Hurricane Jose is predicted to have the greatest impact on the Cape and islands but some Block Island anglers see it as an opportunity for surfcasting, a special kind of fall fishing.
When pressure systems cause ocean waves to swell, they often draw ocean fish to the shore, creating the opportunity for surfcasting. Christopher Willi owns a tackle shop on Block Island. He said fish like striped bass are easy to catch when storms like Jose make their way to the region.
“Block Island has– particularly in the fall– has a lot of surfcasters that come out and fish the fall,” Willi said. “There’s a lot of false albacore around, which also has a lot of people coming around.”
According to Willi, his shop expects a lot of surfcasters to come to the shop through Columbus Day.
But Willi said even surfcasters exercise caution ahead of strong winds and high waves. He said most will probably opt for the leeward side of Block Island, which is protected from the biggest surf brought about by Jose.
As soon as he closes his shop for the day, Willi said that’s where he’ll be heading.
