We’re excited to launch a new series here at The Saltwater Edge, Captain’s Corner, where we sit down with one of our favorite guides to talk about what’s happening on the water right now and how to plan for what’s coming next.

In this first episode, Peter Jenkins chats with Capt. Ray Jarvis of Salt of the Earth Sportfishing, a seasoned inshore guide with 20+ years of experience fishing Buzzards Bay, Narragansett Bay, and Vineyard Sound.

Here’s your early summer inshore fishing game plan, straight from the conversation.

Bait Update: Big Baits, Small Baits, and a Banner Squid Run

This spring brought an abundance of big bait, especially menhaden (bunker) pushing into Buzzards Bay — more than in recent years. Combined with lingering cool water temps, this has kept striped bass feeding locally longer than usual.

Inshore anglers are also seeing plenty of juvenile sea herring, silversides, and worm hatches fueling topwater activity. Bass are actively chasing both small baits in open water and bigger bait schools on structure.

And perhaps best of all: it’s shaping up to be a fantastic squid run across Buzzards Bay, Vineyard Sound, and the Elizabeth Islands — a prime ambush opportunity for quality striped bass.

Go-To Presentations: What’s Working Right Now

For Small Bait:

• Surface Erasers in natural white, silver, or sandy tones

• Small paddle tails (1 oz Pro Tails), fished on a steady, not-too-fast retrieve

• Hogy Originals (7” or 10”) — fish them slow with sweeps and pauses, allowing fish to inhale on the pause

For Squid & Deeper Fish:

• Spoons — still highly effective even as summer progresses; great for targeting larger fish holding deeper

• Soft plastics on jig heads near squid rips

• Micro chugs and surface erasers for surface-feeding stripers on squid

• Hogy Dog Walkers (white, amber, pink) for visual squid feeds

Pro Tip: Adding a swivel between spoon split rings can reduce hook leverage and help land more fish.

Targeting Structure as Fish Transition

As early summer heat ramps up, stripers transition from open water bait schools to structure. Look for:

• Boulder fields and shallow ledges

• Whitewater zones around big rocks and upwellings

• Rips — still productive through mid-summer, especially with squid and other bait moving

According to Capt. Ray, fishing early morning and evening on structure becomes more consistent as the season progresses.

Other Species to Target: Bluefish, Bonito, Sea Bass, Fluke

It’s not all about stripers! Capt. Ray also recommends:

Bluefish:

• Big bluefish are staging along sandy beaches right now — perfect for sight fishing with topwater plugs.

Bonito:

• Bonito showed early last season and stayed through November — expect to see them again soon.

Black Sea Bass:

• Casting and jigging with artificial lures like surface racers and small squid Hoagies is producing.

• Drifting rock piles, drop-offs, and other structure is key.

Fluke:

• Don’t overlook fluke! Productive spots include sandy rips in Vineyard Sound and parts of Buzzards Bay.

• Capt. Ray prefers the beginning and end of the tide, using spoons and bucktails to weed out small fish and connect with bigger fluke.

Looking Ahead: June into July Transitions

As we move into late June and July:

• Focus shifts to boulder fields, rips, and structure-based striper fishing.

• Squid runs often continue into mid-July.

• Fluke fishing ramps up — Capt. Ray runs dedicated fluke trips in July.

• Some trips may combine stripers, fluke, and even bluefin as deeper cooler water opportunities develop.

Final Thoughts

Our goal with Captain’s Corner is to give inshore anglers an ongoing “what’s now, what’s next” roadmap for light tackle and boat fishing throughout the season.

Thanks to Capt. Ray Jarvis for sharing his insights — be sure to follow along for future episodes!

Contact Capt. Ray Jarvis:
📧 jarvisfish@gmail.com
📞 401-269-1563

Stay tuned for more episodes of Captain’s Corner — we’ll be checking in regularly as the season evolves!

👉 Got questions or want us to cover a specific topic? Drop a comment below or shoot us an email at The Saltwater Edge.