New England - Rhode Island Fishing Reports

Mike Wade at Watch Hill Outfitters reported that tautog fishing has been producing well on the local reefs and rock piles with many customers limiting out on fish to around 7 pounds. There are still some good-sized black sea bass and scup mixed in with the tautog. Fishing for striped bass continues to produce well along the beaches and on the local reefs. Bait and bass are moving along the beach and there often surface feeds going on somewhere along the beach. There have still been reports of some green bonito being caught but they have been popping up very sporadically making them difficult to target.

Declan at Breachway Bait and Tackle reported that they saw fewer bass moving along the beaches this past week but overall, the fishing is still very good and there are some big fish still moving through. As we get later into the fall, there will be fewer fish still migrating south so the bite gets a bit harder to predict but bass will move moving though into early December. There has been quite a bit of small bait in the area making for a pickier bite at times. Tautog fishing is picking up and should continue strong through most of November. This is a great time of year to get out for some tog and stock the freezer for winter. There are also still some nice sized black sea bass around. There have been reports of some green bonito still in the area, but they seem to be moving out. A handful of random bluefish and some shad round out the catches reported this past week.

Pete at Quonnie Bait and Tackle said that fishing for tautog was very good this past week with both shore and boat anglers catching some nice sized keepers. The tautog are still relatively shallow so shore bound anglers along with kayak anglers are doing well. Boat anglers are finding fish in 20- to 60-feet of water. Striped bass reports have been very good from the beaches and breachways as bass and bait have been on the move along the beaches. There have been reports of a handful of bluefish mixed in but they have been scarce this fall. Still a few green bonito being caught mostly by tautog anglers who had a rod rigged and ready for them. There don’t really seem to be enough still around to go out and target them for a trip but it’s always smart to be ready should they pop up next to the boat.

Tony Guarino of Booked Off Charters said that the tautog bite is starting to heat up with several limits on trips this past week and other trips that weren’t too far off of a boat limit. They also had their first double-digit fish of the season this past week. There have been some good-sized black sea bass mixed in and they are seeing around a dozen keeper per trip along with some monster scup which they usually don’t see many of this time of year. They have been fishing a variety of spots ranging from 20 to over 80 feet and have been finding fish on nearly every piece of structure.

Elisa at Snug Harbor Marina has been hearing reports of some very good tautog fishing locally and up around Newport and Jamestown. The bite has been getting better and should continue to improve over the next couple of weeks. Many limit catches have been reporting fish up to around 9 pounds. Tautog anglers are also reporting some keeper black sea bass and scup mixed in with the tautog. Fishing for striped bass along the beaches is still producing well and there have been some bluefish and green bonito around as well. Several boats were running out to the canyons or inshore grounds in search of tuna over the weekend but unfortunately none had reported back when we spoke. Hopefully more to report on the offshore scene next week!

The Frances Fleet has been reporting very good fishing for tautog on recent trips with several full boat limits and plenty of action from small fish to keep the rods bent at the rail all day long. They have been catching some black sea bass and scup mixed in with the tautog. Trips are selling out so be sure to book early. They have been running more than one boat on busy weekends to try to accommodate more anglers. As always, you can view their full schedule on their website where you can also make reservations for upcoming trips.

Andrew at Fishin’ Factory 3 told me that while most of the talk of the shop these days is about blackfish, he is also hearing from customers catching stripers, the occasional false albacore, squid, trout and salmon. The great weather over the weekend made for busy times at the shop with just about everyone with any interest in catching tog getting in on the action. Customers caught from both shore and boat with a few impressive catches in the mix. While the tournament leader still sits at 8 pounds and 10 ounces, a few customers reported catching and releasing fish to 25.5 inches. The shop’s blackfish tournament has been competitive again this year and will run right through to the end of the season. The tournament runs the full six week tog season and the heaviest fish will take the total pot at the end in the form a Fishin’ Factory III gift card. There will also be weekly prize winners each week of the season from different sponsors so keep an eye on their social media to see what’s up for grabs each week. Fish can be weighed at the shop or at Hillyer’s Bait and Tackle and you must sign up in person in Middletown to get in. Last year they had over 75 participants and at $30 a head to get in the payout should be a good one. Striper fishing has been good for the customers they heard from who are still focused on it. There is a bite in the mouth of the Connecticut River but it seems to be hot one day and lukewarm the next. There are also some fish on structure adjacent to the river mouth in both directions. Plum Gut is also holding schools of bass where they are being caught primarily on flutter spoons as well as on the surface occasionally. False albacore are still popping up here and there with most reports coming east of Black Point by anglers who are ‘on the hook’ blackfishing. There is a squid bite going in the mouth of the Thames River that some customers were taking advantage of. Trout fishing is gearing back up with recent stockings. The Salmon River was stocked before the weekend and Black Pond and Cedar Lake seem to consistently get stockings of good sized trout. The shop is currently open seven days a week.

Over at The Saltwater Edge they have been hearing reports of very good fishing for tautog around the islands and the mouth of the bay. Many boats reported limiting out on nice sized tautog and having so keeper black sea bass as a welcome addition to the catch. Fishing for striped bass remains very good around Newport. The bass have been feeding on smaller bait and there is often a surface feed going on somewhere around the island. Topwater plugs have been effective especially early in the morning and late in the afternoon. There are still a few green bonito around, but they are starting to thin out. Some anglers have been out looking for squid but the fall bite doesn’t seem to have started up just yet.