BAY

Randy Bagwell, skipper of River Rebel Charters, wrote Thursday: "We went out early this morning on a bait run for the charters we have over the next several days. While we did very well catching pogies, I set my daughter Sara up with a live line and she boarded a pair of 20-plus pounders. The bait is still in the Tiverton Basin along with some large blues and striped bass if you can get your bait under the blues."

The bite from Prudence Island to Pawtucket presents "the opportunity of a lifetime," says Kenny Ferrara of Ray's Bait & Tackle, but he adds, "Nobody is fishing."

Some people are. Aboard the charter boat White Ghost with skipper Jim White, Bill Catauro Jr. caught and released 19 legal bass, several more smaller ones and six bluefish in the upper Bay on Tuesday. The fish were as long as 38 inches. "Both Sluggos and live menhaden were working well," said Everett Petronio Jr. Kenny Ferrara Jr. was releasing bass as long as 40 inches at the Hurricane Barrier in Providence Wednesday.

"The flood gates have opened and some nice 30-pound class fish have invaded the Bay," writes Bill "Eelman" Nolan. "In a short span, I landed four bass in the high 20- to 30-pound range on live bunker, fishing the mid Bay. Paul Iemma hit the fish good on Monday morning swimming live bunker in six feet of water. The larger bass are surfing in on the tides of the full moon."

Large schools of baitfish have been appearing around Bold and India Point, generally on the dropping tide. Bass have been getting there first, and then bluefish show up. Boaters have an advantage because they can move around searching for bait and predators. There are so many fish on the upper Bay that both high- and low-tide changes are productive, said Kenny Ferrara the elder. Shore-bound fishermen have been scoring on the low tide. They have been taking fish between 35 and 40 inches long near the sewer plant in East Greenwich.

Billy Silvia, skipper of the charter boat Can't Imagine, has been catching bass well over 30 pounds from Bear Point on Prudence Island to the Providence River. He has been using menhaden. Tube-and-worm rigs also work, said Ferrara.

Blackfish are still biting, said Thom Pelletier of ThomCat Charters. "One another angler weighed in two tautog of 8 pounds and just under 12," he said. "I have also heard that the blues are on the attack around the bridges."

BEACHES AND SALT PONDS

"Steve McKenna nailed a 37-pound fish from the surf on a live eel in Narragansett on Wednesday night," said Bill Nolan, "and he had a couple others just a bit smaller. He said the action was nonstop for the better part of an hour just after dark." The bass and bluefish bites in Narragansett have been strong for a week, said Bill McEvoy of King Cove Outfitters.

The Pawcatuck River offers striped bass from the mouth to Potter's Dam. "Find the bunker, and you'll find the bass," said McEvoy. Stripers in the 20- to 30-pound class have been biting, and 15- to 20-pounders are fairly common, he said. Most anglers have been concentrating on Cemetery Cove in Westerly as well as the Connecticut shoreline across the river.

The cinder-worm emergence on Ninigret Pond has been "decent," said Ron Mouchon of Breachway Bait & Tackle. Before the hatch, large bass are taking seven-inch Sluggos. Pink and white have been the best colors, he said. A few keeper bass and some harbor blues have been biting in the Breachway, he said.

Large bass have begun to feed on squid on the reefs from Westerly to the Connecticut River. "They may not show up on sonar," said McEvoy, "but they're there." Trolling wire-line rigs and tube-and-worm outfits has been effective.

Some larger bluefish have moved into the waters off Quonochontaug and Weekapaug, McEvoy said.

Two anglers caught their limits of fluke with fish as large as 28 inches off Westerly's beaches Wednesday, and they had very few shorts, according to McEvoy. To the east, fluke as large as 7.5 pounds have been biting in 35 feet of water off the Five Cottages and Green Hill, said Mouchon.

Tautog fishing is still good, Mouchon said. An angler fishing the surf caught a 13.5-pounder this week.

PARTY BOATS

"The local fluke fishing was vastly improved over yesterday's action," according to a Wednesday report from the Frances Fleet. "Quite a few anglers had two to five keepers apiece, with Mr. Coo nailing six fine keepers including the 6-pound-plus pool winner. There were far more shorts in the mix today as well. The action was consistent all day with the best producers again being a little Spro jigs and small white bucktails fished above the sinker. A couple anglers using fresh squid also did well today. The more standard rigs did not catch that well, but that is fishing!"

FRESHWATER

After fishing the Wood River on Wednesday, Ed Lombardo reported: "The fish started rising at around 5 p.m. at a consistent pace. Most fish where coming up close to the banks. I started fishing with a #16 orange spinners and Gray Soft Hackle Dry, and fish did rise to take them. That small Gray Soft Hackle fools the fish most of the time. Those patterns did very well until just before dark. Around 8:20, Pale Evening Duns started emerging in size #14 and #18. I like using a parachute dun in colors to match, but any Pale Evening Dun imitation or Sulphur pattern will do very nicely. I also suggest a soft hackle with a body of yellow rabbit fur. There were also #14 and #12 caddisflies on the water."

Meadowbrook Pond in Richmond is a good bet for trout. Fish were taking streamers and small spoons there Wednesday.

Nearby, Tucker Pond in South Kingstown offers solitude and large bass and panfish.

TOURNAMENT

The West Bay Anglers fourth annual Rhode Island Striped Bass Tournament will run May 31 to June 7. Cash prizes are $500 for the winner, $300 for second place, and $200 for third. The entry fee is $25, and proceeds benefit a summer-long program to take kids fishing aboard the 7Bs party boat. Prizes will be awarded June 7 at the Warwick Fraternal Order of Police on Tanner Avenue. Details are available at tackle stores and the club's web site, www.westbayanglers.org.

BEST BITES

Seekonk River:

Bass and bluefish

Sakonnet River:

Bass and bluefish

Pawcatuck River:

Striped bass

Prudence Island:

Bass and bluefish

HOT BYTES

For more frequent fishing reports, go to Hot Bytes in the sports section of projo.com.

THE TIDES

The moon causes tides and affects the activity of saltwater and freshwater fish as well as animals on land. Anglers generally find the best fishing two hours before and after a high tide, but fish and other animals also become active around the time of low tide. This table shows the height of tides in feet at Castle Hill near the mouth of Narragansett Bay. Recreational shellfishermen prefer to dig for clams when the tides are lowest, shown on the chart as "minus tides."