Written by Capt. Gregg Weatherby
Boat ramps are slippery. The two straps that secure Bad Monster Dog firmly to the trailer, left intact, make shoving her off a hernia inducing effort. One more time down the slippery slope to strap removal and the rest of the day would be simple. Walking back up the ramp I realized how cool being awake at “O Dark thirty” really is.

The anticipation of the great adventure ahead, hearing a couple of Stripers feeding off in the cove, and the challenge of the full moon. The full moon has little to no effect on ferociously feeding fish once the fall migration kicks into high gear. In contrast during summer’s full moons the afternoon bite is usually best. The full Moon tends to keep the fish up all night eating- or trying not to be next.

This morning’s moonlight came in handy. It made it easier to see that the car doors were all locked. The moon also highlighted the shocked look on my client’s face when I strolled up the ramp and snapped the antenna off the truck. Having grown up watching the A-Team and McGyver, a quick bend, shove, and the lock popped. I hopped in rather proud of the moment, drove up the ramp, and left the well trained boat adrift by the dock.

A locked, running vehicle on the ramp with a boat trailer halfway submerged in the water is comical when it’s someone else. The car antenna was the manly solution to not holding up the other guys waiting to launch their boats. Taking it in stride, without a word, is what real guides do and I know the memory will be a distant one after a good day of fishing.

With a tough start to the day those who see a glass half empty would have packed it in right then and there. But for the optimist we get to see what other amazing challenges, tricks, or treats the universe has in mind. The day was just beginning as we rounded Brenton Reef heading east to the Sakonnet River.

The islands separating Buzzards Bay and the Sakonnet River are very special. Full of structure, eel grass covered flats, and deep tide pools that spin bait to their demise. Upon entering the shallows I slowed Bad Monster Dog to a crawl and then shut her down. There was something large swimming into shore from an outer island. It was too early for the Seals to have shown up and too low in the water to be a deer. (Widely accepted as the true origin of saltwater bucktails).

The sun sat touching the horizon. Balance in the universe was struck as the huge harvest Moon did the same to the west of us. Illuminated by the rising sun our mysterious swimmer turned out to be a very healthy Coyote.  He looked back at us as if determining whether we looked edible. The Coyote clearly had been eating his fill of birds and eggs on the island- predawn. This incredibly strong feral animal then slipped over the peak of the rock pile and disappeared.

Sharing this kind of experience with others is incredible. As Kieth Deinert and I looked at one another, totally blown away by the Discovery Channel adventure we were experiencing, a tremendous feeding frenzy of Striped Bass erupted in all directions. Fish after fish was fought on the fly and caught using a variety of top water poppers. Next on the to do list was to look for the rest of the grand slam – (Striped Bass, Bonito, and False Albacore).

Vibrant, rich, coastal fishing adventures can be experienced right here in Rhode Island from April to November. Come visit the plant in Rhode Island, take a look at NorthCoast Boats and if we can sneak out for some fishing, I promise to bring a spare set of car keys.

Welcome to Newport, Rhode Island’s hundreds of miles of navigable, fishable, spectacularly beautiful, coastline. An Angler’s paradise.
The water off Newport’s visibility for sight casting is excellent. Clean and fresh- with new baitfish and their crazed predators arriving on each tide. A large variety of salt water species enhance our world class angling experiences- all season long.

Today, Striped Bass is our main target in the white water, boulder fields, flats, and estuaries. Each month the bait changes the hunt and the Striper’s behavior. Up the bay very large Bass frequent the depths in search of large bait.

Menhaden have arrived and there are some very cool situations where a shallow area is adjacent to a nearby drop off. Casting cross tide and depth contour produces some shocking strikes! Stripers have already filled in on the Sakonnet River’s Boulder fields. Once the hook is set the battle truly begins as you try and turn them away from the rocky structure.

Note: Early season inshore begins in mid-April as Stripers feed on a variety of baits, from Menhaden, Herring, Mackerel, Squid, Cinder Worm and even Crab hatches.

Bluefish are long considered North Atlantic Piranha as they eat aggressively and rarely give up without an epic battle. Pound for pound one of the most ferocious feeders in New England. No lipping unless the Boga Grip is involved. Slicks are beginning to appear and all the credit should not go to the Bass. You can bet the Blues are filling in. Nine weight fly line with wire and a top water popper- what a fight!

Bonito on the grill with Garlic and Dill, for those who wish to enjoy a tasty treat. But don’t count your chickens before they’ve laid an egg. You have to find them, entice them, and then get them to the boat. These very fast speedsters are a blast to match your wits with as they are typically very sensitive to your ability to match the bait du jour. Best caught along the beaches or rocky outcropping with an exceptional occasional bait ball feast. Note: They tend to arrive when the QE2 shows up. (Cruise ships in June)

False Albacore, or “Albies”, are spectacular in many ways including size, (poundage in the high single digits to teens), speed (rpms like a dentist drill but less painful), and beautiful colors. A mirror finish with markings of three dots, zigs and zags, cobalt blue and emerald green all highlighted by an oil slick like Palladium silver mirror sheen. This species foreshadows the most epic fight of all.

Those are some of the most sought after species while there are plenty of others offshore and around New England which people are exciting to chase. Would love to hear our NorthCoast family favorites!

The New England coast has spectacular, sometimes forgiving, sand flats where Striped Bass ambush sand eels and other baitfish. But a real favorite are the very productive rocky shorelines surrounded by their protective boulder fields. Through the years anglers who spend enough money on bottom paint and propeller repairs come to know these waters “very” personally.

My good friend, and mentor, Mike Kenfield and I had been fishing near a ten foot, dark, rock shaped like bird wings.  The right wing points down towards to the hole whose name refers to a feeling- Sweetwater Hole. It’s located on the western entrance of the Sakonnet River. This spot was consistent in producing nice size Striped Bass followed by, “Dude, this is some sweet water!”

The challenge is timing the cast so that your fly enters the feeding zone as the bait would- while standing on what feels like a rolling barrel.  Note: Sweet water- anywhere associated with good food source and hungry fish.

We had hit a few spots hard, relentlessly casting, covering the water, for large Striped Bass, when one of the old timers came confidently flying into the area in his red classic fishing boat. No sooner had Mike stated the guy had fished here forever, and knew these waters like the back of his hand- and boom.

He squared up onto a submerged, object of unknown origin. Texting was still twenty years out so it wasn’t that. Could have been there all these years? Maybe he was checking the morning Donut stash or focused on a spilled bucket of Eels. Either way he veered off his usual path. My respect for the areas challenges went up a few notches.

This unforgiving area becomes even more interesting in the fog. Knowing what rock belongs to what formation is critical. It’s easy to get spun around in these areas and the fog demands an exhaustive sense of place. Fog is very tiring. Second Note: “Intuitive piloting” does not show up on the USCG Captain’s exam. (Nor should it). Knowing the river as your back yard takes years of attention to details and someone willing to share their experience.

Anglers, like Harbor Pilots who can draw each shape of each rock, and others in near proximity,  successfully navigate their way to the fish and  safely home. True Boulder fields are relatively shallow areas which are covered with fish holding structure. Fighting Striped Bass in these areas can be exceptionally challenging. The drift of the boat is positively affected by a cushion of water flowing around, and over, the boulders. This moves the boat naturally through the obstacles with an occasional nudge.

The fly is placed on the feeding end of the fish, holding on the left side of the rock. Strip, strip, pause, strip and wham! A solid, sudden smash and your tight. I highly recommend a low rod angle as you set the hook. A knee jerk, high “Trout” hook set pulls the fly a few feet away from the fish.

The bigger the Striper the harder it is to set the hook. I’ve seen guys swear they drove home the 8/0 ultra sharp hook, only to feel it spit back at them as a prehistoric size fish they had the privilege to be momentarily connected to swims by.  There is a respectful silence- as the Bass gracefully passes by us, off the boulder field, and into the depths.