Capt. BJ Silvia with an 11.5 pound tautog caught Sunday.
New
regulations for striped bass and black sea bass
On Tuesday the Rhode Island Department of
Environmental Management (DEM) enacted a new regulation to help prevent the illegal
harvest and sale of Atlantic striped bass. The new rule requires
recreational anglers to clip the right pectoral fin of striped bass 34 inches
or larger at the time of harvest.
The new regulation was adopted with
considerable public input to help prevent “stockpiling” – which occurs when
fish are harvested on a day closed to commercial fishing and then offered for
sale on an open day; they also address fish being illegally transported and sold
in neighboring states.
“Our local harvest supports the health of our
families, economy and way of life. And protecting the viability of our
stock and ensuring fish are legally harvested and sold are responsibilities we
take very seriously. These new regulations are critical to supporting the
continued vibrancy of the striped bass fishery, and I thank the Rhode Island
Marine Fisheries Council for its leadership in engaging the public around this
important topic and working to protect our state’s marine resources.” said
DEM Director Janet Coit.
Black sea bass
Many recreational anglers are not happy with black
sea bass total allowable catch limits, however, many are praising what will likely
be the new recreational regulation here in RI this year. The minimum size will now be 15” with a three
fish/person/day limit between June 15 and August 31, and a seven fish/person/day
catch limit between September 1 and December 31.
Both the Rhode Island Party & Charter
Boat Association and the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association agreed on this
option at the last public hearing and it was recommended by the RI Marine Fisheries
Council at their last meeting.
“I knew if I let up the fish would be gone”
“This bass hit when I had about 75%
of my cast retrieved. I waited a bit
before setting the hook as I have been setting it too early. I waited until I felt the weight, the rod
bend and then set the hook. I just kept
the pressure on the fish because I knew that if I let up the fish would be
gone. It took about two minutes to land.” said Brandon Migliore of Sterling, CT
(formerly of Coventry) about the record 11.2 pound largemouth bass he caught
this weekend at Johnson’s Pond, Rhode Island.
Migliore said, “My fishing partner
and friend Mathew Sheldon and I have been fishing this area for over fifteen
years in hunt for a record breaking largemouth… week after week, month after
month, year after year. It’s hard to
believe we did it. I give a lot of
credit to Mathew; he is a great fisherman and has taught me a lot. Just minutes before I landed this fish, Mathew
caught an eight pound largemouth. And,
when my fish came close to shore the rod was bend in half, Mathew was on his
toes and rushed to lip the fish.”
Brandon was using 30 pound braid
line and a St. Croix fishing rod. Dave Mooney of Sandy Bottom Bait &
Tackle, Coventry where Migliore weighed in his fish said Sunday, “The fish just
left here. We had kept it alive for a
while in our tank and then it just rolled on its side and gave up. Brandon was using a Magnum Jitterbug top
water lure he bought here.”
The 11.2 pound largemouth bass will
be a new state record if the catch is certified and approved by the Department
of Environmental Management (DEM). The
10.6 pound largemouth bass holding the record was caught in 1991 at Carbuncle
Pond.
On a national level, NOAA’s Fisheries has been
increasing efforts to better support saltwater recreational fishing and
recreational fisheries issues. In 2015, NOAA Fisheries published a National Saltwater Recreational Fisheries Policy
and a National Saltwater Recreational Fisheries Implementation
Plan. The policy highlighted six key principles intended to
guide NOAA in considering the development and promotion of sustainable high
quality saltwater recreational fisheries. Each region now has an
implementation plan (visit www.fisheries.noaa.gov for a link to the
Greater Atlantic Regional Implementation Plan as well as national and other
regional plans).
The recreational fisheries that NOAA manages
include cod, haddock, many flounders, Atlantic bluefish, black sea bass, scup,
striped bass, tautog, and weakfish. They also are responsible for the
management of other recreationally caught and/or forage species such as
Atlantic herring, Atlantic mackerel, squid, and butterfish. These species
provide an important food source for recreationally sought-after fishes such as
striped bass, tuna, and sharks.
For more information, contact
Moira Kelly, Greater Atlantic Regional Coordinator for recreational fisheries,
at 978-281-9218 or email her at moira.kelly@noaa.gov.
Where’s the bite
“Striped bass are everywhere.
Customers are catching school size bass in Warren, Providence, Barrington
and Jamestown, all over the Bay. The
largest fish so far has been 32.” said Manny Macedo of Lucky Bait & Tackle,
Warren. Maridee Bait & Canvas of Narragansett
reports that all the action this week has been at the West Wall (South
Kingstown) for school striped bass and they have started to catch a few
keepers. Noted local shore angler Steve McKenna said, “The striped bass bite is
very, very good. I have been fishing in Narragansett and there are a lot of
school bass around. This is
encouraging.” John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait & Tackle, Riverside, said,
“We weighed in a 32”, 34” and a 37” striped bass this weekend. All were caught at Sabin Point, East
Providence with anglers using menhaden chunks or clam worms. Customer Albert Bettencourt said he has been
catching 20 to 27 inch fish at the Squantum Club, East Providence and all
around the upper portion of the Bay.” Elisa
Cahill of Snug Harbor Marina, South Kingstown said, “The school bass are
getting larger, almost keeper size (28”), and they are everywhere Matunuck, the
Charlestown Breachway, the West Wall… everywhere.”
Freshwater fishing this week was topped-off with Brandon Migliore’s
record 11.2 pound largemouth bass caught at Johnson’s Pond. Manny Macedo of
Lucky Bait said, “The trout bite has been very, very good with night crawlers
now the bait of choice. Anglers are catching
fish at Melville Pond and Olney Pond, Lincoln Woods.” “Freshwater anglers are
targeting bass and trout. I have sold about
20 dozen shiners toady and it’s only 10:30 a.m.” said John Littlefield of
Archie’s Bait & Tackle.
Tautog fishing is just starting to heat up with anglers catching
shorts with some keepers mixed in. No
major reports of people limiting out with their three fish, however, keeper
fish are being caught. Many Macedo of
Lucky Bait said, “It’s rocks and docks for tautog and customers are catching
them at the Stone Bridge, Tiverton and Ohio Ledge in the East Passage of the
Bay. Anglers are using worms, Asian and
green crabs with some old timers using quahogs with success.” Elisa Cahill of Snug Harbor Marina said, “The
commercial rod and reel fishermen are limiting out on tautog (ten fish) fishing
in shallow water along the southern coastal shore using green crabs.” Capt. BJ
Silvia of Flippin’ Out Charters landed an 11.5 pound tautog Sunday and said, “I
let her go so you can catch her when she is 15 pounds.” “It’s hit or miss with
tautog. One day the bite was good at Conimicut Light and the next the bite was
off. They were catching a lot of small
fish at the Wharf Tavern, Warren but they were at 6 to 8 inches.” said Littlefield
of Archie’s Bait.
Cod fishing was
off this week compared to others. Capt.
Frank Blount of the Frances Fleet, Narragansett said, “Cod fish were moving around an awful lot and they are
scattered into smaller groups now that spawning is over. Each trip this week
produced some fish but there was no sustained bite. Still it has been several
years since we consistently caught cod fish all through the month of April. There were a handful of the cod that came
over the rails that tipped the scales in the mid to upper teens this week.”
No comments:
Post a Comment