Southwest Ledge fires as bass stack on 66-degree water and bunker schools

The Southwest Ledge is absolutely on fire right now, and it's all about that temperature break. Water temps hit 66 degrees on the south side of the island this week — a solid 4-degree jump from the cooler ocean water to the north — and that gradient is stacking bait like I haven't seen since early July last season.

Bass fishing has been exceptional, with fish to 38 pounds coming over the rail. The key is working that 45-foot thermocline where the warm surface water meets the cooler bottom layer. I'm seeing the best action on live peanut bunker, rigged on a fishfinder setup with a 6/0 circle hook and just enough weight to hold bottom in the current. The bass are sitting right on that temperature break, ambushing bunker as they get pushed along by the tide.

The Southwest Ledge has been producing consistently on the outgoing tide, especially the last two hours of the ebb when the current really starts ripping. That's when the bait gets compressed against the structure and the big girls move up to feed. I've been anchoring uptide of the main ledge in 55 feet and letting the baits drift back into the strike zone.

Live eels are also working well for the night bite. The new moon we just had really fired up the fishing — those spring tides are flushing massive amounts of bait out of the ponds and harbors, and the bass know it. I'm rigging eels on a simple fish-finder with a 5/0 wide gap hook, no weight, just letting them swim naturally in the current.

Fluke fishing has really turned on as the water warmed up. The inshore grounds around the North Light are holding good numbers of fish, with keepers to 6 pounds coming on white Gulp Swimming Mullets and chartreuse bucktails. The 25 to 35-foot zone has been most productive, especially over the scattered boulder fields where the current creates upwellings that concentrate bait.

Drifting has been the most effective technique for the fluke. I'm using 3/4-ounce bucktails tipped with 5-inch Gulp baits, working them slow and steady along the bottom. The key is maintaining contact — these fish are hitting subtle, and you need to feel that tick. The incoming tide has been better than the outgoing for fluke, probably because it's pushing warmer bay water over the structure.

Sea bass fishing around the wind farm has been solid, though you need to pick your spots carefully. The turbine foundations are holding good numbers of fish, but the current can be tricky. I've been using 4-ounce bank sinkers with high-low rigs, baited with clam strips and sea worms. The fish are running 2 to 4 pounds, with the occasional 5-pounder mixed in.

Porgy fishing has been excellent in the deeper water off the Southeast Light. These fish are thick in 60 to 80 feet, and they're aggressive. Small pieces of clam on size 6 hooks are all you need. The key is keeping your bait moving — porgies like action, so I'm constantly jigging the rod tip.

Bait has been the story this week. The bunker schools are thick from the harbor mouth all the way out to the ledge, and they're the right size — those 4 to 6-inch peanuts that bass go crazy for. I'm seeing good concentrations of sand eels too, especially in the shallower water around the beaches. The bait is healthy and active, which always means good fishing.

Looking ahead, we're moving into the full moon phase, which should bring even bigger tides and more bait movement. I expect the bass fishing to stay hot, especially on the night tides when the big fish feel more comfortable moving shallow. The fluke bite should continue to improve as more fish move into the area — we're still early in the season for the really big doormats, but the foundation is there.

Water clarity has been excellent, which is always a good sign. The cool, clean water that Block Island is famous for is what draws these fish here from hundreds of miles away. When conditions line up like this — good bait, clean water, and that temperature gradient — it's why this place is the summer Mecca for striped bass fishing on the entire East Coast.