Fishing Forecast – November Full Moon

Although the season is winding down, there are still several great fishing opportunities ahead. The tautog fishing has hit its stride, there are still hardtails to chase, and bass of all sizes are crushing topwaters, plastics, and jigs. I would expect the tautog bite to stay hot for the next couple of weeks. Although it won’t last forever, there’s no reason the hardtails and bass wouldn’t hang around for another couple of weeks. The water temps have been stable - if anything slowly climbing recently - and there are still heaps of bait just about everywhere, both in the bay and out front. The great part about late fall, when there are still numbers of fish around, is they usually find some bigger bait. You may run into medium-sized bunker (in the 4-6” range), big 4”+ silversides, big bay anchovies, etc. Whether it’s bass, bonito, or anything else, the bigger the bait the easier they generally are to fool. It also opens the doors to throw a bigger variety of lures and plugs instead of being cornered into throwing <4” lures like most of September and October. Bigger bait = bigger fun!

Tautog

Now is the time to get out on the water and target big tautog. Just last week, the Rhode Island state record was broken by Vinny Simms Jr. onboard the Reel EZ with Captain Rob Taylor. The fish weighed in at a whopping 22.33 pounds, beating the previous record by 0.76 pounds. While fish of that class are simply outrageous, it shows the quality of the fishery we have here in RI and the potential that’s out there. There are really two completely different styles of tog fishing, especially in the late fall. There’s the monster-hunting method: deep water, heavy leader, lots of lead, often heavy conventional gear, and huge crabs. You can also go with the light-tackle method: shallow water, light line, small jigs, often light spinning gear, and cut crab or small shore crabs. They can both be very effective and lots of fun. If you have the means of transportation to get out to the wrecks and reefs (in other words, a decent boat) then you are capable of finding jumbo tog with the monster-hunting method. Keep in mind that even a seemingly minor piece of structure may hold the biggest fish, as the more well-known spots are picked through and pressured. There’s no point going out to these areas under gunned – if you can potentially hook the fish of a lifetime, you want to be prepared to land it. You want a sensitive, stout rod with a strong backbone. Conventional outfits are ideal for this style because you can really lock down the drag and get the big tog off bottom. Check out the G Loomis IMX-Pro Blue Casting Rods for a couple of options with descriptions for each model number on our site, or the Century Pro Togger. The Shimano Teramar XX NE Casting Rods are another really good, higher end option for the guys that want to feel every little thing. Seriously, you can feel a tog fart on your jig with the Teramar XX. Lastly, a good cost-effective option is the Shimano Sojourn. Coming in at just over $50, these are great if you’re looking to get multiple setups without breaking the bank, or maybe for someone who’s just getting into serious tog fishing. It will definitely have the power you’ll need for big tog, it will just lack some of the sensitivity that the higher-end rods will give you. As far as conventional reels go, the Shimano Ocea Jigger is very popular for this application, and for good reason. Another great choice is the Daiwa Saltist. You’re looking for a reel with plenty of drag, a high gear ratio, and a large, powerful handle. 

If you’re fishing heavy tackle in deep water, you’ll most likely be fishing rigs rather than jigs. The premade Jigging World Blackfish Slider Rig is ideal for dropping big baits. If you’re unfamiliar with slider rigs, it’s just a way to improve hookup ratios using big baits with two hooks rather than relying on that fish finding one single hook. If you would prefer to make your own rigs, you want a strong, stout, thick-wired hook like the Owner SSWattached to heavy fluorocarbon leader like 80 or 100lb Seaguar Blue Label Fluorocarbon Leader. Tog are not generally leader shy, and it’s so important to have a leader that can handle some abrasion when those big tog try to dig their way into the structure. My last note on the monster-hunting method is to be mindful of the fishery. If you're fishing in 100+ feet of water, there's a very slim chance that released tog will survive. Keep what you catch, and only keep what you need. In other words, don't bang up on big breeders when you've already kept what you're going home with. We have a truly special fishery here, and we want to keep it that way!

Captain Rob Taylor of Newport Sport Fishing Charters holding the new RI state record tautog at 22.33 pounds.

On the total other end of the spectrum, there is light-tackle tog fishing. This is probably more common, at least to the average recreational fishermen, because you can do it right from shore, kayak, or small boat. You certainly don’t need to get out to the reefs to have a banner day of tog fishing. Your odds of finding a state record right near shore are pretty low, but there’s no shortage of keeper-sized fish and certainly some double-digits as well. You still want a sensitive rod, but you will probably be dropping jigs in the 1/2-1.5oz range. The general rule of thumb is to throw the lightest jig that you can get way with. You want just enough weight to hold bottom and stay vertical. Go too heavy, and you will miss fish that are too wary to pick up the jig and swim away with it. We have several great options for Blackfish Jigs that really come down to preference more than anything. As long as the hook is short and stout, the rest is just gravy. You’ll want a light, thin braid so you can use the lightest jig possible and cut down on drag in the water. Anything in the 10-30lb test range should be okay. As far as leader, you still want to go pretty heavy so you don’t break off any decent fish that comes along. However, in shallow water with more sun penetration and naturally more finicky fish, you may not get away with going too heavy. I’ll usually start with 40 or 50lb Seaguar Blue Label and then go down to 25 or 30lb if I need to. As far as the rod goes, you want something light and sensitive but still with a solid backbone. The lighter Teramar XX NE Spinning Rods are the perfect balance between sensitivity and power. Other good options include the ODM Genesis Inshore and ODM DNA Inshore. If you’re into mostly short fish and want something extra light and fun, try out the Bull Bay Banshee for a good time – just know you will be under gunned if you hook into anything big! Lastly, check out our recent Youtube video where Jon explains his tactics for light tackle tog fishing from his kayak here.

Striped Bass and Hardtails

The bass bite is still going strong both out front, up in the bay, and in the backwaters. This time of year, the backwaters are a key factor with the chilly nights, short days, and warm, sunny afternoons. Both the bait and the fish are looking to soak up the warmth while it lasts. Small spooks like the Rebel Jumpin Minnow and Game On! X-Walk are great day-time options. If they’re in a finicky mood, throw a soft plastic like a Lunker City Sluggo, Zoom Fluke, or 7” Hogy Classic. Weightless soft plastics can be absolutely killer this time of year. Classic minnow plugs like the SP Minnow and Yo-Zuri Hydro Minnow should also get some action, both day and night. Surfcasters are still doing well throwing needlefish plugs, with the 247 Needlefish one of the MVP’s of the fall and the Super Strike N Fish catching its usual haul of big bass as well. This is also a great time of year for the fly fishermen to thrive, throwing small and medium-sized Striper Flies both in the backwaters and out front. If you can find bait, you will almost definitely find the fish.

Captain Ray Jarvis of Salt of the Earth Sportfishing with a beautiful albie caught last week on an amber albie snax.

There are still hardtails to be caught too, as the prospect of November pelagics is growing more and more realistic. Albies, like they have been all season, are not reliable unless you know very specifically where to look. However, the bonito are still around in decent numbers. They definitely seem to be thinning out, but we will have shots at some November hardtails, which is always a pleasure. Throw the usual stuff – Metals/epoxy jigs, Albie Snax, Albie/Bonito flies, and the Yo-Zuri Mag Minnow. You don’t know unless you go, and soon we won’t be going at all, so make sure to get out there and make the most of the next couple of weeks!