4th of July fishing trip in road island

[Woodjr55]

Going to my aunt and uncles beach house in Narragansett RI for my cousins graduation party. Looking forward to doing a little shore fish/ kayak fishing while I'm there. Haven't been there in a few years so should be fun. Mostly going to catch baby blues and shade? I think that's what their called. Any salt water guys have any advice on what to use?

[greybeard]

My first real introduction to shore fishing for blues, stripers and shad in the surf and around bridges was in Rhode Island. I had done some before, but had a good teacher up there and he taught me a lot. There was some really good fishing there.

 

By baby blues, do you mean snappers ? There are blues around down here in various sizes, but I don't think that the snappers are in. If snappers are in they are probably really small.

 

Just some basic stuff :

 

For snappers I would try a "snapper popper" and small spoons like 1/8th oz., maybe even 1/4 oz. silver kastmasters and the like.

 

If you mean small bluefish , a pound, or so, I would try tins like a 005, or even a 007. Small spoons like Kastmasters maybe 1/2 oz., or 3/4 oz. will wok too for both. Small saltwater poppers for the blues can be good also. I never caught a shad on a popper though... I like white soft plastics on lead heads in appropriate sizes, but the blues eat them up, so it get's costly (I don't care because I'm a bluefish fanatic)..

 

Lures with treble hooks can be a pain in the butt, especially for the blues. I've been hooked, and bitten gettin' them out. Unhooking a bluefish especially in a kayak can be hazardous.. I now use a lip grip and pliers.

 

If you can check with a local tackle store you may get some specifics for up there.

 

Remember to bring pliers, or a hook remover for the blues. If there are blues, you may want to consider having a few wire leaders

 

When shad are in sometimes I tie on a teaser a foot, or so above the lure. That'll catch both also.

 

I would also consider carrying lures for bigger blues, and maybe stripers, just in case they are around.

 

It's kinda all trial and error, so you have to change until you find what they want.

 

I love catching both and love the way those shad jump.

 

Just a thought, when Shad are around, sometimes, if you catch one, if you live line it on a heavier setup you can catch really nice stripers and bluefish

 

I hope this helps

 

 

[shawnhu]

Tackle owner I know goes for shad in the Delaware with a long rod and a popper I believe.

Edited July 2, 2013 by shawnhu

[mmkay]

_{'Rhode'  not 'Road'.   Bring a good size bass or pike rod. and a bait runner reel if you have one....if not free spool the line.  use 15lb test and circle hooks.  get some bunker chunks (also and live line eels or, bunker or porgies) and you should get in to some blues or stripers.  Stripers will be below the blues....blues will be mid water or near the surface...strippers on the bottom}

 

_{Night fishing will be better than days.  if you can, Narragansett (point judith) has a large charter fleet.  private boats and party boats.  If you have the time, get out on a private or party boat.}

 

_{Good luck}

Edited July 2, 2013 by mmkay

[Danny]

'Stripers' not 'Strippers'

[mmkay]

Damm- LOL...you can catch them as well on the to RI...right off 84 above hartford...I guess I had a freudian slip

[Woodjr55]

Looks like I may be able to get out on the morning charter tomorrow for some sea bass and fluke. Although if the weather holds tomorrow and its not too rough I may just make my cousin take me out on his boat. Wasn't sure if they put it in the water this year because they haven't the last two

[greybeard]

Both are great tasting fish.. Good luck, I hope that you limit on both.

 

I'm looking forward to reading about your trip

 

 

[thphm]

Lots of luck on the trip Enjoy.Not to change the subject but ,   greaybeard have you ever fished off of or around Block Island, I heard there are some monster size stripers there.

[greybeard]

OMG.. No, not at Block Island, but I have fished the Montauk rips and could see Block Island, but we really were not that close. The times that I fished the rips were really good for striped bass, some really good ones too.

 

 

[Woodjr55]

I did a night charter off block island on one of the party boats before didn't cat h any monsters but did catch some keepers and some dogs. My aunt wasn't too happy that me and my brother got dropped off at the docks instead of saying hi to the family

[greybeard]

You should have offered her some bass fillets to make peace

 

Did you diamond jig, or use bait on the night boat..

 

 

[Woodjr55]

We used live eels

[greybeard]

Live eels are great, except that they get costly, especially when blues hit them..  We used to say they go down as an eel, and after gettin' chomped by a bluefish, come up like a cigar..But it can be worth it.

 

Have you ever been out that way during the November Herring run ? I did that a few times on a friend's boat.

We used locate and  load up on Herring using Sabiki rigs, and put them in the live well. We'd then head to the rips and get some nice bass by live lining them.. It's really good.

 

My friend just took a Montauk charter and the boat limited on stripers. I don't know what they used though.

 

I can't handle the boats anymore especially out there.So now I stick to surf, or kayak fishing and stay more local.I prefer kayak fishing to any other method.

 

I hope you get to do the kayak fishing while you're up there, but no matter how you do it, good luck, be careful,  and get some big un's

 

 

 

[Woodjr55]

On the way back in from the half day fluke charter. Went out with my cousins. Slow day for us caught 3 or 4 fish that were just shy of the legal limit. All and all it was a good day on the water even though didn't bring any fish home. Guess I'll just have to fill up on lobster tonight.

[greybeard]

What a shame to have to eat all that lobster. Too bad I wasn't there. Being the charitable guy that I am, I would have helped you eat them

[Woodjr55]

We only have 30 lobsters for 20 people and 7 of them don't eat lobster

[waterweasle]

take your kayak right off the beach at narragansette, theres a nice launch/fishing pier   and paddle out 100 yards and catch fluke!!!   I do it every time I'm up there