Southwest Ledge bass bite heats up as bay water climbs past 65 degrees

The water's finally talking our language out here. Bay temperatures pushed past 65 degrees this week, and that's the magic number that gets everything moving around Block Island. The Southwest Ledge has been absolutely electric for striped bass, with fish to 38 pounds coming over the rail on live peanut bunker and fresh mackerel chunks.

I've been working the 40 to 60-foot contours where the cooler ocean water meets that warming bay flow, and the bass are stacked up on these thermal breaks like they're waiting in line. The key has been finding that temperature gradient — sometimes it's a razor-thin 2-degree difference that holds all the fish. Live-lining peanut bunker on a fishfinder rig with a 6/0 circle hook has been deadly, especially on the incoming tide when the bait gets pushed up against the ledge structure.

The fluke bite has absolutely exploded in the shallows around the island. We're seeing doormat-class fish in 15 to 25 feet of water, which is unusual for this early in June. A 7-pound, 3-ounce fluke came up yesterday on a white 5-inch Gulp Swimming Mullet rigged on a 3/4-ounce bucktail, drifted slow over the sandy bottom north of the harbor. The key is keeping your bait just kissing the bottom — these fish are aggressive but they want that natural presentation.

What's really interesting is how the wind farm area has been producing. The structure around those turbines has created an artificial reef system that's holding bait and attracting sea bass in numbers I haven't seen in years. We're talking keeper-sized fish on every drop, with green crabs and clam strips on high-low rigs doing the damage in 80 to 100 feet of water. The blackfish action around the turbine bases has been solid too, though you need to get your baits right into the structure to connect.

The porgies have been thick around the deeper wrecks and rocky bottom, but they're running smaller than usual. Still, they're great table fare and perfect for keeping the kids busy while you wait for the bigger fish to show. Small pieces of clam or squid on size 4 hooks are all you need.

Bait availability has been outstanding. The peanut bunker schools are thick from the harbor mouth all the way out to the ledge, and the sand eels are starting to group up in the deeper water. I've been seeing more mackerel than usual for this time of year, which explains why the bass bite has been so consistent. When you've got that much natural forage around, the fish settle into predictable feeding patterns.

The moon phase is working in our favor too. We're coming off a new moon, so the tides aren't as extreme, but there's still enough current to move bait and trigger feeding. The outgoing tide has been the most productive, especially that last two hours before slack water when everything gets concentrated in the deeper channels.

Water clarity has been exceptional — that gin-clear Block Island water that makes this place special. Visibility is running 15 to 20 feet in most spots, which means you need to scale down your leaders and be more careful with your presentations. I've been using 20-pound fluorocarbon leaders instead of my usual 30, and it's made a noticeable difference in the number of bites.

Looking ahead, this weekend's weather looks perfect for getting out there. Light southwest winds and calm seas should make for ideal conditions, especially for targeting those trophy bass on the ledge. The full moon is still a week away, so we won't have those big spring tides yet, but the fishing should remain consistent.

The real story here is that Block Island is hitting its summer stride right on schedule. The water temperatures, bait concentrations, and fish behavior are all aligning perfectly. This is what we wait for all winter — when the island becomes the striped bass capital of the East Coast. Get out there while the bite is hot.