BAY

Bluefish are biting throughout Greenwich Bay and its coves, says Ken Ferrara of Ray's Bait & Tackle. Sally Rock and Sandy Point have been especially hot. Outside the cove, Hope Island and Gould Island have been busy bluefish spots.

Bass as large as 18 pounds were landed in Apponaug Cove this week, Ferrara said. Most have been in the 28- to 30-inch range. Larger bass have been biting near Annawan Cliffs and on Brenton Reef.

On Aquidneck Island, Peter Graeber of The Saltwater Edge reports that bass are feeding on mullet, and there are false albacore in fair numbers from Newport to the islands.

Tautog -- many of them too small to keep -- are biting near Plum Beach Light and off the Navy Base in Newport.

BEACHES AND SALT PONDS

Schools of small bass and what may have been bluefish were balling bait on both sides of Watch Hill Light this week. On the east side of the light, gulls and terns were diving on feeding fish near Ocean House Beach at the top of the ebb tide. On the west side of the light, schools of bait and predators were working outside of casting range off the beach club. A British couple on an angling holiday said they caught schoolies on flies at Napatree Point.

Fly fisherman Ed Lombardo reports: "We fished the Narrow River Wednesday night and saw plenty of bait but very few fish. We stayed late to fish into the night and managed to pick up only four fish in six hours. The conditions were great, but I think that the recent storm and all of the rainwater might have a little to do with this slow pace of action. We fished from Middlebridge downstream to the month of the river. I fished two flies; a shrimp and a 4-inch white, pink and blue craft fur high-tie pattern. Fish are still taking the shrimp pattern with consistency."

Jim Gray of Gray's Boatyard weighed a 49-pound bass taken on Watch Hill Reef on Wednesday. He said stripers have been hitting live menhaden on the reefs. George Forsberg weighed a 40-pound bass and some in the 20-pound class at Quonny Bait & Tackle this week. He said striper fishing has slowed on the beaches but remains good at night at the breachways. Bass fishing had been very hot during the stormy weather at the breachway, but it has slowed since Monday, reports Steve Travisono of Breachway Bait & Tackle.

Everyone agrees that bluefish are active everywhere, but the blues are on the move.

Tautog are biting at Charlestown Breachway and other rocky spots along the shore, says Travisono.

OFFSHORE

The sportfisherman Aerie One steamed to the waters southeast of The Horns this week, but didn't find any of the tuna that were biting there before the storm, says Al Conti. Offshore conditions are favorable again, he says.

PARTY BOATS

Charter and party boats are the only ones allowed to keep scup now, and anglers aboard the Admiral Frances caught their limits Wednesday, along with sea bass and a few bluefish, according to Frank Blount, owner of the fleet. Wednesday's cod trip landed fish up to 40 pounds, but the bite wasn't as active as it had been.

FRESHWATER

"Carp fishing is very hot right now and peaking," says Dave Pickering of the Rhode Island Carp Anglers Group (CAG). "Members of the group have landed numerous fish this week in the 15- to 20-pound range, very big for Rhode Island waters. And, they are hitting in all parts of the state."

In his blog, Pickering writes, "I fished the last three nights after dark at Lake Tiogue in Coventry. In that time period, I landed nine big commons from 14-18 pounds, very good sized carp in Rhode Island waters. Jeff Allard, our newest CAG member, accompanied me a few nights ago and he landed his first Rhode Island 20-pound carp, a big achievement for a first year carp fisherman here. Last week, I also hit the Blackstone River (prior to the flooding rains) and I was able to catch several mirrors in the mid teens, very good sized fish for this species. In addition, Steve McKenna, another new CAG member, has been fishing Twin Rivers in North Providence in the daytime. Steve landed a bunch of fish in the past week that went from low teens to 20 pounds. In fact, he landed a personal best 20-pounder from this spot. This is another big accomplishment for a first year carp fisherman."

Photos and links to Pickering's carp fishing adventures are online at www.projo.com/hotbytes.

SAFETY NOTE

If you're fishing one of many lakes and streams on state land, remember to wear blaze orange. Deer-hunting season for archers opened Wednesday.

BEST BITES

Newport:

Bass, bluefish, possibly false albacore

Breachways:

Bluefish. Possibly tautog

Party boats:

Scup, cod, 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.”

What's the catch? Send your fishing reports and photos to Tom Meade by e-mail at tmeade@projo.com.