Fishing Forecast - September Full Moon

It's a magical time of year here in Rhode Island. Faux fall is in full swing - small bait is flushing out of the bay and rivers into the oceanfront, with just about every fish in the sea set to capitalize. We can run down the whole species list from striped bass, to hardtails, to black sea bass and tog. It's all starting to improve and about to get really good. September is definitely the month of the hardtail around here, but there's plenty more to do while you're out there. In general, the water is still cleaning up from the hurricane swells late last week. If you can find cleaner water, you'll find good fishing. That said, even in the dirty stuff you should still be able to get on some decent bites. This week is nice consistent weather, which is exactly what the doctor ordered, so I'd expect the water to clean up by this weekend and things should (hopefully) start to light up like you'd expect from September in RI. The early signs of a strong fall run are definitely there.

Striped Bass

Following a couple of slow weeks in August, the bass fishing is already picking right back up. The drop in water temp from last week's hurricane, while not major, was enough to push hoards of bait into the bay and out front and the bass are fired up and capitalizing. If you want steady action, now's a great time to get out there. Going small has been the key - although don't be surprised if you stumble into some hefty bass hounding the tiny bait. Small Metals/Epoxies either jigged on bottom, speed jigging vertically, or the classic cast and retrieve have all been working depending on the scenario and what you're seeing on the surface and your sonar. Specifically the Hogy Peanut Jig has been the MVP of the last few days. The Albie Snax have also been killer, and will be throughout the rest of the fall. It's also the best time of year to throw Striper Flies or Albie/Bonito Flies into the mix. Whether you're a fly fisherman or throwing them on spin behind a Larry Lurz Casting Egg, they'll be willing to eat a small fly. Small spooks are another solid option during the fall run, our favorites being the Rebel Jumpin Minnow and Game On! X-Walk. Once again, don't be surprised if you run into surprisingly solid fish on small bait. Elephants eat peanuts this time of year!

Chris Lawton with one of many fun-sized bass from the surf recently.

Hardtails

While last week's storm may have delayed the hardtail season, it's still well on its way. The bonito fishing was excellent just before the storm and it's showing signs of picking back up - we just need the water to clean up. If you can find cleaner water, there's a good chance you'll find the bonito on the feed. They haven't been particularly picky when you can find them, so the usuals have all been producing. Metals/Epoxies, Albie Snax, Swimmers/Minnow Plugs, and Albie/Bonito Flies are all on the menu. As far as albies go, things are still pretty quiet on that front. There are whispers of things starting to heat up on the Cape and islands, so that's encouraging. I suspect that once this water cleans up we won't be too far away from albie mayhem. We're all hoping it's a matter of days rather than weeks, but all we can do is get out there and keep our eyes peeled for now. In general, when they first arrive, they show in good numbers and they will hit just about anything within reason. So there's plenty of reason to get after it and stay ready to capitalize, as they could really show up with any tide now.

A decent bonito that fell for a white Albie Snax.

Offshore

Not to sound like a broken record, but again, I have to mention last week's storm. Big swell and strong northeast winds will always shake things up. The water cooled off, although not enough to be too concerned, and you may have to hunt for clean water. That said, it's hard to imagine the bluefin left and won't be back - September is generally prime time to head offshore between the bluefin bite, mahi mayhem, and potential to run into yellowfin. Of course, with the bluefin season closure, we're all crossing our fingers to get a push of yellowfin this month. We'll have to see how things shake out. Similar to the situation inshore, I would think that once the water "corrects" itself, things will improve again. The jig bite was hot before the storm, with the UVT Captain Corey's Tuna Jigs and Hogy Sandeel Jigs doing most of the damage. The RonZ bite, as usual, was also solid - although you may have to fight through some sharks. 

Nick with a solid mahi before the storm.

As far as mahi, the bite has been great. If you can find floating structure in clean water, you're in business. The classic pot-hopping technique is always a go-to option, and with the wind turbines now there is seemingly endless structure to work through. That said, it seems if you can find something floating along with the tide - a log, bucket, trash bag, etc - that's your best bet for finding mahi that will eat and not be picky. Metals/Epoxies are generally the first lure in the water. They're ideal for their versatility - you can rip it quickly along the surface, swim it low and slow, or let it drop and let them eat it on the fall or retrieved vertically. Other good options are soft plastics, like the Zoom Fluke, JygPro Y Tail, Jygpro Swym, or NLBN Paddletail. You can also get them to eat Poppers when they're in the right mood. Overall, both inshore and offshore, it's a great time of year to be a fisherman in Rhode Island with the bst of the fall run in our sights!