New England - Rhode Island Fishing Reports

Mike Wade at Watch Hill Outfitters reported a very good week of fishing for striped bass both locally and out around Block Island. There are some very big fish being caught especially around the island and many customers reported catching their personal best fish this past week. Along with the bass, we are starting to see a good number of bluefish around. Fluke fishing has really been a grind so far this season with slow reports both locally and out around Block and Montauk. There are fish out there but most anglers targeting them are putting in a good amount of time for maybe a few keeper-sized fish. Fishing for black sea bass is producing well in terms of numbers but not a ton of keepers around yet. Scup fishing is really starting to get good and offers a reliable way to bring home some meat for the table. Offshore, there have been reports of yellowfin and some bigeye out in the canyons and bluefin are starting to move in on the mid and near-shore grounds.

Declan at Breachway Bait and Tackle reported that fluke fishing finally seemed to take off locally this past week with many of their customers reporting their first keepers of the season. Some of the better reports have come from shallow water and a good place to start is in the 25-to-35-foot range but move around and try different depths if you are not having success. There are some quality fish around right now! Black sea bass reports are also getting better with more keeper sized fish being caught and there are plenty of big scup around as well. Striped bass fishing has slowed down a bit in the local salt ponds, but anglers are still doing well targeting them on the local reefs and out around Block Island. Large schools of mackerel have been showing up locally, providing a great option for fresh live bait. Live eels, GT Eels and topwater have also been producing well. Along with the bass, there is a healthy number of bluefish patrolling the local reefs and rips. Offshore, there have been reports of recreational and commercial sized bluefin tuna being caught south of Block Island and Montauk.

Abbie at Quonnie Bait and Tackle said that boat anglers continue to do well targeting striped bass locally and out around Block Island. Live eels after dark have been the top producer, if you don’t want to fish late at night, early mornings and late evenings have also been productive. Fluke fishing seems to be picking up a bit locally and a few customers ran over to Montauk and reported doing well there. Overall, fluke still seems slow compared to prior years but there are more fish around now than a couple of weeks ago. Lots of black sea bass being caught with some being keepers and most being shorts. Scup fishing is very good from shore and by boat. Bluefin tuna are now starting to move into their usual haunts south of Block Island and Montauk.

Tony Guarino of Booked Off Charters reported that fishing for striped bass has been excellent with numerous fish over 40 pounds being caught on most trips. They are using light tackle to target these fish which makes catching them a blast! Fluke fishing is getting better and they have seen up to 20 keepers on recent trips though still a bit inconsistent and they are working hard to find them. They haven’t made the run out for tuna yet but they are starting to show up south of Block and they will likely get out for them within the next week. They do still have limited mid-week availability so call soon if you would like to book a trip.

Elisa at Snug Harbor Marina has been hearing a lot of reports of customers running either out to the canyons or the mid-shore grounds in search of tuna. West and East Atlantis had yellowfin and some bigeye tuna, and bluefin tuna are being caught south of Block Island and Montauk. Fluke reports started to pick up around the middle of last week with some good-sized fish u to around 7 pounds being caught off the beaches in 20- to 30-feet of water. If you are looking for black sea bass, try a bit deeper as the best reports seem to come from around 50-feet of water. Striped bass fishing remains very good around Block Island where the bass has been feeding on sand eels and mackerel. Not a lot of bluefish around right now but they are being caught occasionally mixed in with the striped bass.

The Frances Fleet continues to see improvements in fishing on the fluke and sea bass grounds with more keepers hitting the deck and plenty of action from short fish to keep things exciting. Additional catches can include the occasional bluefish, striped bass and scup. They are in full summer mode right now and offering both full and half day trips (AM and PM) trips, all of which can be viewed and booked on their website. Also, keep an eye out for special upcoming trips like whale watching.

Andrew at Fishin’ Factory 3 said it had been a good week of fishing for folks who had been out and braved the heat. He talked to customers who had caught everything from porgies to bluefin with reports coming in from shore and boat. Porgy fishing is really starting to heat up and the best reports are coming in from the mouth of the Thames River at Avery Point and the Fort Trumbull Pier. Other porgy pounders were getting it done at Harkness or making the ride over to Watch Hill. Striper fishing is still best at The Race where paddle tail baits seem to be lure of choice. There has also been some topwater action at times with fish in the 20-pound class blowing up on spooks and other topwater lures. There are some bass on structure adjacent to the river mouth but Andrew warned that the river was likely to blow out for a bit if the forecasted rain comes through. The same can be said for blue crabs which were starting to show up in better numbers. If the river rises from the rain, crabbing will be a bit tough for a week or so. Fluke fishing seemed to tick up for the few diehards he’d heard from. Most reports indicated that it’s still a slow pick but there are some keeper fish around locally if you’re willing to put in the time. Other customers had made the run over to Montauk where it seemed there bite for legal sized flatfish seems to be a bit more consistent. They sold green crabs to several customers heading out in search of a summer blackfish but hadn’t had many reports make their way back in to the shop just yet. The shop is open seven days a week for the season.

Over at The Saltwater Edge, fishing for striped bass has been slowing down a bit in the bay due to rising water temperatures but fishing is still very good around the mouth where the water is cooler. There are also some bluefish mixed in with the bass. Fluke reports have been decent around the islands and there seem to be more keeper fluke moving in along the south shore beaches. Fishing for black sea bass and scup continues to produce well. Offshore, there have been reports of bluefin tuna moving into areas south of Block Island and those running out to the canyons have been finding good fishing for yellowfin and a few bigeye.