Rhode Island Fishing Report- November 22, 2023

Rhode Island Fishing Report

The Frances Fleet in Point Judith has been doing well on recent tautog trips, where many are limiting out on fish up to around 10 pounds. The tautog fishing should hold up for a few more weeks and anglers will have a shot at some really big fish as we get into the late innings of the season. They are also still running trips for black sea bass and cod when conditions permit, and fishing has generally been very good for black sea bass and decent for cod. You can view the full schedule and make reservations on their website. 

Dave, at Ocean State Tackle in Providence reported that the late fall run patterns continued across Rhode Island. Larger striped bass are lingering in the bay, and moving into the Providence River, and Seekonk River, but the numbers seem to be lessening a bit. With scattered schools of pogies still in the bay, fresh chunks have been getting the job done, but the bait has been getting harder to find so anglers are using large lures like gliders, minnow plugs and soft plastics to dupe hungry bass. Tautog fishing has been excellent for anglers throughout the state, with another week of multiple double-digit fish being reported. The Rhode Island DEM has continued fall trout stocking, and you can check their website for stocking updates. Dave is now closed for the season but will have green and Asian crabs for you tautog anglers by appointment.  

Ralph, at Crafty One Customs reports that the tautog fishing remains very good around Newport and Jamestown, with most anglers catching limits of fish to around 8 pounds and solid numbers of double-digit fish mixed in. There are still some small striped bass in the mix for the anglers that are looking for them, but most are still focused on tautog. The shop will be closed for Thanksgiving and Black Friday but will be open for Small Business Saturday with some awesome deals. Their regular winter hours are Wednesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and the shop will be closed Sunday through Tuesday. 

• Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain for Rhode Island

Connor, at Tail Tailz Charters has been hitting the tautog grounds hard this Thanksgiving week, with the usual excellent results. The past two trips saw easy limits, with loads of fish in the 7-9-pound range, along with five double-digit fish to 12 pounds. The fish are still chewing and are showing no signs of slowing down, so those looking to cash in late in the season should be rewarded. As the fish start transitioning to deeper water, Connor expects to see more quality sea bass and cod in the mix as well. Get out while you still can, or you will spend your winter regretting it! 

Jay, at Pamela May Charters will be concluding his charter season this weekend, but it’s ending on a high note, with another good week of multi-species fishing. He found excellent light-tackle striped bass action from the Narragansett Beaches to the Point Judith walls. While these were mostly schoolie-class fish, there was no shortage of them, and they were eager to chew. Reports from the tautog grounds in the area have been strong as well, as that season shows no signs of slowing down just yet. 

Dustin at, Rhode Island Kayak Fishing Adventures shared the following report: “It was another killer week of blackfishing, which resulted in quite a few days with easy limits and some big fish sprinkled in as well. Black Sea bass are also still very reliable. As the temperature drops, we will have more opportunities for inshore cod throughout the rest of the year. There are still some good days to be had on the striper grounds, however, moving around to try and locate big bait balls is the key to success. Freshwater fishing has also trended in a positive direction with a decent amount of largemouth being caught recently. As a result of the last stocking, trout fishing has been pretty lights out. Reach out to us to book your kayak or shore fishing trip for this year or get an early start on a date for next year!“

Rhode Island Fishing Forecast

Fall fishing remains status quo as we approach the holiday weekend. Stripers are still hanging around in pockets of warm water and places where bait congregate, like the river mouths. But, the focus of most anglers remains on tautog. Water temperatures have remained relatively static, so we should have a few weeks of solid togging ahead. Additionally, sea bass and some keeper cod are around as by-catch for tautog, so full coolers will remain plentiful. The bluefish seem to have mostly moved out, but there’s no shortage of school striped bass working small bait along the South County shoreline. Freshwater fishing is good for largemouth bass while trout anglers are continuing to find good fishing on artificials like spoons, spinners and PowerBait.