By DAVID HENAULT

The Squid have arrived ...
Squid are being caught in Newport at the Goat Island Causeway, Fort Getty in Jamestown and a few have shown up in Bristol Harbor. The party boats from the Frances Fleet sailing out of Gallilee with squid as large as 18" being jigged up. Squid fishing is a passion for many with some anglers driving from hours away to jig through the night. Yozuri and Yamashita jigs seem to be the most effective.
Stripers seem distributed throughout the bay with bass feeding topwater in many areas. Anglers near Quonset were frustrated by numerous bass that were foraging on grass shrimp and bay anchovies topwater but reluctant to take the variety of lures thrown at them. The east side of Prudence Island has been producing some nice fish in the teens by angler trolling 9ers Umbrella rigs, anglers tossing small Ronz lures have caught some nice fish as well. Billy Silvia of Can't Imagine charters put his customers on a dozen tautog and three bass early morning in Bristol Harbor, tautog were taken on crabs and the bass on squid.
The first report of blues in the bay came in over the weekend with three large blues landed on mackerel at Gaspee Point. Menhaded have been moving throughout the bay and a huge school was seen on the surface at the hurricane barrier in Providence.
The tautog bite is still going strong with Stone Bridge, Second Beach and Beavertail as well as the ledges off Newport producing white chinners up to 10 pounds. They are also feeding on crabs in the Providence River from Conimicut Light north. The Warren and Barrington Rivers are holding numerous bass in the 24-26 inch range rewarding persistant anglers with the occassional keeper.
I went fishing at dawn on Wednesday with Pete Sebring out of Bristol. We fished off Bear Point throwing small poppers to small schools of swirling striped bass that were feeding on small baitfish Pete caught a 29-incher on a pogie colored popper while I watched the schools break up quickly in frustration. I placed a call to Billy Silvia of Can't Imagine Charters he and Neil Vitulo of Played for It Charters were catching stripers to 38 inches under the Mount Hope Bridge with swimbaits and poppers and we joined them for a bit east of the bridge in Mount Hope Bay catching 3 more fish before heading in. Francesco Di Giovanni has been snagging pogies in Providence and livelining them in Barrington at the White Church Bridge and catching bass to 37 inches.
Commercial fluke season is open with fishermen in the west passage finding their limit. Recreational fluke regulations have been set with a limit of 6 fish and a 21 inch minimum size, opening day for fluke is June 17th.
Members of Stripercoast Surfcasters are finding daybreak at Brenton Reef in Newport and Beavertail in Jamestown producing fish up to 34 inches on the incoming tide. Swimmers and pencil poppers have proven the most effective. Surfcaster Francesco DiGiovanni found numerous bass to 26" at Deep Hole and many more schoolies in the Thames River.
Fishing the surf can be dangerous as many anglers get swept off the rocks with someone dying every year. Proper equipment is essential, cleated shoes called Korkers assure a steady grip when working along rocks and getties. Waders and wading belts can offer protection from water and abrasion. Surfcasting at night requires a headlamp and a fishing partner is strongly recommended.
Freshwater fishing has been mixed with some trout being taken on Powerbait by Zack Harvey and friends in South Kingston . Stump Pond has been offering a decent bite for bass anglers. I went carp fishing with Dave Pickering, Jim White of White Ghost Charters and his grandson Devon. Dave landed a 22-pounder, Devon caught two fish between 17 and 18 pounds all on dough baits in Lake Tiogue.
Carp Fishing is a fast growing fishery with Pickering the head of the R.I. chapter of the Carp Anglers Group. R.I. offers some great carp fishing at Lake Tiogue, Maushpog Pond, Olney Pond and the numerous ponds in Roger Williams Park.
Carp are wary capable fighters and surf rods and baitrunners are used.
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David Henault operates Ocean State Tackle at Hope St in Bristol , Centre of New Eng in Cov / W.G. and Branch Ave in Providence. He can be reached via email at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or at 401 226 6626 .