Rhode Island Fishing Report
The Frances Fleet in Point Judith finally got a break in the weather and got back on the grounds consistently after a few tough weeks. The fished the last few days with mixed results. Some days have been stronger than others, but all trips have been producing fish. The strongest trips have seen a nice mix of sea bass, big scup and keeper codfish on the jig. The fleet plans on sailing for the rest of the week, so be sure to check their website for reservations.
Dave, at Ocean State Tackle in Providence reports that the fall run continues to intensify across Rhode Island. Larger striped bass are prevalent throughout the bay and up in the Providence River. The south facing shoreline out in front of the bay and across the South County is loaded with small bait, and is holding bass, bluefish, false albacore, and bonito. Blitzes have been much easier to find this week and are showing no signs of slowing down. Scup are still being caught in the Providence River and Narragansett Bay, keeper sea bass can be found in shallower water, and tautog fishing continues to improve by the day. The Rhode Island DEM has been stocking trout for Columbus Day Weekend, and you can check their website for stocking updates.
Eric at The Saltwater Edge in Middletown reports shore fishing getting better by the day here in Rhode Island. Albies may be tough to come by but its more than made up for with the amount of great striped bass we are seeing. Grab a Super Strike and your surf rod and get out there! Bottom fishing brings more hot action right now too. Tautog fishing is great, and the fish seem to be keying in on bright-colored jigs tipped with crabs. Sea bass fishing is another bright spot, just make sure you check your local regulations as some state’s seasons have closed. Put your epoxy jigs to use with sea bass right now, because they are keyed in on those shapes and sizes due to the excessive amounts of bait in the water.
Ralph, at Crafty One Customs has been keeping busy preparing for their RI Tog Classic, which is set for October 8th, and Ralph is expecting a huge turnout this year. He also reported that local fishing has been holding up well, with bass, bluefish, and some false albacore chasing bait throughout the bay. The fluke have mostly moved out, but there are plenty of black sea bass and scup around. Tautog fishing is also starting to heat up nicely just in time for the upcoming tournament!
Captain Rob, at Newport Sportfishing Charters has been hanging inshore when the weathers not too bad, but things remain pretty churned up. Since the blow, Rob has been focusing on striped bass and bluefish, with quality specimens of both species in and around the bay. He’s also transitioning to tautog fishing, and the early results have been excellent, and will only continue to improve.
Connor, at Tall Tailz Charters in Newport told me that the area is still loaded with striped bass, bluefish, and false albacore, as the peak fall run is upon us. He has been playing with some blitzing fish occasionally, but his focus has shifted mainly to giant tautog hunting. Despite some tough weather earlier in the week, the results have been strong. All trips have seen relatively easy boat limits, fish to about 12-pounds, and plenty of fish in the 7-9-pound range. The tautog fishing will only improve from here and Connor has a few dates still available in November, so be sure to reach out before it’s too late.
Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain for Rhode Island.
Jay, at Pamela May Charters told me that reports from the tautog grounds have been strong, but he hasn’t targeted them yet, because the topwater fishing is still at its fall peak. They’ve found a couple huge false albacore blitzes throughout South County. The fish have been gorging on bay anchovies, so similar colored epoxy jigs have been doing the trick. Jay has also found some big stripers to 40-inches plus and gator bluefish around the west passage area off Narragansett. These fish have also mainly been feeding on top and were willing to hit topwater spooks and poppers.
Dustin at, Rhode Island Kayak Fishing Adventures told me that the fantastic fall fishing has continued to improve as the weather has settled. False albacore pods have been more prevalent, and the numbers seem to get better each trip. Dustin is also finding stripers and bluefish in a lot of different places, most of which are willing to hit topwater offerings. Tautog fishing has been continued to improve and will get better as the water temps cool down. When the tautog bite heats up there is usually a nice black sea bass bite to go with it, so there’s quite a bit of strong fall fishing still ahead of us. Really good squid fishing is also right around the corner for fishermen that want to mix it up a bit. Dustin has some dates for October and November for kayak and shore fishing trips, so be sure to reach out to schedule your kayak and/or shore fishing trip today!
Rhode Island Fishing Forecast
While another weekend rainstorm isn’t ideal, the weather has started to settle nicely, and Rhode Island anglers have no shortage of options, as the fall run rolls on. The false albacore bite has popped up throughout the state, and some of the best blitzes of the year were reported this week. Continued warm temperatures, along with a plethora of small bait, should keep that action steady for a few more weeks at least. Bass and bluefish of mixed sizes can also be found blitzing along the south shore, including some large bass falling to anglers working the breachways after dark. The bay has heated up as well, with plenty of big bass and blues around the mouth, and in the northern stretches of the Providence River. Tautog fishing is here to stay, with consistent reports of double-digit fish across multiple depths this week. Sea bass fishing has also improved across a wide range of depths, and there’s still enough scup around to keep cooler full.