8/15/25 No Bluefin No Problem!

Fishing Report August 15th, No Bluefin No Problem

It's unfortunate to hear that recreational bluefin tuna harvesting has been shut down, meaning we can no longer keep bluefin recreationally. We hope everyone had the chance to experience the bite this year. The good news is there's still plenty of offshore opportunity with yellowfin pushing closer and an abundance of Mahi.

This past week, large schools of Bonita have been spotted along the south shore and Block Island. They're a fun fish to target with epoxy's and metals when they're visible on top. If you know they're in the area, trolling shallow diving plugs can also be very effective.

Many of us are wondering if the Albies will make a comeback this year. After a minimal showing last year, this larger cousin to the Bonita offers a stronger fight, which is something us light tackle fishermen actively seek out.

In the coastal lagoons, there's been a lot of bait, with stripers and fluke feeding on both sides of the tide. The Breachway's rock fishing has significantly improved this past week, with a fair number of fish being pulled in, including larger ones at night. The weed situation has also improved considerably due to the high water and a couple of pushes of wind from the north.

Snapper numbers are increasing in the back of the ponds and bays. We're also anticipating mullet to start entering the area in the next couple of weeks, and there's plenty of peanut bunker around, especially up in the Pawcatuck River, shaping up for a bait-plentiful fall.

Fluke fishing has shown an uptick this week, and we typically see an increase in bigger fish moving in as we approach the end of August. Seabass are still in deeper water, with plenty around, though you may need to weed through the smaller ones.

Finally, the Tautog bite has been excellent, with fish coming from both boat and shore. The extra push in tide along the shore this week helped keep the bite hot for longer, and 15-25 feet of water seems to be producing the best results.

Weekend Weather report: