Fishing for striped bass? Here's how to catch them this time of year in RI waters
Striped bass are here, and anglers are catching them. So I thought I would share three ways that seem to be working to catch them.
It's important to note that striped bass are in tough shape. They are overfished and we are engaged in a stock rebuilding plan, so great care should be taken to catch and release these fish safely to reduce post-catch mortality. Anglers should keep the fight short as playing with the fish tires it out. Keep the fish in the water even when dehooking, photo taking and releasing, if possible, and try not to handle the fish a lot.
The regulation is one fish per person per day between 28 inches to less than 31 inches.
This week, I caught a 30-inch fish in Greenwich Bay in front of Buttonwoods, Warwick, with a Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow designed to swim a couple of feet below the surface. Anglers are reporting a great bite in the East Passage of Narragansett Bay, from our beaches and breachways and in our salt ponds with worm hatches occurring.
“Anglers are catching school striped bass, to keeper slot-size fish as well as 30- to 40-inch fish in the East Passage," said Jeff Sullivan of Lucky Bait & Tackle Warren. "They are using shads, spoons and lures of all types.”
Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle in Providence reported: “We have an abundance of Atlantic menhaden [pogies] in the water and anglers are chunking fresh ones up and catching striped bass in the upper reaches of the Providence River and south down the river and Bay.”
Here are three ways to catch striped bass that seem to be working this week:
∎Soft plastic, hard plastic, swimming and surface lures all seem to be working depending on the depth of where the fish are feeding. Anglers love to use surface lures as there is nothing like a bass hitting your plug/lure on the surface. Swimming lures are a great way to catch fish in coves, on rivers and in the Bay. My favorites are a gray Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow and a white or bone-colored SP Minnow.
∎Atlantic menhaden or pogies: Snag the live Atlantic menhaden with a weighted treble hook or net them. Hook the bait through the bridge of the nose, find a school of fish and put the live menhaden into the school of bait and let it swim. Chunking fresh or frozen menhaden. Fresh pogies (that are dead) can often be purchased at bait shops this time of year. You can anchor (and chum), drift fish or fish the moving bait schools with chunks. Some anglers use a weight slide to get the bait down to the striped bass.
∎Trolling with tube and worm. I have had great success in the Bays and near coastal waters using lead line weighted with 2 or 3 ounces of lead between the line and a 5-foot fluorocarbon leader if needed to get down lower in the water column. I find that bubblegum or red-colored tubes work best in spring (the tube hook is tipped with clam worm.)
Recreational anglers are required to use inline circle hooks when fishing for striped bass with whole or cut natural baits, except when fishing with a natural bait attached to an artificial lure such as a tube and worm. Gaffing striped bass is prohibited. We have a new striped bass fillet law that includes no filleting of striped bass or possession of racks or fillets is permitted while actively fishing with lines in the water.
For fillet law details in Rhode Island, click here and scroll to Page 8. In Massachusetts, click here and scroll to Page 9.
Where’s the bite?
Freshwater fishing. Anglers continue to find trout in stocked ponds in Rhode Island and in Massachusetts. “Fishing for largemouth bass is outstanding," Sullivan said, "the best it has ever been during this prespawn period.”
Striped bass. “Bass in the 30- to 40-inch range are being caught in Warwick on the East Bay," said Matt Kim of Quaker Lane Bait and Tackle in North Kingstown. "Anglers are using big, soft plastic lures to catch them, the bigger the better.” Declan O’Donnell of Breachway Bait and Tackle in Charlestown reported: “We had stripers up to 25 inches long taken at the Breachway this week. More than a few very small school bass were caught as well, mostly in the white wash at your feet.”
Tautog. “In the spring, tautog females migrate along the coast to spawn, typically depositing their eggs in mussel beds," O'Donnell said. "This time of year, crabs, sandworms and clams make good tautog bait.” Sullivan reported: “We have been catching fish in as little as 6 feet of water with jigs and Asian crabs; if you are using green crabs, do not forget to take the shells off. It makes the bait softer for spring tautog.”
Squid fishing has been on and off from the shore and from boats from the Newport Bridge area.
“Summer flounder [fluke]/scup have been caught along the southern coastal shore," Kim said. "These are the first reports we have heard this year.” Scup fishing has improved, too, with large fish being caught from the start, not in great abundance yet.
Dave Monti holds a master captain’s license and charter fishing license. He serves on a variety of boards and commissions and has a consulting business that focuses on clean oceans, habitat preservation, conservation, renewable energy and fisheries-related issues and clients. Forward fishing news and photos to dmontifish@verizon.net or visit noflukefishing.com.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Capt. Dave Monti: Here's how to catch striped bass this time of year
