7/17/26 Break A Leg!

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Southern Rhode Island Fishing Report – July 17th

Break A Leg

It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt.

Make sure your boat has a first aid kit onboard. Check all of your safety equipment before heading out: life jackets, flares, horn, throwable flotation device, anchor, and a basic toolbox.

Being prepared is the key to making it back home and having a successful fishing trip.

People say fishing is all luck. Luck helps — but preparation catches fish. Every knot tied, every leader checked, every tide studied, and every hour spent scouting puts you in position when that opportunity finally comes.

I'll take luck if it comes my way, but most of these fish are caught through experience, preparation, and countless hours on and off the water.

Striped Bass

The bite has slowed a little from the pace we saw earlier in the season, but fishing is still very good. Bass are starting to settle into their summer haunts. The larger fish continue to favor live baits and big soft plastics worked near the bottom.

Smaller fish have been hanging around the reefs and are easier to get on umbrella rigs (available in the shop), metals (Point Jude Lures), and smaller artificials - Stack Beletti.

Tuna

The bite was slower this week, with plenty of bait, whales, and dolphins around but fewer tuna on the inshore grounds.

The most consistent producer has been purple "Phantom" trolling bars.

The bait is there — now we're waiting for the tuna to settle into a more predictable pattern. Once they do, the action can change almost overnight.

Giant tuna anglers continue to find fish with good consistency. Sand eels, squid, and whiting are making up the bulk of the offshore forage right now.

Fluke

The fluke bite continues to improve with some solid reports coming in this week. Yes, there are still plenty of shorts, but the number of keeper fish is definitely increasing.

30–55 feet seems to be the sweet spot right now, and local fishing has been every bit as productive as Block for many anglers.

Black Sea Bass

Sea bass fishing remains very good. There are plenty of keeper fish mixed in, but expect to sort through more shorts than we were seeing a couple weeks ago.

Jigging continues to outproduce bait rigs on most local structure.

🔥 Lure of the Week – Daiwa SK Jigs (10% Off)

The Daiwa Saltiga SK Jig features a unique Japanese slow-pitch design that falls, spins, and flutters aggressively through the water column.

Once it reaches bottom, simply wind the reel and let the jig do the work.

Best for:

Black Sea Bass
Tuna

👉 10% Off This Week

Did You Know? The Birds You See Offshore Matter

Shearwaters are often a great sign of bait and tuna activity. Great, Cory's, Sooty, and Manx Shearwaters all patrol Rhode Island's offshore waters during the summer.

Wilson's Storm-Petrels — the little "Tuna Chicks" — frequently patter across the surface while feeding on plankton and tiny bait.

Jaegers are the pirates of the pelagic world, stealing food from gulls and terns. If you start seeing them working an area, pay attention.

Birds don't catch fish, but they'll often tell you where to start looking.

We're Fully Stocked With

Live eels
Fresh mackerel
Sandworms
Bunker
Squid
Clams

Get Ready Now

July is one of the busiest months of the season.

Before leaving the dock:

Check your drag
Inspect knots and leaders
Replace rusty hooks
Restock bucktails and terminal tackle
Check rod guides for chips
Clean and lubricate your reels
Keep a topwater rod rigged — you never know when fish will explode on bait

Stop by the shop or shop online anytime:

👉 www.breachwaybait.com

We're open 7 days a week.

Shop Hours

Monday–Saturday: 6:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Sunday: 6:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Weekend Weather

Friday (7/17)

NW winds 5 to 10 kt, becoming SW with gusts up to 20 kt in the afternoon. Seas around 2 ft. Wave Detail: S 2 ft at 5 seconds and N 1 foot at 3 seconds.

🌡️ High: 82° | Low: 64°

Saturday (7/18)

S winds 10 to 15 kt, increasing to 15 to 20 kt in the afternoon. Gusts up to 25 kt. Seas around 2 ft, building to 3 to 4 ft in the afternoon. Wave Detail: S 2 ft at 5 seconds and W 1 foot at 2 seconds, becoming SW 3 ft at 4 seconds and NE 1 foot at 5 seconds. A chance of showers in the afternoon.

🌡️ High: 78° | Low: 65°

Sunday (7/19)

W winds 10 to 15 kt. Gusts up to 20 kt in the morning. Seas 2 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: S 4 ft at 7 seconds and W 2 ft at 4 seconds. A chance of showers in the morning.

🌡️ High: 80° | Low: 64°