BAY

"A lot of school bass to 26 inches have invaded the mid-Bay," writes Bill "Eelman" Nolan. "It's as if someone turned on a switch. There are pods of bass breaking the surface just about everywhere. David Parrillo of Warwick has been scoring daily using various small topwater plugs. Also working well are white Storm shads and Cocahoe Minnows."

Kenny Ferrara of Ray's Bait & Tackle recommends fishing Greenwich Bay, Sand Point, Pine Hill, Ohio Ledge and off Warwick Light. He predicts that large bass will arrive in exactly a week and that bluefish will be here in three weeks. There have been some keepers, as long as 33 inches, in the Seekonk River this week, said John Littlefield of Archie's Bait & Tackle, but most of the bass are still schoolies. He said he has had reports of menhaden being snagged at the Division Street Bridge in Pawtucket.

On Aquidneck Island, look for schoolies at dawn and dusk at the corners of the beaches.

Billy Silvia, skipper of the charter boat Can't Imagine, was catching tautog as large as 8 pounds yesterday morning in the Tiverton Basin. He was chumming the fish in with grass shrimp and catching them with crabs on small jigs. Chris Ropoza of Ocean State Tackle caught five keeper-size tautog on clam worms and steamer necks Wednesday afternoon at Fort Wetherill. The fish would not take crabs, he said. The blackfish bite is improving in the Warren and Barrington Rivers, particularly near the American Tourister outlet, Littlefield said.

BEACHES AND SALT PONDS

Steve McKenna fished Matunuck on Wednesday afternoon and had small stripers on just about every cast, Bill Nolan reports. Nolan said, "An all-white Cocahoe did the damage." Thom Pelletier of Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle said there have been a few keepers among the schoolies at the Ocean Mist in Matunuck. Striper fishing is inconsistent at the West Wall, according to Al Conti of Snug Harbor Marina. More baitfish have moved into Ninigret Pond, said Steve Travisono of Breachway Bait & Tackle, so the striper bite there should improve.

More and more keeper-size bass are appearing in the Pawcatuck and Mystic Rivers, said Bill McEvoy of King Cove Outfitters. The bass are following large schools of bunker. In the Pawcatuck, look for fish near the cemetery and the narrows near Westerly Yacht Club. Surf fishermen in Westerly are also beginning to catch bass, he said.

Flounder fishing is good in Ninigret Pond, but better reports are coming from Point Judith Pond, said Travisono. Conti said flounder fishing is better than last year, particularly in Potter Pond and the Narrows of Point Judith Pond. At least one angler has been taking a good number of flounder on the Narrow River, said Thom Pelletier.

Fluke fishing is improving along the shore with some 20-inch fish mixed among the shorts.

OFFSHORE

Dogfish are moving in, but anglers fishing heavy diamond jigs are catching cod on Shark Ledge, said Al Conti.

From south of East Grounds to Shark Ledge, anglers have been finding schools of mackerel among pods of whales and lots of sand eels, he said.

PARTY BOATS

"The fluke are definitely on the beach," reports Frank Blount, skipper of the Frances Fleet. "The crew has been able to make a few trips for fluke, and the fishing has been quite good considering the water temperature and how early in the season it is. The fluke are here because the squid have arrived, and also there have been some sand eels in close to shore as well. Some good-size squid were taken on hook baits meant for the fluke. Word is that the squid are in good off of Newport. We are looking forward to the first squid trip [tonight] at 7."

FRESHWATER

The state Division of Fish and Wildlife continues to stock trout, offering solid fishing in South County ponds, according to Thom Pelletier. High water has made trout fishing difficult in many streams.

Bass and pike have been taking shiners on Worden Pond in South Kingstown, Pelletier said.

BEST BITES

Greenwich Bay: Schoolies, possibly keepers

South County trout ponds: Stocked trout

Salt ponds: Schoolies, flounder

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."