Mobile technology a big trend at the boat show

 Peter Van Lancker, president of Hunt Yachts, Portsmouth collects the Best New Power Boat award at the Newport International Boat Show from Sally Helme of Cruising/ Sailing World magazines (left) and Nancy Pifard of the Newport Exhibition Group. 

 The Hunt 32 cc won Best New Power Boat at the Newport International Boat Show.

Eric Teronzak from Glocester with a striped bass caught on Stuff-It Charters with Capt. Joe Pagano.

Mobile technology a big trend at the boat show

Want to check your boat’s fuel level from the office?  How about making sure the bilge pumps are working or if the vessel is secure?

You can do it all with your cellphone from the office, the car or your living room couch.  The trend of mobile communications we have experienced on land with homes and automobiles has worked its way to the boating industry and will soon be more commonplace on vessels of all types.  This was one of many trends highlighted at an industry panel discussion Friday morning at the Newport International Boat Show.

In addition to advances in boating technology, there were hundreds of boats (many being introduced for the first time) and thousands of products to help boaters (and fishermen) enhance and care for their vessels.  And this weekend the City of Newport was ready. 

“Newport welcomes you.  We are ready for you.  It has been a great year for Newport. We have had wonderful people here starting with the Volvo sailing event.  We are proud to host the boat show and look forward to seeing you next year.” said Mayor Jeanne Napolitano at the “Best of Show” awards breakfast held Friday morning.

Here’s what I liked at the show

Hunt Yachts. Peter Van Lancker, president of Hunt Yachts, Portsmouth, RI gave me a tour of their new 32’center console which had just received the Best New Power Boat show award.  Van Lancker said, “The boat is made for both fishing and family cruising.  It has a unique entry to the left of the helm that allows passengers easy access below even while underway and the captain is at the helm.” The Hunt 32 center console features accent lighting all around, comfortable seating for eight at the bow for family and friends.  And for fishing, it has outriggers, several insulated storage/fish boxes that drain overboard, and optional bait well locations.  It has a sink and grill option on deck and a head with shower, sink and bunk below. And, it can rip through chop at 45 mph to get you to your favorite fishing grounds quickly.  Find out more at www.hunt32cc.com.

Bee’s Knees Zipper Wax tops.  I know because I used it on my boat canvas zippers this weekend. Linda Mendonca, company founder said, “I captained an old boat and took all the canvas off for cleaning.  Well it took me an hour to put one canvass back on as the zippers wouldn’t budge.  That’s how I invented Bee’s Knees Zipper Wax. The wax is a natural lubricant that can be used for all zippers and snaps, to lubricate wooden draws, hatches and it is 100% natural and won’t harm boat surfaces including Isinglass.”  You can purchase the product online at ww.beeskneeszipperwax.com. 

.

Big Fish Paddleboards are stand up inflatable paddleboards.  They offer a 10’2” board, the Bluefish, which sells on line for $1,095,  it is 32” wide and 6” thick and can handle paddlers up to 250 pounds.  A larger board model, the Kingfish, is an 11’ board that is 32” wide, and 6” thick.  The Kingfish can handle the largest of paddlers or multiple paddlers.  Both boards are sold as packages and come complete with 21.8 psi pump, a 3 piece paddle, and two removable center fins, a knapsack, and repair kit. Company president Richard Allen said, “Big Fish boards are rigid, stable and very durable.  The beauty of these boards is that they are extremely portable.  It all fits into a supplied knapsack and it takes about 250 pumps on the supplied pump to fill the board.”  At press time Big Fish had a $400 Newport Show discount available online.  Visit www.bigfishboards.com.

Monomoy First Light is a new wooden 26” center console power boat designed for family fun and fishing.  Owner Mike Pease of Pease Boat Works said, “My brother and I built them with classic lines reminiscent of oldc bass boats.  They feature lapstreak sides and a fiberglass hull for durability and ease of maintenance.”  The vessel is powered by a 140 HP, four stroke outboard engine housed in an engine box at the stern.  Overall the boat has many hand crafted features.  Boats can be customized with bronze hardware, prices range from $125,000 to $185,000.  Visit www.peaseboatworks.com .

Tautog fishing seminar with Capt. Donilon

Learn tautog fishing tips and techniques from one of the area’s most respected charter captains, Charlie Donilon of Snappa Charters.  Capt. Donilon will be the guest speaker at the Monday, September 28, 7:00 p.m. Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association (RISAA) seminar talking about the many aspects of successful tautog fishing including tackle, baits, fishing area and more. Non-members are welcome and are requested to make a $10 donation to the RISAA scholarship fund, RISAA member attend free.  A RISAA quarterly meeting will follow the presentation. For details visit www.risaa.org.

Where’s the bite

Black sea bass fishing is very hot.  With the increased limit to 7 fish/person/day, anglers are often catching their limit.  Roger Simpson of the Frances Fleet reports black sea bass to over five pounds this week as boats made their last fluke trips.  We fished off Newport Seal Ledge, Elbow Ledge, as well as at the mouth of Newport Harbor along Rose Island this week and anglers aboard had little trouble reaching their limit or coming close to it with some very nice sea bass.  Ken Ferrara of Ray’s Bait & Tackle, Warwick said, “Customers are catching see bass in the lower Bay and out in front with Seal Ledge.” Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle, Providence said, “A customer caught a 24 inch and 18 inch black sea bass from shore in Newport this weekend.”

 Brothers Joe and Charlie Prisco of Warwick with black sea bass they caught off Newport Saturday.

Donna Duffy (wife of angler Jim Duffy) with a false albacore caught offshore this weekend.

Cod fishing is good.  Capt. Frank Blount of the Frances Fleet said, “We boated nearly 200 keeper cod Saturday, on our first 2015 cod trips.  Fresh shucked clams worked well with jigs working too. Hi hooks were 7 to 9 keepers with most anglers taking home three or four fish each.”

Bonito and false albacore.  The false albacore bite remains very strong with anglers boating fish all along the coastal shore and offshore too.  Angler Jack Leyden of North Kingstown hooked up with his second false albacore Saturday at 10 a.m. north of Pt. Judith in front of Narragansett. Jack said, “We saw them break the surface and were on them.”  Narrow River, Salt Pond and other outflows have been good places to pick up the trail of false albacore.  Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle said, “The bonito bite has softened but false albacore is still very good.” Dave said, “Here’s is a tip for anglers targeting false albacore.  Stay in the area where the fish are rather than chasing their every move.  If you should have down time jig the lure you are using off the bottom and you’ll be surprised. You’ll catch black seabass, scup, even fluke while you are waiting for the false albacore to return.”  Alex Petti of Fin & Feather Outfitters, North Kingstown said, “Anglers are catching false albacore from the Charlestown Breachway to Pt. Judith.  There is more bait in the water than I’ve seen in 15 years this is a good sign for a strong fall fishing season.”

“Squid are in at Newport with anglers fishing the causeway with success.” said Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle.  When I fished off Newport this weekend the black sea bass were spitting up squid (rather than lobster or crabs) so according the black sea bass the squid are most definitely in.

Skipjack bluefish (baby blues) are everywhere.” said Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle. 

“Skipjacks are in coves, salt ponds and just about any harbor in Rhode Island.”  John Littlefield of Archie's Bait & Tackle, Riverside, said, “I must have sold eight dozen snapper poppers for skipjacks this weekend.  I hadn’t sold many but things exploded this weekend.”

Fresh water fishing for largemouth bass is good but trout fishing is slow as water levels in area rivers, ponds and lakes has been low.  Alex Petti of Fin & Feathers said, “Water levels in the Wood River have been low.  The hope is that once we get a little rain the trout fishing will pick up.”

Striped bass fishing is still good with more fish now being taken along coastal shores.  Capt. Joe Pagano has been fishing along the shore with his boat in the surf (as usual) using eels and Atlantic menhaden and is doing pretty good.  Shore angler Rick Boyd from Narragansett Surf Caster did some bottom fishing with me this week and said, “It has been a pretty good year for us from the beach, anglers are catching striped bass, blue fish and the false albacore are now all over the place.”