Fishing Forecast - September Full Moon
We made it! It's officially the best time of year if you're a saltwater fisherman in Rhode Island. The bonito fishing is still off the charts, albies are filtering in and making their presence known, bass and blues are around and willing to eat, and the bottom fishing has been excellent. Offshore, the bluefin bite continues to be on fire and although the mahi are pretty hit or miss, they're out there. We've had some great weather recently and it looks like that will continue into the next week or two (cross your fingers with me). These chilly night temperatures have the bait on the move - although that's a double-edged sword, because it's definitely not helping with our cool water temps. The bass and blues are loving it, the bonito don't seem to mind, and the albies are just slightly behind schedule but filling in nicely. Overall, it's shaping up to be another great September.
Funny Fish - Can't Live With Them...
Since around mid-July, the bonito fishing has been some of the best we've seen in several years. At least for such an extended period of time. Almost any day, you can hit the oceanfront with the realistic expectation of finding bonito. They're generally willing to eat, too, which is probably the best part. We got a nice push of larger bones right around the turn of the month. The average size is still in that 2-3 pound range, but there are a lot of 4+ pounders around and some slammers in the 8+ pound range as well. I'd expect in the next couple of weeks we will continue to see a variety of size classes around. The hottest minnow-style plugs this season have been the Yo-Zuri Mag Minnow, Rapala X-Rap, and SP Minnow. The classic metals and epoxies have been working their charm, especially the Hogy Epoxy Jig and Game On! Exo Jigs locally. Albie Snax are always a go-to as well. They just drive fish nuts. There is plenty of bait around, including peanut bunker, silversides, small bay anchovies, sand eels, and even a few reports of halfbeaks from the break walls. This abundance of different sizes and profiles seems to be helping keep the bonito here and happy - and willing to eat almost anything you feel like throwing at them.
Coby with a nice fly-caught bonito from a recent outing.
Albie season is finally upon us. If you're using the last year or two as reference, they may seem a little bit late, but in the grand scheme of things, they're pretty much on schedule. As usual, the first to show up inshore are absolute jumbos. The next week or so will be your best opportunity to get your biggest of the season. The hottest bait for them so far has been Albie Snax. You can work them fast, slow, and everywhere in between. The Savage Gear Sandeel Pencil has also been taking some fish, including lots of bonito. It casts a mile and has a quick sink rate, so it has similar versatility to your favorite metals and epoxies. So far locally, the albies seem to mostly be keying in on peanut bunker, but that can change daily. The Hogy Peanut Bunker Jig and JoeBaggs Peanut Resin are great options when they want those peanuts. As the feeds get thicker and the fish get pickier over the next couple weeks, the fly fishermen will get their opportunities to shine. The Larry Lutz Casting Egg with a small fly can also be really effective in those situations. Check out our selection of Albie and Bonito Flies. Overall, the albies are still filtering in and the fishing is hit or miss for the moment. You can hope/expect to see them, but there is definitely potential that it will blow wide open at any tide.
Bluefin Bonanza
The bluefin fishing has been great so far this season and that doesn't seem to be slowing down. The topwater bite is still heating up but at this point, you can go target them however you want. The Chug Norris Popper, Hogy Charter Grade Popper,and JoeBaggs Skipper are all solid options. The Shimano Ocean Bomb is an awesome, subtle popper to throw when they're up but not cooperating. Hopefully in the next two weeks that popper bite really picks up. That said, the jig bite has been on fire. Point Jude Deep Force Jigs, Shimano Shimmerfall, and Hogy Sandeel Jigs have all been catching. Pink, glow, and occasionally green have all had their days. Right now there are plenty of small fish around, but a healthy mix of >47" fish as well to keep things interesting. The dead-sticked RonZ Tail has been another consistent bait this season. Pink has been the ticket on most days, but white and silver have their moments. Make sure you have at least one setup rigged up with a RonZ heavy enough to stay vertical during your drift. You can gently jig it or let the rod holder work its magic for you. If it isn't already, it'll become a confidence bait for you in no time.
Recent fun-sized bluefin caught on a 10" pink RonZ on a 5oz jighead.
Bass and Blues
With cool night temperatures and ocean temps under 70 degrees, the bass and blues are on the feed. There is a variety of sizes of bluefish around, so don't be surprised if you hook into a random gator - both in the backwaters and out front. If you can find the bait you'll probably find fish. Try your local river mouths, salt ponds, and estuaries to find smaller bass feasting on peanut bunker and spearing. If you can match the size profile of the bait, you should get into some fish. Whether that's a small minnow plug like an SP Minnow, Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow, or Nomad Shikari or a small metal/epoxy jig, they probably won't turn it down. This is the time of year when teasers can be very effective as well. Check out our options for both albie & bonito flies and striper flies for good teaser options. The classic Red Gill is another great option, though they really cut down casting distance, so they're best when the fish have bait pushed in tight. Fly fishermen will thrive from here through to the end of the season with the abundance of small bait around. The casting egg and fly combination can also be deadly this time of year for both bass and blues. During the day, they will often be willing to hit a small spook like a Rebel Jumpin' Minnow or Game On! X-Walk. If not, try a more subtle approach like a Sluggo or Hogy soft plastic. Out front, there are still plenty of big bass to be had. The Butchie Built Trolling Tube is the ticket right now, tipped with Fish Bites for scent. I've always been skeptical about whether you need to add scent to your tubes, but there is no doubt it's been more effective recently. You can also catch on live eels or big soft plastics like the GT Eel, JoeBaggs Block Island Eel, and Hogy Slappy Swim Eel.
Jon with a nice schoolie caught on a teaser above a jointed Redfin.
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