Block Island North Rip Fishing Tactics

The rip at Block Island's north end can be a very productive fishing ground if you know when to fish it and what to use. I used to go there and catch very little to nothing, never really thinking of it as a productive place until I learned how to fish it. Even after all these years I am still learning how to fish it. There are a variety of ways to fish the rip, but in each case conditions that work best for that type of fishing should be followed. Pay attention to the tide and time of day, and see if you detect a pattern which repeats itself. This is how you'll become better at fishing any area.

Trolling. I find that the best trolling ocurs when the tide is incoming and you arrive around 6:30-7:00am with the tide coming in for about an hour already. Then you can troll wireline outfits with umbrellas or parachutes and catch bass and bluefish for about 3 to 4 hours until the tide begins to slow down. I always troll against the current from 70 feet deep to go over the top of the hump at 40 feet, going very slow by the time I reach the 40 foot mark. Every time I'll hook up under these conditions. If you don't hook up, try letting out more line. The current can get very strong and if your not near the bottom nothing will happen.

Drifting. Drifting is another very productive method, and works best on the outgoing tide. Best to arrive around 6:30 with the tide having been outgoing for at least an hour. You can drift over the middle hump, which is about 12' deep over the top. Use soft plastics like the Storm pearl 6" swim shad, cast them out, let them sink near the bottom, and use a jigging retrieve. Be ready, when you lift the rod, the fish will be there. If you feel a hit and don't hook the fish, work it very slowly with lots of short jigs, as if it were an injured fish. This will bring more strikes. Drifting can be used at any point along the length of the sand bar. Different rigs can be used, even live bait, like eels.

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