Tautog Season RI

The Spring tautog fishing season in Rhode Island is here again and everyone is looking to have an amazing season catching tautog, black sea bass, striped bass, and other amazing trophies.  But what is the best bait to use? Where is the right place to look?  What regulations are guiding this season’s fishing? These and many more are the information you will get from this article.

Fishing For Tautog

Spring is a great season for fishing for tautog and it allows for much versatility. You can fish for tautog on shore or deep into the water. They are mostly found in places where there is some kind of structure like bridge piers, rocks, dock pilings, humps, wrecks, and mussel beds along the coast. If you want to fish for tautog and have good catches, then you would have to look into some structures. Some of these structures, like oyster beds and mussels, are low water and very productive.

Green Crabs As Bait

Fishing for tautog in the spring is always interesting because of the many catches.  Anglers always use soft baits like clams and clam worms. Another kind of soft bait that can also be used is crab meat.  When the shells are broken off to expose the soft inner part,  the meat can be very enticing to tautog.  If you are using this kind of soft bait, then you are in for large catches.

Asian crabs are specifically good. At the beginning of spring, they are very soft. If you have several of them in one hook, it will draw the fish’s attention.

Preferred Rigs Or Jigs

Whether you prefer rigs or jigs, your fishing outing will always be successful.  Some anglers prefer to jig, especially when they are fishing in low water.  But when there is some very deep structure or they are fishing deep water, then they will go the traditional rig way. In these cases, some anglers prefer to use egg-sinker rigs with minimal bottom tie-ups. Whatever choice you make, spring fishing will be amazing for you.

Regulations

If you are fishing tautog this spring in Massachusetts,  then you have to be aware of the regulations.  There have always been regulations when it comes to fishing.  This spring,  the regulations in Massachusetts will be similar to the ones in Rhode Island in 2022. 

 While the regulations are somewhat conservative, they worked very well in  Rhode Island. The Regulations are meant to protect the slow-growing fish to ensure that New England has many fish species for the fall season. 

Despite the regulations that will be guiding Spring fishing in Massachusetts, the bag limit remains the same and anyone can still catch a trophy. Anglers can only have one trophy that is 21 inches or larger. And the minimum size is 16 inches.

Private recreational vessels are still bound by the 10 fish-boat limits.  In this spring season which spans April 1st to May 31st, the regulation of three fish per person per day still stands. When the season resumes from August 1st to October 14th,  the three fish per person per day regulations will still stand. It increases to five fish from October 15th to December 31st. In the spawning season of June and July, anglers can take one fish.

The essence of these regulations is to allow for effective environmental management. And so far, the members are happy. Whatever regulation is finalized is always to the advantage of anglers and fishing enthusiasts generally. 

Where Is The Bite?

If you want to catch great fish, then you have to look where the bite is.  There are strategic locations for catching different fish species like cod, striped bass, bonito, and tautog.

Cod And Tautog

With the weather cooling down and the waters getting warm, tautog fishing is getting better. North Kingstown’s General Rock is productive with lots of large tautog. Fishing for tautog and even black sea bass off Newport at Brenton Reef is amazing. Point Judith is also a productive place to catch the bites. Cods and tautog are abundant at Narragansett bay. 

Bluefish, Striped Bass, Bonito, And False Albacore

The lower bay and out in front of Newport is known to harbor large striped bass, false albacore, and blue fish. The bay is very rich with large sizes of these fish.  The fishes are migrating  but they are still very much in the waters. 

The Seekonk and Providence Rivers, even up to the Conimicut Point also have large striped bass. Fishing from Westerly to the Sakonnet River has been successful with lots of bass and blue fish catches. Some anglers even catch some false albacores. Luring them with bay anchovies and peanut bunker has been highly effective. 

Freshwater Fishing

Ponds and waterways are producing lots of fish. Freshwater fishing is active and is even getting better with the passing day. Stocked waterways like Olney Pond at Lincoln Woods are producing lots of catches. Anglers are using power baits and even natural baits and are making great catches. The freshwaters have largemouth bass and carp in abundance.

Finally 

This spring promises to be a great season for tautog fishing. And you can take a good advantage of this fishing season to make a great statement in your fishing experience. Following the regulations, knowing what bait to use, and knowing where to look for bites will help you make the best of this season. Green crabs are great baits to use. The general location of fishing this season are productive.