Striped Bass
Striped bass are among the most sought after fish to target in the North East. Whether we are trolling around Block Island for them, chunking baits in the early season, or jigging for them, they are always a blast to have on the line. Using light tackle rods gives you a real chance to see just how powerful these fish are. Unfortunately they have been over fished in recent years, and the slot size limit now has been greatly reduced to protect the species. However, having a near 50 lb bass on the line is not uncommon, we tag these big girls and safely release them. Stripers are easily handled as they do not have any teeth, more of a sand paper type feel to their lip. Late May, into June they start to show up inshore in numbers, but mid July is when you can expect to troll Block Island for the heavy weights.
Bluefish
Blue fish are one of the most common fish you will find off the Rhode Island coast. Casting plugs, trolling umbrella rigs, bait fishing, all methods used to catch these aggressive game fish. They also make great baits for when we go out shark fishing. Caution is needed when handling these guys, they have teeth and tend to have a bad attitude when hooked on the line. These guys show up in June or so, and tend to stay around through most of the summer.
Black Sea Bass
Black sea bass move into and around Rhode Island in June as water warm up. These guys can be a blast to spend the day catching, and are typically in big schools. When they are biting, it usually is non stop action. We tend to fish these guys in under 60 feet of water. They are a bottom feeding fish so chunk baits and a weight is how we fish for them. Weeding through the shorts to find keeper size fish is half the fun of the day, and when you get a "Bump Head" or big male on the line you will for sure know it. Big males have a noticeable turquois blue coloration to them, and a big hump on the top of their head. Like stripers they have no teeth, so handling them is fairly safe.
Fluke
Fluke are summer flounder that can be found typically in the same areas as black sea bass. They are a flat fish with both eyes on the same side of their head. Bottom fishing with chunk baits and a weight is the most effective way to get a bite, and tend to be a little deeper in the 90 foot range. Block Island around late June and early July on is when you can expect to find them. These guys must be handled with caution, as they have an impressive set of teeth.
Mako Shark
Shortfin Mako sharks are very common off Rhode Island, however due to overfishing in the last few years, fishing for these guys has been banned through 2023... hopefully the species makes a strong comeback in the next few years, so future generations can see for themselves what an incredible animal they are.
Thresher Shark
Thresher sharks are one of the most unique sharks around. They have an extremely small mouth but they have a tail that acts like a whip and can be as long as the rest of their body. They use it to stun nd disorient bait fish to make an easy meal. Once hooked they also have been known to jump, and then head straight to the bottom. These guys tend to like the warmer waters, and we usually head a little further southwest to target them. Bluefish, pogies, scup are all effective live baits to use when targeting them. With these guys we also always throw a bucket of chum in the water to get the scent out there.
Blueshark
Bluesharks are the most common sharks off Rhode Island. Often called "Blue Dogs" they are one of the most docile sharks. They tend to be slower and calm around the boat, and hang around usually until they get hooked. If you want to spend a day fighting blue sharks, usually here there is one there is many. They will eat just about anything for bait that is available to put on a hook. We always use chum buckets over the side for these guys as well to create a nice scent trail to get the to the boat.
Tuna
School size bluefin tend to come within a single day trip striking distance mid to late June, and the typical method is on the troll. When trolling for them we run anywhere from 6-10 lines, depending on weather conditions. Trolling for tuna is the high risk high reward game of fishing. Yellowfin tuna, tend to be out at the canyons and are caught the same way as school bluefin, just a lot further offshore in gulf water temperatures.