2017 Rhode Island Squid Report

[Spysar]

I'm afraid to go to GI. Never been there, heard a lot about it. Is it as bad as it's reputation? Pure combat fishing? Or can a guy find a spot and get a few tubes in peace? Maybe a week night is better than weekend?

[OneEyedSquid]

It was lit in the bay!  For stripers of course, Lol.  My new focus has been on these big boys.  But I will tell you, I ran into my fishing buddy whom I don't even know his name.  

 

Yes that is very common to run into someone and fish with them and never even know their name.  He told me he caught 2 buckets of squid.  

 

I was like, holy moldy!!  Then i asked him when?  He said it was on Friday afternoon time frame 1 - 3pm.  I told him, well thats a bummer!  As much as I like catching 2 buckets, I do have a 1st shift job, but it goes to show that you have to be at the right place and at the right time.

 

Another friend of mine went on Friday night and only landed under 10 tubes.  I guess the day squiders had the better luck.  

 

With the full moon behind us and the weather getting warmer may trigger more squid fishermen.  Please be respectful to each and don't ink on one another. = )  And don't mess with the residential skunk at Jamestown DEM.

[Matsquidman]

I'm afraid to go to GI. Never been there, heard a lot about it. Is it as bad as it's reputation? Pure combat fishing? Or can a guy find a spot and get a few tubes in peace? Maybe a week night is better than weekend?

Combat fishing! Not really. It gets crowded at times. But one thing I don't think some people like or understand is that when the squid come in a certain area it can get shoulder to shoulder. That can be good. If the squid see all those jigs (bait)! In the water it keeps them around longer. Most people are fine with that. The only thing is people don't pick up their trash. The City of Newport supplies trash barrels on the bridge, at the end of the bridge and in the parking area. There is no excuse to leave trash on the bridge and those areas.

[BillG]

Combat fishing! Not really. It gets crowded at times. But one thing I don't think some people like or understand is that when the squid come in a certain area it can get shoulder to shoulder. That can be good. If the squid see all those jigs (bait)! In the water it keeps them around longer. Most people are fine with that. The only thing is people don't pick up their trash. The City of Newport supplies trash barrels on the bridge, at the end of the bridge and in the parking area. There is no excuse to leave trash on the bridge and those areas.

I second this opinion. I find it a bit comical... It will be a slow period and everyone is half-heartedly jigging. All of a sudden, two or three guys will get a couple squid in a spot. Within about a minute, guys are sprinting across the bridge and jumping in to that spot, dropping their jigs down. Then, 10 minutes later, they are all sprinting to another spot. Meanwhile, they guys quietly jigging, pull up squid after squid and don't make a sound. No one even notices their luck. The trick is, they have a bucket with squid in it with a board on top that they sit on and their mostly empty bucket has two or three squid in it.

[Fisher02813]

Hope I can get on a good squid bite soon down at goat island. Never had a good night down there, most Ive caught is about 12. Not sure what it is, probably just bad timing but might go their tonight, and will most likely be down their Friday night on my birthday. 

[Matsquidman]

Hope I can get on a good squid bite soon down at goat island. Never had a good night down there, most Ive caught is about 12. Not sure what it is, probably just bad timing but might go their tonight, and will most likely be down their Friday night on my birthday.

When the squid are running you could be there for Five hours and only get a few. When you leave everyone jigs up a half bucket or more in 30 minutes!! The luck part is you halve to be there.

[Reel Time]

^{Glad to have found this site. I've never gone down to 4 lb Fluorocarbon.  We'll have to try it.  I think we have a crew for this Friday at the mouth of Stonington Harbor in Reel Time.  Hopefully it turns into more than a beer run.  I'll report back.}

[Hobodave45]

I have only been to GIB about a half dozen times, but found every single person I interacted with was extremely friendly. Nothing at all like true "combat fishing" in NY for salmon.

[Spysar]

I guess I just heard the worst about GI. I would like to try it sometime. Good luck guys.

[JANZ]

Really its not bad there.  Ive been to a lot of different squid spots all over New England

and there's mostly nice helpful folks but you have a few that will jump in your spot as

you turn around to unhook your squid in the bucket.  I just tap em on the shoulder and

ask them to move, only once did I haVE A PROBLEM and I solved it by shutting down my generator

and wait for them to leave. There are all kinds out there but 95% are really good folks

looking for a night out with a bonus of calamari.   Thats the 5% that I see throw their coffee

cup on the ground and stomp on it and of course leave it there.  Last time I was at GI I was

in the middle of the bridge and everyone seemed to be concentrating on the sides.  An elderly

lady came about 10 ft to my right and politely asked if she could fish there, I smiled and said of

course.  She had antique squid jigs and was having trouble catching.  It was one of those lock

and load days at 1PM and sunny.   Gave her a couple of my jigs and she started catching.

She caught 3 on 2 jigs.   Turns out she was 86 years old and been fishing there since the

fifties.  Told her to keep the jigs, should have traded for the old ones as they were probably

worth more as hand made antiques.  THE BIGGEST DRAWBACK fishing GI is parking its a

PITA.   If your good people, good people will find you.  Give it a go, 2 people are great as you

can stop and drop off on the bridge then one of you go back and park.  Give it a go you may

hit one those runs that fills 2 buckets in an hour and a half.  I have a 2 hr drive to get there.

[alaskanaturally]

BTW Janz. Where does one park? Last year was the first time we came to the area to get some squid. Camped at Fisherman's Memorial and threw jigs off the dock at Galilee. Can't say we did great but caught enough, about 25 an evening. Drove to GIB one day and saw the parking problem. We left and returned to Galilee and caught our usual amount. Where can one park w/o the two hour limit?

 

We only encountered two others squiding in the three days we spent at Galilee. So if someone wants a more relaxed area to fish, and doesn't mind not filling buckets, that may be the answer. Can you suggest any other locations we can try within a hour or so of Pt Judith? 

 

We also tried Stonnington last year on the way home. A poor evening, only caught three. Will try it again this Saturday night on the way to RI. Will be there from Sunday through Thursday. Hope to meet a few of the contributors.

[Spysar]

Really its not bad there.  Ive been to a lot of different squid spots all over New England

and there's mostly nice helpful folks but you have a few that will jump in your spot as

you turn around to unhook your squid in the bucket.  I just tap em on the shoulder and

ask them to move, only once did I haVE A PROBLEM and I solved it by shutting down my generator

and wait for them to leave. There are all kinds out there but 95% are really good folks

looking for a night out with a bonus of calamari.   Thats the 5% that I see throw their coffee

cup on the ground and stomp on it and of course leave it there.  Last time I was at GI I was

in the middle of the bridge and everyone seemed to be concentrating on the sides.  An elderly

lady came about 10 ft to my right and politely asked if she could fish there, I smiled and said of

course.  She had antique squid jigs and was having trouble catching.  It was one of those lock

and load days at 1PM and sunny.   Gave her a couple of my jigs and she started catching.

She caught 3 on 2 jigs.   Turns out she was 86 years old and been fishing there since the

fifties.  Told her to keep the jigs, should have traded for the old ones as they were probably

worth more as hand made antiques.  THE BIGGEST DRAWBACK fishing GI is parking its a

PITA.   If your good people, good people will find you.  Give it a go, 2 people are great as you

can stop and drop off on the bridge then one of you go back and park.  Give it a go you may

hit one those runs that fills 2 buckets in an hour and a half.  I have a 2 hr drive to get there.

 

Great post. And I agree, most people are the good type. I'm just over the border in NY on the western side of Mass. It would take a three hour ride. I'm tempted to try it.

[JANZ]

There is very limited parking on the apron at the bridge about enough for `15 vehicles.   When the

squid are there people camp out on those spots, never seen one open.   About 2 city blocks to the

east is a pay to park and I think its $1.00 per hr and have to go back and feed the meter every 2 hrs.

Hoping all that might have changed but I doubt it. The residential streets are parking by permit only.

[Hobodave45]

I have parked in the public parking lot 5 or 6 times and have only had to pay once. I believe the only time I had to pay was during the day. There'sconstruction going on now though, so you need to enter and exit the parking lot by the hotel entrance. You can still drive under the parking garage and way over to the far corner of the lot. The walk isn't that bad. I did this Friday night.

[alaskanaturally]

I have parked in the public parking lot 5 or 6 times and have only had to pay once. I believe the only time I had to pay was during the day. There'sconstruction going on now though, so you need to enter and exit the parking lot by the hotel entrance. You can still drive under the parking garage and way over to the far corner of the lot. The walk isn't that bad. I did this Friday night.

Hobo, Is the parking lot on the Goat Island side of the bridge? When you drive under the parking garage, do you have an idea of the clearance?

[Hobodave45]

It's low Alaska... I want to say 6'2"...I have a crossover; Buick Enclave and was a little nervous. If you have a pickup or SUV, I would recommend parking where Janz said. I'll have to drive around to see exactly where he is speaking of. I believe the lot by the hotel you need to pay before 6 PM and then it's free after 6. It's about 2 blocks away though so Janz and I could very well be speaking of the same parking area... It is on the mainland side of Goat Island Bridge. Due to construction, here is what I would do, head over to the bridge and see if there is parking just before it, on the right hand side. If there is, park there, if not, continue on over the bridge. I'm sorry, I can't remember your names, but if you want to drop one of you off with your gear, do it while on the bridge. Continue on and turn around on Goat Island and head back to the mainland. Stop in check with your spouse on the way back and see if they got a squid in the 3 mins since you dropped them off and then contue over the bridge. A few hundred feet after you go through the intersection, you will see the parking lot on your right side, and the entrance that is currently closed. Proceed past it, and take a right at the big intersection with traffic lights. The entrance will be a few hundred feet down on the right, at the hotel entrance. Drive all the way down to the corner by the closed entance / exit to eliminate as much walking as possible. Hope this lengthy info helps!

[alaskanaturally]

It's low Alaska... I want to say 6'2"...I have a crossover; Buick Enclave and was a little nervous. If you have a pickup or SUV, I would recommend parking where Janz said. I'll have to drive around to see exactly where he is speaking of. I believe the lot by the hotel you need to pay before 6 PM and then it's free after 6. It's about 2 blocks away though so Janz and I could very well be speaking of the same parking area... It is on the mainland side of Goat Island Bridge. Due to construction, here is what I would do, head over to the bridge and see if there is parking just before it, on the right hand side. If there is, park there, if not, continue on over the bridge. I'm sorry, I can't remember your names, but if you want to drop one of you off with your gear, do it while on the bridge. Continue on and turn around on Goat Island and head back to the mainland. Stop in check with your spouse on the way back and see if they got a squid in the 3 mins since you dropped them off and then contue over the bridge. A few hundred feet after you go through the intersection, you will see the parking lot on your right side, and the entrance that is currently closed. Proceed past it, and take a right at the big intersection with traffic lights. The entrance will be a few hundred feet down on the right, at the hotel entrance. Drive all the way down to the corner by the closed entance / exit to eliminate as much walking as possible. Hope this lengthy info helps!

Thanks again Dave. We won't fit. Our pickup camper sits 10.5 ft off the ground. Looks like we'll have to stick with Galilee or find other areas. Last year we did drive through Jamestown and saw a pier. Didn't have the time to try it. Perhaps that's a possibility.

[Matsquidman]

Anyone going over the Newport Bridge be prepared to wait for long time during construction. Just waited over 3/4 hour to get on the bridge when leaving Newport. Only one lane open both ways.

[kutocon]

Good luck out on GI hope you all get INK

[Fisher02813]

Anyone in favor of orange squid jigs? Color preference?