DEM stocks 80,000 trout for Opening Day

Opening Day at Silver Spring Pond, South County provides a carnival like atmosphere with overnight camping, early morning breakfasts and fishing at 6:00 a.m.

Brandon Hagopian of Cranston with a nine plus pound bass he caught last week in the Pawtuxet River using a topwater lure.

DEM stocks 80,000 trout for Opening Day

The Department of Environmental Management’s (DEM) is ready for Opening Day this Saturday, April 9.  DEM has stocked over a hundred local ponds, lakes and waterways with 80,000 trout.  Bait and tackle stores are ready too and have stocked up with gear, baits of all types and fishing lures designed to put trout in you bucket.

Opening Day fishing is a tradition passed on from fathers and mothers to sons and daughters. Anglers from seven to seventy years old fish opening day of trout season because it signifies the start of the fishing season and our reconnection with nature in the spring. It also allows friends and family members to talk, get to know each other better and bond as they creative opening day fishing memories that will last a life time.

Janet Coit, DEM director said “Opening Day is a time when families come together at their favorite fishing hole to share the thrill of reeling in a trout and to recharge and connect with nature.  Freshwater fishing is an important part of our culture and economy in Rhode Island, and we’re proud to support it through our stocking program.” 

Hatchery-raised brook, brown, and rainbow trout with an average individual weight of about one and a half pounds have been stocked by Fish and Wildlife Division staff in ponds and streams for opening day.  Gail Mastrati, a DEM spokesperson said “We have a complete list of ponds that have been stocked for opening day on our website at www.dem.ri.gov.”  Several of these ponds and waterways will be stocked a second and third time during the season.

There is no minimum size for trout and the creel or bag limit is five fish from April 9 to November 30, and two fish from December 1 to February 29.  There is no closed season for largemouth and smallmouth bass in Rhode Island, 12” minimum size for both with a bag limit of five fish/angler/day. Northern pike minimum size is 24”, no closed season with a two fish/angler/day limit.  And, chain pickerel has no closed season, minimum size is 14” with a five fish/day/angler limit.

Some of the more popular ponds DEM plans to stock prior to Opening Day include:   Barber Pond, South Kingstown;  Carbuncle Pond, Coventry; Chickasheen Brook, South Kingstown; Frenchtown Park Pond, East Greenwich; Hunt River, East Greenwich and No. Kingstown; Meshanticut Brook, Cranston; Moosup River, Coventry; Pawcatuck River in several towns; Silver Spring Lake, North Kingstown; Tiogue Lake, Coventry; Eight Rod Farm Pond, Tiverton; and Saint Mary’s Pond, Portsmouth.  Other popular trout ponds include Willett Pond, East Providence and Simmons Mill Pond in Little Compton.

Ponds open for only children 14 years of age and younger for the first two days of the season (April 9^th and 10^th) include:  Cass Pond, Woonsocket; Frosty Hollow Pond, Exeter; Geneva Brook & Pond, North Providence; Lapham Pond, Burrillville; Lloyd Kenney Pond, Hopkinton; Ponderosa Park Pond, Little Compton; Seidel’s Pond, Cranston; Silvy’s Pond, Cumberland; and Slater Park Pond, Pawtucket.

Where to get a fresh water license and trout stamp

 A 2016 fishing license is required for anglers 15 years of age and older wishing to catch fish. A Trout Conservation Stamp is also required of anyone wishing to keep or possess a trout or to fish in a catch-and-release or 'fly-fishing only' area.  Fishing licenses and the Trout Conservation Stamp ($5.50) can be obtained at any city or town clerk's office or authorized agent such as bait and tackle shops, Wal-Mart and Benny’s.  A current list of license vendors is available on the DEM website.  Licenses may also be purchased on line or obtained at DEM’s Boat Registration and Licensing Office located at 235 Promenade Street in Providence.

License fees remain at $18 for Rhode Island residents and current members of the Armed Forces,  $35 for non-residents, and $16 for a tourist three-consecutive-day license.  Anglers over 65 must have a license, which for them is free, but do not need a trout stamp.

Where’s the bite

Freshwater.  All attention this week is focused on Opening Day this Saturday, April 9, 6:00 a.m.  Visit www.dem.ri.com for information on licensees, trout stamps and the ponds, lakes and waterways that have been stocked with brook, brown and rainbow trout.  However, with warming water anglers have also been landing some very nice largemouth bass.  Brandon Hagopian of Cranston said, “I caught my largest largemouth bass ever last week in the Pawtucket River. It was over nine pounds. I use noisy topwater lures over shallow coves with a lot of vegetation as this will be the warmest areas of a river or lake. If you are not picking up weeds, even with topwater lures, you could be in the wrong spot.”

Winter flounder season runs from March 1 to December 31.  However, anglers are reminded that it is illegal to catch winter flounder in Narragansett Bay. Winter flounder regulations state, “The harvesting or possession of winter flounder is PROHIBITED in Narragansett Bay north of the Colregs Line of Demarcation as well as in Potter and Point Judith Ponds.”  So the east to west Colregs Line at the mouth of the Narragansett Bay is drawn from Brenton Point in Newport, through Beavertail Light to Boston Neck in Narragansett. Anything north of this line cannot be fished for winter flounder. ” John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait & Tackle, Riverside said, “An easy way to tell the difference between winter flounder and summer flounder (fluke) is that winter flounder has a black back and a small mouth, summer flounder are lighter in color (shades of brown) and have a larger mouth with visible teeth.”  The minimum size for winter flounder is 12” with a two fish/angler/day limit in legal waters.

Cod fishing has been was off the charts good last week.  I spoke with both Capt. Frank Blount of the Francis Fleet and Capt. Andy Dangelo of the Seven B’s party boats this weekend and both said the cod were stacked up thick with customers often reaching their limit of ten fish per angler.  Capt. Blount said, “Cod fish have been stacked up 15 to 30 feet thick at times under the boat. Both bait and jigs have been working equally well. The bite has been best earlier in the day.”

Paul Eaton of Providence proudly holds up the trout that he and his friends caught thirty minutes after the 6:00 a.m. start of opening day. The fish were caught on Silver Spring Lake in North Kingstown.

A carnival like atmosphere prevailed at Silver Spring Lake in North Kingstown this Saturday prior to opening day for trout season. There were tents, tables of food, grills and plenty of boats and anglers fishing on the lake.

Thank you and congratulations to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) and their Fish and Wildlife Division. They managed to pull off a very successful opening day for the freshwater trout season this past Saturday despite all the flooding.

When I last spoke with Gail Mastrati, DEM communications officer, she was working hard to effectively communicate flood activities to the public… shellfish closures and openings, ground water contamination warnings, trout hatchery damage, flooding rivers with fast moving water… all needed to be addressed by DEM and communicated to the public for safety reasons.
Early last week Mastrati related that DEM was moving forward with opening day on Saturday, April 10 with adjustments to allowable fishing areas and a revised trout stocking plan that put fish in lakes and ponds that have safe water levels and good access.

Some lakes and ponds received extra trout for opening day including Barber Pond in South Kingstown and Sliver Spring Lake in North Kingstown. Several fishing areas that were not stocked due to high water and damage to roads and other access included Ashaway ,Pawtuxet, Pawcatuck, Flat and Falls Rivers and Parris Brook. These areas will be stocked later this spring when water recedes and access improves.

Last week Steven Hall, chief of DEM’s Division of Law Enforcement said, “With all the recent rain we’ve had, Rhode Island’s rivers and streams remain at high levels, with quick water action,” Hall continued, “People should make an extra effort to take personal safety precautions… “.

A carnival-like atmosphere was in play at Silver Spring Lake, North Kingstown, when I visited at 6:00 a.m. on opening day. Many anglers had spent the night lake-side to be able to fish at first morning light when the season opened at 6:00 a.m. There were tents, campers, tables of food with breakfast and barbecue grills. Everyone fishing had big smiles … the fish were biting. The fishing action was good at other stocked ponds and lakes too in Lincoln, Cranston and South and North Kingstown.

Rich Browning, a DEM Environmental Police Officer said he and eight colleagues had been working all night covering the lakes, ponds and rivers in Washington County. Officer Browning said, “Our Fish and Wildlife department did an outstanding job… ponds and lakes are stocked and people are catching fish. Considering all the flooding, cold weather and evening rain this is a great turnout compareable with other good years.”

Paul Eaton of Providence and his friends were very happy too. I met them at 6:30 a.m. and the trio had already bagged seven fish, after just 30 minutes of fishing. Paul said, “The fishing has been good, take a look at these.” He was holding up seven fish.

At 5:00 a.m. on Saturday I visited a few bait and tackle shops. Neil Hayes of North Kingstown from Quaker Lane Outfitters said that business had been very good. Popular baits included meal worms, trout worms and Power Baits. Dan Ross of Warwick had been working all night at John’s Bait & Tackle in North Kingstown. Dan said that business had been very good and with warmer weather he and the staff predicted a good weekend and week. Craig Castro form Erickson’s Bait & Tackle said that twelve people had come in during the night but he expected things to pick up.

Where’s the bite
Cod fishing is still mixed. Captain Charlie Donilon of the charter boat “Snappa” said cod fishing off Block Island on his boat has been mixed this past week. “The fish were on and off”, said Captain Donilon. The Francis Fleet is making Cod fishing trips at 5:00 a.m. Captain Steve Sheriff of Fish On Charters said that the Cod fish bite was good five miles off Block Island last week.

Striped bass are here. Steve McKenna of Cranston said, “I caught the first fresh run of school bass of the year this week at the West Wall in Matunuck, RI. The fish were caught on Cocohoe Minnows on ½ oz. jig heads. The 2010 bass season has begun!!!” Other reports of bass being caught on the Pawcatuck and Narrow Rivers with some fish being pretty good size. While testing my new engine, I saw a good size bass feeding on the surface in front of the Old Buttonwoods section of Warwick. Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle, Providence, reports school bass being caught in the Providence, Seekonk and Narrow Rivers.

Tautog season is scheduled to start April 15 unless we hear otherwise form DEM. A limit of two fish per angler per day is expected for the spring season.
Fresh water fishing. See above article. Also trout fishermen at the John L. Curran fishing area were besieged by horned pout as they drifted mealworms and caught 17 of them. The runoff and turbine water have the horned pout on a feeding frenzy said Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle.

Opening day in on at press time; how will floods impact fresh and saltwater fishing?

Members of Trout Unlimited help float stock trout on the Wood River. Volunteers float down the River in canoes and small boats and drop a net full of trout every 50 yards from Rt. 165 to Barberville Dam. Water levels must be manageable to float stock because it is dangerous to maneuver vessels in the swift moving water. This year’s effort is scheduled to start at 8:00 a.m. on April 22. Volunteers are welcome.

Most anglers are wondering what impact the flooding will have on fresh and saltwater fishing both short and long term. The beginning of spawning season for many species and opening day for trout season is scheduled for this Saturday, April 10 at 6:00 a.m. and according to DEM it will go on with some adjustments and precautions in place.
I checked in with a few local fishing and environmental experts about high water and flooding and its impact on fishing and here’s what they had to say.
Gail Mastrati, assistant to the director/public information for the Department of Environmental Management (DEM) said (at press time) that, “Trout opening day will take place Saturday, April 10 but with some possible adjustments.” She said that the Carolina Hatchery suffered some fish loss and that anglers should check DEM’s web site prior to opening day for current information. New information would appear on their home page in new release form at www.dem.ri.gov . Visit the Fish and Wildlife page for specifics originally announced a couple of weeks ago.
Captain George Cioe, Narragansett charter captain. “… newly stocked ponds might have trout swept away. And saltwater eggs may have been swept away from the shallows where the water has gotten warm enough for an egg hatch… worm hatch for example”.
Dave Henault, Ocean State Bait &Tackle, Providence. “I suspect rivers may be high enough that DEM may not stock many of them for opening day in an effort to conserve the trout and as a matter of public safety fishing in some rivers many be discouraged or prohibited.”
Angler Peter Nilsen, Trout Unlimited, Barrington. “How it impacts opening day depends on the streams the State stocked before the rain … if already stocked we will now be fishing for “sea-run trout”. I think they may get to stock ponds and lakes but the rivers might be another thing.” In regard to positive effects Peter said, “This year peanut bunker, juvenile bunker, herring and alewives will have no trouble climbing fish ladders compared to low water levels we experienced for the past three years… this will hopefully enhance stripers and blue fishing in the upper Bay.”
Save the Bay. In a statement released last week by John Martin, director of marketing and communications of Save the Bay, “In summary, the short-term impacts to water quality are serious, but we do not expect any long-term impacts on Bay life or water quality... people should avoid contact with contaminated water…. We do not expect to see fish kills. Most Bay animals and plants are well-adapted to spring floods and wide variations in salinity (the Bay is very fresh now)…we expect that the bacteria counts to go down and the water will clear up within two to three weeks unless we have more major rain.”
Captain Rick Bellavance, president of the Rhode Island Party & Charter Boat Association. “…most adult resources are very resilient and would have shifted to more desirable places as the conditions worsened… shellfish are impacted by pollution because they cannot move… time will tell how this storm will affect the 2010 season.”
The Environmental Protection Agency cautions fishermen to limit contact with flood water due to elevated levels of contamination associated with raw sewage (particularly with the failure of Warwick and Cranston sewerage treatment plants) and other hazardous substances. This means all contact so avoid even spray and splashing, where protective gear… gloves, glasses, etc.
Richard Hittinger, member of the RI Fisheries Council and RI Saltwater Anglers Association (RISAA) board member. “RISAA is concerned that fresh water and contamination … is going to throw off spring striper fishing in the Bay... herring are already coming into area rivers and the bass are right behind…this changes the herring runs and can adversely impact early striper fishing.”
Captain Rob Roach of Kettlebottom Outfitters, Jamestown. “I am not a biologist but I would assume the effects of the flood would be short term. There are a lot of flounder, both summer and winter entering the Bay to spawn but they usually do not make it that far up the bay until May or June.”
Steve McKenna, Quaker Lane Outfitters, North Kingstown and saltwater shore angler. “I don’t think it has any lasting impact on either (salt or freshwater fishing). More short term on freshwater. Nothing on salt.”
US Coast Guard issued a safety advisory last week for all boaters and paddlers on lakes, ponds and rivers as well as coastal waters. Floods create stronger than usual currents, eddies and rips. Additionally, fallen trees and debris create hazards below the water that could lead to uncorrectable consequences for unsuspecting paddlers and small boats. The water is fast, frigid and unforgiving this time of year. So the Coast Guard advises waiting until things calm down (which I hope will be the case when this column publishes) before venturing out. Check with local authorities, DEM and or the Coast Guard on conditions before launching your vessel.

Where’s the bite
Flounder. Captain Robb Roach of Jamestown related that lobstermen report good numbers of 10 to 12 incude winter flounder in their traps when moving pots. Robb’s lobstermen friends said that there is a lot of life around including a good number of conch.
Cod fish bite still good but spotty during last week’s storms.
Freshwater fishing. On April 22 Trout Unlimited will float stock 600 to 800 trout on the Wood River. This is contingent on the water receding and will be the second stocking, if DEM successfully stocks the first group in time for opening day said Peter Nilsen of Trout Unlimited. Volunteers are welcome and should meet at the "Check-in-Station" on Rt. 165 on the Wood River at 8:00 p.m. Coffee and donuts available.