Bluefish do get some respect

Winners of the Lions Club Visually Impaired Persons (VIP) Fishing Tournament were (left to right) Janice Musco (first place), Lincoln, RI; Norman Boyce, Bristol, RI (second place); and Gerardo Cerino (third place), Providence, RI.

Peter Sousa of Warwick, RI with a fluke he caught on No Fluke Charters off Point Judith this weekend in 55 feet of water using a conventional squid rig tipped with squid, fluke belly and a freshwater minnow.

Captain Rich Hittinger out of Point Judith, RI with a black sea bass he caught this past Sunday off of Point Judith Light in Narragansett, RI.

Bluefish do get some respect
The bluefish column last week got quite a few responses. There are bluefish fans out there. Select comments appear below, bluefish recipes to follow next week (please share your favorite recipes). One request from Chris Del Sesto of Cranston was actually a question… “Where do they serve bluefish?” So if you know what restaurants in RI or MA serve bluefish, let me know and I will pass the information along.

“We read your column today -- excellent. I used to order bluefish at Legal Seafood in Warwick, but they took it off the menu. Do you know of any RI or Mass. restaurants that serve bluefish?”
Chris Del Sesto and Donna Lee, Cranston, RI.

“Dear Dave. Glad to see you’re giving bluefish their due. I am eighty three and have been fishing for them since I was a kid in Jamestown. I agree with you completely concerning both their fighting ability and their culinary desirability. My fishing buddy these days is my 14 year old grandson and he would rather catch blues than anything else he has tangled with so far in his young life including plenty of Penobscot River smallmouth. I have two excellent books on bluefish; I am sure you are familiar with John Hersey's "Blues", I also have "The Bluefish Cookbook' by Greta Jacobs and Jane Alexander which my wife picked years ago when we were on a visit to either Nantucket or Martha's Vineyard. I don't know if either are still in print.
Tom Lyons, Portsmouth. RI

P.S. My favorite lures are; for surface fish, the Heddon Super Spook Jr, I remove the treble hooks and replace them with a single circle hook. Although I prefer all white I am not sure color makes a whole lot of difference. For sub-surface fish I prefer the 1/2 oz Acme Need- L-Eel. Unfortunately these are no longer made but I was able to stockpile several before they disappeared.”

Fish for striped bass during bluefish feeding frenzies

Don Smith, RI striped bass fishing expert, shared a tip for catching big striped bass during bluefish feeding frenzies on the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association (RISAA) blog. Don said, “Eels work anywhere providing you get them into the strike zone, and of course past the bluefish. Over the years of fishing with eels we (Don means he and Peter Vican, his fishing partner who holds the RI striped bass record at 77.4 pounds) have found that the big, lazy stripers will travel up the water column about 15' to get them anytime. They will rarely go further than that. That is why in my seminars I have always referred to keeping the eel in the strike zone… Very often in back of a school of marauding bluefish will be a school of striped bass picking up the pieces left by the blues. They are usually about 200 yards. downstream of the bluefish. So my advice is when you run into a school of bluefish move down current and see if there are stripers following them.”

4th Annual VIP Fishing Tournament for the blind and visually impaired

The Rhode Island Lions Sight Foundation’ 4th Annual VIP Fishing Tournament for the blind and visually impaired was held Sunday, June 26, 2011 aboard “The Lady Frances” party fishing boat in Galilee, RI where the participants were competing for several trophies.
The fishing tournament was followed by a buffet lunch at George’s of Galilee Restaurant in Galilee where the participants enjoyed lunch and the winners’ trophies were distributed.
First Place was taken by Janice Musco of Lincoln with a total of 76" of fish, thanks to a very unusual catch of a 30' Bluefish.

Second Place was taken by Norman Boyce of Bristol with a total of 75" of fish all Fluke.

Third Place was taken by Gerardo Cerino of Providence with a total of 68.5" of fish all Skate.
The Rhode Island Lions Sight Foundation would like to send the top three winners of the tournament to compete in the National VIP Tournament on the Outer Banks of North Carolina in October, as they have the last three years, if the funds can be raised to allow it. If you would like to make a donation to help fund this event or would like information on the RILSF VIP Fishing Tournament please visit our websites at www.lions4sight.org and www.ncvipfishing.org .

Where’s the bite
Striped bass fishing continues to be good at Block Island at the North Rip and on the Southwest Ledge. Fish being taken on tube and worm, umbrella rigs, eels and jigs. This past Sunday activity in both places was good early in the morning but by 10:00 a.m. activity slowed dramatically. Some striped bass activity in Narragansett Bay this week. Joe Petuli reports on the RISAA blog he took, “Five bass to 36" on the east channel edge off Barrington beach last week (fish were taken during the) last hour of the incoming tide. (fish were caught using) Rubber shad frames off downriggers. Only one fish was short.” The Francis Fleet reports an excellent striped bass bite on its night trips.
Fluke (summer flounder) fishing remains strong. Captain Rich Hittinger reports a reduced fluke bite off Point Judith, however there are still fish there Rich reports. Peter Sousa of Warwick caught keeper fluke Sunday while fishing off Point Judith in 55 feet of water using a conventional squid rig tipped with squid, fluke belly and a freshwater minor while aboard No Fluke Charters. Ken Landry of Ray’s Bait & Tackle, Warwick, reports landing several fluke at the mouth of the Sakonnet River Sunday. The largest fish taken on his boat was ten pounds. The Seven B’s reports a good fluke bite last week with sea bass mixed in. The largest fish for the week was 8.5 pounds. Some customers reached their seven fish fluke limit.
Black sea bass bite is good. Anglers catching keepers mixed in with shorts while fluke fishing. Captain Rich Hittinger said he caught some nice keepers off Point Judith this past Sunday.
Bluefish bite off shore around Block Island has been good, often creating problems for striped bass anglers. Anglers continue to find bluefish in the West passage of the Bay between Hope Island and Greenwich Bay.

Fish need oxyen too

Chris Deacutis, PhD and chief scientist for the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program with a Seabird oxygen-temperature-salinity sampler. Chris has been working on the issue of excess nutrients (nitrogen) and low oxygen in the upper half of Narragansett Bay for ten years.

Bob Anderson of East Providence and his son-in-law Ben Vosper of Tucson, AZ with the keeper fluke they caught while fishing under the Newport Bridge.

Jeremy (left) and Paul Stedman (right) of Worcester County with the bluefish they caught after fluke fishing near the Newport Bridge last week.

Fish need oxygen too

“I need to breath. Quick... find me some oxygen” said the Greenwich Bay summer flounder to the striped bass. “Hurry… follow me to the deep hole off Warwick Neck where there’s plenty of oxygen to breathe” said the bass. Fish may not communicate like this but they certainly position themselves in places where there is food and oxygen.
Chris Deacutis, PhD and chief scientist for the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program (NBEP) at the URI Bay Campus has been working on the issue of excess nutrients (nitrogen) and the low oxygen issue in the upper half of Narragansett Bay for over ten years. Chris said, “Years ago the Providence River, the Seekonk River and the Bay were in bad shape. (History relates) the rivers were filled with dead animals, industrial waste and other pollutants. It smelled so bad people would faint from the smell.”
Today things are better but Bay advocates are still combating nutrients in the Bay that create algae blooms (which actually create oxygen). But as algae decays it uses oxygen and reduces the oxygen level in the water, often times well below the levels that fish need. This low oxygen level has occurred in Greenwich Bay in the summer as well as in other parts of the Bay.
With a prevailing southwest summer wind in Narragansett Bay, Greenwich Bay (particularly East Greenwich Cove), does not get flushed and low oxygen levels are more prominent there according to the NBEP which measures oxygen levels in the Bay. In fact, “The famous menhaden fish kill of August 2003 was clearly caused by a sever hypoxia (actually anoxic – no oxygen) events that centered on western Greenwich Bay”, said Chris Deacutis.
The NBEP eliminated the East Passage, the Mt. Hope Bay and the lower Bay from measurement because oxygen levels in these areas are good. The channel in the east passage acts as a conduit for flushing and mixing. Oxygen levels in deep water off Warwick Neck mix well too due to the water passing from the east to the west passage and back. Water at Quonset Point and south have good oxygen levels too.
The NBEP blog states that “Marine animals breathe oxygen too and when oxygen levels drop below 3mg/L there is not enough oxygen to go around. Creatures that live on the bottom of the bay such as oysters, littlenecks, and marine worms are at a greater risk during hypoxic events because they cannot move to a different area. Schooling fish such as menhaden are also affected by hypoxia because they are often chased into coves by predators such as striped bass and the school will use up the oxygen faster than it can be produced by photosynthesis or mixed into the water at the surface from the air.”
Dr. Deacutis said, “Early on, sewerage treatment plants did a good job of taking solids out of the waste but nutrients have just started to be addressed in the Bay by treatment plants in the past five years." Plants that have been treating for nutrients include Warwick, Cranston, East Greenwich and the Narraganesett Bay Commission. The Field’s Point plant plans to start treating nutrients in 2013 said Deacutis.
What does this mean for fish and anglers in the Bay
So I asked Dr. Deacutis what low oxygen levels and poor mixing means for recreational and commercial fishing in the Bay. Fisherman should advocate for and support programs that aim to clean water and lower nutrient levels. Anglers should also support efforts to plant sea grass as the grass acts as a haven for small marine creatures and bait that large fish feed on.
Oxygen levels in upper, mid and low water levels seem to explain a few things about fishing in the Bay. Fishing at Warwick Neck has been always been good; this could be due to the water moving, tossing around bait as well as the oxygen levels mixing well throughout the water column including the bottom of the water column where large fluke have been taken in recent years. Fishing in the East passage is also good… due to bait fish and menhaden runs up the East Passage to the Providence River in the spring, but one has to wonder if the flushing and mixing that provides better oxygen supply and mixing in the water column is also contributing to better fishing.
Greenwich Bay fishing is good in the spring with great school striped bass fishing and blue fishing throughout the summer months. Fishing here slows down in the summer but bluefish tend to feed at the top of the water column and are not as affected as much by low oxygen levels. For more information visit the NBEP website at www.nbep.org and an associated blog at http://nbep.wordpress.com/ . Brown University hosts the dissolved oxygen (DO) website (called Insomniacs) which has oxygen level maps of various Bay areas. For this website visit http://www.geo.brown.edu/georesearch/insomniacs/index.html .

RISAA members receive “Making a difference” award
Two local sport fishing advocates, Stephen Medeiros, president and executive director of the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association (RISAA) and RISAA member Capt. Alan Anderson were among the five winners of Sport Fishing Magazine's "Making A Difference Awards." The winners were announced on Wednesday. The awards are given to "individuals who have made a positive difference in saltwater recreational fishing."

NOAA announces new aquaculture program
NOAA announced the Aquaculture Technology Transfer Initiative last week which will foster public-private partnerships on regional projects that showcase innovative sustainable practices, jump start private sector investments, and create employment opportunities in coastal communities.
NOAA Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco said, “Aquaculture is a critical component to meeting increasing global demand for seafood… this initiative provides an opportunity….”

Where’s the bite
Bluefin tuna fishing is good. Jay Fissette of Coventry said, “We were on our way home, just south of the Fairway buoy when one of our lines went off and we boated our first bluefin of the season.” Many captains say bluefin have been more plentiful in the past five years. Last week, NPR reported scientists now believe bluefin are spawning somewhere other than the Gulf of Mexico. The fish move quickly, a fish tagged on the east coast of the US traveled to Europe in just 53 days.
Last week NOAA announced the United States joined more than 50 countries in a recommendation to regional fishery management organizations (Ramos) to better track vessels engaged in illegal, unreported and unregulated (YOU) fishing for tuna and other highly migratory species.
Striped bass fishing is good off Block Island and coastal southern shores. Bay fishing has slowed dramatically. Last week Governor Chaffee signed a striped bass bill calling for stiffer penalties on those taking striped bass illegally. RISAA successful advocated for the bill.
Fluke fishing is very good with anglers catching keeper fluke around Newport and Jamestown south of the bridges. Bob Anderson and his son-in-law Ben Vosper caught keeper fluke just south of the Newport Bridge alongside Rose Island last Thursday aboard No Fluke Charters. Anglers filing fishing reports on the RISAA blog report a good fluke bite with shorts mixed in. Francis Fleet vessels and the Seven B’s party boats report a good fluke bite last week. Fish in the seven to eight pound range were caught Saturday on the Seven B’s with the largest fish weighing nine pounds.
Bluefish are plentiful off coastal waters and in lower Narragansett Bay. Jeremy Anderson and his dad Bob caught bluefish just over eight pounds near the Newport Bridge after fluke fishing. Good sized blue fish were caught Friday by Darrell Hattern of North Kingstown and Mike Swain of Coventry while fishing with live menhaden at Bear Point, Prudence Island. Mike Swain said, “We would snag a menhaden and before we could work it to the boat the bluefish would bite it in half.”

Block Island Stiped Bass Fishing

September 27, 2010

Tony Henriques of North Kingstown, Rhode Island caught this 40 lb striped bass fishing with eels while with Captain Sheriff Charters off Block Island.

Wind this weekend put a hold on fishing for many anglers and a hold on striper fishing for charter boats too. However, earlier in the week the fishing was great, particularly on Block Island where the fishing has been outstanding all season long. Big striped bass are hitting hard this fall on the Southwest side of the Island. Sea bass, giant scup and now the fall tautog season will be heating up too. Every indication by rod and reel anglers and divers targeting tautog is that the tautog season will be good this year too.

Block Island is a treasure for Rhode Island anglers and those visiting the Island to fish. You can always find fish around the Island. Charter captains and recreational anglers have related great striped bass experiences on Block Island all summer long.

I spoke with Don Smith, an avid angler and active member of the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association about Block Island striper fishing. Don said he and his fishing partner Peter Vican have fished Block Island almost every weekend during the season. “We talk regularly to Capt. Matt King of Hula Charters, Block Island….he gives us information about the fishing that comes from his own experience and what he gets from the divers (the divers are a great source of information about the location and size of bass) and other Captains on the Island.”

Angler Smith continued to say, “Between Peter and I we have over 100 years fishing experience and we just kind of know from past experience where to go for the particular weather-tide conditions for any given night. I find that you can fish the Block somewhere in almost any type of wind or tide – you just have to know where to go. You might not be in a spot where the big cows feed but you can always find some bass to fish for. If the bass fishing is bad there’s other species like fluke, bonito, giant scup, trigger fish, etc. to catch. And, the fish follow the bait so there’s always the occasional surprise when you find big fish feeding in an area they usually don’t frequent and you get to catch them all night long with no one else around.”

This year around Block Island the striped bass have switched up their feeding habits compared to other years. Smith related, “It used to be that they (the bass) would hold up on structure at night and you could find them waiting for bait to feed on. This season we have found them to be schooling up and chasing bait at night, not staying on structure. It has made the night fishing much more difficult and not as productive as it has been in previous seasons. The early morning fishing (at daylight) has actually been better than night fishing for the past four or five weeks.”

Fisheries Council meeting
The Rhode Island Marine Fisheries Council (RIMFC) will meet October 4, 2010, 6:00 p.m. at the URI Narragansett Bay Campus, Corless Auditorium, South Ferry Road, Narragansett, RI. Agenda items will include reports from the shellfish, the summer flounder, and the scup/black sea bass Advisory Panels. A variety of new business items to be discussed as well. Anglers are encouraged to attend.

Release those big striped bass
Angler Pete Nilsen of Barrington wrote me and asked, “… why are we killing all those large fish? Those big female cows are breeders… it bothers me considering the way the striper stocks are going… why don’t you promote catch and release in your column.” I agree with Peter we should not take the breeders, I advocate for not taking them with anglers fishing on my boat (as other Captains do too). We take a quick photo and then release the fish, after the first photo the fish seldom leaves the water, the hook is removed while it is at the side of the boat and then the fish is released. You can read about catch and release tactics in future columns or on my No Fluke web site (www.noflukefishing.com) and blog were past column appear.


Where’s the bite

Tautog fishing this weekend was good even though the wind made it very difficult to fish. Many reports of anglers reaching their limit. The average seems to be three out to ten fish are keeper size. Reports of fish being taken off Beavertail, Jamestown; Coddington Cover, Middletown; Hope Island, between Jamestown and Prudence Islands; Plum Lighthouse next to the Jamestown Bridge; and a host of other locations. The fish seem to be working their way up the Bay (let’s hope so).

Black sea bass fishing is still good. Fish being caught off Newport (Brenton Reef and Seal Ledge) as well as off Point Judith Light.

Striped bass fishing in the Bay picked up this week. Fish being taken off Barrington Beach on the channel pad in deep water said angler Joe Petuli. Fish also caught, around Half-Way Rock between Jamestown and Portsmouth, and around Hope Island. John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait & Tackle, Riverside reports that a customer caught a 30 lb. striped bass at Sabin Point, Providence this week using menhaden chunks. John Wunner of John’s Bait & Tackle, North Kingstown said a 35 lb. bass was taken at Sally Rock early in the week and that the striped bass bite continued to be good at Narrow River for both school bass and larger fish. The striped bass fishing around Block Island remains outstanding with reports of fish over 40 lbs. being taken off the Southwest corner of the Island. Fish are being caught using eels, parachute jigs, umbrella rigs and tub & worm. Earl

Blue fishing in the Bay, off coastal beaches and at Block Island is good. Large blue fish continue to move into the bay with large fish being caught round Hope Island, in front of Barrington Beach on the channel pad, off Poppasquash Point, Bristol and other places throughout the Bay. Although blue fish supply was better it still is not outstanding in the Bay.

Scup. The Rhode Island recreational season for scup ended Sunday, September 26, licensed charter boats are allowed to catch scup until October 11.

Captain Dave Monti has been fishing and shell fishing on Narragansett Bay for over 40 years. He holds a captain’s master license and a charter fishing license. Your fishing photos in JPEG from, stories, comments and questions are welcome… there’s more than one way to catch a fish. Visit Captain Dave’s No Fluke website at www.noflukefishing.com or e-mail him at dmontifish@verizon.net .