Take-a-Kid Fishing big success

 Take-a-Kid fishing big success: Taina and Zhiayre, both of Providence, RI with a blue fish they caught while fishing with Peter Sousa (left) of Warwick and Capt. Dave Monti during Saturday’s Take-a-Kid fishing day sponsored by the RI Saltwater Anglers Association. This year 215 children participated.

Huge bass from lower Bay: Greg Vespe of Tiverton, RI landed this 40 pound bass just before midnight using an eel.

Take-a-Kid Fishing big success

The annual Take-a-Kid Fishing event sponsored by the Rhode Island Saltwater Angler’s Association (RISAA) was a big success this Saturday with eighty boats and 250 volunteers working the event. Steve Medeiros, RISAA president said, “This has been another great year with 215 children participating from youth groups and organizations throughout the State. We thank our sponsors and Brewer’s Greenwich Bay Marina for hosting us again this year. If it wasn’t for them we wouldn’t be able to hold the event.”  This year, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse volunteered as a mate aboard RISAA vice president Rich Hittinger’s boat.  Senator Whitehouse said, “This is a great event.  They (RISAA) do a wonderful job with it each year.  It’s a great organization.”

Atlantic Menhaden commercial bait fishery opens

The Division of Fish & Wildlife of DEM opened the commercial bait fishery for Menhaden in Narragansett Bay Menhaden Management Areas on Monday, June 17.  DEM does weekly aerial monitoring of the fishery, it closes and opens commercial Menhaden fishing based on these weekly stock assessments.

RIPCBA tournament in full swing

The Rhode Island Party & Charter Boat Association (RIPCBA) fishing tournament is in full swing and runs from May 1 to December 31, 2013.  The Tournament is open to all patrons fishing aboard RIPCBA vessels.  The purpose is to recognize the largest fish of each species caught during the fishing season.  Over thirteen species including black sea bass, striped bass, fluke, tautog, etc. are included in the tournament with minimum sizes noted on entry forms. Entry forms are at official Tournament weigh-in stations including Galilee Bait & Tackle, Narragansett; Ray's Bait & Tackle, Warwick; Erickson's Bait & Tackle, Warwick; Snug Harbor Marina, Wakefield; Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle, North Kingstown; Block Island Fish Works, Block Island, Captain's Tackle, Narragansett; and Watch Hill Outfitters, Westerly. Completed forms must be given by the captain to a tournament committee member…  Ken Court, Norm Bardell or Paul Johnson.

DEM to hold “Women’s Day at the Range”

The Department of Environmental Management’s Division of Fish & Wildlife will offer the second annual “Women’s Day at the Range” on Saturday, June 22 at the Great Swamp Shooting Range in West Kingston.  The free event is designed to introduce women to the world of shooting sports. 

DEM Director Janet Coit said, “This fun-filled and educational program promises to be a great way for participants to enjoy the outdoors with family and friends and hone their skills on the target range.” Director Coit noted that last year’s event was extremely popular, with 162 participants of all age and skill levels taking part. 

The Great Swamp Shooting Range is located at 277 Great Neck Road in West Kingston.  Participants can shoot any time between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.  A rain date has been set for Sunday, June 23. For more information, call DEM’s hunter education office at 539-0019.

Where’s the bite

Striped bass fishing continued to improve this week.  Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle, Providence, said, “The bass have left the Seekonk River and are in the upper Providence River with anglers catching fish on menhaden either chucked or live lining them. Fishing has been good at India Point Park, Save the Bay and in the Gaspee Point area.”  John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait & Tackle, East Providence, said, “Customers are catching nice bass all over the East Bay with one customer catching seven nice fish in the 20 pound range at Poppasquash Point, Bristol this past weekend.”  Phil Matteson of Breachway Bait & Tackle, Charlestown said, “Bass are being caught at the Breachway with large fish being landed at night with eels, Slug-gos and Bomber plugs.  Fish in the 20 pound range are fairly consistent.”  Ken Landry of Ray’s Bait & Tackle, Warwick said, “Striped bass fishing from Prudence Island to Conimicut Point is good with anglers using pogies chunked or whole… and tube and worm is working really well too.”

Fluke (summer flounder) fishing is good in the Bay. Ken Landry of Ray’s Bait & Tackle said fluking has been good at Warwick Neck to Conimicut Point with a few anglers working the channel pads in the East Passage with success.”  Fishing along the southern coastal shore has been excellent too with anglers catching their limit (eight fish, eighteen inches or longer).  “Fish are in 30 to 50 feet of water depending on location from Scarborough Beach to Westerly.” said Phil Matteson of Breachway Bait & Tackle. Fluke fishing around the Newport and Jamestown bridges has been a bit slower, however, with fishing so good in the Bay and along southern coastal shores not as many anglers have been targeting these areas.

Bluefish appeared more often this week with fish being caught mixed in with striped bass in the Bay and offshore. Reports of some schools of small fish in the three to four pound range have been spotted along the southern coastal shore.  Small (and some large) fish have been caught in Greenwich Bay; however, this Saturday they were in short supply during the Take-a-Kid fishing event sponsored by the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association.  The eighty or so boats (and over two hundred children) that participated were landing two to three fish whereas in the past they were more plentiful.