Striped Bass reports this week showed larger fish being taken at the herring runs locally.
Narrow River produced two 14 pound stripers along with a lot of schoolie bass from 12 - 26 inches. The Narrow River benefits form a few factors. Narrow River is home to a winter over striper population, it also has the Gilbert Stuart Herring Run. Those two things with a a good tidal flow often make early fishing there a safe bet. I have fished north of the bridge at Bridgetown Road, the narrowing of the river there is very productive. People also fish Middlebridge , Sprague Bridge and the Mouth of Narrow River. Narrow River offers good access for canoe and kakak fishermen. Fly fishermen tend to work the channel from the sandbar on the Southwest side of the Sprague Bridge. There is public parking adjacent to Sprague Bridge and a kayak launching area with on the Northwest side of the bridge.
Narrow River also offers good White Perch and Tautog Fishing. Narrow Rivers is a productive spawning ground due to it's variety of habitat. It is a seasonal home to Spearing, Mummichogs, Eels, Grass Shrimp and Green and Blue Crabs. Shellfish Fishing is not permitted within Narrow River.
Donald Lesgault caught 30 stripers from 9 to 26 inches earlier this week fishing Soft Plastics and Needlefish from the shore of the Providence River. The Seekonk River has also been productive. The Providence and Seekonk Rivers often offer world class striper fishing in May and June. Light Tackle Charter Captains Billy Silvia and Jim White of http://www.whiteghostcharters.com/home.htmlThe inflow from the Blackstone and the shipping channel offer cool oxygenated water. The winter over stripers are joined by migrating striped bass formteh Chesapeake Bay and the Hudson River. The fish gather there to feed on the dense schools of herring and menhaden that spawn in Omega Pond. The herring that spawn here have been lifted by dip net by teams of volunteers for decades. Three fish ladders are underway to assist the herring in the migration up Omega Dam and the Ten Mile River. The Blackstone River Fish Ladder is delayed by engineering and easement issue. When these projects are completed the herring stocks have a chance of rebuilding.
Reports of Stripers at Horseneck Beach.
I am not certain if these are migratory fish or holdovers from the Westport River.
The first squid of the season were caught Thursday Night.
StickyRice Kaneal aka Gee or the 4oz Gang caught 30 " Scouts" Large bodied squid that are usually the first to arrive. There have been reports of squid off Block Island and Charlestown for the last few weeks. The last few years squid fishermen have been using very small yozuri squid jigs that come two in a pack.
