By Tom Meade
BAY
Bluefish are biting throughout the Bay, but Kenny Ferrara of Ray’s
Bait & Tackle said some exceptionally large schools have been spotted
off Quonset, Warwick Light and Barrington. Ed Hughes of Clean The Bay
saw large schools in the Providence River and at Colt State Park early
this week. Bluefish have also been biting throughout the Sakonnet River
this week.
Some of the best bass fishing has been between Poppasquash Point and
Sandy Point on Prudence Island, according to David Henault of Ocean
State Tackle.
Tautog have begun to bite in the waters over Ohio Ledge, off the War
College and near General Rock, Ferrara said. Blackfish arrived early in
the Sakonnet River, and large ones were biting in the Tiverton Basin,
said Joe Latinville of Riverside Marine. Scup and sea bass also are
taking bait.
Pods of bonito and false albacore have been popping up at the mouth
of the Sakonnet, said Latinville.
BEACHES & SALT PONDS
“All the bass you want” were smacking live eels yesterday before
sunrise off Quonochontaug, said Don Cameron of Captain Don’s Bait &
Tackle. Bass and blues were biting off Watch Hill Wednesday night.
Sarah Connyngham caught a 25-pound bass Wednesday morning, said Ron
Mouchon of Breachway Bait & Tackle.
Surf fishermen were catching large bluefish early yesterday morning
at Charlestown Beach, said Steve Travisono of Breachway. There was also
a report of a small amberjack caught in Charlestown.
The West Wall on the Harbor of Refuge holds false albacore during
the morning tides, said Ray Stachelek, skipper of the charter boat Cast
A Fly. “Albies run up and down the foot of the sea walls waiting for
trapped anchovies to emerge from the boulders,” he writes in an e-mail.
The bonito and false albacore that had been in the waters off
Charlestown disappeared Wednesday.
PARTY BOATS
Anglers caught plenty of cod weighing more than 10 pounds apiece, as
well as several 15-pounders, fishing with the Frances Fleet Wednesday.
They also had a large monkfish, a big striper that they released and
some scup, blackfish and sea bass.
OFFSHORE
As soon as the weather broke Wednesday, a fleet of sportfishermen
headed offshore to see whether tuna and swordfish were still biting.
There had been small bluefin at the Mud Hole and 100-pound yellowfin at
the Fish Tails, said Al Conti of Snug Harbor Marina. Atlantis Canyon
also held tuna for anglers who were chunking both day and night. The
big-eye bite has slowed, he said.
BLOCK ISLAND
“Oddly, it’s been slow fishing lately,” writes Chris Willi of Block
Island Fishworks. “You have to put in the time to find them, even with
eels. Bass have been picked here and there around the island with no
single spot producing. Plenty of bait though. New Harbor is full of
baby bunker.
“Fluke is now closed but the sea bass fishing is good. A bunch of
large scup have been caught, as well — 3-pounders and fat.”
FRESHWATER
Two 4-pound bass were taken on Stump Pond in Smithfield this week,
but there are fewer fish biting in cooler water, said Rudy D’Agostino
of the R&Y Shop. The fish have been hitting medium shiners and small
crankbaits.
On Waterman Reservoir in Glocester, pike fishing has been good for
anglers using large plugs or large spoons, he said.
TOURNAMENT
The third annual Sgt. Christopher Potts Fishing Tournament is
scheduled for Oct. 5-7. There will be a cookout with live music at the
awards ceremony Oct. 7 at the Portuguese-American Citizens Club in
Portsmouth. Al Gagliarducci, maker of Gag’s Custom Lures, will offer
some limited-edition plugs as door prizes. The entry fee is $25 at
Sam’s Bait & Tackle, Edwards Fishing Tackle or Riverside Marine.
THE TIDES
The moon causes tides and affects the activity of saltwater and
freshwater fish as well as animals on land. Anglers generally find the
best fishing two hours before and after a high tide, but fish and other
animals also become active around the time of low tide. This table
shows the height of tides in feet at Castle Hill near the mouth of
Narragansett Bay. Recreational shellfishermen prefer to dig for clams
when the tides are lowest, shown on the chart as "minus tides."
