Captain’s Corner July: What’s Biting and What’s Working Right Now

The summer bite is heating up, and in this edition of Captain’s Corner, Peter Jenkins from Saltwater Edge sits down with Captain Ray Jarvis of Salt of the Earth Sportfishing to talk stripers, tuna, bluefish, and black sea bass — plus the exact lures, rigs, and tactics catching fish along the Northeast Coast right now.

What’s the Bait Situation?

Mid-July is all about small forage. Captain Jarvis reports seeing:

• Juvenile sea herring (3–4")

• Sand eels (tight schools offshore)

• Bay anchovies and peanut bunker

• Silver sides, especially mid-column or near the bottom on outgoing tides

Fish are keyed into these smaller baits, which means your lure choice should match the hatch.

Striped Bass: Offshore and Inshore

Stripers are feeding in a variety of places:

• Offshore schools chasing sand eels

• Surface pop-ups in Narragansett Bay, Mount Hope Bay, and Buzzards Bay

• Cooler, deeper inshore water holding larger bass (including fish in the 40–50" range!)

Best lures right now:

• 🐟 Joe Baggs Miracle Minnow – great deeper water profile

• 🐟 Hogy Pro Tail Paddle Tails (1–2 oz) – thin-profile, easy for clients to fish

• 💦 Micro Chug Poppers – for calling fish up on scattered feeds

Pro Tip: Count down your lure before retrieving — "cast and crank" isn't always the answer.

Tuna Time: They're Here

Bluefin have arrived in force, from south of Block Island to south of Long Island. They’re being caught trolling, jigging, and on topwater.

🔧 Jig Selection Tips:

• Start with glow jigs at first light (e.g., Electric Chicken Glow, Pink Glow)

• As light increases, switch to flashier finishes (e.g., UVT jigs, silver)

• Match drift speed with jig weight to stay vertical and in the strike zone

Top performers:

• 🦑 Hogy Sand Eel Jigs – flatter profile for a different fall

• 💡 Glow/UVT Slow Pitch Jigs – when tuna are holding higher in the column

• ⚙️ RonZ – deadly on the drop; don’t sleep on watching your line!

“Mark fish, drop a jig, and get bit” – simple, but only if you’re paying attention to drift, fall rate, and depth.

Black Sea Bass: Skip the Bait, Grab a Jig

Captain Jarvis has ditched bait for jigs only when targeting Black Sea Bass — and he’s catching bigger fish because of it.

🎯 Target Zones:

• Deep structure (45–70 ft)

• Ledges, drop-offs, and surrounding flats — not the tops

• Stay vertical and work just above bottom

Go-to lure:

• 🎣 Hogy Squinnow Jig (small size) – "drops like a rock," gets down fast, and tempts the bigger males

"Hit bottom, lift slightly, pause — that's when the bigger fish hit."

Surprises & Early Season Oddities

• Big Bluefish slamming sea herring around the Vineyard and Elizabeth Islands

• Albies already showing up — 28" class caught inshore!

• Bonito moving in and out quickly, likely staging to spawn

• Mahi spotted on windmills, joined by jacks and even the occasional tuna

"Those windmills? Like vertical reefs. Structure = life."

Looking Ahead: What’s Next?

Captain Ray expects:

• More false albacore and bonito to fill in

• Continued solid striper action on small bait

• Offshore game to ramp up with yellowfin, mahi, and exotics

• Black Sea Bass to stay solid in deeper, cooler water

Want to Get Out There?

Book a trip with Captain Ray Jarvis at Salt of the Earth Sportfishing or call/text him directly at (401) 269-1563. You can also find him on Instagram: @salt_of_the_earth_sportfishing.

Tight lines and stay tuned — the August Captain’s Corner will have more tuna talk, late summer patterns