Inshore
The striped bass have returned from their summer vacation! Every year these hard fighting fish migrate up and down the coast in search of cooler water temperatures and schools of bait to feed on. The striped bass vacate the area after their spring run, which normally wraps up in mid-late June when they head over to Nantucket, Cape Cod, and eventually up to Canadian waters. They have now returned to Block Island along with big bluefish, chasing bait in the upper half of the water column. They can be caught using the traditional method of trolling umbrella rigs or dropping down diamond jigs. The bottom fishing has slowed down since last week’s hurricane swell, but occasional keeper seabass and fluke are being found on rock piles near the west grounds. Big bluefish continue to blitz on bait schools off of the point, making for a quick and fun fishing trip!
The striped bass have returned from their summer vacation! Every year these hard fighting fish migrate up and down the coast in search of cooler water temperatures and schools of bait to feed on. The striped bass vacate the area after their spring run, which normally wraps up in mid-late June when they head over to Nantucket, Cape Cod, and eventually up to Canadian waters. They have now returned to Block Island along with big bluefish, chasing bait in the upper half of the water column. They can be caught using the traditional method of trolling umbrella rigs or dropping down diamond jigs. The bottom fishing has slowed down since last week’s hurricane swell, but occasional keeper seabass and fluke are being found on rock piles near the west grounds. Big bluefish continue to blitz on bait schools off of the point, making for a quick and fun fishing trip!
Offshore
Last week’s hurricane swell shook a lot of things up offshore, especially the quality of the water. Steady amounts of pelagic sargassum have made it’s way up the coast, riding the current rips north with the swell. These pelagic weed patches make trolling a bit more challenging, but can also hold schools of mahi. The midshore tunas have dispersed since the recent swell, with the few hookup reports coming from scattered spots to the south. Giant bluefin have made their way to Cartwright and have been chasing the mackerel that run to the inside grounds, but keep in mind that bluefin/giant harvesting is closed to recreational anglers. Out in the deep blue canyons to the south, the yellowfin and bigeye bite has remained phenomenal, with vessels reaching their limit of both species. The quality, as well as the quantity of fish have been excellent as of recently! The nighttime swordfish bite has also been steady. If you want to venture out to the deep, beware of offshore squalls/storms that can form in a blink of an eye this time of year.
Last week’s hurricane swell shook a lot of things up offshore, especially the quality of the water. Steady amounts of pelagic sargassum have made it’s way up the coast, riding the current rips north with the swell. These pelagic weed patches make trolling a bit more challenging, but can also hold schools of mahi. The midshore tunas have dispersed since the recent swell, with the few hookup reports coming from scattered spots to the south. Giant bluefin have made their way to Cartwright and have been chasing the mackerel that run to the inside grounds, but keep in mind that bluefin/giant harvesting is closed to recreational anglers. Out in the deep blue canyons to the south, the yellowfin and bigeye bite has remained phenomenal, with vessels reaching their limit of both species. The quality, as well as the quantity of fish have been excellent as of recently! The nighttime swordfish bite has also been steady. If you want to venture out to the deep, beware of offshore squalls/storms that can form in a blink of an eye this time of year.
Fair winds and following seas!
-Ben
