Rhode Island, 9/8/05

1. BAY:Unusually good fishing along the Warwick shore, north of Conimicut Point: blues & bass. Big bass have also made a return in recent weeks. I believe it is due to favorable water temperatures and the amount of bait in the water.
2. Large bluefish are also biting off Goddard Park in Greenwich bay, Potter's Cove on Prudence Island and Ohio Ledge, says Bob Neilson of Wildwood Outfitters. "The blues are absolutely monstrous, and in large schools," he writes. Ken Ferrara recommended Brenton Reef and Beavertail Point for large blues. Smaller, 5- to 6-pound fish are biting near Halfway Rock, Hope Island, and Conanicut Point. On the Sakonnet River, Joe Latinville of Riverside Marine, said, "Catching bluefish on topwater plugs is almost a given at Fogland and Sandy points. The fish are up and down all day long. Tide doesn't matter."
3. Fluke as large as 9 pounds have been biting in the waters off Sakonnet Point, said Latinville.
4. BEACHES AND SALT PONDS: Fishing off South Kingstown has slowed some, Neilson reports. "People are saying that it's the first time they have been skunked all year," he writes.
5. Commercial rod-and-reel fishermen opened their fall season yesterday in high, westerly winds and rough seas. "The seas and calming down," Ron Mouchon reported from his boat yesterday morning, "so hopefully by the weekend, fishing will improve." Inside Charlestown Breachway, off the camping area, a young angler took a 34-inch striper Wednesday morning.
6. Bass have been taking eels at Watch Hill, plugs at the Weekapaug overlook at night, and tube-and-worm rigs inside Quonochontaug Pond, said Don Cameron of Captain Don's Bait & Tackle.
7. Inside the Narrow River and Ninigret and Quonochontaug Ponds, fly fisherman Ed Lombardo is catching stripers and hickory shad on the flood tide. "Peanut bunker and silversides are really abundant, and this can become a big problem," he writes. "With all of that bait around, your fly gets lost. Most of the bass are schoolies, anywhere from 15 to 20 inches, but there are occasional keepers. I'm fishing a No. 1 white Deceiver on a 12-foot leader with a 6-weight floating line. Another good fly is a black-and-white Clouser Minnow. Worm patterns also work, and for larger fish, I like to use a 4- to 5-inch-long squid pattern, all white with a little pink in the body."
8. Fluke remain at the Center Wall and also around the Charlestown Breachway in 40 feet of water, according to Neilson. To the west, the fluke have moved into much deeper water, said Cameron.
9. Scup are biting on the slack tides inside Quonochontaug Breachway and Stonington Harbor at high tide.
10. Sea-bass fishing is improving off Misquamicut, Cameron said.
11. Bonito appeared in Quonochontaug Breachway yesterday morning.
12. OFFSHORE: Swells and high winds have kept most boats at the dock this week, but before the blow, offshore anglers were catching a lot of mako sharks. Bill Slattery caught a 320-pounder at the Mud Hole, according to Ken Ferrara.
13. BLOCK ISLAND: "With the small bluefin tuna gone, we have focused our efforts on stripers," writes Chris Willi of Block Island Fishworks. "The past few days have been slow, but fish have been around. Those of us who did have success were fishing the early morning hours coinciding with a good tide. Bubblegum, rainbow, and chartreuse Slug-Gos have worked. Black Rock, Dories Cove, and North Light produced. Hula Charters' largest bass of the week was a 41-pounder. "There is plenty of bait around -- loads of it. Capt. Eric on the Rooster reports great sea bass action on the wrecks."
14. FRESHWATER: Twin Rivers Reservoir in North Providence is the best spot to fish for bass and hornpout, says Rudy D'Agostino of the R&Y Shop. Largemouths as large as 4.5 pounds have been taking shiners, and hornpout have been biting nightcrawlers between 6 and 10 p.m.