Party Boat Fishing in Rhode Island
1 party boat charters in Rhode Island
Party Boats in Rhode Island(1)
Rhode Island: Small State, Big Fishing
Rhode Island may be the smallest state in the country, but its fishing punches well above its weight class. The waters off Narragansett Bay, Block Island, and the Rhode Island Sound sit at the intersection of major migration routes for Striped Bass, Bluefish, Fluke, and Tuna. Party boats operating from Point Judith, Galilee, Newport, and other coastal ports take advantage of these productive waters to offer fishing that competes with anything available in the Northeast.
Block Island, located 13 miles off the coast, acts as an underwater mountain that disrupts currents and concentrates baitfish. The rips, shoals, and rock piles around the island are legendary fishing spots that hold large Striped Bass, Bluefish, and Fluke during their seasonal migrations. Several party boats make the run to Block Island regularly during the summer and fall months.
Cod, Tautog, and the Bottom Bite
Bottom fishing is a strength of Rhode Island's party boat fleet. Tautog (Blackfish) fishing on rocky structure, wrecks, and bridge pilings is excellent from April through June and again from October through December. Rhode Island's Tautog regulations have supported a healthy fishery, and trophy-class fish over 10 pounds are caught regularly by skilled anglers using crab bait on jigs and bottom rigs.
Sea Bass, Scup (Porgy), and Fluke are the primary summer bottom species, with boats drifting or anchoring over reef sites and wrecks in 30 to 100 feet of water. Cod fishing trips run during the winter months on deeper offshore structure, providing action during the colder season when most other species have migrated south.
Tuna, Sharks, and Offshore Action
Rhode Island's proximity to deep water gives its fleet access to offshore species that many anglers do not associate with such a small state. Bluefin Tuna pass through Rhode Island Sound and the waters south of Block Island during the summer and fall, and some party boats offer targeted tuna trips when fish are in range. Mako Shark, Blue Shark, and Thresher Shark trips depart from Point Judith and Galilee during the warm months.
The fall fishing season in Rhode Island is particularly exciting. False Albacore, Bonito, and Bluefish blitz through the rips around Block Island and along the Narragansett coast, and the Striped Bass migration brings big fish through on their way south. The combination of cool fall weather, aggressive fish, and beautiful coastal scenery makes autumn fishing in Rhode Island hard to beat.