On The Water

• According to Tommy at Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle in North Kingstown, fishing is the “same old, same old” relative to last week. Of course, that bodes really well for anglers because the jumbo striped bass are still raising havoc on bunker in upper Narragansett Bay. According to Tommy, stripers up to 50 pounds are being taken on a fairly regular basis. Find the bunker, and the jumbo bass are down below them. Small bluefish are all over the place providing action in the bay as well, desired or not. Fluke are still coming in good numbers, though the south shore is the best place to be. Thirty to forty feet of water is prime depth, with live mummichogs or whole squid attracting the keepers. There are lots of shorts mixed in, but keepers are there.
• The Block Island area is producing good fluke catches, but dogfish have moved in and have become a major pain. Scup are also doing well, and Tommy has been getting reports of very large specimens coming from Beavertail, the Point Judith Lighthouse and the Center Wall. Reports from freshwaters are dwindling as the weather heats up.
• Around Newport, things are about the same as last week, according to reports Earl has been receiving at the Saltwater Edge. The focal point for most anglers in the region is upper Narragansett Bay, where big stripers are keeping anglers quite busy. Earl also has reports that Brenton Reef is beginning to come alive with some decent catches of stripers. That’s good news, and with all the focus on the upper bay it is bound to be a bit less busy.
• At Maridee Bait & Tackle in Narragansett, Mary said that the biggest striped bass reports have come from around the docks in Galilee, with clam bellies the most productive and enticing of baits. Fluke are mainly in deeper waters, and shore fishermen have been mainly taking shorts so far. Mary has reports that the East Wall is producing some very nice catches of scup, and school bass and smaller bluefish are in that same area. Charter trips from the shop are doing very well for striped bass out at Block Island, with a few 50-pounders and numerous 30- to 40-pounders being taken.
• Ronnie at Breachway Bait & Tackle in Charlestown has reports of striped bass to 50 pounds now being taken off the beaches in the area, though mainly at night and with eels. Bluefish, mostly small but with a few bigger ones mixed in, are also becoming common along the beaches. Fluke fishing is excellent, according to Ronnie; just find some structure in the 30- to 40-foot depth and you will most likely bring home dinner. There are few reports of scup to date.
• A bit farther west in Charlestown, Capt. Don at Capt. Don’s Bait & Tackle has reports of good-sized striped bass over 20 pounds being taken in the breachway. You’ll increase your chances by using eels under the cover of darkness. Fluke fishing remains good to excellent from reports Captain Don is getting in, with squid and mummichogs producing the best. Southwest Ledge has some excellent reports coming in as well. Huge scup are reported all around the region, and sea bass reports are just beginning to come in from the Block Island area, according to Capt. Don.
• Out on Block Island, John at Twin Maples Bait & Tackle reports that fishing is now clicking into full swing. Sand eels are abundant, and one lucky fly-angler landed a 48-inch striped bass on a 3-inch sand eel pattern in the Coast Guard Channel. Fishing from shore just about anywhere on the island is good, even during the day, with flies and plugs producing the best. Big plugs attract big fish, so keep that in mind. For better or worse, small bluefish invaded the island a day or two ago. Fluke fishing has been good, mainly in water about 60 feet deep, according to reports coming off the west side of the island. John is getting reports of lots of shorts.
• At The Fish Connection in Preston, Cheyenne is getting word that the bunker, and therefore the bass, have moved down into the area of the mouth of the Thames River. Bluefish, some large, are mixed in with the stripers. The stripers are focused on the bunker, almost exclusively, so be prepared to be snubbed if you get too far from menhaden or its imitation.
  
• The Race is producing very well, particularly to diamond jigs, as might be expected. Fluke are being found in about 50 feet of water, at least along the Misquamicut Beach area of Rhode Island. Scup fishing is beginning to pick up, according to Cheyenne, and freshwater fishing is slowing down with the warmer weather.
• Lou at Hillyer’s Bait & Tackle in Waterford is getting excellent reports of striped bass fishing throughout the area. Big striped bass have moved in, and Bartlett Reef has been quite productive and is a good choice. Sixteen-year old Ryan Proulx landed a 51-pound striper at Bartlett on a live eel at night this past weekend. Reports coming into the shop are still indicating that the Niantic River is hot for large scup and large blackfish, mostly between the bridges. High Rock and Low Rock are also producing some nice scup. Fluke angling is picking up, but small bluefish in the area are making it difficult to get bait down, according to Lou.
  
• Black Point is one of the best-producing areas at the moment. Isabella Beach on the south side of Fishers Island is red hot, according to reports Lou has been getting. Whole squid seems to be the ticket to large fluke out there. Along the beaches, striped bass are showing up regularly now, and trolling a tube-and-worm will pay dividends off of Ocean Beach and other likely spots. No reports of sea bass just yet.
• Bigger fluke are moving closer to shore, according to reports Capt. Morgan is getting at Capt. Morgan’s Bait & Tackle in Madison. Focus on tidal river mouths and you should not be disappointed. Blackfish are coming in close now, too, but use soft baits. A crab may get you a fish, but a soft bait will get you several. Fish to 10 pounds are being taken close to shore on soft bait. Blues and stripers are around, mainly where the bunker are located. Find bunker and you will be taking some fish in the 40- to 50-inch range.
  
• Falkner, Goose and Charles islands are all producing good catches of scup, according to reports coming into the shop. Inland, fishing is slowing some with the warming waters, but anglers who are well seasoned and patient are still taking fish.
  
• The Hammonasset River still has plenty of fish, but they are indeed a bit trying to catch. Capt. Morgan also reports that clamming in the region is very good, and that blue crabs are just beginning to show up in the river mouths now in pretty good numbers.
• At Westport Outfitters in Norwalk, Patrick said that the sand eels are still all over the marine district, and are showing no signs of easing up. The fish, of course, are keyed in on this species, and fishing decent imitations is a must. Green or olive-hued Clousers and other imitations are producing very well, but those imitations that most closely resemble the real thing (a darker shade of olive green) are producing the best. Reports indicate that anything deviating much from a sand eel is not producing very well. I guess that means you should stock up on dark green sand eel imitations. According to reports, Old Mill is really hot for the sand eel “hatch.” While sand eels are also prevalent all along the shore from Penfield Reef to Westport Harbor, there are many small bluefish in those waters. Dawn and dusk will provide some relief and a better shot at some bass, according to reports Patrick has received.
• Best Bets for Connecticut and Rhode Island: I keep saying that it won’t last, but it just keeps going on, so this week I’ll say, “There’s no hurry to get to upper Narragansett Bay to take some jumbo bass, because they will be there forever.” Believe that and you deserve to miss out! Do Narragansett Bay one more time. Consider Block Island while the fishing is just getting into full swing and the tourist season isn’t quite. Grab a fly rod or other light-tackle setup and go out to the Norwalk/Westport region to fish the sand eel phenomenon. And bring a pile of darker-colored sand eel imitations. If you want to be challenged, go trout fishing. Plenty of fish, few anglers, and we really are not into the “dog days” yet, so the fishing is bound to still be pretty darn good. (by Alan Desbonnet, org pub. On The Water).