UTERAtlantic bonito fishing in Rhode Island and Cape Cod
In Rhode Island and Cape Cod, Atlantic bonito peak August–September and are around July–October, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. September: Bonito with the albies until the albies take over.
No note for October — see the months around it.
Atlantic bonito in Rhode Island and Cape Cod, month by month
- JanuaryNot here
- FebruaryNot here
- MarchNot here
- AprilNot here
- MayNot here
- JuneNot here
- JulyArrivingBonito show off Watch Hill, Block Island and Martha's Vineyard in July.
- AugustPeakBonito and the first albies; canyon tuna. Small epoxy jigs for bonito and the first albies around Martha's Vineyard; overnight runs to the canyons for yellowfin and bigeye.
- SeptemberPeakBonito with the albies until the albies take over.
- OctoberLeaving
- NovemberNot here
- DecemberNot here
Where to fish Atlantic bonito near Point Judith, Newport, Block Island
Rhode Island's rocky south coast and salt ponds, Narragansett Bay, Block Island, Buzzards Bay and the Elizabeth Islands, Vineyard and Nantucket Sounds with their shoals and rips, the Cape Cod Canal, Cape Cod Bay's sand flats, and the Monomoy rips and outer Cape beaches; offshore Coxes Ledge and the southern New England canyons (Block, Atlantis, Veatch).
Fish Scouter charts 350 wreck, 4 artificial reef spots in the Southern New England map area — the kinds Atlantic bonito hold on.
What to use for Atlantic bonito
- Glass minnows (bay anchovies)Thrown by the handful as chum for Spanish, trout and ladyfish, or several on a tiny hook.
- Pilchards (whitebait)Free-lined or under a cork, hooked through the nose on a #1 to 2/0 circle hook. The one bait that catches everything inshore.
- Leader40–60 lb fluorocarbon
- Hook4/0–8/0
- Braid50–100 lb
Feeds in 58–76°F water, best at 62–72°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch Atlantic bonito in Rhode Island and Cape Cod?
Peak season is August–September. Atlantic bonito are in Rhode Island and Cape Cod July–October. September: Bonito with the albies until the albies take over.
Where do Atlantic bonito hold in Rhode Island and Cape Cod?
Look on artificial reef, pass / inlet, beach / surf, wreck — around Point Judith, Newport, Block Island, Westport, Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard.
What is the best bait for Atlantic bonito in Rhode Island and Cape Cod?
Live bait: glass minnows (bay anchovies), pilchards (whitebait). Glass minnows (bay anchovies): Thrown by the handful as chum for Spanish, trout and ladyfish, or several on a tiny hook. Tackle: leader 40–60 lb fluorocarbon, hook 4/0–8/0, braid 50–100 lb.
Fish it with the tide in your pocket
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