Hooked on Block Island bass

 Capt. John Sheriff with a 43 pound striped bass caught off Block Island with an eel.
 

 George Poveromo with a striped bass he caught live lining an Atlantic menhaden when shooting one of his NBC Sports Network programs. His New England seminar is January 16 in Bridgeport, CT.

Eugene Barry from Stamford, CT with a fine brace of cod fish he caught last Wednesday, November 25th aboard the Gail Frances.

Hooked on Block Island bass

“You need to find the striped bass and repeat the pattern going over the same area.  Too many anglers set up on a drift and go forever.  Short drift just where the fish are.” said Capt. John Sheriff.  Sheriff was guest speaker at a fishing Block Island for striped bass seminar held Monday by the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association at the West Valley Inn.

Captain Sheriff’s Fishing Charters specializes in taking anglers to the striped bass and shared preferred striped bass locations, tackle and tactics to catch striped bass around Block Island.

“We fish all around the Island.  The North Rip has not been as productive the past two years but we jig at the Rip when the bass are thick.  We fish Clayhead, the Old Harbor area and the fertile fishing grounds on the southeast and south side of the island on the depth breaks and edges close to shore (often fishing in 15 to 30 feet of water). These are all great Block Island fishing spots in addition to the Southeast Ledge.  We find the heavy structure just inside the three mile limit to be great.  There’s also the Peanut and Fingers.” Two favorite structure areas closer to shore on the southeast side of the Island.

Capt. Sheriff uses a number of different tactics including jigging with wire and squid lures, trolling umbrella rigs and with tube in worm on a select basis, however, some of his favorite tactics includes fishing with light tackle using live eels and casting to bass on the surface often with Deadly Dick lures. 

“We use light tackle rods and reels.  I like Quantum reels and use 50 to 65 pound braid line with monofilament leaders when night fishing and fluorocarbon leaders during the day.” said Capt. Sheriff.

When asked about this year’s new striped bass regulation of one fish per angler at 28” minimum size.  Capt. Sheriff said, “It did not impact my business this year as it was often difficult to get two bass anyway.  The fish were just not there like they have been in the past.  Striped bass are beautiful fish, we have a great fishery.  We need to protect them.  After that first striped bass I caught in the Hudson River years ago, I was hooked for good.”

Visit Capt. Sheriff’s website at www.fishingchartersri.com.

Learn how to fish from the pros

The Salt Water Sportsman National Seminar Series will be held in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Saturday, January 16, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Klein Memorial Auditorium, 910 Fairfield Avenue, Bridgeport, CT.

George Poveromo, host of George Poveromo’ s World of Saltwater Fishing on the NBC Sports Network, and contributing editor for Salt Water Sportsman magazine, will headline the program. This year Rhode Island’s very own Capt. Jack Sprengel of East Coast Charters will join Poveromo on stage as a regional expert captain.

Capt. Sprengel often targets such offshore species as wahoo, mahi mahi, tuna and sharks of all types.   He is also a light tackle fishing expert bringing his customers to inshore striped bass in Narragansett Bay in the spring and off Block Island in the summer. 

Poveromo and Sprengel will be joined by nine other national and local fishing experts who will talk about such topics as live-baiting for trophy striped bass and how to target summer flounder to bucktailing for black sea bass and how to find and fish near shore and offshore surface temperature breaks.

Visit www.nationalseminarseries.com for a complete list of speakers and topics and to register for the seminar or call (800) 448-7360.

Where’s the bite

Tautog fishing continues to be good.  Capt. Thom “ThomCat” Pelletier of Quaker Lane Outfitters, North Kingstown said, “Customers are still doing well with tautog off Newport catching a few cod mixed in too.  I head an angler landed a 12 pound cod earlier in the week.” Phil Matteson of Breachway Bait & Tackle, Charlestown said, “Anglers are doing well with tautog all along the coast fishing wrecks and reefs close to shore in 30 to 50 feet of water.  Anglers with boats haven’t had to go far off shore for tautog yet.” “Tautog fishing is still very, very good but the larger fish seem to have moved to deeper water now in the 50 to 80 feet range.  I had customers limiting out easily this weekend.  Areas that are doing well include the edges of Whale Rock and the Pinnacle, Washing Ledge as well as Breton Reef.” said Matt Conti of Snug Harbor Marina, South Kingstown.  Capt. Frank Blount of the Frances Fleet said, “The tog fishing last week his past week was outstanding until late in the week. Prior to Friday all trips were either limited out or very close to it.”  Rough seas late last week seem to have dirtied the water a bit for tautog fishing.  I fished this weekend off Newport with angler Doug Nisbet of North Kingstown and did not do nearly as well as past visits, a lot of short fish, with a very gentle bite.

Squid fishing has remained fairly strong. Capt. Tom Pelletier of Quaker Lane Outfitters said, “We have been selling an awful lot of squid rigs as the bite is very good at Newport and Jamestown.”

“Striped bass fishing is good when the seas are calm enough to fish.  During the day shore anglers have been picking up school bass in the 20 to 30 inch range from the beaches and off the rocks using Kastmaster lures, sallow diving swimming lures, and surface poppers.  At night guys are picking up fish in the 20 to 30 pound range using eels.  I still think we are going to have a good run or two of big fish before it is over.” said Phil Matteson of Breachway Bait & Tackle.  “Most of last week we had fish breaking 100 yards off shore at Charlestown Beach.  I saw it twice when walking the dog and then a customer said they saw the same thing later in the week.  There are garnets diving and herring in the water.  I think the warm water, still 58 to 60 degrees, is holding the fish here.” said Matt Conti of Snug Harbor.

“Cod/black see bass fishing has been good with customers catching fish in the 20 to 26 inch range close to shore and in the Bay.” said Matteson of Breachway Bait & Tackle. “Cod fishing at the East Fishing Grounds and the southwest corner of Cox’s Ledge is good.  Anglers are catching black sea bass too, however, somedays the dog fish are there which is hampering fishing.” said Conti of Snug Harbor.  Capt. Frank Blount of the Frances Fleet said, “The local cod and sea bass fishing was very strong last week. More and more cod are showing up and the boat has either been at or very close to its black sea bass limit most days with sizes to 5 pounds. Best cod fish of the week was taken last week was a nice green fish in the mid to upper teens, most pool winners were in the 10-12 pound range.” Capt. Rich Hittinger filed this report Monday… “Yesterday may have been my last trip of the year, but it was a good one. I went to East Ground with Mike Capparelli and George Allen onboard. It was great action on black sea bass, cod, and one tautog. We could have taken a full limit of sea bass up to 19” long, but only kept a total of 12 along with 12 keeper cod and one large tautog. There were many small cod that were released including some of the reddest color 12” to 18” cod that I have ever seen. The choggies were very active, but none of those gray guys.”

Black sea bass stock status and regulations in question

 Catch big fish:  Anglers learned how to catch large striped bass with live eels (shown in photo), lures, while trolling and much more at the George Poveromo Saltwater Sportsman National Seminar held Saturday.  Approximately 700 anglers attended.  

First Aid for anglers:  Gary Johnson (with appreciation plaque), a 26 year veteran with the Coventry Fire Department, presented “First Aid for Fishermen” at a Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association meeting last week. 

Black sea bass stock status and regulations in question

The stock status and 2013 quota for black sea bass, a species often targeted by local anglers, is in question.  The quota may be reduced as much as 39% to 46%.  It is likely that regulations for both commercial and recreational fishing will change imposing new and more severe catch restrictions for 2013.  These restrictions may include limiting the number of fish that can be taken, the length of the fishing season and/or the minimum length of fish allowed to be taken.

In 2012 the RI recreational black sea bass season ran from June 15 to December 31 with a minimum size of 13” and a catch limit of fifteen fish.

Anglers say we have plenty of black sea bass.  In fact, more and larger black sea bass have been caught in the past couple of years.  And, some science seems to support this.  The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) sets coastwide quotas for the species.  The ASMFC stock peer review set the rebuilding goal at 27.6 million pounds of spawning stock biomass and the current spawning stock size is at or above the biomass goal.  However, limited information on black sea bass was integrated into a mathematical model called a statistical catch at length model (SCALE).  Despite the applied modeling approach, black sea bass is still considered a “data poor” stock said Jamie McNamee, marine biologist in Marine Fisheries for the RI Department of Environmental Management’s (DEM) Fish & Wildlife Division.

Last week at an advisory panel meeting for the Rhode Island Marine Fisheries Council (RIMFC) McNamee said, “There are still gaps in critical life history information for black sea bass and the current sampling gear may not be optimal to assess the population.”  Presenting on black sea bass recreational performance McNamee said, “The crux of the problem is and remained an exceptionally small quota for what appears to be a healthy stock, which was in place in 2012.”

Recreational black sea bass landings and targets were analyzed on a coastwide basis until 2011.  Landings were in check until 2009, when the harvest target was exceeded by 104%.  In 2010 we experienced a 70% overage with led to the ASMFC allowing states to manage targets and landings. 

In 2012 harvest targets are projected to be exceeded by well over 100% (data still being analyzed).  So, this year the ASMFC is working on Addendum XXIII which will come forward to establish harvest targets for 2013 which are expected to translate into more restrictive recreational (and commercial) fishing regulations. 

The good news is that the ASMFC realizes that the health of the stock and target catch limits are not in sync.

At a special Science and Statics (SCS) committee meeting on January 23^rd, the constant catch reference period was raised, increasing harvest targets for both commercial and recreational fisheries and likely avoiding a complete fishery shut down for 2014.  Some other good news is that black sea bass in about to have an ASMFC “operational assessment” in 2013. This assessment is expected to enhance analysis which is expected to put harvest targets more in line with the health of the fishery that everyone seems to be experiencing.  But for 2013, more rigid regulations are coming.

Black sea bass facts

Black sea bass (BSB) is a delicate, sweet-tasting saltwater fish. The firm, white flesh of this species is a favorite of many.  They have the ability to adjust their color to blend in with the bottom in colors ranging from grey, brown and black to a deep indigo hue.  They spend most of their time around the bottom and can be found near rocky areas, jetties, rips and, like a lot of bottom fish, they like structure. BSB are hermaphroditic fish… they begin life as female then turn male.  They put up a good feisty fight but do not grow to be huge fish in the Northeast.  The largest black sea bass caught was 9 pounds, 8 ounces and about 19.7” long.   Ideal water temperature for black sea bass is 59 to 64 degrees.

Other RIMFC news

Scup advisory panel (AP) met last week.  Stock is considered rebuilt and is not considered overfished and is not currently experiencing overfishing. The AP recommended a reduced minimum size from 10.5 to 10” and a possession limit of 25 (form 20) with a season from May 1 to December 31.  For party and charter boats the AP recommended a minimum size of 11”, a limit of 20 fish with a special 45 fish season running September 1 to October 31.

Summer flounder (fluke) is not overfished and the stock is considered rebuilt. Current recruitment is slightly below average (and has been in each subsequent stock assessment update). Target recreational landings for RI in 2012 were 157,855 fish; projected landings for 2012 are 103,669 fish.  This is approximately a 36.6% underage.  The AP recommended a minimum size of 18” (rather than the current 18.5”), a catch limit of eight fish and a May 1 to December 31 season.

Tautog stock is considered overfished with the regional stock assessment looking like overfishing is not occurring in 2012.  A benchmark assessment is scheduled for 2013.  DEM proposed no changes for commercial and recreational tautog for 2013.  There was an AP proposal to start the season March 1.  Minimum size still 16” with a catch limit of three fish from April 15 to May 31 and August 1 to October 19 (season closed during spawning from June 1 to July 31).  Catch limit increases to six from October 20 to December 31 with a vessel limit of ten fish in all open periods (which does not apply to party and charter boats).

RIMFC meetings

The next RIMFC meeting to discuss AP and public hearing recommendations is scheduled for March 4, 2013.  In the meantime there is an Atlantic Menhaden advisory panel meeting scheduled for February 11 and a public hearing scheduled for Tuesday, February 19 to consider management plan recommendations on striped bass, spiny dogfish, sharks and lobster management plans.  The hearing will take plans at 6:00 p.m. in the URI Bay Campus Corless Auditorium, South Ferry Road, Narragansett, RI.  Check AP and public hearing details at www.dem.ri.gov.

Saltwater Sportsman National Seminar big success

The Salt Water Sportsman National Seminar Series held Saturday was a huge success with approximately 700 people in attendance. George Poveromo, host of George Poveromo’s World of Saltwater Fishing on the NBC Sports Network, and editor-at-large for Salt Water Sportsman ran an informative and entertaining seminar. He was assisted by Tom Richardson, noted New England angler and a prominent fishing writer and editor.  Eleven captains and fishing experts were on and off the stage addressing how to catch species such as striped bass, fluke, tuna, black sea bass, tautog and more.  I had the honor of being on stage with the pros as a local captain and couldn’t have been happier talking about fishing with anglers for the entire day.

Where’s the bite

Ice fishing. Tom Mooney of Johnston said he was taking advantage of the good ice fishing weather last week. He landed some nice perch and pickerel in the 3 to 4 lbs range fishing at Indian Lake in South County.  Bill Gill on the RISAA blog this week reported that two ice fishing tournaments have been rescheduled for February 9, 2013.  They are the Between the Cracks Tournament at Crystal Lake/Sucker Pond in Maplesville, RI (call 401.651.5680 for information) and the Valley Angler Jig and Pig tournament at Candlewood Lake in New Fairfield, CT (call 303.792.8324 for information.

Cod fishing.  Andy Dangelo has been captaining the Seven B’s party boat this winter.  Andy said, “The cod bite has been excellent but with high winds and seas we haven’t been able to get out much.”  Visit www.sevenbs.com or call 401.789.9250 to check sailing schedules.  Visit www.francesfleet.com for the sailing schedule of Frances Fleet boats.

Local captains share stage at Saltwater Sportsman Seminar

Greg Myerson of Westport, CT with the world record 81.8 pound striped bass he caught this summer. Greg was a speaker at the Saltwater Sportsman National Seminar Series held this past Saturday at Mohegan Sun.

(Left to right) Rhode Island Captains Louis DeFusco and John Rainone shared the stage with Saltwater Sportsman National Seminar Series co-host Tom Richardson and host George Poveromo. George is host of the George Poveromo’s World of Saltwater Fishing television program.

Local captains share stage at 25th Anniversary Saltwater Sportsman Seminar

The 25th Anniversary Tour of Saltwater Sportsman magazine’s national seminar series got off to a great start Saturday at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, CT with approximately 900 anglers in attendance.
This was the first seminar in a series of eight that will travel the east coast. The series is hosted by George Poveromo of George Poveromo’s World of Saltwater Fishing television program and editor-at-large for Salt Water Sportsman magazine, and Tom Richardson, noted authority on fishing the coastal waters of New England and a prominent fishing writer and editor.
George and Tom shared the stage with eight local captains, two of them from Rhode Island. Captain John Rainone, past president of the Rhode Island Party & Charter Boat Association and a distinguished Point Judith, Rhode Island based charter captain from the vessel “L’il Toot”. The second Rhode Islander sharing the docket was Captain Louis DeFusco of West Warwick, RI who runs the charter vessel Hot Reels out of Point Judith (Captain DeFusco captured the Rhode Island swordfish record this summer with a 434 pound fish).
One of the highlights of the seminar was meeting and listening to Greg Myerson of Westport, Connecticut. Greg caught the 81.8 world record striped bass this summer using a three-way swivel with a large eel around a twelve foot boulder, one of his favorite big bass fishing spots. In an interview (visit www.noflukefishing.blogspot.com for the video), Greg said, “I use the largest eels I can get because the big fish are going to eat the big eels… and you have to be stealth. No noise on the boat.” Greg said, “The best time to fish for trophy bass is at slack tide. The big fish are lazy. They are not interested in chasing bait in a lot of current, but rather wait until the water is still and they can hear and feel the vibrations of lobsters. Bass are near-sighted so it’s all about listing and feeling vibration to find their prey.”
Greg continued to say, “When I was younger fishing with friends we would have bass catching contests and if there were four guys on the boat, all presenting eels to the bass in the same spot what is going to get them to take my eel versus the others. I found that trying to mimic the sound of a lobster worked well. Once attracted to the area my bait they would see the eel and take it.”
Greg said that he has invented a new fishing tackle device that attaches to your rig that is designed to mimic the sound of a lobster. He will show the device at the Springfield Sportsmen’s Show in February this year (visit Greg’s website at www.worldrecordstriper.com).
Each captain and fishing expert shared their favorite way to catch a variety of species. When asked about his favorite way to catch striped bass seminar host George Poveromo said, “I like top water lures. There is nothing like when a bass hits the plug.” (visit www.noflukefishing.blogspot.com for a video interview).
Here are some highlights of what other fishing experts had to say about tuna and striped bass fishing (fluke and tautog tips to follow in future columns).
Tuna
When fishing for tuna, watch the water for birds feeding, oil slicks from past blitzes on bait in the area, whales feeding, etc. The answer to the question “where are the fish” is usually right in front of you. You have to learn how to read the water to find them.
When on the troll floral carbon leaders “give you strength plus a thinner, less visible presentation.” said seminar host George Poveromo.
Striped bass
The very first bass usually appear in April when the water hits 50 degrees off coastal shores, Narragansett Bay experts say they find the water a bit warmer (to 54 degrees) before they see the first spring bass
Most early spring bass are caught in shallow water, three to twelve feet
Favorite ways to catch bass as related by experts included fishing with a three way swivel with eels (this method is world record holder Greg Myerson’s favorite method); top water plugs and swimming lures; a variety of soft plastic baits; and fishing with menhaden chucks or whole live fish.
A slow retrieve works best in the spring, faster retrieves when the water is warmer
Diamond jigs are often used in the spring too, three to four once jigs
Summer fishing for big bass is usually done at night, water typically 70 degrees, fish structure (reefs) in 28 to 44 feet of water starting at the high point of the reef; Captain Rick Mola of Norwalk, CT said, “One of the tactics we use in the summer is fishing with parachute jigs. I troll at 2.5 to 3 knots and tell customers to envision they are sweeping the floor.” rather than using hard jerking motions.
Captain Mola also said, “We use menhaden often in the spring, either live or in chuck form, generally in low water.” (visit www.noflukefishing.blogspot.com for a video interview with Captain Mola on fishing with menhaden).

Now is the time for your input on regulations at Fisheries Council meetings
The Rhode Island Marine Fisheries Council, their advisory panels and a major public hearing will be convening this month and next to determine what fishing regulations will be recommended for 2012. Anglers are urged to attend these meetings as this is the opportunity we have to impact fishing policy and regulation here in Rhode Island. The meeting schedule form the Department of Environmental Management Marine Fisheries website is as follows: http://www.dem.ri.gov/topics/mftopics.htm for details, meeting times and locations.
January 11, Shellfish Advisory Panel
January 17, Winter Flounder Advisor Panel
January 17, Striped Bass Advisory Panel
February 22, Public Hearing for input on policy/regulations for many species. Agenda items to include proposed changes to the Management Plans of the following:
Recreational Summer Flounder
Commercial Winter Flounder
Recreational and Commercial Tautog
Recreational Scup
Recreational Black Sea Bass
Commercial Monkfish
Commercial Cod
Commercial General Category Striped Bass
Recreational Striped Bass
Commercial Floating Fish Trap Striped Bass
Narragansett Bay Menhaden
Other agenda items include:
Proposal to amend the soft-shell clam regulations to increase the minimum legal size statewide;
Proposal to establish Conimicut Point Shellfish Management Area;
Proposal to establish a daily soft-shell clam possession limit for Conimicut Point Shellfish Management Area; and
Proposal to amend the soft-shell clam regulations for non-shellfish management areas by reducing the daily possession limit statewide

Where’s the bite
Cod fishing is improving but with the water so warm the dog fish are plentiful. Dave Garzoli reports on the RISAA blog , “ I managed five keepers and a few toss backs (Sunday on the Francis Fleet) … A guy at the pulpit who was able to toss his jig and work it into the drift did well and managed a limit. Biggest fish that I saw was pushing 15 pounds. The grounds are absolutely loaded with small dogs. Most fished jigs and still had doggie issues. The guys dunking clams caught a few cod but most were busy messing with the dog fish.” Leo Arsenault said, “I went out on Saturday on the Lady Francis and experienced the same as you, for every small cod caught seven dog fish would be caught.”

Don't miss the salt water sportsman's seminar... or cod fishing this winter

John Toppa of Newport with the 20 pound cod he caught on a Francis Fleet vessel New Year’s Day, 2011. It was the largest cod caught on the boat that day.

George Poveromo, all smiles after landing this 39-pound striped bass last week outside of Chesapeake Bay, will host the January 7, Salt Water Sportsman National Seminar Series at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut. Poveromo is also the host of the VERSUS television series - George Poveromo's World of Saltwater Fishing.

The Seven Fishes illustration (above) by Peter Nilsen was inspired by a No Fluke column on the significance of the Christmas Eve seven fishes meal. More fish and fishing cartoons by Peter are available in his book, "Fish Foolishness"

http://www.whitefishpress.com/bookdetail.asp?book=110 or email him at pdfish@fullchannel.net. This makes a great gift for fishermen or your fishing buddy.


Don’t miss the salt water sportsman’s seminar… or cod fishing this winter
OK, this column was supposed to be all about cod and cod fishing. However, I have to share with you that I spoke with one of my fishing idols this weekend, George Poveromo, and he was a true gentleman. George will be in New England next month with his salt water fishing seminar which I have attended three times and will do so again this year (tickets would make a great holiday gift for any angler). The Salt Water Sportsman’s National Seminar Series is one of the nation’s premier educational seminars on recreational marine fishing tactics. It will take place Saturday, January 7, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Mohegan Sun Casino’s Grand Ballroom (1 Mohegan Sun Blvd. Uncasville, CT). The presentation will be hosted by George Poveromo, host of George Poveromo’s World of Saltwater Fishing on VERSUS, and Editor-At-Large for Salt Water Sportsman magazine, and Tom Richardson, noted authority on fishing the coastal waters of New England and a prominent fishing writer and editor. George and Tom will share the stage with nine local charter captains and expert anglers including Captain John Rainone, past president of the Rhode Island Party & Charter Boat Association and a distinguished Point Judith, Rhode Island based charter captain of the vessel “L’il Toot”. For more information or to order tickets visit www.nationalseminarseries.com or call 1-800-448-7360.
Cod fishing is fun
The striped bass will all be gone soon… on their way south except for a few fish that decide to winter here, tautog fishing is over too… the season ended December 15 in Rhode Island. So how about targeting cod fish. I spoke with three captains that can take you to the cod. But first, here is some information about cod. Cod is an ideal species to target if fishing with children, because all they have to do is drop their line to the bottom. And, it is one of the most popular eating fish in New England. Cod are bottom fish that are basically lazy. They are not aggressively hunting, they pretty much stay on the bottom, often near structure (underwater wrecks, rock piles, holes, humps and drop offs), waiting for prey to come by. So you have to go to where the cod are to catch them. They are not likely going to come to you.
Cod rigs and bait
A hook, sinker weight that holds the bottom and sea clams are often used as bait to catch cod. Jigs of various sizes, color and weight depending on conditions are used too. Cod will generally eat anything that is in front of them, they are not picky, but you have to get their attention and jigs usually do a good job of this. A common rig used is a diamond jig with a colored teaser buck tail tied about 12 inches above the jig. Anglers often tip the jig and buck tail with live bait (a piece of sea clam). Most anglers use a traditional boat rod and reel to catch cod. A short, sturdy 30 to 40 pound test rod of five to six feet is common with a traditional real of similar weight capacity. A fifty pound test line (both braid and monofilament) are used.
Captains that can take you to the cod
Christine Blount of the Francis Fleet from Point Judith, RI, said Saturday, “We have had a couple of great seasons the past couple of years and this year promises to be good too. I know Captain Cory Blount called in today and said they were hitting a lot of sea bass too.” When Captain Cory returned he called and said, “Once the water cools and the black sea bass leave so will the dogfish and the cod fishing will improve. A real good sign this year is that anglers have been catching keeper cod close to shore.” The Francis Fleet runs cod fishing trips from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sundays. The cod fishing trip rate is $85 per person until 12.31.11. Rates after January 1 are to be determined. Visit www.francesfleet.com or call 1.800.662.2824.
Captain Charlie Donilon of Snappa Charters, Point Judith, Rhode Island has been getting some great fishing in on Snappa. This past week Adam Durant wrote, “We had the pleasure of heading out with Capt. Charlie Donilon on Tuesday. The weather was perfect, calm sea, light breeze & mostly sunny. Started on the East Grounds and landed six keeper cod with a least three times as many shorts. Another five black sea bass and a couple good scup. All caught on crabs & clam, jigs accounted for two cod. Best part was ZERO doggies!! … All in all a great day of fishing with an outstanding Captain. Charlie runs a very clean comfortable boat and this trip will no doubt become an annual outing. “
Saturday afternoon Captain Donilon said, “We will keep fishing throughout December as long as the weather holds and people are interested in fishing. We are going out this week and hope to the week after Christmas too.” Captain Donilon said, “The cod fishing has been OK, a lot of fish that are just short by a half inch or an inch. Now that the tautog season is over we will likely fish Cox’s Ledge. Up until this point we have been fishing at the East Fishing grounds. Visit Snappa Charters at www.snappacharters.com or call Captain Charlie Donilon at 401.487.9044.
Captain Russ Benn’s Seven B’s vessel is a party boat with a capacity of 120 people and is also out of Point Judith, Rhode Island. The boat has a gallery but you can also bring your lunch. Cod fishing trips started December 17 from 6:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The rate is $85/adult. They sail Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Captain Russ Benn is an outstanding captain, I fished on his vessel this summer during a West Bay Anglers/Seven B’s Take a Kid Fishing trip and he and his crew did an outstanding job of putting the kids (and adults) over fish. Visit www.sevenbs.com or call 1.800.371.FISH for reservations.