Strong reports on stripers throughout the region

Striped bass, bluefish and false albacore. East End Eddie Doherty, Cape Cod Canal fishing expert and author, said, “Experienced surf rat Andrew Kuznarowis from Centerville had a very productive mid canal outing, battling over 20 bass up to 35 inches with his green mack Savage. There were 2-hour blitzes on last Saturday and Sunday that produced slots and bigger from the railroad bridge to the Herring Run. The powerful effects of the month ending super moon will hopefully have rods bent up and down the Big Ditch.”

“Bluefish and striped bass fishing in Narragansett Bay is improving with bass now being caught at Sabin Point, Colt State Park and the Barrington Bridge.  Most are school bass.”   This weekend the bluefish were being caught throughout Narragansett Bay.  Anglers on my boat caught most of their bluefish for the smoker between Gould Island north of the Newport Bridge to Hope Island.

Jeff Sullivan of Lucky Bait & Tackle, Warren said, “Striped bass fishing out in front of Newport has slowed some with an early morning and predusk bite on eels and topwater lures still good.  However, the false albacore bite off Newport is outstanding with fish in the five to seven pound range with Game On XO jigs and Albie Snacks working well for anglers.”

Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle, Providence, said, “Customers catching bass in the Bay are working for them, but the bluefish are popping up all over the Bay.”

Declan O’Donnell of Breachway Bait & Tackle, Charlestown, said, “Striped bass are thick back in the salt ponds right now. Guys are doing well with live eels and the top water bite is starting to pick up as these fish become more active. The Charlestown Breachway bite has been heating up especially on the outgoing tide at night.  There are some bluefish starting to show up again as well. False Albacore arrived on the South Shore on Sunday and a lot of them. They were mostly feeding on peanut bunker.”

Tautog.

“The tautog bite in the Bay has been slow with a lot of shorts being caught.  The water temperature in the Providence River north of Conimicut Light is still seventy degrees.”  said John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait & Tackle.  “We just switched over from fluke fishing to tautog fishing and have had luck catching keepers at the mouth of the Sakonnet River.  We caught ten fish, not large Fish, but seven of them were keepers.” said Jeff Sullivan of Lucky Bait & Tackle.  Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle said, “One customer did well fishing for tautog from shore at the Jamestown Bridge (on the North Kingstown side).”

Fluke, black sea bass and scup

Declan O’Donnell said, “Fluke fishing held up well last week with fish up to almost 9-pounds caught around 30-feet of water locally.  Along with fluke, local anglers are doing well for black sea bass and scup.”  “Fluke shing has slowed by my customers are still catching some nice keepers in the Bay, one landed a 20” and a 22” fish when fishing the waterfront in Providence for tautog with green crabs,” said John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait. “We fished block Island Tuesday of last week and did pretty good with fluke in deep water,” said Jeff Sullivan.

Tuna

At press time Newport charter captain Rob Taylor’s boat ‘Reel EZ’ was in first place in the Boston Bluefin Tournament being held September 3-6.  Seth Funt of Team Jigging World on Rob’s boat landed a 781 pound giant bluefin tuna to take first place as of Sunday night.  “Customers are catching giant bluefin tuna at the Dump and at Tuna Ridge, however, the reel surprise this year they are being caught right in the Block Island Wind Farm.  Declan O’Donnel said, “There have been reports of a few green bonito caught locally but no one has reported catching false albacore yet. Bait is starting to school up in the salt ponds. Tuna fishing last week was good south of Block Island for both bluefin and yellowfin.” 

“Freshwater has slowed with the water still being very warm.  The bite is on during low light conditions when the water is cooler with frogs and ten inch worms as well as spinner baits working well for anglers fishing for largemouth bass,” said Jeff Sullivan of Lucky Bait & tackle.

Dave Monti holds a captain’s master license and charter fishing license. He serves on a variety of boards and commissions and has a consulting business focusing on clean oceans, habitat preservation, conservation, renewable energy, and fisheries related issues and clients. Forward fishing news and photos to dmontifish@verison.net or visit www.noflukefishing.com.