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Rhode Island

Saltwater Fishing

Saltwater Fishing

Striped Bass: What You Need to Know

Circle Hooks

Circle hooks are required when fishing recreationally for striped bass with bait.

Comparison of fishing hooks showing a J hook, circle hook, non-offset hook with a green check, and offset hook with a red X.
Use non-offset circle hooks instead of J hooks or offset hooks to comply with regulations and help reduce injury to released fish in Rhode Island waters.

Recreational Filleting of Striped Bass:

  • No filleting of striped bass or possession of racks or fillets is permitted while actively fishing with lines in the water.
  • Racks must be retained and kept whole (including the head, tail, and body) and no striped bass shall be mutilated in a manner that prevents accurate measurement.
  • No more than 2 fillets should be taken from a legal striped bass; the equivalent of one fish per angler.
  • Private rec anglers: racks must be retained until the vessel is secured to the dock or removed from the water and all fillets have been offloaded.
  • Party/charter: racks must be retained until the vessel is secured to the dock or removed from the water, all paying passengers have disembarked, and all fillets have been offloaded.

Slot Limit

Recreationally harvested striped bass must be between 28" and less than 31" when measuring with the tail fin pinched close.

Illustration of a striped bass on a measuring ruler showing the legal slot size between 28 and 31 inches, with red indicating illegal sizes.
Striped bass must measure between 28" and 31" to be legally harvested in Rhode Island. Use a ruler to ensure your catch falls within the slot limit.
Striped Bass Citizen Science Project flyer encouraging anglers to sign up, collect data while fishing, explore results, and win prizes by submitting reports.
Join the Striped Bass Citizen Science Project to help researchers understand post-release survival.