Members throughout the State from the Rhode Island Party & Charter Boat Association donated canned goods and cash at their annual dinner which they donated to the Johnnycake Center’s emergency food pantry in South Kingstown, RI.
The spring run of striped bass is underway. We have received reports of small school striped bass being caught off Rhode Island coastal shores from Westerly to Newport. School striped bass have been caught at Narrow River in Narragansett, on the Pawcatuck River in Westerly and on Narragansett Bay. A number of fish have been landed in Greenwich Bay off Chepiwanoxet Point and Old Buttonwoods in Warwick. With the striped bass season underway here are some of my favorite hot spots and methods used to land spring striped bass.
1. Greenwich Cove, East Greenwich, RI (Apponaug Cove in Warwick is good too). This is the first place I ever caught a striped bass. Menhaden seem to find their way to the cove early. And, it is surrounded with vegetation with plenty of insects to start a feeding chain reaction that ultimately leads to striped bass. This is because the bass feed on small bait fish that are feeding around the perimeter of the Cove. I have caught bass at the end, middle and mouth of the Cove near Chepiwanoxet Point in Warwick depending on the location of bait fish in the Cove. My favorite baits are hard plastic lures (both surface and swimming) as well as soft plastics early in the season and once they arrive, menhaden chucked or live.
2. The East Passage of Narragansett Bay between Popasquash Point, Bristol and Bear Point Prudence Island. I have caught many large fish in this area, particularly trolling with tube and worm. Many anglers fish this area with menhaden (live or chunked). I have particularly good luck fishing the pad or bank areas of the shipping channel.
3. The West Wall of the Harbor of Refuge in Jerusalem area, South Kingstown. This area provides shore anglers (and boat anglers) with one of the best first Rhode Island striped bass opportunities as the bass make their run past the Connecticut coastline to Rhode Island. Angler Steve McKenna reported great fishing off the wall for the past couple of weeks. He and fellow anglers landed hundreds of bass using primarily soft plastic lures over the past two weeks.
4. Buttonwoods section of Greenwich Bay, Warwick, RI. The area from Oakland Beach to Apponaug Cove in Warwick has been a good for early spring striped bass area. Many fish have been caught with soft plastic lures, surface poppers as well as swimming lures. Most fish have been caught up against the shore. As the spring progresses, trolling with lures or tube and worm is productive. Trolling is most productive close to shore or at the water depth breaks one to two hundred yards off shore.
5. Providence River in the cities of Providence, East Providence, Barrington, Cranston and Warwick. The area from the Hurricane Barrier in Providence to Conimicut Point has been a very fruitful fishing area in early spring. The most popular method in recent years has been live lining menhaden. The hot areas to fish include:
a. The Hurricane Barrier down to Save the Bay on Fields Point in Providence. Anglers have caught thousands of bass in this area. When the menhaden spawning runs are strong striped bass chase them up the Providence River to the Seekonk River and other Providence River tributaries. Bass over 50” have been caught in this area.
b. The area all around and in front of Save the Bay at Fields Point, Providence is good too. Shore anglers have access to this land courtesy of Save the Bay.
c. The shoreline in Warwick, Cranston, Barrington and East Providence north of Conimicut Point has been hot as well.
6. Hog Island, Bristol, RI. Fishing the depth break two hundred yards off Hog Island on the west side has been good for early spring bass. I have trolled this depth break in spring and seldom get skunked. Two areas of high ground or mounds appear on the west side of the Island. Fishing over these areas or trolling over them produces fish too.
Rhode Island Party & Charter Boat Association
The Rhode Island Party & Charter Boat Association (RIPCBA) held its annual dinner at Spain Restaurant in Narragansett. Members donated canned goods and cash at the annual dinner which were donated to the Johnnycake Center’s emergency food pantry in South Kingstown. Over 100 people attended the dinner where Captain John Rainone, past president, was recognized for his service to the organization. Captain Rick Bellavance, RIPCBA president, presented Rainone with an engraved watch.
DEM stocks trout in several ponds
The Department of Environmental Management’s (DEM) Division of Fish and Wildlife stocked trout in several locations not stocked for opening day due to the impact from March floods. Fishing areas stocked last week include Wyoming Pond and the Wood River in Arcadia Management Area from Rt. 165 downstream, as well as several fishing access areas along the Wood River including Barberville, KG Ranch Road, and Dow Athletic Field in Hope Valley. Silver Spring Lake in North Kingstown, Barber Pond in South Kingstown, Frosty Hollow Children’s Pond in Exeter, Olney Pond in Lincoln Woods State Park and Carbuncle Pond in Coventry were stocked last week too. This week DEM plans to stock Eight Rod Farm in Tiverton, Lower Melville Pond in Portsmouth, Meadowbrook Pond in Richmond and Carolina Trout Pond in Hopkinton.
Where’s the bite
Striped bass bite remains strong along southern Rhode Island beaches and the West Wall or the Harbor of Refuge in Jerusalem. Craig Castro of Erickson’s Bait & Tackle in Warwick reports customers continue to take school striped bass on Greenwich Bay at Chepiwanoxet Point. Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle in Providence reports customers taking school bass in the Providence, Seekonk and Narrow Rivers. Angler Eric Feroldi caught a 12 pound and a 16 pound striped bass in the Pawcatuck River midweek.
Tautog fishing started to pick up as the weather warmed and fish moved closer to shore and up Narragansett Bay. Some good sized fish being taken. I took three fish this weekend; my largest was about 21 inches. This is the second week I fished Coddington Cove in Middletown, RI.
Cod fishing has been good with the Francis Fleet out of Galilee, Rhode Island still making regular trips. Rhode Island and Massachusetts anglers report a continued good bite at Stellwagon.
Fresh Water fishing for bass, pike and trout remained good. Particularly in trout stocked fishing areas. Visit http://www.dem.ri.gov/ for a complete list of stocked lakes, ponds and rivers.
1. Greenwich Cove, East Greenwich, RI (Apponaug Cove in Warwick is good too). This is the first place I ever caught a striped bass. Menhaden seem to find their way to the cove early. And, it is surrounded with vegetation with plenty of insects to start a feeding chain reaction that ultimately leads to striped bass. This is because the bass feed on small bait fish that are feeding around the perimeter of the Cove. I have caught bass at the end, middle and mouth of the Cove near Chepiwanoxet Point in Warwick depending on the location of bait fish in the Cove. My favorite baits are hard plastic lures (both surface and swimming) as well as soft plastics early in the season and once they arrive, menhaden chucked or live.
2. The East Passage of Narragansett Bay between Popasquash Point, Bristol and Bear Point Prudence Island. I have caught many large fish in this area, particularly trolling with tube and worm. Many anglers fish this area with menhaden (live or chunked). I have particularly good luck fishing the pad or bank areas of the shipping channel.
3. The West Wall of the Harbor of Refuge in Jerusalem area, South Kingstown. This area provides shore anglers (and boat anglers) with one of the best first Rhode Island striped bass opportunities as the bass make their run past the Connecticut coastline to Rhode Island. Angler Steve McKenna reported great fishing off the wall for the past couple of weeks. He and fellow anglers landed hundreds of bass using primarily soft plastic lures over the past two weeks.
4. Buttonwoods section of Greenwich Bay, Warwick, RI. The area from Oakland Beach to Apponaug Cove in Warwick has been a good for early spring striped bass area. Many fish have been caught with soft plastic lures, surface poppers as well as swimming lures. Most fish have been caught up against the shore. As the spring progresses, trolling with lures or tube and worm is productive. Trolling is most productive close to shore or at the water depth breaks one to two hundred yards off shore.
5. Providence River in the cities of Providence, East Providence, Barrington, Cranston and Warwick. The area from the Hurricane Barrier in Providence to Conimicut Point has been a very fruitful fishing area in early spring. The most popular method in recent years has been live lining menhaden. The hot areas to fish include:
a. The Hurricane Barrier down to Save the Bay on Fields Point in Providence. Anglers have caught thousands of bass in this area. When the menhaden spawning runs are strong striped bass chase them up the Providence River to the Seekonk River and other Providence River tributaries. Bass over 50” have been caught in this area.
b. The area all around and in front of Save the Bay at Fields Point, Providence is good too. Shore anglers have access to this land courtesy of Save the Bay.
c. The shoreline in Warwick, Cranston, Barrington and East Providence north of Conimicut Point has been hot as well.
6. Hog Island, Bristol, RI. Fishing the depth break two hundred yards off Hog Island on the west side has been good for early spring bass. I have trolled this depth break in spring and seldom get skunked. Two areas of high ground or mounds appear on the west side of the Island. Fishing over these areas or trolling over them produces fish too.
Rhode Island Party & Charter Boat Association
The Rhode Island Party & Charter Boat Association (RIPCBA) held its annual dinner at Spain Restaurant in Narragansett. Members donated canned goods and cash at the annual dinner which were donated to the Johnnycake Center’s emergency food pantry in South Kingstown. Over 100 people attended the dinner where Captain John Rainone, past president, was recognized for his service to the organization. Captain Rick Bellavance, RIPCBA president, presented Rainone with an engraved watch.
DEM stocks trout in several ponds
The Department of Environmental Management’s (DEM) Division of Fish and Wildlife stocked trout in several locations not stocked for opening day due to the impact from March floods. Fishing areas stocked last week include Wyoming Pond and the Wood River in Arcadia Management Area from Rt. 165 downstream, as well as several fishing access areas along the Wood River including Barberville, KG Ranch Road, and Dow Athletic Field in Hope Valley. Silver Spring Lake in North Kingstown, Barber Pond in South Kingstown, Frosty Hollow Children’s Pond in Exeter, Olney Pond in Lincoln Woods State Park and Carbuncle Pond in Coventry were stocked last week too. This week DEM plans to stock Eight Rod Farm in Tiverton, Lower Melville Pond in Portsmouth, Meadowbrook Pond in Richmond and Carolina Trout Pond in Hopkinton.
Where’s the bite
Striped bass bite remains strong along southern Rhode Island beaches and the West Wall or the Harbor of Refuge in Jerusalem. Craig Castro of Erickson’s Bait & Tackle in Warwick reports customers continue to take school striped bass on Greenwich Bay at Chepiwanoxet Point. Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle in Providence reports customers taking school bass in the Providence, Seekonk and Narrow Rivers. Angler Eric Feroldi caught a 12 pound and a 16 pound striped bass in the Pawcatuck River midweek.
Tautog fishing started to pick up as the weather warmed and fish moved closer to shore and up Narragansett Bay. Some good sized fish being taken. I took three fish this weekend; my largest was about 21 inches. This is the second week I fished Coddington Cove in Middletown, RI.
Cod fishing has been good with the Francis Fleet out of Galilee, Rhode Island still making regular trips. Rhode Island and Massachusetts anglers report a continued good bite at Stellwagon.
Fresh Water fishing for bass, pike and trout remained good. Particularly in trout stocked fishing areas. Visit http://www.dem.ri.gov/ for a complete list of stocked lakes, ponds and rivers.
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