Click on one of your friendly S-B sponsor’s pages....
http://surfcasting-rhodeisland.com/
There are lots of tips, books, etc...
As far as beaches go I would recommend Matunuck and Second Beach in Newport right about now – but the fish are in solid in a couple of hundred places.
Joe
I'm not much of a chunker either....the site is geared towards eel/plug fishermen.