Southern New England is covered up in bait, and the bluefish are coming in quickly to feed. Fluke and sea bass fishing is strong, and bonito have moved in to feed in big numbers.
Connecticut Fishing Report
Bottom fishing for scup at the rock piles in the Waterford area has been extremely productive, according to Lou at Hillyers. Hotspots also include Bartletts Reef, Hatchets Reef, and Race Rock. If you’re looking for sea bass, you won’t have to search too hard. Spread out all over the Long Island Sound, sea bass are hard to avoid these days, including some beefy humpheads mixed in with the smaller ones. Within the past week or so, there has been a noticeable increase in surface action, with credit due to schools of bluefish moving into Long Island Sound. At spots like Kitchen Rip, birds on the water almost certainly indicate that bluefish are pushing bait just below them. Stripers can still be found mixed in with these bluefish schools. To target them, troll a tube-and-worm rig in the early morning or in the evening near the mouth of one of the rivers.
Rock and Roll Charters out of Clinton reports that the number of stripers coming over the side is decreasing, but their size is improving with 30-pound-class fish dominating the fishery. Bluefish are consistently biting and taking 20 in a trip isn’t out of the ordinary. Bottom fishing has been strong as well, with favorable tides over the past week providing for longer bites for the sea bass and porgies in the area.
Captain Bruce on The Otter reported some excellent striped bass this week up to 50 inches! Trolling Otter tubes and tails over rocky shorelines and humps has produced some great fish. Evening trips seemed to yield the better quality fish. Some good midsummer fluke were taken this week as well on Otter tails. Fluke fishing hasn’t been stellar this year, but some doormats can be found right now in deeper water around structure. Keeper-sized fish have been taken from Black Point and the backside of Fishers Island.
Bluefish action has been solid at the mouth of the Connecticut, where the fish are chasing bunker. Crabbing is improving with reports coming from the most harbors and rivers.
Rhode Island Fishing Report
Reports out of Galilee Bait and Tackle in Narragansett indicate that striper fishing around Block Island remains strong, although a massive school of 50-pound class fish seems to have left the area. Nobody is complaining too much, though, as the “stragglers” are still 35- to 40-pounders. With a striper fishery like that, the bluefish aren’t getting as much attention, but they are around all the same. Bonito are in close to shore at the West Wall and in the Charlestown area, a little further off than accessible from shore, but if you’re feeling lucky you could try and tease one in from the beach.
The fluking locally has been hit or miss recently, but when it finally hit it hit hard, with doormats carpeting the backside of Block according to Mike Wade at Watch Hill Outfitters. Limits of fluke are being easily filled in this area and sometimes they are even throwing back keepers to keep the true monsters! He reports that 25-pound-class stripers are lurking around at the Watch Hill Reef and Sugar Reef, and are feeding on small bait but will only take a lure if it’s chartreuse. The sea bass fishing has been solid, with a notable hotspot being the Watch Hill Lighthouse. Bait is thick in the water in this area, and although the exact species is questionable, the 4- to 5-pound sea bass it is consistently producing are not. Depths of 60-70 feet seem to be the zone at this time so target those areas if you want a successful haul of sea bass. Mike adds more credibility to the bonito reports, passing along information that they are in the Weakapaug area and interestingly are hitting larger tackle than expected, rather than the finicky little lures usually required for these choosy fish.
Blackstone Valley Outfitters reports the movement of bonito into the Point Judith area over the weekend, but the weather was difficult at the beginning of the week preventing detailed information. They substantiate the stories of big stripers around Block Island and the reports of bait schools everywhere. With the bait comes successful bottom fishing for fluke and black sea bass.
Best bets for the weekend
If you can make your way to Block Island, you will be rewarded with impressive fishing for both fluke and striped bass, but even if you can’t it shouldn’t be too tough to find some action. Look to the inshore bunker pods to find aggressive bluefish. For those who are looking for something to change up their summer fishing routine, look for the bonito that have moved into the area from Point Judith over to Sakonnet.