Rhode Island Fishing Guide

By: Daniel Iannucci and Alyssa Marinaccio

Freshwater Freshwater

Fish Fish

Trout

3 Primary Types:Rainbow (Oncorhynchus mykiss)Brook (Salvelinus fontinalis)Brown (Salmo trutta)

Regulations:No Minimum SizeApril 8-Nov. 30: 5/Person/Day Dec. 1-Feb. 28: 2/Person/DayFeb. 28-April 7: Closed Season

TroutBackground Information

Rainbow Trout

-Feeds on small insects, minnows, crustaceans and worms

-Stays in streams until it reaches 6" to 9" in length and then travel to lakes or oceans where it will bulk up and then return to the streams or rivers to spawn

Brook Trout-Found in clear cold waters which seldom exceed 68 degrees-Primary food sources include small insects, mollusks, crustaceans and other small fishes-Fishing for brook trout is the easiest of all the trout family-Located where the is gravel bottom streams with a moderate

current, plenty of waterfalls and ponds which include rocks and cover

Brown Trout-Tolerate slightly warmer waters than the brook trout-More wary than other trouts which help ensure its longevity in waters where other trouts get fished out

-Feed on worms, minnows, insects and crustaceans.-Larger browns tend to feed more on flesh and favor nutritious

crustaceans, worms or small fishes

Largemouth Bass

Common Names: Black Bass, bigmouth bassLatin Name: Micropterus salmoides Regulations:

Minimum Size 12”No Closed Season5/Person/Day

Largemouth BassBackground Information

Appearance

-green with dark blotches that form a horizontal stripe along the middle of the fish on either side

-underside ranges in color from light green to almost white.

Diet

-Adults feed almost on other fish (i.e. sunfish) and large invertebrates (i.e. crayfish)

-Larger fish prey upon smaller bass.

Habitat

-seek protective cover such as logs, rock ledges, vegetation, and man-made structures

-commonly found in waters less than 20 feet

-prefer clear quiet water in backwater areas of large rivers with slow moving water

Smallmouth Bass

Common Names:Bronzeback, Brown BassLatin Name: Micropterus dolomieuRegulations:

Minimum Size 12”No Closed Season5/Person/Day

Smallmouth BassBackground Information

Appearance

-Golden bronze or brown in color, with a lighter, more creamy underbelly than the largemouth

-Vertical dark bands or marks are found on the side

-Eyes have a dash of red

 Behavior

-Most active of the bass family.

-Will most likely leap, flip, flop, and spin to throw the hook.

Habitat

-Live in lakes

-Prefer to live in cold, clear water.

-Stay around rocky and sandy shorelines and often swim in schools

Diet-Eat more prey than a largemouth will-Love to eat Crawfish and Crawdads

-Also feed on leeches, minnows, other bass, frogs, snakes, mice, bug, insects, grasshoppers, crickets, and basically anything alive in the water

When Fishing

-Downsize your bait to consistently catch smallmouth

Saltwater Saltwater

Fish Fish

Striped Bass

Common Names: StripersLatin Name: Morone saxatilisRegulations:

Minimum Size 28”No Closed Season2/Person/Day

Striped BassBackground Information

-Arrive in area waters late April early May

-Most active early morning and dusk to after dark

-Best success is either surfcasting with large poles using live eels or trolling coastal areas using lively jigs and poppers

-Successful techniques include drifting over rock piles using live eels, trolling tube and worm rigs and casting soft body lures

-Common fishermen can have significant success casting from jetties, beaches, breakwaters and piers

-During mid summer months when water temperature is at its peak fish tend to hide in deeper waters

-Large females up to 50 pounds known as cows stay in area waters usually as long as the bait fish do. This usually is around mid to late November.

BluefishOne Fish, Two Fish, Red

Fish…

Common Names: Blues, Snappers, ChoppersLatin Name: Pomatomus saltatrix Regulations:

No Minimum SizeNo Closed Season10/Person/Day

BluefishBackground Information

Appearance

-A sea-green color that fades into a silvery shade on its lower sides and belly

-Large mouths with prominent sharp teeth

Habitat

-Bluefish inhabit both inshore and offshore areas of coastal regions

-Display an annual migration pattern that is keyed to the seasonal warming and cooling of coastal waters 

-Young fish (first year of life) called "snappers" inhabit estuaries and river mouths

-Larger fish initially inhabit deeper waters but move progressively shoreward into shallow areas as the summer progresses

-Travel in large schools of up to several thousand individuals

When fishing..

-Use a leader which will prevent hooked fish from cutting the line

-A variety of plugs, sand eel type jigs, squid like or mackerel like lures are the best to use when casting for bluefish

-Attracted to shiny metal lures

Tautog

Common Names: Blackfish, RockfishLatin Name: Tautoga onitisRegulations:

Minimum Size 16”May 1-May 31 3/person/day June 1-June 30 CLOSED July 1-October 21 3/person/day October 22-December 15 10/person/day

TautogBackground Information

-Tautog, or rockfish, are the first to arrive in the spring and the last to leave in the fall

-These hardy fish are most abundant during the summer months and are best caught along rocky shore lines using either crab or clam eels as bait

-Strong test is required to land these hard fighting fish and some anglers use a wire leader to protect against their strong teeth

-Large tautog can reach up to 15-20 pounds but a rare due to their slow growth rate.

Summer Flounder

Common Names: FlukeLatin Name: Paralichthys dentatusRegulations:

Pending, March 27th Meeting

Summer FlounderBackground Information

-The summer Flounder or Fluke is a flat bodied fish that finds its way into area bays and harbors during the summer months

-These bottom feeding fish are best caught drifting bait along sandy bottomed areas

-These heavy fighting fish are referred to as door mats when the reach about eight pounds

- Record fluke can weigh in at almost 30 pounds

- Fluke leave the local deep water homes around September and October