Rhode Island Fishing Report – July 21, 2016

Striped bass catches remained steady for the first time this season, while bottom fishing for all species remains close to a sure bet.

Rhode Island Fishing Report

Captain Frank, of The Frances Fleet in Narragansett, saw a pretty substantial upswing in fluke action since the latter part of last week. A big slug of fish have shown up on the south side of Block Island and angler limits were much more common over the past few days. No serious doormats, but pool fish ranged from 6-9 pounds, which is great quality for mid-July. Black sea bass limits have gotten just a bit tougher to obtain; they are now easy as opposed to automatic. Sea bass have just eclipsed the 4-pound mark, with dinner plate scup around 3 pounds in the mix at all spots. Depending on the day and the conditions, whole squid, bucktails and bait rigs have all produced. If you go on a trip your best bet is to be prepared to fish various methods. Full day fluke, scup and sea bass trips will continue to sail at 7 AM daily.

Dave, at Ocean State Tackle in Providence, was excited to pass on the news that longtime customer, Brendan Hagopian, caught a monster 53-pound striper at Block Island over the weekend. The fishing around the island has really hit its stride and most anglers are heading out to Southwest Ledge for great action on live eels. Locally, a few anglers found some good catches of bass to around 36-inches in the Point Judith area. India Point Park has also produced some decent bass and blues for Brian Doung over the weekend. Scup fishing is great all over the bay, with fish to 20 inches at Colt State Park and at Stone Bridge. Squid fishing picked back up in the Newport area, especially around Fort Adams. Cape cod squid fishing is supposedly even better and a few anglers are making the trek to the Provincetown area for a shot at them. Offshore anglers are reporting spotty tuna action but excellent shark action. Mako, porbeagle and threshers are all over the offshore waters, while blues can be found much closer to home.

At The Saltwater Edge in Middletown, the guys are seeing the vast majority of striped bass anglers heading out to the island for a shot at a cow. The eel bite at the ledge is on, but if you prefer staying closer to home, there are some solid bass on the local reefs and tight to the rocky shoreline for surfcasters after dark. The fluke bite has been a bit slow but steady off Newport and Greenhill, but again, it is worth the trip out to Block if you can make it. The cod bite is solid at Coxes, while shark anglers are finding fish at Suffix Ledge, The Gully and Tuna Ridge. The bluefin bite has been very spotty, with the only solid reports coming from Tuna Ridge.

Mike, at Watch Hill Outfitters in Westerly, reported that there is still a solid fluke bite off the local beaches, but the short to keeper ratio is falling heavily to the short side and making things tough. Black sea bass limits are still relatively easy on all the local structure; while the scup bite stayed red hot for shore and boat anglers. The striped bass bite has been solid on the local reefs, especially after dark, but the biggest fish are all coming from around the island. The offshore guys are enjoying a decent cod bite at Coxes and finding good sharks all over.

Connecticut Fishing Report

John, at Hillyers in Waterford told me that things have been good for just about all anglers in eastern Long Island Sound recently. Black sea bass has been excellent in the Niantic area, if you can find some decent deep structure. Fluke fishing in the same areas has been tricky, as it is hard to get through all the sea bass. Luckily for fluke anglers, the bite is much improved in shallower water tight to shore. From New London to Old Saybrook anglers are reporting a ton of shorts, a decent amount of keepers and very few doormats. Striped bass fishing has been solid at Black Point and Bartletts, especially if you can head out after dark on a less busy day.

I checked in with Andrew, at Fishin Factory 3 in Middletown, before he headed out for vacation and he reported that there are a lot of decent options of local anglers. The central to eastern sound reefs are chock full of scup and are still holding plenty of sea bass. Scup are being found at all depths, but it’s time to look a little deeper for sea bass. Most of the reefs to the east and west of the Connecticut River have been invaded with bunker and striped bass; while the river flats are loaded with bluefish of all sizes. Freshwater anglers are also finding good action in the river despite the warm temperatures, as most have reported excellent catches of carp and catfish. Big pike are still around and hitting bait if you can find some cooler water inflows.

James, at Rivers End in Old Saybrook reported that this week was another strong one for striped bass anglers, although a few less cows were seen locally. Peanut and adult bunker are all over the mouth of the Connecticut River and the adjacent reefs, and generally the bass haven’t been far behind. There are also quite a bit more bluefish in the same areas; which have provided great action for most but made things tougher for those targeting bass. The sand shoal is a safe bet for good bass if you can get past the blues and dogfish. The Black Point area is holding a ton of school bass, as is Sugar Reef, where topwater action is starting to get common. Surfcasters are reporting so-so action in eastern Connecticut and consistent catches off the South County Rhode Island beaches. The best bet for local fluke has been deep water off Hatchets and Black Point; while big scup are all over Hatchets, Black Point, Bartletts and Hens and Chickens. Those targeting blue crabs have noted that things are starting to pick up and the late summer/fall is looking very promising.

Captain TJ, of Rock and Roll Charters, also noted that the striped bass fishing has gotten much more consistent. 40-pound plus fish are still a rare occurrence but quality keepers from 20-25 have become much easier to dial in. Big schools of bluefish are also providing some great action, but they haven’t been in the same place each day, so it takes a bit of exploring. The sea bass bite has become a bit of a challenge for the first time in recent weeks, but the fluke bite has improved greatly and picked up the slack. Big scup are also all over the place, keeping the bottom fishing very lucrative.

Fishing Forecast

A week after the first really good push of striped bass this season, reports from across the board are that they seem to be here to stay. Consistent catches of quality keepers are all over Connecticut and Rhode Island, while Block is finally producing like most anglers are accustomed to. Sea bass may take a bit more exploring than the past few weeks, but the bite remains steady, while fluke and scup have improved greatly.