On The Water

1. The fluke are biting well and getting bigger. Most of the hot action is taking place in deeper water at 40 to 60 feet, using a variety of baits on traditional fluke rigs. Thom at Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle in North Kingstown and Colby at Breachway Tackle in Charlestown both reported many keepers and quite a few BIG keepers as well. Mary at Maridee Bait & Tackle in Narragansett agrees that the fluking is great, but reiterated that there are many shorts to be caught and released in pursuit of a keeper.
2. Fluking out on Block Island is good, and at times, it’s fantastic. The problem is, according to the folks at Twin Maples Bait and Tackle, that the fluke are just not being very consistent. So one day the fishing is red hot, then maybe cooled down considerably the following day, then red hot again a day or so following. Lots of shorts out on Block Island too, and while it may be maddening at times the number of shorts being taken perhaps bodes well for next season.
3. If the fluke aren’t hitting, the bluefish certainly will be. All over the region bluefish are swarming in and chomping anything they deem edible, which is just about everything. Don’t be surprised to get hammered by blues while trying to get your bait down to the fluke, scup, stripers or other species you are targeting.
4. Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle and Maridee Bait & Tackle both reported a number of blues over the 10-pound mark being taken along the beaches and other nearshore areas. Mary at Maridee also reported lots of snapper blues tight along the coast, providing lots of sport for light-tackle enthusiasts. Breachway Tackle in Charlestown was the only shop to note that bluefish, while abundant, where not yet overrunning the salt ponds.
5. While the shoreline, breachways and river mouths may be stacked up with small blues in the 4- to 6-pound range, venturing offshore just a short distance will improve the chance of tagging a larger, more formidable blue. This is especially true out on Block Island, where the blues, especially larger ones, have been sporadic from shore but pretty consistent by boat according the folks at Twin Maples Bait & Tackle on Block Island.
6. Fishing for keeper stripers is still very a much a game to be played during the hours of darkness, particularly with live eels. The bass, however, are becoming more active on the twin shoulders of darkness – early and late in the day, and often at the surface. School bass are around during daylight hours, but all the shops are bemoaning the fact that it is often impossible to get to the bass through the horde of marauding bluefish.
7. The Saltwater Edge in Newport reported lots of school bass, and of course bluefish, along the coast from Narragansett to the Westport River area feeding heavily on small bait, particularly baby bunker. Silversides are also abundant, making flies and light-tackle spoons and minnow baits the “go to” fish catchers.
8. Out on Block Island striper fishing is pretty hot, particularly if you like the thrill of sight-fishing to stripers from shore with fly rod or light tackle. Twin Maples reports stripers up to 36 inches feeding on sand eels in the shallows just off the beach. Stripers on East Beach, Scotch Beach and Mansion Beach are all displaying this daytime feeding behavior. A prime spot to try your luck would be just north of the Town Beach. Patience, footwork and a good pair of polarized sunglasses will put you in touch with some exciting daytime fishing on Block Island. Be sure to have some sand eel imitations.
9. Bonito are beginning to show here and there, but not consistently in any given spot for any length of time. Quaker Lane reported a mixed bag of bonito, small bluefin tuna and skipjack tuna off Sakonnet Point that appeared early this past week. The Saltwater Edge also reported some small bonito, near 4 pounds, and an occasional bluefin tuna mixed in with bluefish in the Newport area. None of these fish are being consistent, so be prepared to use your gas card liberally if you want to hunt down these speedsters.
10. Weird catch of the week goes to Thom at Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle, who landed a large Atlantic torpedo ray. Fortunately he recognized the fish and didn’t touch it as this species is capable of discharging an electric current of up to 220 volts! If you want to get a “charge” out of fishing, there are probably more fun ways of doing so.
11. Along Watch Hill and the eastern end of Long Island Sound, similar trends emerge. The fluking is good, often great, and improving steadily. The good word is that the number of shorts relative to keepers seems to be improving. Shaffer’s Marina in Mystic, The Fish Connection in Preston, and Hillyer’s Bait & Tackle in Waterford all reported good to excellent fluking off the beaches in Rhode Island and on the south side of Fishers Island. Best action is in deeper waters, in the 40- to 60-foot range, on squid, worms and frozen bait like smelt.
12. Striper fishing is good and getting better at twilight and at dawn. The reefs off of Watch Hill are holding lots of fish, though they are particular about their feeding schedule. Jack at The Fish Connection recommends fishing about 2 hours into the tide, which is when the bass often feed actively on the surface. Cheryl at Shaffer’s Marina suggests trolling a tube-and-worm rig anywhere along the north side of Fishers Island, or using surface plugs on Latimer or Ram Island reefs in the early morning. Mark at Hillyer’s suggests trolling a tube-and-worm rig off Bartletts Reef, or using Hammer Jigs out in The Race.
13. Bluefish are everywhere. The smaller blues tend to be in the Sound itself, with larger ones off the Rhode Island south shore beaches. The bluefish action can be hot all day long, so be prepared to share your bait selections targeted to other species with the ever-present and ever-hungry blues.
14. The bonito are showing a bit more consistently down along the beaches in Rhode Island according to Jack at The Fish Connection, and occasionally off Race Point and Bartletts Reef. There are rumors, but no confirmation of bonito in the Mystic River area yet.
15. The scup fishing is good, with reports of big scup all over the region. Mark at Hillyer’s did note however, that while the individual scup seem to be larger, the overall schools of scup appear to be smaller. Mark suggested the spindle on Bartletts as a likely scup spot.
16. Hickory shad are still in the Mystic and Niantic rivers, but beginning to thin out some. Blackfishing is very slow, probably due to the warm water temperatures at the moment. Tuna are a regular item offshore on charters to the canyons, and Cheryl at Shaffer’s reported a 200-pound Mako landed by the Dodd brothers earlier in the week.
17. In the western end of Long Island Sound, fluke fishing is improving, with bigger fluke becoming more prevalent relative to shorts. Deeper water in the 40- to 50-foot range is where the fluke are holding. Nick at Fisherman’s World in Norwalk suggests trying the deeper water around the 28C and 11B buoys, or along any of the quick drop-offs in the area. Captain Morgan at Captain Morgan’s Bait & Tackle in Madison suggests south of Falkner Island and some of the deeper sections of the river mouths.
18. With increasing water temperatures in the western sound, striper fishing has slowed, particularly for the bigger fish, though they can still be had during the hours of darkness. Stratford Bait & Tackle reported lots of school bass in the mouth of the Housatonic River providing light-tackle and fly-rod action, while Captain Morgan reported lots school bass action, lasting throughout the daylight hours.
19. The big news for the western Sound is large bunker continuing to hold close to shore, bringing the possibility of big fish, particularly big bluefish, to the shore-bound angler. The folks at Stratford Bait & Tackle note that this is probably the first time in 6 or 7 years that they have seen such a convergence of big bunker and big bluefish in the area. This of course bodes well for anglers in the western Sound, who can look forward to excellent fishing prospects as the season progresses.
20. Bluefish are everywhere, with bigger blues chasing down the bigger bunker. While best prospects will be from a boat, with the big bait moving in close, shore-bound anglers casting from the beaches will have increased probability of success. There are several tournaments going on in the region, so the prospects for competitive bluefish landings are very good.
21. Scup fishing is good in the western Sound, with Charles Island and the Middle Ground being prime areas. Captain Morgan reports weakfish still in the area, but thinning out. There have been no reports of bonito in the western Sound.
22. Best Bets for Connecticut and Rhode Island
23. There is no question that the fluke fishing is hot and getting hotter. Grab your fluking gear and get out into 40 to 60 feet of water and catch a delicious feast for dinner! Best bets are off Rhode Island’s south shore beaches and off the south side of Fishers Island.
24. If you want some light-tackle adventure, particularly if you are a fly-rodder, grab a ferry or take your boat over to Block Island and patrol the beaches on foot. Sight-casting to stripers gorging on sand eels in the shallows will get the adrenaline pumping. Bring along light-tackle gear or a fly rod with plenty of sand eel imitations.
25. If you are in the mood for bigger bluefish, try the far western end of Long Island Sound in and around the Stratford-Housatonic River area. With the good concentrations of big bunker being close to shore, the opportunity to tag a large bluefish in that area has not been better. [By Alan Desbonnet
26. The fluke are biting well and getting bigger. Most of the hot action is taking place in deeper water at 40 to 60 feet, using a variety of baits on traditional fluke rigs. Thom at Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle in North Kingstown and Colby at Breachway Tackle in Charlestown both reported many keepers and quite a few BIG keepers as well. Mary at Maridee Bait & Tackle in Narragansett agrees that the fluking is great, but reiterated that there are many shorts to be caught and released in pursuit of a keeper.
27. Fluking out on Block Island is good, and at times, it’s fantastic. The problem is, according to the folks at Twin Maples Bait and Tackle, that the fluke are just not being very consistent. So one day the fishing is red hot, then maybe cooled down considerably the following day, then red hot again a day or so following. Lots of shorts out on Block Island too, and while it may be maddening at times the number of shorts being taken perhaps bodes well for next season.
28. If the fluke aren’t hitting, the bluefish certainly will be. All over the region bluefish are swarming in and chomping anything they deem edible, which is just about everything. Don’t be surprised to get hammered by blues while trying to get your bait down to the fluke, scup, stripers or other species you are targeting.
29. Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle and Maridee Bait & Tackle both reported a number of blues over the 10-pound mark being taken along the beaches and other nearshore areas. Mary at Maridee also reported lots of snapper blues tight along the coast, providing lots of sport for light-tackle enthusiasts. Breachway Tackle in Charlestown was the only shop to note that bluefish, while abundant, where not yet overrunning the salt ponds.
30. While the shoreline, breachways and river mouths may be stacked up with small blues in the 4- to 6-pound range, venturing offshore just a short distance will improve the chance of tagging a larger, more formidable blue. This is especially true out on Block Island, where the blues, especially larger ones, have been sporadic from shore but pretty consistent by boat according the folks at Twin Maples Bait & Tackle on Block Island.
31. Fishing for keeper stripers is still very a much a game to be played during the hours of darkness, particularly with live eels. The bass, however, are becoming more active on the twin shoulders of darkness – early and late in the day, and often at the surface. School bass are around during daylight hours, but all the shops are bemoaning the fact that it is often impossible to get to the bass through the horde of marauding bluefish.
32. The Saltwater Edge in Newport reported lots of school bass, and of course bluefish, along the coast from Narragansett to the Westport River area feeding heavily on small bait, particularly baby bunker. Silversides are also abundant, making flies and light-tackle spoons and minnow baits the “go to” fish catchers.
33. Out on Block Island striper fishing is pretty hot, particularly if you like the thrill of sight-fishing to stripers from shore with fly rod or light tackle. Twin Maples reports stripers up to 36 inches feeding on sand eels in the shallows just off the beach. Stripers on East Beach, Scotch Beach and Mansion Beach are all displaying this daytime feeding behavior. A prime spot to try your luck would be just north of the Town Beach. Patience, footwork and a good pair of polarized sunglasses will put you in touch with some exciting daytime fishing on Block Island. Be sure to have some sand eel imitations.
34. Bonito are beginning to show here and there, but not consistently in any given spot for any length of time. Quaker Lane reported a mixed bag of bonito, small bluefin tuna and skipjack tuna off Sakonnet Point that appeared early this past week. The Saltwater Edge also reported some small bonito, near 4 pounds, and an occasional bluefin tuna mixed in with bluefish in the Newport area. None of these fish are being consistent, so be prepared to use your gas card liberally if you want to hunt down these speedsters.
35. Weird catch of the week goes to Thom at Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle, who landed a large Atlantic torpedo ray. Fortunately he recognized the fish and didn’t touch it as this species is capable of discharging an electric current of up to 220 volts! If you want to get a “charge” out of fishing, there are probably more fun ways of doing so.
36. Along Watch Hill and the eastern end of Long Island Sound, similar trends emerge. The fluking is good, often great, and improving steadily. The good word is that the number of shorts relative to keepers seems to be improving. Shaffer’s Marina in Mystic, The Fish Connection in Preston, and Hillyer’s Bait & Tackle in Waterford all reported good to excellent fluking off the beaches in Rhode Island and on the south side of Fishers Island. Best action is in deeper waters, in the 40- to 60-foot range, on squid, worms and frozen bait like smelt.
37. Striper fishing is good and getting better at twilight and at dawn. The reefs off of Watch Hill are holding lots of fish, though they are particular about their feeding schedule. Jack at The Fish Connection recommends fishing about 2 hours into the tide, which is when the bass often feed actively on the surface. Cheryl at Shaffer’s Marina suggests trolling a tube-and-worm rig anywhere along the north side of Fishers Island, or using surface plugs on Latimer or Ram Island reefs in the early morning. Mark at Hillyer’s suggests trolling a tube-and-worm rig off Bartletts Reef, or using Hammer Jigs out in The Race.
38. Bluefish are everywhere. The smaller blues tend to be in the Sound itself, with larger ones off the Rhode Island south shore beaches. The bluefish action can be hot all day long, so be prepared to share your bait selections targeted to other species with the ever-present and ever-hungry blues.
39. The bonito are showing a bit more consistently down along the beaches in Rhode Island according to Jack at The Fish Connection, and occasionally off Race Point and Bartletts Reef. There are rumors, but no confirmation of bonito in the Mystic River area yet.
40. The scup fishing is good, with reports of big scup all over the region. Mark at Hillyer’s did note however, that while the individual scup seem to be larger, the overall schools of scup appear to be smaller. Mark suggested the spindle on Bartletts as a likely scup spot.
41. Hickory shad are still in the Mystic and Niantic rivers, but beginning to thin out some. Blackfishing is very slow, probably due to the warm water temperatures at the moment. Tuna are a regular item offshore on charters to the canyons, and Cheryl at Shaffer’s reported a 200-pound Mako landed by the Dodd brothers earlier in the week.
42. In the western end of Long Island Sound, fluke fishing is improving, with bigger fluke becoming more prevalent relative to shorts. Deeper water in the 40- to 50-foot range is where the fluke are holding. Nick at Fisherman’s World in Norwalk suggests trying the deeper water around the 28C and 11B buoys, or along any of the quick drop-offs in the area. Captain Morgan at Captain Morgan’s Bait & Tackle in Madison suggests south of Falkner Island and some of the deeper sections of the river mouths.
43. With increasing water temperatures in the western sound, striper fishing has slowed, particularly for the bigger fish, though they can still be had during the hours of darkness. Stratford Bait & Tackle reported lots of school bass in the mouth of the Housatonic River providing light-tackle and fly-rod action, while Captain Morgan reported lots school bass action, lasting throughout the daylight hours.
44. The big news for the western Sound is large bunker continuing to hold close to shore, bringing the possibility of big fish, particularly big bluefish, to the shore-bound angler. The folks at Stratford Bait & Tackle note that this is probably the first time in 6 or 7 years that they have seen such a convergence of big bunker and big bluefish in the area. This of course bodes well for anglers in the western Sound, who can look forward to excellent fishing prospects as the season progresses.
45. Bluefish are everywhere, with bigger blues chasing down the bigger bunker. While best prospects will be from a boat, with the big bait moving in close, shore-bound anglers casting from the beaches will have increased probability of success. There are several tournaments going on in the region, so the prospects for competitive bluefish landings are very good.
46. Scup fishing is good in the western Sound, with Charles Island and the Middle Ground being prime areas. Captain Morgan reports weakfish still in the area, but thinning out. There have been no reports of bonito in the western Sound.

Best Bets for Connecticut and Rhode Island

There is no question that the fluke fishing is hot and getting hotter. Grab your fluking gear and get out into 40 to 60 feet of water and catch a delicious feast for dinner! Best bets are off Rhode Island’s south shore beaches and off the south side of Fishers Island.
If you want some light-tackle adventure, particularly if you are a fly-rodder, grab a ferry or take your boat over to Block Island and patrol the beaches on foot. Sight-casting to stripers gorging on sand eels in the shallows will get the adrenaline pumping. Bring along light-tackle gear or a fly rod with plenty of sand eel imitations.
If you are in the mood for bigger bluefish, try the far western end of Long Island Sound in and around the Stratford-Housatonic River area. With the good concentrations of big bunker being close to shore, the opportunity to tag a large bluefish in that area has not been better. [By Alan Desbonnet]