Shark Fishing Rhode Island
This year, we could see a decline in customers in fear of the dreaded Corona-Virus, but it will not stop us from fishing every day. With the summer months coming and the country in a state of uneasy tension, we do have one thing to look forward to. Very Soon the Squid and Bunker will be showing up in Newport and not far behind them the Stripers will be migrating up the coast to settle in for the summer months off the New England coast. Early May is when it usually all starts for us when we kick off the 2020 season for the elusive Striped Bass. When the water temperature in Narragansett Bay starts to reach the high 60s we start to get the offshore shark fishing gear ready. This includes countless hours of servicing our reels, Inspecting the guides on our rods, making a few hundred shark leaders, and days of making our own chum infused with Aqua-Nutrition secret chum slick.
Where do you shark fish in Rhode Island?
Shark Fishing is by far our favorite type of fishing, especially for clients who have only caught freshwater fish. The day starts around 0500 as we head out of Narragansett Bay and head to the cooler waters off of either Nantucket or Block Island. The night before we read all the charts from NOAA to locate a certain type of water temperature and certain structure. The Big Mako sharks come in late June when the water temperature is around 63 to 69 degrees. As we approach our plotted position on the chart, we start to tend to the fishing rods and get all the gear ready.
When we are about one mile from our spot, I will have one of the 5-gallon containers of fresh shark chum tethered to a line. We will cruise around 1.5 kts for a good 20 minutes to start to get the scent of the magic potion into the water column. After we come to a stop, we immediately start to cut of fresh bluefish and bunker chunks and disperse them into the water. While the mate is busy “feeding the sharks” I will start to set out four fishing rods deployed at various depths and distances from the boat.
How to setup for Shark Fishing!
The furthest rod is set out about 65-90 feet at a depth of 40 feet by the use of a balloon tied to the line like a giant freshwater bobber, Then I will stagger the rods to the boat so the last rod is roughly 30 feet away and 20 feet down. I also keep a pitch rod as we call it that is a stand-up spinning set up designed by Ralph Craft at Crafty One Customs in Portsmouth RI. This rod is by far the funniest way to catch and battle sharks. As we sit and wait, we usually tell a few stories and jokes and wait for the moment the Finnor Santiago 50w comes alive and starts screaming that there is a beast on the other end. Shark fishing is a full day of excitement and non-stop entertainment. If you are looking to experience a day of shark fishing and want to put your muscles to the test, give us a call or visit ArchAngel Fishing Charters for more information.
