall squid fishing has also been very good in most of the usual haunts, including a nice push of larger squid reported around Newport over the past few days. Both shore and boat anglers have been getting in on the action.
Finally, cooler weather has helped kick-start the fall trout bite across Rhode Island following several stockings this season.