Rhode Island, 8/15/05

BAY

Schools of skipjack bluefish and immature weakfish have moved into Greenwich Bay, reports Ken Ferrara of Ray's Bait & Tackle. To catch large blues, visit the waters around Halfway Rock and Gould Island in the lower Bay. From "Little" Gould Island to Nannaquaket Pond, there was a huge school of bluefish Wednesday. "It was the biggest school of blues that I've seen since I was a kid," said Joe Latinville of Riverside Marine. There are pods of blues off Barrington, too, but they're too far away for shore fishermen.

In the upper Bay, fluke are biting in the waters off Warwick Light and Conimicut Light where Pam and Frank Tameo are catching large fish on most mornings. John Littlefield of Archie's Bait & Tackle said the bite off Dutch Island is also good, but it's important to use live mummichogs as bait. Large fluke are also biting in the waters near Elbow Ledge and off Sakonnet Point as long as the tide and the breeze are flowing in the same direction. There have been a few reports of good fluke fishing in the mooring field off East Ferry in Jamestown, too.

Small stripers, with an occasional keeper, have been taking clamworms in the morning near the carousel in Riverside and the White Church Bridge in Barrington, said Littlefield. In the lower Bay, bass are taking tube-and-worm rigs off Rose and Goat islands, and on the reefs off Newport.

Scup fishing is good one day and poor the next throughout the Bay. Boaters have the edge over shore fishermen. Among the better spots are General Rock and Plum Point Light off North Kingstown, and Halfway Rock in the East Passage, Ferrara said.

BEACHES AND SALT PONDS

The big blitz of small bluefin tuna peaked on Tuesday and died Wednesday. "With the coming of the full moon, it's hard to predict what those fish will do," said Ferrara. "Some times the moon will turn them on, and other times, it will shut them off." Dean Hoxie and Steve Jordan found the fish off Scarborough Beach Tuesday, according to Don Cameron of Captain Don's Bait & Tackle.

Little tunny have arrived, according to Joe Latinville.

Surf-fishing was slow early this week, but it has been improving with the waxing moon. After fishing the Narragansett surf with Steve McKenna Wednesday night, Bill Nolan sent this report: "Steve and I had seven bass tonight and one bluefish. All the bass were 12 to 15 pounds and all were taken on eels. Things are on the upswing! There are just loads of very small peanut bunker everywhere along with silversides." Cameron said hot surf plugs are yellow Super Strike Darters and Mega Baits.

The bass are still biting for boaters fishing live bait on the reefs from Point Judith in Rhode Island to Fishers Island, N.Y. The reefs are clearly marked on nautical charts; on the water, lobster pots mark many of them.

Fluke fishing is good in the waters off the carousel in Watch Hill to the pink house in Misquamicut, said Don Michaud of King Cove Outfitters. "Fishing 30 to 60 feet of water is the ticket," he said. The bite is also good inside Quonochontaug Pond, said Cameron.

Scup fishing is solid on the reefs off South County and Stonington.

The charter boat Castafly is catching bonito on Zara Spooks off South County.

OFFSHORE

Dave Fewster took a 250-pound mako shark at the south side of the Mud Hole this week, said Al Conti of Snug Harbor Marina. There have been more sharks near the wreck of the Suffolk.

Anglers have been catching albacore and yellowfin tuna at the Fish Tails, Conti said, but there have been more yellowfin over the east side of Atlantis Canyon.

BLOCK ISLAND

The bass bite on Southwest Ledge continues to be steady, Conti said, and the action is improving in the North Rip at night. The charter boat Hula Girl is routinely catching fish between 30 and 40 pounds from Southeast Light to Southwest Light.

When the small bluefin tuna are around, they have been taking Mushmouths and Rays Angels, both big flashy flies, says Chris Willi of Block Island Fishworks.

The fishing vessel Rooster is catching fluke and sea bass on the wrecks around the island, Willi said. Yesterday morning, Susan Estabrook was catching sea bass just off Southwest Light before a dogfish broke her line.

FRESHWATER

The water is so low on the Wood River that stealthy wading is essential, said Ed Lombardo. "The good news is that the water temperature is a healthy 66 degrees," he said. He has been catching trout on imitation wasps, hoppers and beetles. Midges and Blue-Wing Olive mayflies are beginning to appear

BEST BITES

South County Reefs:

Bass, bluefish, possibly bonito and tuna

Block Island:

Bass, fluke, sea bass, possibly tuna

Lower West Passage:

Bass, bluefish, scup

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."