Freshwater fishing hot thanks to DEM, 2013 saltwater regulations

Birthday trout: Kyra Anderson of North Kingstown turned seven on opening day.  She caught this rainbow trout while fishing with family and friends at Silver Spring Lake, North Kingstown, RI.

 Family affair: Michaela Dora (right) landed this trout at Willet Avenue Pond, East Providence, RI while fishing with her dad Michael Dora (left).  Three generations of the Dora family fished on opening day.

Fishing opening day still fun:  John Bergantini (91 years old) of Narragansett, RI has fished opening day for 70 years.

Freshwater fishing hot thanks to DEM

Opening day this past Saturday didn’t let anyone down.  I traveled to ponds in South County and to the East Bay and although the morning was cold the excitement was contagious. Excitement from the likes of Kyra Anderson… seven years old on opening day… who was the only one in her group that caught a fish and just as she was saying “It’s my birthday!” she reeled her second rainbow trout at Silver Spring Lake, North Kingstown, RI. John Bergantini, ninety-one years old, from Narragansett, RI was proud to share, “I’ve been fishing opening day for seventy years.”   It was exciting for Michaela Doro of East Providence too.  Just as she said, “I am doing pretty good.” her father Michael picked up her rod and she reeled in another trout at Willet Avenue Pond in Riverside.  Three Doro family generations fished opening day Saturday.

The Department of Environmental Management (DEM) estimated that about 20,000 anglers fished opening day which is the official opening of trout season and the official opening day of the freshwater season.  At 6:25 a.m. when I caught up with Sergeant Frances Ethier, of DEM’s Environmental Police she said, “Everything is going well today.  Even though the weather is cool anglers have turned out to fish.” John Wunner of John’s Bait & Tackle, North Kingstown said, “I lot of customers were catching fish, I think they (DEM) did a much better job stocking our ponds and lakes.”

DEM’s Fish & Wildlife Division said approximately 80,000 hatchery- raised brook, brown, and rainbow trout with an average individual weight of one and a half pounds were stocked in more than 100 ponds and streams for opening day (visit www.dem.ri.gov for a complete listing and for license). 

Business was brisk opening day week for Lorraine Danti, owner, and Manny Macedo, manager, of Lucky Bait & Tackle in Warren, RI.  They sold more freshwater licenses than ever before.  Macedo said, “The number of both fresh and saltwater licenses has been rising since Lorraine took over the shop in 2007.  We believe we are gaining market share too.”  Lucky Bait & Tackle is one of the more sophisticated bait and tackle shops I have visited.   Their entire inventory is bar-coded.  They have a wide selection of fresh/saltwater fishing gear, tackle and bait as well as all types of recreational clam and quahog equipment.  They even carry Asian crabs (as well as green crabs) for tautog anglers.

Tautog season opens

The spring tautog season runs from April 15 to May 31 with a 16” minimum size and a three fish bag limit.  It is closed June 1 to July 31 during the spawning season and reopens August.  Tautog anglers often use soft baits in the spring such as grass shrimp and clam works but green crabs and Asian crabs work well too. 

RISAA seminar Monday, April 29

The Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association (RISAA) will hold a seminar Monday, April 29, 7:00 p.m., at the West Valley Inn, West Warwick on weather for boaters and fishermen with meteorologist Fred Campagna. Mr. Campagna is former chief meteorologist at WLNE-TV ABC6 in Providence and currently owns his own weather service, Right Weather, which offers in-depth weather coverage on a website and through multiple wireless media outlets.  Also at the seminar, RISAA members Roger and Sue Lema will speak on fishing for striped bass during the annual worm hatches in South County.  Capt. Dave Porreca will also speak about fishing the cider worm hatches… with fly fishing gear.  He is owner of River & Riptide Anglers, a fishing guide business.  Non-members are requested to make a $10 donation to the RISAA scholarship fund, members attend free.  The event will be preceded by dinner paid separately and served by the West Valley Inn starting at 5:30 p.m.

URI Boat Donation and sales program open house

The URI Foundation boat donation and sales program will hold an open house Saturday, April 20, 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the URI Bay Campus, South Ferry Road, Narragansett, RI. Visit the open house and see the great boat inventory and values they have. For more information visit their website at www.urifoundation.org or contact Teri Woodbine, Boat Program coordinator at 401.874.5273.

Final 2013 saltwater fishing regulations

DEM posted final 2013 saltwater fishing regulations last week with some liberalization to scup and fluke regulations but more restrictive regulations on black sea bass as Rhode Island has to take a 32% reduction in total catch.  Here are regulation highlights, for a complete listing visit DEM’s web site at www.dem.ri.gov.

Black sea bass: 13” minimum size, June 15-Aug. 31, 3 fish/person/day; Sept. 1 – Dec. 31, 4 fish/person/day.

Bluefish: no minimum size, no closed season, 15 fish/person/day.

Cod: 22” minimum size, no closed season, 10 fish/person/day.

Summer flounder (fluke): 18” minimum size, May 1-Dec. 31, 8 fish/person/day.

Scup (shore and private), 10” minimum size, May 1- Dec. 31, 30 fish/person/day; Special area provisions (this is new)… while fishing from shore at India Point Part, Providence, Conimicut Park, Warwick or at Stone Bridge, Tiverton, anglers may possess up to 30 scup 9 inches or greater in length from May 1 to Dec. 31; Scup (party and charter boasts), 10” minimum size, May 1 –Aug. 31, 30 fish/person/day, Sept. 1-Oct. 31 45 fish/person/day and Nov. 1-Dec. 31, 30 fish/person/day.

Striped bass: 28” minimum size, no closed season, 2 fish/person/day.

Tautog: 16” minimum, April 15-May 31, 3 fish/person/day; June 1 –July 31, CLOSED;  August 1 –Oct. 19, 3 fish/person/day and Oct. 20-Dec. 15 6 fish/person/day (maximum of 10 fish/vessel during all periods)… Tautog (party and charter), same spring seasons and closed periods as recreational plus Aug. 1-Oct. 14, 3 fish/person/day and Oct. 15-Dec,. 15 6 fish/person/day (no vessel maximum).

Weakfish (squeteague), 16” minimum size, no closed season 1 fish/person/day.

Where’s the bite

Fresh water fishing got off to a great start this week.  John Wunner of John’s Bait & Tackle, North Kingstown said “A customer weighed in a 2 pound 15 once rainbow trout caught at Hunts River in North Kingstown.”  Manny Macedo of Lucky bait, Warren, RI said, “We sold more fresh water licenses and trout stamps that ever before.”  Thirty minutes into opening day , Rocco Dangelo of South Kingstown had caught two trout already. Visit www.dem.ri.gov for a listing of ponds and lakes that have been stocked.  Trout fishing is expected to remain good.

Striped bass fishing has started with anglers landing school striped bass at the West Wall of the Harbor or Refuge, Galilee.  Craig Castro of Erickson Brothers Bait & Tackle, Warwick said, “Some bass have been caught in Greenwich Bay at the end of last week.” 

Tautog season started Monday, April 15.  Bait shops throughout the area have fresh green crabs, clam worms and some are now stocking Asian crabs… all good tautog baits for spring .