Fishing advisory panels meet on management plans

Angler Brian Beltrami with the 8.95 lbs. tautog he caught Saturday in Narragansett Bay using green crabs.  At the time of the weigh-in at Quaker Lane Outfitters, North Kingstown, the fish was in 1^st place in the RISAA tautog fishing tournament.  

Fishing advisory panels meet on management plans

The Rhode Island Marine Fisheries Council (RIMFC) held commercial fluke (summer flounder), scup/black sea bass and herring advisory panel meetings on October 2 in preparation for a Thursday, November 8, 2012 public hearing.  The purpose of the advisory panels is to provide industry (fishermen) and the general public with the opportunity to offer input and proposals to be considered at public hearing. 

Advisory panels reviewed Department of Environmental Management (DEM) presentations on stock assessment, historical fishing activity and allocations. The November 8^th public hearing on proposed management plan changes is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. at the University of Rhode Island, Graduate School of Oceanography, Corless Auditorium, South Ferry Road, Narragansett, RI.  Commercial and recreational fishermen are urged to attend and provide input on proposals.

Fluke (summer flounder) advisory panel meeting highlights

Summer flounder stock is not overfished and overfishing is not occurring, the fishery is considered rebuilt.

RI quota for 2013 will likely be 1.796 million pounds, a decrease of approximately 11% from 2012 quota.

Proposals reviewed 

A status quo proposal (same quotas/regulations as last year).

The Marine Fisheries Division made a proposal to shorten the summer season to May 1 through September 15, but keeping the quota percentage the same for this period at 35%.  The proposed change would allow inshore commercial fishermen the opportunity to take advantage of the stock when it was close to shore.

A change in starting possession limits were also proposed (see recommendations at www.dem.ri.gov ).

Additionally, the fluke advisory panel approved moving a RI fluke sector fishing plan forward to public hearing.  The proposal would allow the program to run for one year under the 2011 proposal plan and agreement guidelines giving DEM time to consider departmental policy on alternate fisheries management approaches. 

Meeting participants applauded the sector’s track record for reducing discards at historically low levels and the program’s financial benefit to even non program members.  Non sector fishermen received the benefit of higher market prices in part due to a consistent supply of fish to the market, spreading available fish over a longer time period when they are not ordinarily available.

Scup advisory panel meeting highlights

Biological reference points indicate that the scup stock is not overfished and overfishing is not occurring.

Recruitment actually exceeded the 1984-2011 average of 104 million in 2011.  So the stock is in good shape moving forward.  DEM proposed enhancing limits from 5,000 lbs/wk on May 1, 2012 to 50,000 lbs/wk on September 15, 2012.

The RI 2013 commercial quota is generally 56.19% of the coastwide summer allocation, so for 2013 this would be 4,995,284 lbs, a 16% decrease from our 2012 quota, however, scup landed in 2012 was well below quota.

Scup proposals included a status quo proposal as well as a Marine Fisheries Division proposal to increase the starting aggregate limits in an effort to keep up with the high level of quota. These limits would increase to 10,000 lbs/wk.

Black sea bass (BSB) highlights

The stock is not overfished and overfishing is not occurring.

2011 recruitment was 21 million fish, this year and recent years have been near average recruitment.

Three closings occurred in 2012 to ensure that RI did not overfish its quota.

RI’s share of the Coastwide commercial quota in 2013 will likely be 189,827 lbs which is a 1% increase in quota from 2012.

Fishermen (both commercial and recreational representatives) at the advisory panel meeting testified to the abundance of black sea bass (inshore and offshore) at a variety of sizes.

DEM recommended no changes to the black sea bass commercial fishery in 2013, however, (due in part from fishermen input on an abundance of stock) fish managers related the stock can likely accommodate more harvest and they will continue to improve estimates in the stock assessment and continue to improve the stock assessment itself so that harvest levels can be increased in the future.

The second BSB proposal was from the RI Commercial Rod & Reel Association (RICRRA) pertaining to spring and summer sub-period adjustments to insure the season remain open to offer a consistent supply of product to dealers.  The proposal called for a deceased starting possession limits to 25 pounds per day, May through October.  A third proposal called for a decreased starting possession limit, increased minimum size, and changed sub periods.  The fourth proposal increased starting possession limits to 100 pounds per day, May through October.  A fifth proposal set aggregate limits in spring and summer periods.

Atlantic herring ad hoc panel meeting highlights

DEM Atlantic herring fishery regulation proposals include a river herring by catch allowance of 5% (which would allow in state and out-of state boats to land their catch in RI, 0% by-catch allowance was the case in 2012.  Zero tolerance discouraged commercial fishermen from landing their catch in RI).  The second major recommendation by DEM provides for a closure of state waters to herring boats if it is deemed that an area will likely have 5% or more of river herring. These proposed amendments come with a lot of qualifying details, the plan (Part VII – Section 7.19; pages 65-66) can be found online at www.dem.ri.gov. 

After the November 8^th public hearing the proposed regulatory changes to species management plans along with input from the public will be presented to the RIMFC for consideration.  The council then votes on the proposed recommendations/changes and forwards its recommendations to DEM director Janet Coit for consideration. 

Where’s the bite

Striped bass fishing is very good for anglers all along the southern coastal shores of Rhode Island.  Steve McKenna noted RI shore angler and associate at Quaker Lane Outfitters, North Kingstown, said, “Shore fishing has been the best in years.  Since the end of August I have caught bass to 40 lbs in the surf using plugs at Narragansett.  There is so much bait around… peanut bunker, needle fish, silversides and more mullet than I have ever seen before.”  Ken Landry of Ray’s Bait & Tackle, Warwick,  said, “Customers are catching some nice bass out in from of Brenton Reef and Beavertail using eels as well as tube & worm.”  John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait and Tackle, East Providence,  said, “Customers Albert and Kevin Bettencourt of East Providence are doing well with bass at night drifting eels in the Bay.”

Tautog fishing is good but anglers have to work their way through a lot of shorts and an awful lot of small black sea bass to earn keeper tautog.  John Wunner of John’s Bait & Tackle, North Kingstown said anglers are catching ten short tautog to everyone keeper. Angler Brian Beltrami said he weighted in an 8.95 lbs. tautog at Quaker Lane Outfitters Saturday that he caught in Narragansett Bay using green crabs (when weighed in the fish was in 1^st place in the RISAA tautog fishing tournament).  John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait said, “Anglers are catching tautog all over the Bay but there are a lot of shorts mixed in.”  Ken Landry of Ray’s Bait & Tackle said the tautog are at Hope Island, General Rock and this week some anglers are catching them off the Rocky Point dock in Warwick.

Bluefish are roaming the Bay and coastal shores.  John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait said, “One customer had ten fish in the six to twelve pound range lined up on shore at Sabine Point”.  Ken Landry of Ray’s Bait and Steve McKenna shore angler said the blues are mixed in with the bass along southern coastal shores.

RI man takes Striper Cup with 58.8 lbs. bass

His first tautog:  Caption Chuck Daignault has landed a lot of fish in his lifetime as a salmon fishing guide in upstate New York, however until this past weekend, he had never caught a tautog.   Here Chuck is shown with his first tautog, caught this weekend while charter fishing near General Rock, North Kingstown, RI.  

Centracchio takes Striper Cup:  John Kushnerick of Quantum Reels (left) stands on stage at StriperFest next to Barry Centracchio of Narragansett, Rhode Island, who took Striper of the Year with a 58.80-pound striped bass (shown with replica).   Keith Salisbury of Westbrook, Connecticut won Angler Of The Year in the boat division with a 3-fish cumulative weight of 164.70 pounds; and shore division Angler of The Year, with a 3-fish total weight of 138.42 pounds was John Hanecak (right) from Rocky Hill, Connecticut.

False albacore

Atlantic bonito

Narragansett, RI man takes Striper Cup with 58.8 lbs. bass

On The Water magazine celebrated the end of its five-month-long Striper Cup fishing tournament at Striper Fest, held Saturday, September 29 at Marine Park on Falmouth Harbor, MA.  Over 4,000 people attended the event and thousands of fishermen from New Jersey to Maine participated in the competition.  It was a Rhode Island fisherman who claimed "Striper of the Year" honors.

Barry Centracchio of Narragansett, Rhode Island weighed in the largest striped bass in the tournament and was awarded a replica of his 58.80-pound fish on stage at StriperFest.

Team winners were determined by the total weight of the 10 heaviest bass a team catches over the duration of the season, with a multiplier of 1.18 applied to shore-caught fish. Rhode Island's Aquidneck Island Striper Team placed second, with a total score of 525.30 in the Team event.

Attorney General files suit to stop landowners from blocking shoreline 

It was 18 months ago that the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association (RISAA) received a complaint from anglers.  Some landowners along the two mile stretch of shoreline between the Quonny Breachway and the Westerly Town beach, along Atlantic Avenue, were blocking lateral access along the shore.  Landowners erected fences and would call the police when citizens dared to stop in front of "their private beach."

RISAA hired an attorney and then a land surveyor, who worked with a special assistant to the Attorney General and found multiple landowners in probable violation. Last month, Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin brought an action in Superior Court seeking to enforce the public’s right to enjoy the nearly two-mile section of the Misquamicut beachfront.  In particular, the action seeks to enjoin specific beachfront lot owners from interfering with the public’s right to use this dry sand area, alleging that this strand was dedicated to the public by a recorded 1909 plat.  Steve Medeiros, president of RISAA said, "We're grateful that he (Attorney General Kilmartin) has been willing to assist us, and now take over this case. It should send a signal that the shoreline of Rhode Island belongs to everyone."

Rhody Fly Rodders scheduled to meet October 16

The start of the Rhody Fly Rodders' fall and winter meetings and the date of their annual cookout is Tuesday, October 16^th at 6:00 p.m. The public is invited to attend. Hot dogs and burgers at 6:00 p.m. followed by a short DVD on Steelhead Fishing by Jim Teeny, then the rest of the evening will feature fly tying and conversation. The meeting will take place at the Riverside Sportsmen’s Club, East Providence, RI.  For information and directions, contact board member Peter Nilsen at pdfish@fullchannel.net .

How to identify bonito and false albacore

Bonito and false albacore are being caught in large numbers all along southern Rhode Island coastal shores, however, it is often difficult for anglers to tell them apart.  Steve Medeiros, president of RISAA said, “There are obvious differences… I learned (the difference between the two) with a simple rhyme.  Bonito have teeth and are good to eat.  False albacore have no teeth and are no good to eat.  Atlantic bonito (aka bonito) have solid lines along upper half running head to tail, and teeth. False albacore (aka falsies or little tunny) have broken/squiggly lines, spots below lateral line, and no teeth.  Hope this helps.”

ASMFC to hold public hearing on Atlantic menhaden management plan on November 1

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (ASMFC) Atlantic Menhaden Management Board has released Draft Amendment 2 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Menhaden for public review and comment. The Draft Amendment presents a suite of options to manage and monitor the stock in both the short and long-term. Fishermen and interested parties are asked to participate in local hearings and voice their opinions about options presented.  If you fish RI coastal waters, offshore or in Narragansett Bay, now is the time to voice your concerns about this important food source for all types of fish species.  Menhaden also serve as roving filters, converting algae into energy and thus reducing nutrient loads in bays and covers. An adult menhaden, through its unique filtering gills, is able to process up to 4 gallons of water per minute or a million gallons of water every 180 days. Multiply this by the number of menhaden in any given area and this is an amazing amount of water being filtered, a reduction of nutrients means fewer algae blooms and ultimately more oxygen for all fish.

The ASMFC Public Hearing in Rhode Island on Draft Amendment 2 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Menhaden will take place November 1, 6:00 p.m. at the University of Rhode Island Bay Campus, Corless Auditorium, South Ferry Road, Narragansett Rhode Island. Contact Jason McNamee at 401.423.1943 for more information.

Where’s the bite

Striped bass.  “Striped bass and bluefish are in the Providence River, actually all the way up the Seekonk River.” Said Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle, Providence.  Striped bass to 30” are being caught in Apponaug Cover said Ken Landry of Ray’s Bait & tackle, Warwick, RI.  There are also schools of bass and blues out in front of the lower Bay off Newport, Jamestown and Pt. Judith.  They keep moving and are popping up in different places.”  Angler Mike Swain of Coventry said, “There is a lot of bait in the Bay… small menhaden and a lot of mullet (or as Mike calls them… striper candy) that we have been using as bait for striped at night live lining them.”  Angler Matt Boliver reports on the RISAA blog, “I had fun with schoolies way up inside Wickford on Sunday. They were very aggressive in shallow water mid day.”

Offshore.  Jim Otis of Half & Half Charters, South Kingstown landed an 85 pound yellow fin said Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle when fishing two miles south of the Fishtales.  He also boated a number of three to four foot mahi mahi using butter fish as bait on the same trip.  “The vessel Aerie One did well at the Fishtails this week” said Matt Conti of Snug Harbor Marina in South Kingstown.  “They caught nine yellowfin to 70 pounds trolling during the day and chucking butter fish at night.” said Conti.

Tautog.  Ken Landry of Ray’s Bait & Tackle Warwick said, “Customers are catching tautog at Hope Island, General Rock and At Coddington Cove in Middletown.  I am sure they are further north in the Bay too.” Capt. Chuck Daignault landed tautog to 21” while fishing on my boat this weekend at General Rock, North Kingstown.  Beavertail his been a great spot for fishing this fall too, said Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle. 

False albacore and bonito.  False Albacore are still running strong all along the southern coastal shore said Matt Conti of Snug Harbor.  Some bonito were caught last week when customers were trolling for tuna said Conti.

It’s all about the wiggle

Great tautog fishing:  Tom Peters of Warwick (left) and his brother Allan limited out on tautog this weekend at General Rock, North Kingstown, fishing with green crabs and conventional double hook tautog rigs.

It’s all about the wiggle

Jigging continues to gain popularity with fishermen that target bottom fish like fluke and tautog as well as striped bass and tuna that might be anywhere in the water column.   I attended the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association (RISAA) monthly seminar last week and one of the topics was vertical jigging for bass and tuna.

Ron Poirier of Ronz Lures talked about vertical jigging for striped bass and tuna.  Ron said, “Vertical jigging allows you to locate the fish with electronics and then send down a jig with pinpoint accuracy for quick hook-ups.”   Poirier said, “With Ronz Lures it’s always about the wiggle.”  Ronz soft plastic baits are connected to a wedge like head that allows the head to walk from side to side so the attached tail is always wiggling too. The wiggle elicits a strike from the game fish.  A tip from Ron on how to know you are hooked up when the bait is falling… “Drop the bait and if it stops falling or goes faster you may have a bite.”

Ronz Lures use Owner and Gamakatsu hoops.  Their hydro jig heads are made of pure tin which make them durable and non-toxic.  Soft plastic tails are fish oil infused.  Find Ronz Lures on line at www.ronzmfg.com .

Jigging for tautog

Bottom jigging for fish such as fluke and tautog is more popular than ever before too.  With the tautog season upon us you might want to give jigging for them a try.  Jigs come in many weights from ¼ once to 10 ounces.  Using light tackle to jig for tautog creates a whole new type of tautog fishing.  It makes catching even small tautog a lot of fun.  To take a look at tautog jigs visit www.htlureco.com .

More tautog fishing tips

Cinderblock as anchor

After losing two anchors that were caught in structure I have started to use a cinderblock when anchoring over severe structure to tautog fish.  Often you want to be on top or on the edge of structure so the more precise you are with boat placement the better the fishing.  Because the cinderblock can be dropped anywhere, even on top of rocks, it allows you to be targeted with your boat placement.  If you lose a cinderblock who cares… they cost $1.29 at Home Depot.  Use a chain on the block to avoid line chaffing.

How to get the chum down to where you want it?

Fill a brown paper lunch bag with your chum (grass shrimp, crab legs, pieces of clam, crushed crab, etc.) and a three to four inch rock.  Tie a line to the bag and lower it to where you want the chum, let it sit on the bottom for a couple of minutes and then yank the line.  The bag breaks and releases the chum exactly where you want it to go.  The technique was shared by a RISAA member a few years ago.

Fish lodged in structure.

Here is a tip from George Poveromo’s “Rock’em Sock’em” article that appeared in a back issue of Saltwater magazine. When a fish is hooked and it has muscled its way back to structure, apply pressure forcing a respectable amount of bend in the rod. If the fish is not moving, hold the rod vertically to the water, tighten the line and pull or pluck the fishing line like a banjo string. The sharp vibrations emitted work their way back down to the fish through the line and irritate it. The fish, in a state of confusion, may back out of the hole to free itself from the irritation. Once you sense this has happened start reeling in the fish. If this does not work try letting the line just go limp for a minute or two. With no pressure on the fish, it may dislodge itself. The rig often frees itself, the fish may get unhooked, or you may still catch the fish.

Bay scallop season opens Nov. 3^rd

The Department of Environmental Management (DEM) announced that the bay scallop harvest season will open at sunrise Saturday, November 3 and continues until Saturday, December 31 at sunset. Rhode Island residents can take up to one bushel of scallops per day without a license, and commercial license holders can take up to three bushels per day/per boat from state waters. Non-license holders cannot offer scallops for sale. Harvesters are reminded that possession of seed scallops is prohibited. Legal scallops possess a defined, raised, annual growth ring.  To protect scallops and bottom habitats from dredge damage, scallops can be harvested by dip-net only from a boat from November 3 through November 30. Dredging will be allowed after November 30 to access remaining adult scallops residing in deeper waters.  Visit www.dem.ri.gov for additional information.

 

US Coast Guard boating safety class at Wood Boat & Motor

The US Coast Guard will hold a safe boating class on October 27, November 3, 10 and 17 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The cost will be $50.00 which includes all the materials.  Participants will get both State and Coast Guard Certified. Class size is limited to 30. Sign up today by calling Debbie Wood, Wood Boat & Motor, Inc., 3630 West Shore Road in Warwick, RI 02886 or at 401-739-4040.

 

Where’s the bite

 

Freshwater fishing is expected to improve as DEM stocks select area ponds and rivers with trout for the fall season.  Visit www.dem.ri.gov  for details.

Striped bass fishing is picking up along southern coastal beaches and in the Bay.  Mary Dangelo of Maridee Bait and Canvass, Narragansett said, “Quite a few customers are catching striped bass in front of the Coast Guard House in Narragansett.  I weighed a 24 pound fish Saturday.” John Wunner of John’s Bait & Tackle, North Kingstown said, “A customer caught two keepers in East Greenwich Cove last week using surface plugs.”  Angler Chris Jalbert fished Block Island last week during the evening.  He reports on the RISAA blog, “Wind picked up at dark and made for bad drift until the tide turned. First bass was about 30 pounds and I thought it would be a great night… (but after that)… all the stripers were small by Block standards, many were 28 to 32 inches.”

Green bonito and false albacore fishing continue to be excellent along the RI southern coastline. Mary Dangelo of Maridee Bait & Canvas said, “The albies are all along the beaches but they are pretty elusive, not many shore anglers are catching them.”

Tautog. Patti Ferrara of Ray’s Bait & Tackle, Warwick, said, “Customers are catching tautog at Ohio Ledge and around Prudence Island.”  John Wunner of John’s Bait & Tackle said, “Customers are catching tautog at about a 10 to 1 ratio.  One of my customers, a young man, caught a 4 pound, 2 once and a 5 pound, 5 once tautog when fishing with his Dad.” Angler Tom Peters of Warwick and his brother Allan limited out on keeper tautog at General Rock, North Kingstown this weekend.

Tautog season heating up… here are some tips

 

 

Tautog season heats up:  Captain Dave Monti with one of the tautog (21”) caught while fishing the General Rock, North Kingstown area this weekend.

Black sea bass bite still strong: Quinn (Squid) Antonacci of West Greenwich with the 22” black sea bass he caught on his grandfather Ken Robinson’s boat in the Brenton Tower area in 75 feet of water.

Wakefield resident lands Mako: John Stavrakas (in photo) with the 221 lbs Mako shark he landed last week with his neighbor John Ott on board.

 

Bluefish bite here:  Bill Houle, Jr. of Warwick and his father found the bluefish this weekend off the Prudence Island T Wharf.

 

Tautog season heating up… here are some tips

Anglers are catching great keeper tautog in the Bay and off coastal shores.  The fish are biting Asian and green crabs. The fall tautog season is here.  Go out and fish. Don’t forget to explore and discover your own spots.  Tautog are generally anywhere there is structure… rock clusters, jetties, docks, wrecks, humps, etc. 

 

Tautog regulations.  In Rhode Island tautog have to be sixteen inches or more. The catch limit for recreational anglers from August 1 to October 14  is three fish/person/day. The limit jumps to six fish/person/day on October 15 through December 15. However, there is a ten fish per boat limit during all periods. The boat limit does not apply to charter and party boats.

Boat placement is important.  Use electronics to find structure, estimate wind/drift direction and anchor up current from where you want to fish and drift back to the spot as the anchor is setting. Once in position, fish all sides of the boat casting a bit to cover as much area as you can. If still no bites, let some anchor line out a couple of times to change your position, if still no bites it is time to move the vessel. 

 

The bite.  Feel the bite… tap, tap and then get ready for a tug of war. Captain George Cioe said, “I believe with the first tap the tautog is positioning the bait for consumption.” So at the second tap I raise the rod up firmly feeling for the weight of the fish (no need to jerk the rod up hard). Once the fish is hooked, keep the rod up and pressure on so the fish is not able to run for cover.

 

Where to fish, what type of bottom? From shore, look for rocky coastline like Beavertail Point on Jamestown, locations off Newport, Point Judith and off jetties at South County beaches. From a boat, I have had good luck at Plum Point light, rock piles off Narragansett, the jetty at Coddington Cove in Middletown, General Rock in North Kingstown (we found a great tautog bite at General Rock the past two weekends with fish to 21 inches), Hope Island, around Brenton Reef in Newport, Whale Rock, Ohio Ledge in the East Passage, Nebraska Shoals off South Kingstown.

 

Bait and chumming. Asian and green crabs (with legs taken off and cut in half) are baits of choice. Chumming for tautog will enhance your catch dramatically. Kevin Bettencourt from the East Bay Anglers said, “Chumming is a critical part of tautog fishing. If you want to land numerous tautog you must establish an effective chum line. This can be accomplished with grass shrimp or crushed Asian or green crabs. Don't be afraid to feed them! If you don't, they won't stick around long!”

John Stavrakas of Wakefield, RI lands 221 lbs. Mako shark
John Stavrakas and his Wakefield, RI neighbor John Ott caught a 221 lbs. Mako shark  last week.    John said, “We set up a chum slick for shark on the warm side of a temperature break at the Suffolk (Wreck) and drifted across the break… We caught two nice blue sharks when Mr. Mako showed up… We didn't realize it was a Mako at first - we thought it was another blue… then he took off. I thought I was going to get spooled… We decided to chase this fish… (after a good fight) we put a flying gaff in him and the harpoon. Dragged his tail through the tuna door and tied him down.”

StriperFest 2012 in Falmouth, MA this weekend

On Saturday, September 29^th at 1:00 p.m., anglers will gather to celebrate another successful striped bass season at On The Water Magazine and TV’s StriperFest.  The event will be held at Falmouth Marina Park and include live music by the Deepwater Blues Band, Budweiser beer, tasty Black Dog fare and games and attractions for the whole family.  The event celebrates the end of the 2012 Striper Cup, a five-month long fishing tournament that attracted thousands of anglers from New Jersey to Maine to compete for over $150,000 prizes.  Bonus Day, Friday, September 28^th, noon to 5:00 p.m. with ongoing seminars and demonstrations.  Visit www.OnTheWater.com .

 

DEM offers saltwater surf-casting and fly-fishing workshops, programs… even a safari

DEM’s Aquatic Resource Education program is offering introduction workshops to saltwater surf-fishing and fly-fishing, a fly-fishing trip via train around Aquidneck Island, and fly-tying workshops.  Contact Kimberly Sullivan at 401.539.7333 or kimberly.sullivan@dem.ri.gov for information.

“Surf Fishing: The Basics, an introductory course was held Wednesday, September 26.

“Introduction to Saltwater Fly-Fishing” Saturday, September 29, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the US Fish and Wildlife Service's Kettle Pond Visitors Center, Charlestown.  Learn about fly-tying, casting techniques, and knot-tying. $35 per-person.

“Fly-Fishing Express,” a fly-fishing safari around Aquidneck Island on the Old Colony Train Saturday, October 27, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Stop at remote public access fishing areas.  Learn about the best flies to use and fly- fishing tactics. For advanced beginner, intermediate and advanced fly-fishing anglers. Bring chest waders, other equipment provided, $35 per-person.

“Fall Fly-Tying 2012” sessions held on six Mondays beginning October 22 to December 17 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the North Kingstown Community Center. Learn beginner and intermediate fly-tying techniques for fresh and saltwater fishing. $5 for each class or $25 for all six sessions.

Where’s the bit

Tautog fishing improving. Angler Ken Robinson said, “We double anchored on the (Brenton) Tower hump … all tolled we caught about six tautog, three BSB and a half dozen scup… Oh and of course the striped bass.” Ken’s fishing partner Paul landed a 42 lbs striped bass that hit a crab while tautog fishing.  Max DiStoto caught a 6 lbs. tautog in the Nebraska Shoals area said Al Conti of Snug Harbor Marina, South Kingstown.  John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait & Tackle, East Providence said, “Customers are catching small tautog at Conimicut Light, no large ones yet.” 

Striped bass.  Bob Masse limited out on striped bass at Block Island while fishing with friends Saturday.  Angler Mike Swain of Coventry said, “We fished the Bay for stripers Friday night and did not have any luck.”  Al Conti of Snug Harbor Marine, South Kingstown said, “The bass bite slowed this weekend at the Southwest Ledge off Block Island…  the fish are there, the divers are getting them… there is just so much food around that you have to be fishing when they’re feeding.”  Albert and Kevin Bettencourt of East Providence are catching midsized bass at night during tide changes drifting eels.”, said John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait. 

Offshore.  Barry Bordner of South Kingstown landed a 300 lbs. bluefin tuna this weekend at the BD Buoy south/southeast of Nantucket said Al Conti of Snug Harbor.  Reports of one giant hook-up at the Mud Hole this weekend.

Green bonito and false albacore fishing is excellent all along the RI coast from Westerly to Newport.  “Albies (False Albacore) and Green Bonito are all over the place… (anglers) all along the coast are having a blast with them.” said Al Conti of Snug Harbor.

Bluefish. “The past couple of days the schools (of bluefish) have been circling the waters just southwest of the "T" wharf (Prudence Island). No frenzies yet but they have been consistently hitting bright plugs and ignoring natural colors.” said angler Bill Houle, Jr. of Warwick.

Atlantic menhaden.  John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait & Tackle said, “There are a million pogies in the Providence River… both small and large ones… a customer said you could have walked across them this weekend, but no fish chasing them.” 

Scup.  Scup bite strong a the East Fishing grounds, Brenton Tower area and in the Bay.  Max DiStoto caught a 3½ lbs. scup this weekend at Nebraska Shoals.

Galilee Fishing for a Cause Tournament and Festival big success

 Most trophies:  Joey Scrofani of Wakefield, RI with two nice fish… a black sea bass (left, 3.60 lbs.) that took 1^st place in the Junior Division and scup (right).  Joey also took home the 1^st place trophy for the largest Junior Division bluefish at 6.40 lbs.

 Top fish: Ray Jobin of Charlestown, RI took first place in the Tournament Boat Division with this striped bass that weighed a healthy 37.10 lbs. 

 All smiles: Fishing for a Cause Tournament participants Joel Cooper (left) of Smithfield, RI, Dave McCormick of North Kingstown, RI (center), and Jeff Eastman of North Attleboro, MA (right) .

Measuring up:  This 28 lbs. striped bass caught by Andrew Raucci (left) of Wakefield, RI  gets weighed in and measured by Ed Carney, RISAA board member (right), at the Galilee Fishing for a Cause Tournament and Food Festival.

Galilee Fishing for a Cause Tournament and Festival big success

The First Annual Galilee Fishing for a Cause Tournament and Seafood Food Festival was “very successful” said Steve Medeiros, president of the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association (RISAA). “Even with the weatherman forecasting bad conditions, we still had 148 registered anglers… this is not bad at all… and yes, there will be a Second Annual Galilee Tournament and Food Festival.”, said Medeiros.  The three day Tournament and Food Festival was organized by the Town of Narragansett, the Department of Environmental Management (DEM), and the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association.  Funds raised from the tournament and food festival will be donated to Hasbro Children’s Hospital, Narragansett Parks and Recreation Financial Aid Program, and the Johnnycake Center of Peacedale, RI.

The Galilee Fishing for a Cause Tournament and Seafood Festival aims to celebrate and promote Rhode Island’s recreational and commercial fishing industries.  Organizers wanted to create an event reminiscent of the past tuna tournaments held in Galilee, Rhode Island to help create awareness and interest in fishing and seafood in Rhode Island. 

Recreation and commercial fishing displays and demonstrations were held throughout the festival with participation from a variety of commercial fishing interests such as Superior Trawling and the Rhode Island Party and Charter Boat Association. The Festival featured local seafood, artisans, music, and educational exhibits.

Fishing tournament winners

Black sea bass Junior Boat Division winners were 1^st place Joey Scrofani (3.60 lbs.), 2^nd Zoey Realeau and 3^rd Shawn Rogers.

Bluefish Junior Boat Division winners were 1^st Joey Scrofani (6.40 lbs.), 2nd Michael Morrison and 3^rd Jack Spych. Bluefish Adult Boat Division winners were 1^st place Dave Kops (13.15 lbs.), 2^nd John Eldridge and 3^rd Stephen Daignault. Bluefish Adult Shore Division 1^st place winner was Joshua Richardson (11.75 lbs).

Fluke Adult Boat Division winners were 1^st place Ed Sylvia (3.10 lbs.), 2^nd Jared Henry and 3^rd David Fewster.

Scup Junior Boat Division winners were 1^st Nate Ambrad (2.25 lbs.), 2^nd Zoey Realeau and 3^rd Joey Scrofani. 

Striped bass Adult Boat Division winners were 1^st Raymond Jobin (37.10 lbs), 2^nd Peter Vican and 3^rd Jonathan Lewie.  Striped bass Adult Shore Division 1^st place winner was Richard Reich (8.5 lbs.).

Block Island wind Farm informational meeting

Deepwater Wind (developer of the pilot wind farm project off Block Island) will hold a Block Island Wind Farm and Transmission System informational meeting and open discussion with the Rhode Island fishing community on Tuesday, October 9, 2012 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at The Village Inn, 1 Beach Street, Narragansett, RI.  If you are a recreational or commercial fisherman (or anyone else for that matter) and want to learn about the project or have a concern about the proposed wind farm you should attend.  Learn about the fisheries data that has been collected and what research is proposed as the project moves forward.  For further information contact independent fisheries consultant Rick Bellavance at 401.741.5648 or www.biwffisheries@gmail.com .

Where’s the bite

Tautog fishing is heating up as anglers start to target this species.  Legal size is 16” minimum with a limit (until October 19) of three fish/day/angler with a maximum of ten fish per boat.  JR Carlow reports on the RISAA blog, “I got out with my dad on Friday for some tog. We hit the ledge at the corner of Castle Hill, right where the Coast Guard cutter comes out, if you follow the shoreline out to the front of the Inn at Castle Hill. Got nine keepers and a total of 17 fish in about 2 1/2 hrs. All on Asian crabs. Slack tide too. Took the best five home.”  I fished in the mid/lower Bay Sunday and caught many shorts and two nice keepers in the 20” range in the General Rock, North Kingstown area in a matter of 1 ½ hours,  2.5 hours before low tide.  Once the current slowed, the fish shut off. I was using green crabs, chumming with a mixture of clam bellies and green crabs.

Striped bass fishing remains strong at night and early morning at Block Island.  Fish not as plentiful as they were, but still worth the trip. Tommy Pelto reports a good striped bass and blue fish bite along southern coastal shores, “I had a great night along South County. Even with a stiff wind fishing was great and consistent. Bass and blues were all mixed in together. A black and purple bottle plug did the job. Definitely an encouraging sign… (for) the next couple months.”

False albacore, albies or little tunny as they are called are appearing in good numbers along Rhode Island southern coastal shores.  Stephen Katkowski reports, “Fished the south shore for albies on Monday in my 14' skiff.  Landed 13 out of 17 for the day fishing all afternoon.  Kastmaster XL's were the ticket for me.  Fish were in tight just outside the surfers between Deep Hole and the Ocean Mist

Offshore. The bluefin tuna bite is still on at the Mudhole.  Joey Manansala said, “We fished the Mudhole this weekend. There are still small BFT and plenty of false albacore to keep you busy.”  Roger Lema said, “We were able to catch green bonito this Saturday along with Capt. Tom Toyota and the Mark V.  Fourteen fish total… with almost uncountable albies.”

Second giant in 10 days for Rhode Island angler

 Giant bluefin caught after five hour fight: This 763 pound tuna was caught by David Appolonia, South Kingstown, RI (bottom right), his second giant bluefin in ten days.  Lenny Upham (bottom left) of Cranston and Appolonia’s brothers Felix (top left) of West Warwick and Eric of North Kingstown (top right) were part of the team that caught this giant. Photo by Capt. Louis DeFusco.

State champs: Pat Crabtree and Chris Catucci of Bishop Hendricken High School, Warwick are getting ready for the freshwater fishing High School Eastern Conference Championship in Virginia on September 15.  Pat and Chris shown here as they finished first in the State of Rhode Island with a largemouth bass five fish limit weight of 14.5 pounds.

Second giant in 10 days for Rhode Island angler

Fishing for giant bluefin tuna off Rhode Island coastal shores hasn’t exactly been productive for sport fishermen for the past several years.  In fact, many have taken to fishing off Cape Cod as bluefin tuna have been more plentiful and larger in that area. But this season, with very few fish around in waters off Rhode Island, David Appolonia of South Kingstown, RI and his crew managed to boat two giant bluefin fishing the waters south of Block Island.  His second fish, 763 pounds and 108 inches long, arrived at Snug Harbor Marina, South Kingstown, RI after sunset.  Just ten days earlier, Appolonia brought a 730 pound bluefin to the same dock.

Snug Harbor Marina serves as the weigh-in station for most big game fish landed in RI.  Owner Al Conti said, “It is like getting struck by lightning twice… but David Appolonia managed to catch his second giant bluefin tuna… when there is nothing else around.” 

David Appolonia is no novice. He is a giant hunter, catching an 878 pound giant bluefin tuna three years ago. “Catching giants is truly a team effort.  This time we had Lenny Upham of Cranston, RI on the boat. He is experienced and comes from a long line of tuna fishermen.  And very special for me, my two brothers Felix (Appolonia of West Warwick, RI) and Eric (Appolonia of North Kingstown, RI) were crew members too.  All took turns on the reel as this fish was very strong.”

“We were anchored and chumming when we picked up the fish at 12:10 p.m. We thought we would luck out as it surfaced in 45 minutes but then sounded and it took five hours to land.  Lenny harpooned it and my brother Felix gaffed the fish.  We got the tail tied at about 5:15 p.m.  It took us about two and a half hours to get back to Point Judith.” said Appolonia.  It is important to note that all three of David’s giant bluefin tuna were caught on his 26’ Regulator.

Well done and congratulations David, Lenny, Felix and Eric on a very nice fish!  David Appolonia and his crew members are writing new chapters in the history of Rhode Island giant bluefin tuna fishing.

NOAA here to listen to fishermen

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) was in Rhode Island Monday to hear directly from Rhode Island fishermen about issues facing the industry.  John K. Bullard, who was recently appointed to head the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Northeast Regional Office of the National Marine Fisheries Service, and Bill Karp, who was recently named Science and Research Director for NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center met with fishermen in Narragansett at what was billed as a “listening session”.  Senators Jack Read and Sheldon Whitehouse along with DEM Director Janet Coit organized the meeting.

Warm water hurting striped bass when brought to surface

For the past three weeks, anglers catching and releasing striped bass off Block Island have noticed that the fish are having much more trouble reviving than ever before.  Many wonder if it is a lack of oxygen.  Last week when fishing on the southwest side of Block Island angler Chris Jalbert said, “… Some of the fish were difficult or impossible to revive even after short fights with circle hooks and being released without even lifting them from the water.  Somewhat exasperating, and (it) is the reason we stopped fishing…”

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 low oxygen in saltwater and its impact on fish for over ten years.  Dr. Deacutis does not think it is low oxygen affecting striped bass but rather CO2 and warm water temperatures when the fish are brought to the surface.  Dr. Deacutis said, “Open waters outside the upper half of the Bay have never shown any evidence of low DO (dissolved oxygen).  The most likely culprit (for bass having trouble reviving) is the CO2 - blood pH issue after a fight.  The surface waters are so warm now (75 degrees) the bulls (striped bass) just can't acclimate to these surface temps...that's why they stay on the bottom, and there is significant stress just from the temp jump alone when brought to the surface, never mind the fight.”

Anglers are urged to catch only what they plan to keep, then lay of the striped bass as the mortality rate of released fish under these conditions is likely very high.

Where’s the bite

Striped bass fishing when the weather permitted last week was good at night and slow during the day at the North Rip and the Southwest Ledge area off Block Island.  Captain Robb Roach of Kettlebottom Outfitters, Jamestown, RI said, “I was out fishing Thursday and Friday at Block and yesterday locally. Block Island has been a bust lately unless you seek bluefish and sea bass. Locally we have found a lot of the same. We fished yesterday with eels and managed only bluefish and sea bass. Switched to tube and worm and nailed a nice 47" striper.”  Mary Dangelo of Maridee Canvas-Bait & Tackle of Narragansett said, “Prior to rough conditions, customers were catching school striped bass with some keepers mixed in at dawn until 7 a.m. fishing off the wall at Narragansett Pier.”

Tautog fishing is still slow.  Anglers catching some small tautog off Black Point in Narragansett. “Divers are reporting a good number of tautog but not many anglers are targeting them yet.” said Mary Dangelo of Maridee Bait & Tackle.  John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait & Tackle said, “Small tautog is being cauth at Conimicut Point, Colt State Park and at Ohio Ledge with few keepers in the mix at this time.” A good tautog bite reported off the Castle Hill area of Newport.

Scup fishing remains strong at Colt State Park, Ohio Ledge and off Conimicut Light said John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait & tackle.

Offshore.  Eric Weybrant said bluefin fishing was slow last Monday at the Mud hole (14 miles off Point Judith), “We got one small bluefin just under 30" right on top of the deepest part of the Mud hole about 20 minutes after going lines in. This was at 6 am. Should have called it a day right there but we slugged it out for another five hours. One more hookup at 10 a.m. at the southern tip of the Gully but the hook pulled before we could fight the rod out of the holder.”

Why fish at night?

Night fishing pays off.  Greg Vespe, an East Bay area resident, has successfully completed 375 night striped bass fishing trips on Narragansett Bay. “I fish at night to catch quality fish… it’s not as dark as you think out there.” Greg with a striped bass he caught a night on the Bay.

Large black sea bass taking eels off Block Island. Ralph Battista (executive chef at Luigi’s Restaurant & Gourmet Express in Johnston, RI) landed this monster 6 pound black sea bass last week on the Southwest Ledge.

Why fish at night?

Greg Vespe has successfully completed 375 night fishing trips for striped bass on Narragansett Bay.  He fishes for three types of striped bass. The first group he targets are spring fish, the second are transit bass and the third he refers to as “resident grubbers”.  He spoke last week at the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association (RISAA) monthly seminar and shared tactics he uses to target these fish from early May to October.

One may ask why fish at night?  Vespe said, “Fishing at night allows me to be competitive, I can catch quality fish, it is peaceful and not crowed like in the day and the seas are usually a lot calmer at night.  And, it is not as dark as you think out there.”

Greg, who generally fishes from his 14’ aluminum boat (and occasionally from shore) finished 16^th out of 1,500 anglers in the Striper Cup Angler of the Year competition in 2009.  So he is an accomplished fisherman.

He suggests anglers should have confidence in their boat and ability to navigate at night.  “Go out during the day to the exact spots you plan to fish.  It is not like day time fishing where you go from spot to sport and are consistently moving.  I pick three spots, going to the furthest one first set up and fish and then progressively move to locations closer to the boat ramp.”  Once you select a location you settle in and fish that spot.

If the squid are running in the spring, he prefers to fish the lower Bay with squid rather than chasing menhaden and bass up the East Passage and Rivers.  The transit fish come into the Bay in July and August at night to feed in the lower Bay, they are aggressive fish but do not tend to hold long.  The “resident grubbers” are the fish that target lobsters and crabs, they tend to be loners and are often beat up from feeding off the bottom.

Here are some night time fishing tips from Greg.

Anchor so your bait is on top of the structure, not necessarily the boat.  He usually fishing in 6 to 20 feet of water, but if the bottom looks broken (with a lot of structure) in 40 feet of water he will fish there too.  Often times he uses two anchors so he can position the boat and be able to move it to take advantage of the structure as the tide and current change.

One of his favorite spots to fish in the eastern third of the Newport Bridge

Be quite and stealth when fishing for bass.

His favorite bait is squid in the spring and early summer May, June and July and uses a whole squid, fished two feet off the bottom, changing weight as the current changes.

As the water heats up he usually switched to eels, however, once the rods (he fishes three) are set he often throws plugs with his spinning rod and reel.

Fisheries council meeting, Monday, September 10

Now is the time to express your thoughts about the Rhode Island fishery.  Attend the Rhode Island Marine Fisheries Council meeting Monday, September 10, 6:00 p.m. at the Corless Auditorium, URI Bay Campus, and South Ferry Road Narragansett, RI.  Agenda items will include a review of 2012-2013 recommendations for winter shellfish management area schedules, and 2013 commercial fishing licensing.  Also agendas for the new day long advisory panel meetings DEM and the council are experimenting with will be reviewed including summer flounder, scup/black sea bass and the Atlantic herring ad hoc committee panel.

Where’s the bite

Striped bass are still plentiful at Block Island with the southwest ledge area still hot. Anglers fishing the lower Bay and off southern coastal shores are not experiencing a good bite.  George Allen of Portsmouth said, “Fishing off Newport trolling wire with tube and worm was not productive last week.  The bluefish are prominent, they kept biting off the tips of the worms.”

Fluke and black sea bass fishing in the Bay was challenging this week with few fish now being caught under and around the Newport and Jamestown Bridges. Bite for fluke and black sea bass still good off the center wall at the Harbor of Refuge up to the 3 mile limit. Snug Harbor Marina reports a good fluke bite off Scarborough Beach in 70 to 80 feet of water and on the south and east sides of Block Island.  Black sea bass are still thick at the south west ledge. Ralph Battista (executive chef at Luigi’s Restaurant & Gourmet Express in Johnston, RI) landed a monster 6 pound black sea bass last week on the Southwest Ledge.  Ralph said, “This monster took an eel (when striped bass fishing)… We also took a 4.5 lb on an eel as well.”

 Offshore. Snug Harbor Marina reports yellowfin tuna at the SE corner of the Dump on the troll.  David Appolonia catches his second giant bluefin tuna in three weeks.  This one was 764 pounds.  Details next week on the fight.  Ken Landry of Ray’s Bait & Tackle, Warwick, RI has been tearing it up offshore.  He had three successful trips last week fishing between the Mud Hole and Cox’s Ledge.  “His trips netted school blue fin tuna, two hammerhead sharks, two Mako sharks, 35 or so cod fish and 8 to 10 Mahi Mahi each day.” said Ken Ferrara of Ray’s Bait. (Sorry about not referencing your shop correcting last week Ken and Ray).s