Sandy points, rocky beaches and bowls, strong-running currents and even a jetty; the east side of Block Island has it all and more.
Block Island’s east side, spanning the shoreline from the North Rip to The Stairs located below Southeast Light, include both some of the most and least-fished stretches of shoreline on the pork chop.
On paper the North Rip looks like a hot spot to the tenth degree. On either side of the spit you have depths in excess of 50 feet and your cast can land in 15 to 20 feet of water. On top of the point the waves are often awash and a strong current sweeps bait past on both sides of the tide. This can, however, be a very dangerous spot and from what I have been told has accounted for more surfcasters meeting their untimely demise than anywhere else on the Island. It’s accessible by foot from the parking lot at the end of Corn Neck Road, but with a CRMC beach pass you can drive right to the tip of the island.
I do not fish out here very often—despite the spot almost always looking fishy—as it lacks what I come to Block Island to fish: rocky bars and bowls. That does not mean that it does not warrant some effort. Every time I have made the ride out in my 4X4 I have found fish, often times when the rest of the Island has failed to show any sign of life. While many anglers immediately steam for the point, my success has been found a little way back, working the trough in tight to the shore where striped bass and bluefish pin baitfish.
Moving east/southeast from the North Rip, just past Cow Cove, the large, sweeping point known as Grove Point is one of those often overlooked spots on the island by many of today’s casters. Generally a high water location, a northwest wind traditionally produces best here although I have taken fish under varied wind conditions. As the tide drops out a wetsuit opens up many casting perches that are otherwise in inaccessible by wader-clad anglers.
With the aid of a wetsuit and some daytime scouting there are an innumerable amount of swimable, fishy rocks all along this stretch on down to Mansion Beach. The water in close is relatively shallow, but just beyond an average cast the bottom drops off sharply to reach depths of 60-plus feet. The bar right at Grove Point is a good spot, day or night, just as a northwest wind starts to roll in as it pushes bait down from the North Rip.
Ballard’s Beach is another one of those spots that is often overlooked yet has coughed up many large bass over the years including a few north of 60 pounds! This is generally a sandy beach until you reach the southern end towards the ‘Poop Chute’, but the very existence of the remnants of a bass stand should be reason enough to spend at least a little time here. It is easily accessed either from Ballard’s to the north, or the overlook to the south, and is an easy spot to drop in for a few casts as you tour the Island. The water is pretty shallow so shallow-running plugs are preferred, as are eels—you can’t really go wrong with them anywhere stripers are known to swim.
Moving south from Ballard’s past the Poop Chute, the first prominent point is known as Old Harbor Point. A great many large striped bass have been taken from this area south on past Southeast Lighthouse to The Stairs. Higher water stages favor the bowls along this stretch of shoreline, while the lower stages are prime to wade or swim out to those distant rocks. Old-time sharpies prefer the low incoming here but I have found success on all tide stages. Once out on the rocky points it is possible to drop your eel or needlefish into depths of 15 to 20-plus feet of water. Even at low water, be sure to fish your way out onto your intended casting perch as bass will often sneak right in tight in search of crabs, lobsters and baitfish as they get pinned into shore.
