Free fresh and saltwater fly-tying workshops

 Chase Reilly of Narragansett with the 56” bluefin tuna he caught last Thursday fishing with his grandfather Bill Catauro on his boat the Joka out of Pt. Judith.

 Capt. B.J. Silvia (left) of Flippin Out Charters fished with Capt. Eric Thomas on his boat Saturday and landed this 60” Wahoo just south of the Dump.

Tony Battalino and friends Chuck and Willy from central CT with a nice days catch of summer flounder and black sea bass taken aboard the Gail Frances party boat.

Free fresh and saltwater fly-tying workshops

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) is hosting a series of free fly-tying workshops for novice and experienced fly-tiers this month.

Instruction on both fresh- and saltwater fly tying will be included, and all equipment and materials will be provided. Participants are welcome to bring their own materials, if they prefer.  Children aged 10 and older are invited to participate.

Remaining sessions will be held 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Monday, August 15 and 22 at Langworthy Public Library, 24 Spring Street, Hopkinton;  Wednesday, August 17 and 24, North Smithfield Public Library, 20 Main Street, Saltersville; and Tuesday, August 16, 23, 30 at the Riverside Sportsman’s Association, One Sportsman Drive, East Providence.  

                     

Space is limited and registration is required. To register, contact Scott Travers at Scott.travers@dem.ri.gov .

Dolphin show offshore

Richard Pastore fished offshore this weekend and ran into a spectacular school of dolphin.  Dick said, “I see a lot of dolphins but we ran into a school the size of a football field south of the Dump (about 50 miles south of Block Island). They ranged in size from babies to 600 pounds.  They ran with the boat for 20 minutes putting on an aerial show better than something at Sea World, including synchronized three members proposing within five feet of the boat. Another 500 pound jumped thee feet out of the water, five feet from the boat parallel to our direction. This was an unbelievable performance.”

Where’s the bite

Black sea bass and summer flounder (fluke) fishing is holding up along the southern coastal shore.  Mike Cardinal of Cardinal Bait & Tackle, Westerly said, “You have to pick through a lot of shorts to get some keepers but fluke fishing is holding up and good at Fishers Island and along Misquamicut Beach.” Ken Ferrara of Ray’s Bait & Tackle, Warwick said, “The fluke bite is south of the Jamestown and Newport Bridges.  The warm water has driven most fish south to the lower Bay off Jamestown and Newport.”  “Customers have reported a good fluke bite in the Sakonnet area and off of Newport with a very hot bite off Block Island.  The current out there is something else.  I sold 18, 20 and 24 once sinkers to fishermen who planned to use them in the quick current out at Block Island.”, said Manny Macedo of Lucky Bait & Tackle, Warren.  John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait & Tackle, 

Riverside said, “Some black sea bass are being cauth at Colt State Park, Bristol and south, however, they very rarely come father north toward Providence.” 

“Striped bass fishing is holding up at night off Block Island with customers finding success with eels.”, said Mike Cardinal of Cardinal Bait & Tackle.  Christian Silvia of Watch Hill Outfitters, Westerly said, “Customers are killing the bass at Block Island trolling parachute jigs or tube & worm and eels are working well too.  The bite is good in the day as well as at night. However, the beaches are very slow, no large bass being taken from the shore along the coast, however, some good sized school bass are being caught.”  John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait & Tackle said, “One of my customers caught a 24 pound bass from shore at the Mt. Hope Bridge this week.  He was using clam tongue and was fishing early in the evening before it got dark. And, we have very small school striped bass in the mid and upper Bay that are 8, 10 and 12 inches long.  We do have a ton of pogies (Atlantic menhaden) in the River all the way up to downtown Pawtucket. So we are ready when the weather cools and the bass start to move because we have the bait.” Manny Macedo of Lucky Bait & Tackle said, “Customers fishing from shore at Water Street, Warren from docks and near the Mt. Hope Bridge are starting to catch keeper bass again.  One customer cleaned his fish here and it was just 28 ½ inches.  He was using clam bellies and was fishing during the day.  He also caught two at 25” and one larger fish that got away.”  

“Scup are huge along the costal shore.  They really came on strong last week.  Some of the largest scup we have ever seen, said Mike Cardinal of Cardinal Bait & Tackle. “We have a good Tommy Cod and scup bite at the Wharf Tavern, the Barrington Bridge near the old police station and Colt State Park.” said John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait & Tackle.

“Large bluefish are in the East Passage from Conimicut and East Providence all the way down to Half-way Rock (south of Prudence Island).  I would fish for them at Barrington Beach and Bear Point, Prudence Island.” said Ken Ferrara of Ray’s Bait & Tackle. “The bluefish have been very big, in the ten to fifteen pound range along the coast and off the beaches.” said Christian Silvia of Watch Hill Outfitters. “Customers are catching large bluefish in the ten pound range on second beach, Middletown. We also have a large number of skipjack bluefish chasing bait in covers and bays. We have sold a ton of skipjack rigs as they are everywhere.  The kids have a blast catching them.”, said John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait & Tackle. 

Offshore. The bluefin bite continues to be red hot.  “Customers have caught bluefin tuna in site of the Montague Light.  So they are close.” said Christian Silvia of Watch Hill Outfitters.  Angler Chase Reilly of Narragansett caught a 57” bluefin tuna Thursday fishing on this grandfather Bill Catauro’s boat the Joka. Capt. B.J. Silvia, who fished on Capt. Eric Thomas’s boat Saturday, said “We caught a 60” wahoo just south of the Dump on an X-Rap lure.” “Guys are killing the tuna.  I had to order more chum and Ballyhoo as guys are doing well and buying bait for tuna more so than ever before.” said Macedo of Lucky Bait.  Offshore fishing expert Dick Pastore fished the northwest corner of the Dump for tuna last Friday with little success.  Dick said, “We then picked up and ran down to the top of shipping lanes into 75 degree water at about 10:30 a.m. There was nothing to see when we arrived so I turned and ran back north. Half way between the lanes and the dump there were some high flyers. Some contained nothing however we got on one which probably had 50 mahi that I could see. Initially we used a small green deadly dick which the mahi frenzied to attack. When they got tired of that, we used chunks of squid on circle hooks, free spooled into the school. We boated about 15 fish the majority of which were 33-36”.

Bluefin tuna running hard

 Alex Appolonia of North Kingstown with the 80 pound bluefin tuna he caught last week when fishing with his father and uncle at the Dump (about 50 miles offshore).

 The Maridee II crew with the 40” bluefin they caught last week 50 miles offshore.

 A total of fifty veterans, family members, friends and care givers fished on charter boats from the Rhode Island Party & Charter Boat Association last week.

Steve Brustein and Kevin Fetzer caught over 22 keeper fluke and black sea bass fishing in the windmill area off Block Island Saturday.

Bluefin tuna running hard

Fishing offshore can be very exciting and challenging.  You travel long distances, sometimes in rough seas and bad weather. 

However, when a bluefin tuna hits your rig going 30 miles/hour it all becomes very exciting.  And, you see things offshore that are remarkable.  Sites you do not ordinarily see along the coastal shore and in the bays.

You see porpoise, all types of whales and more exotic fish like marlin, mahi mahi and Wahoo.  And, the big prize that most seek is the tuna. 

Last week bluefin tuna (BFT) fishing exploded off Rhode Island shores.  The bluefin were not 100 miles out at the canyons, nor were they off Cape Cod but about 50 to 60 miles offshore at a place called the Dump.  Here’s what happened.

Matt Conti of Sung Harbor Marina said, “All the bait and food is at the Dump not further out at the Canyons.  Whales were at the southern sections of the dump with some large fish being caught and they are catching 40” to 60” bluefin tuna with yellowfin tuna mixed in at the northern end of the Dump.  Most guys have switched to tuna fishing from shark fishing but there are still plenty of sharks around too.”

I spoke with Matt yesterday and he said, “The northeast wind and rough seas kept boats at the dock
Tuesday and Wednesday this week, however, it may be a good thing as the water may cool just a bit and keep all the bait in place.”

Alex Appolonia of North Kingstown caught an 80 pound bluefin at the Dump Thursday.  He was fishing with his father Eric on his Uncle David Appolonia’s boat.  

Avid offshore fisherman Richard Pastore said, “We started fishing at the Fingers which is just above the center of the Dump at about 7:30 a.m. on Saturday with whales, birds, dolphin and a one degree temperature break.  Schools of medium size bluefin tuna were breaking on the surface… at 8:00 a.m. a fish hit and almost spooled me until I finally turned it.  A few minutes later we gaffed a 51” BFT which weighed about 100 pounds. An hour later the black bar hooks up again with another identical fish. Their bellies were jammed with sand eels to the point where I don’t know how they expected to swallow the 14” squid that they hit on my spreader bar.” 

Capt. Rick Bellavance said, “The charter boat Maridee II got into some 40 inch Bluefin tuna on Sunday within 50 miles from Point Judith.  “I spoke with my brother Doug Thursday at 9 a.m. and they had boated their fist bluefin.” said Mike Wade of Watch Hill Outfitters, Westerly. 

Charter Fishing Association says ‘thanks for serving’

Last Tuesday, July 26 twelve charter fishing vessels from the Rhode Island Party & Charter Boat Association took veterans fishing aboard their vessels out of the Port of Galilee.   It was the third year in a row that veterans, many of them with disabilities, family members, friends and care givers (about fifty of them) where out on the water with charter fishing association members in Rhode Island.

Everyone on the trip caught fish.  Capt. Rick Bellavance, president of the RIPCBA, said, “The veterans caught black sea bass, scup, fluke, striped bass and sea robins. We thank them all from the bottom of our hearts for their service and tremendous sacrifices.”

Jenny McLaughlin, adaptive sports case manager from the VA Boston Healthcare System said, “I continue to be humbled by the number of captains that continue to come out each year and volunteer/donate their time and boats for our Veterans to fish… the captains and mates did great accommodating each Veteran and their ability.”

Tautog season opens

The recreational tautog season opened August 1 and will run through October 14^th with a three fish/person/day catch limit.  In the next period of the season, from October 15^th to December 15^th the catch limit will jump to six fish/person/day. A maximum of ten fish per vessel applies during all periods.

Where’s the bite

Freshwater fishing has slowed with warming water.  Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle, Providence said, “Largemouth bass are still being caught at Turner Reservoir in Rumford and at Ten Mile River.  Pickerel perch, bass, trout and carp (on the north side) are being caught a Lincoln Woods.”

Summer flounder and black sea bass.  Matt Conti of Snug Harbor Marina, South Kingstown, said, “The windmill area at Block Island was pretty good Sunday for fluke and there are plenty of black sea bass being caught too.”  Ken Ferrara of Ray’s Bait & Tackle, Warwick said, “It seems that the fluke and black sea bass action has moved south of the Jamestown and Newport Bridges and out in front.”  This weekend I fished with Kevin Fetzer and Steve Brustein at the Block Island windmills and did well with black sea bass and fluke to 24 inches. “The fluke bite is now off Block Island or along the coastal shore with few fish being caught in the Bay.” said Dave Henault of Ocean Stale Tackle.

“Bluefish in the Bay at Ohio Ledge and Barrington Beach have been big in the 12 and 13 pound range.” said Ken Ferrara of Ray’s Bait & Tackle, Warwick.  Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle said, “Huge blue fish in the 40” range are being caught in the Seekonk River and other parts of the Bay.”

“The Scup bite has been very strong at Warwick Light, Sabin Point, Colt State Park, the Mt. Hope Bridge and the fish have been big… some topping 20”.” said Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle.  Anglers continue to catch scup around any structure in the Bay.  Add water movement that pushes around the bait and the bite improves tremendously.

“Striped bass fishing remained strong at night at Block Island and is better during the day than it was with anglers successfully using eels as bait.” said Matt Conti of Snug Harbor Marina.  “Anglers are catching striped bass off Newport in the Brenton Reef area.” said Ken Ferrara of Ray’s Bait.  Neil Hayes of Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle, North Kingstown said, “Customers are catching striped bass off Newport and Jamestown using both eels and Atlantic menhaden.  Block Island has been good for bass too.”

Bonito are here.  No reports of big numbers being caught yet but anglers at Block Island and along the coastal shore have hooked up.  Angler Eric Appolonia reported catching a bonito when trolling with an umbrella rig at the southwest ledge area of Block Island two weeks ago.  Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle report a customer caught one in the Pt. Judith area this weekend.

Barao of East Providence appointed to Marine Fisheries Council

 Travis Barao of East Providence, RI has been appointed to the Rhode Island Marine Fisheries Council.

 Steve Gillissie with a Block Island striped bass caught last week using an umbrella rig.

Louie Alarie, Bob Ferioli and Mel Blake had no trouble catching black sea bass to 22” under and just south of the Newport Bridge last week aboard No Fluke Charters.

Barao of East Providence appointed to Marine Fisheries Council

Travis E. Barao of East Providence, RI has been appointed to the Rhode Island Marine Fisheries Council (RIMFC).  He is one of three recreational representatives on the Council and replaces Richard Hittinger who reached his two term limit. Three commercial fishing representatives and two scientists also serve on the Council.

The RIMFC makes commercial and recreational fishing regulation recommendations to Janet Coit, executive director of the RI Department of Environmental Management (DEM).  The RIMFC solicits input from fishermen and community input on proposed fishing regulations and then makes recommendations to the DEM director.

Barao also serves on the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Black Sea Bass, Fluke and Scup advisory panel which provides regional regulation recommendations for these and other species. He is a Life Member of the RI Saltwater Anglers Association where he has served on their board for three years.

Barao was confirmed by the RI Senate on June 16 with a term that expires on April 1, 2020.

United Fly Tyers open to new members

If you are interested in fly fishing and want to learn how to tie your own flys or improve you skills in this area, The United Fly Tyers of Rhode Island may be the club for you. Meetings are more like workshops where members share their knowledge on how to tie flys that target both fresh and salt water species. 

The United Fly Tyers of Rhode Island (www.uftri.org) meets at the Knight of Columbus, 475 Sandy Lane, Warwick, R.I. 02889, the first Wednesday of each month, September through May. Call Jeff Perry at 741.0598 or Cindi Chrostek at 871.2332 for more information.

Trout Unlimited July meeting

The Narragansett Chapter of Trout Unlimited (TU225) will host its next meeting on Wednesday, July 27, 2016 at 5:00 p.m. at the Deer Check Station, Rte. 165 (Ten Rod Road), Exeter, RI.  This will be the third of four streamside meetings for this summer.

The primary focus of the meeting will be ‘A Night with RIDEM Conservation Officer Michael DiPietro’.  Officer DiPietro will review important issues from DEM’s perspective with a question and answer period where members can relate how the feel about key issues.  Networking will start at 5:00 p.m., food will be available at 5:30 p.m. and a short meeting will start around 6:00 p.m. followed by the discussion. 

One additional benefit of the summer streamside format is that the sun is still shining when the meeting is adjourned, and anglers have time to fish before the sun goes down. Contact chapter president, Ron Marafioti at (401) 463-6162 with questions.

Where’s the bite

Fresh water fishing has slowed with the heat and warming water.  “Low water levels at the Wood River  reduced fishing activity on the River.” said Kim Petti of Fin & Feather Outfitters, North Kingstown. “Bass fishing for customers has been slow.  When they have been able to catch them they have been down in deeper cooler water as the water is warming up quite a bit.” said Sam Busenbark of Bucko Bait & Tackle, Fall River.

Striped bass fishing remained very strong at Block Island last week with reports of 50 plus pound fish being caught at the southwest ledge.  Capt. Rob Roach of Kettlebottom Outfitters said, “Bunker in Providence River are becoming scattered and hard to locate and game fish are moving out of the Bay and onto South Shore and Bay reefs.  Many inlets are still producing a lot of school to small keeper-sized fish as are the associated salt ponds.  Eels at Block Island are showing good results with many 40 lb+ fish caught lately.” Capt. Frank Blount of the Frances Fleet said, “Last week’s Wednesday Night's bass trip had a full boat limit of bass to 35 pounds by 9:30 p.m. and anglers practiced catch and release fishing thereafter and the boat was still tied up at the dock by midnight… at least a half dozen other bass around 30 pounds that night and many others in the 20's.”  I fished Block Island last week with Josh and Ron Barnes and friends where they caught bass to 46 pounds.  Umbrella rigs and eels seem to be the bait of choice with other methods working too.  Capt. Rick Bellavance of Priority Too charters said, “Striped bass fishing this week switched more to a night time bite on Block Island where anglers are using eels.  Parachute jigs are working well in the day too.”

Bluefish.  Kim Petti of Fin & Feather Outfitters, North Kingstown said, “I was in Jamestown this weekend and small bluefish (and stripers) were being caught by fly fishermen.  Others are doing well in the Quonochontaug area with a decent bluefish bite off Prudence Island in the Bay as well.”  Angler Steve Hamilton and his son Devin caught a 28” bluefish while fluke fishing in the West Passage off the URI Bay Campus in Narragansett.  This fish took a small fluke rig tipped with squid and a silverside.” Sam Busenbark of Bucko Bait & Tackle, said, “The bass have moved out of the Sakonnet River due to the heat but some nice bluefish have moved in.”

Summer flounder (fluke).   Capt. Frank Blount of the Frances Fleet said, “A big body of fish set up along the south side of Block Island and there were numerous angler limits and many fishers who boxed several nice fluke apiece on trips this week. Whole squid, buck tails and regular bait rigs all worked this past week. Best advice is to be prepared for two or three of these fishing strategies and adjust accordingly as the tide/wind conditions dictate.” Sam Busenbark of Bucko Bait & Tackle said, “We had some nice keepers taken at Elbow Ledge last week but fluke fishing activity has been slow.”  “Fluke fishing south of the Block Island is hot… some days it looks like there are 100 boats there.”, said Rick Bellavance of Priority Too charters. I bottom fished three times this week off Jamestown and Newport and had trouble hooking up with summer flounder as they do not seem to be in the area yet, hope is that they arrive this week or next.

Black sea bass and scup fishing is very strong just about everywhere.  Nelson Valles of Maridee Canvas & Bait, Narragansett said, “Scup and black sea bass fishing is very strong from shore off just about every dock, jetty and even from the beaches with a good bluefish bite from shore too.” “Scup fishing has been fantastic with fish being caught from shore at the Stone Bridge, Tiverton all the way up to Fall River from shore as well as in the Gooseberry and Horseneck areas.” said Sam Busenbark of Bucko’s Bait & Tackle.

Tuna fishing offshore locally has been slow.  Tuna fisherman Mike Schreffler said, “There have been no bluefin in close.  Guys are catching them at the Canyons, a 120 mile run, but we are waiting for them to get a bit closer at least to the Fish Tales which is about 70 miles offshore.  So things have been slow off Rhode Island and Cape Cod with some fish being caught up north.  We have heard that some are catching mahi mahi in the Shipping Lanes which is about 50 miles offshore.”

How to land larger fish

  Block Island fluke: Bob Murray (left) of Foster, RI found summer flounder (fluke) to eight plus pounds, when taking Jim Maturo of Hamden, CT fishing last week aboard Skipjack.

 Monster fluke: Brandon Hagopian of Cranston landed this 14 pound, 34 inch summer flounder (fluke) in the East Passage mid July.

First scup of the day: Joe Lamarre (eight years old) of Cranston with a scup caught while fishing with his grandfather and father this weekend off Jamestown.

How to land larger fish

I practice catch and release for most of the fish I catch because I am not interested in keeping them for food.  See below tips for catch and release. But if you are taking fish for food here are some tips on how to land larger fish if you gaff, net or swing them into the boat.

Gaffing large fish (you aim to keep)

I spoke with Capt. Rick Bellavance of Priority Too charters out of Pt. Judith who often takes customers fishing for large striped bass, tuna and sharks said, “If we are going to keep the fish we always gaff the larger striped bass.” 

Although he and his customers often practice catch and release, Capt. Charlie Donilon of Snappa Charters said, “Gaffing is the best way to land a large fish you are going to keep.  Try to get the fish horizontal to the boat so you have a larger target for the gaff and bring the gaff toward the boat.”

Getting the fish horizontal to the boat also gives you a good shot at the best place to gaff the fish which is in its back behind the gill plate. Start your gaffing swing out of the water bringing the gaff towards the vessel and continue the swing after gaffing the fish bringing the fish up, out of the water and into the boat.

Be prepared for a bloody mess when gaffing a fish and the chance that you may destroy some of the best meat on the fish.  Be safe and very careful not to have fellow angler’s arms in the water when gaffing and be sure no one is in the area you are going to start or end your swing..

Swinging fish into the boat

This method is reserved for smaller keeper fish (not catch and release) and can be risky as the fish can get away; particularly at the outer edge of your swing (it may swing right off the hook). Grabbing the leader close (about two feet) from the fish with a glove is important and never grab braid line as it will cut your hand particularly when the weight of a struggling fish is added).

I often use this method when trolling with tube & worm for striped bass or blue fish. I bring the fish as close to the boat as I can and grab the rubber tube… with large fish I take the second hand and grab the fish under the gill plate and lift/swing the fish into the boat. I often use this method when fishing myself with summer founder and tautog but have lost fish in the process.

Make sure no one is the area where you plan to bring the fish over the gunnel and into the boat.  That includes your own leg.  I have punctured my leg with the dorsal fin of striped bass using the method hitting my leg with the fish as it swings into the boat rather that stopping the swing as the fish hits the deck of the boat.

Netting fish a safe bet

I have found netting fish the safest and most effective way to boat a fish but it is often difficult to do when by yourself.  Additionally, netting fish allows you to practice catch and release no matter what species you are targeting.  I have found rubber nets to be most effective in capturing fish (the wet rubber is less abrasive to the fish and better for catch and release) and the rubber avoids time-wasting tangles with tackle, hooks, fish teeth and sharp fins.

Netting tips include leading the fish into the net head first (as I have never seen a fish swim backwards at capture).  Move or swing the net towards the boat.  Netting large fish often becomes a two person job leadering the fish into the net head first and then lifting a large fish in the net out of the water and into the boat.

Make sure the fish is ready

Making sure the fish has given up and is ready to be taken is important.  If the fish is diving downward, making a run, etc. hold off trying to land it as it may not be ready to come in.  However, if you should see a fish surface and sort of roll on its side a bit it is generally ready to land.

Enhance your catch and release efforts

·         Use circle hooks; they successfully hook bass in the mouth (not the gut)

·         Land fish quickly to minimize stress

·         Avoid putting fish on deck and letting it flop around, keep it in the water as much as possible

·         Wet your hand before handling the fish, dry hands remove the fish’s protective slime layer and leave it open to infection

·         Handle fish carefully.  Do not put fingers into gill cavities or eye sockets

·         Gently remove the hook to minimize damage

·         Use lures with single hook, barbless hooks (I snap them off), or circle hooks (as noted above).

·         Return fish to water quickly. Place fish gently in water in upright horizontal position.  Move it back and forth in the water to force water across its gills.  Once revived allow fish to swim away.

New owner at the Tackle Box

Long time Tackle Box employee, Tom Giddings, has purchased the shop from Greg Burning.  Tom said, “It is great to own the Tackle Box. I am keeping things pretty much the same as Greg, the former owner, had things set up pretty good.”  The Tackle Box is located at 443 West Shore Road, Warwick, RI. 

Where’s the bite

Summer flounder (fluke).  Angler Bob Murry on Skipjack reported great fluke fishing off the south side of Block Island on Thursday and Friday of last week.  Bob said, “We caught fish to 8.4 pounds on Thursday and did well on Friday too.” Capt. Frank Blount of the Frances Fleet said, “It was a great week for fluke fishing with one of the best trips in at least the past three or four years last Thursday with everyone on the boat limiting out with eight fish per angler.  Sixty fish were between five and eight pounds.”  Matt Conti of Snug Harbor Marina, South Kingstown, said, “Fishing at the wind farm south of Block Island has been good.  Fishing along the coastal shore has been less productive with some nice fish being taken in 60 to 70 feet of water with smaller fish in the low water.” “Fishing south of the Jamestown Bridge has yielded some large fluke for customers.” said Tom Giddings of the Tackle Box, Warwick.

“Striped bass fishing remains fairly strong on the southwest side of Block Island with fish being taken with eels.  Fishing at night has been better.” said Matt Conti of Snug Harbor Marina.  Tom Giddings of the Tackle Box, said, “Chris Catucci (of Warwick) who works here at the Tackle Box caught a 40 pound striped bass on his kayak fishing top water lures at the mouth of Narrow River last week.  We also have reports of large bass still being caught in the Providence River.” “The striped bass bite off Newport is good.  Anglers are catching them with eels Block Island. Sunday we weighed in a 48 pound Block Island bass.  Anglers are also catching them with ells and trolling tube and worm off Newport using red and orange tubes… the bass bite has slowed greatly in the Bay.” said Manny Macedo of Lucky Bait & Tackle, Warren.

Black sea bass and scup fishing remain strong just about everywhere.  I fished with the Lamarre family (led by eight year old Joe) Saturday and they had no trouble catching a dozen nice keeper scup to 18” on the west side of Jamestown north of the bridge in an hour and half.  Anglers continue to catch their limit (3 fish/angler/day) of black sea bass when fishing for summer flounder.  Capt. Frank Blount of the Frances Fleet said, “The number of black sea bass varied from trip to trip last week but many limits were observed which made a nice compliment to customers fluke fishing.”   “Scup are everywhere and they are large this year.  We weighed in three fish over two pounds.” said Tom Giddings of the Tackle Box.

Manny Macedo of Lucky Bait & Tackle said, “Scup are all over from the Warren River to Independence Park, Bristol as well as Ft. Adams in Newport and Ft. Wetherill, Jamestown.  Shore anglers are doing good and the guys that have boats even better.”  Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle said, “We have a lot of scup bot at Sabin Point and Conimicut Pint with sea robins mixed it.”

“The bluefish bite has been very good in the mid Bay area with large fish being taken at Ohio Ledge, Warwick Light and at Conimicut Light.” said Tom Giddings of the Tackle Box.  “Blues are in the Providence and Seekonk Rivers as well as at Sabin Point and Conimicut Point.” said Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle, Providence.

Offshore.  “The bluefin bite improved last week with a number of fish in the 50” to 60” range being taken at the northwest corner of the Dump and a few school size bluefin in the 27” to 45” range being taken south of Montague.  However the full moon seemed to slow down the yellow fin and big eye bite further off shore.  There were plenty of mako and thresher sharks being caught last week.” said Matt Conti of Snug Harbor Marina.

Fresh water fishing.  “We continue to see an increase interest in carp fishing.  We have had several Barrington residents come in with visitors from Europe wanting the participate in our carp fishery as it has gained in stature thanks to Dave Pickering and others.” said Manny Macedo of Lucky Bait.  “Freshwater fishing has slowed with warming water, it’s like bath water. However, I had two customers catch six largemouth bass at the far end of Brickyard Pond in Barrington using shiners last week.”, said John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait & Tackle, Warren.

Hot Reels takes Tournament with 343 pound thresher

 

Sophia Garzoli and her dad Dave fished outside the Harbor of Refuge, South Kingstown where Sophia landed this 27” striped bass using light tackle.

 Capt. Lois DeFusco (left of fish) of ‘Hot Reels’ took first place thresher with a 343 pound fish at the Snug Harbor Shark Tournament this weekend.  Angler Cody Trostel was on the rod when the fish hit.

Block Island striped bass: Josh Barnes (left) with girlfriend Stephanie from Florida, his father Ron (far right) and friend Steve all caught Block Island bass in July.  

 

Hot Reels takes Tournament with 343 pound thresher

The charter fishing vessel ‘Hot Reels’ captained by Louis DeFusco landed a 343 pound thresher shark to take first place in the thresher category in Snug Harbor Marina’s Shark Tournament this weekend. Angler Cody Trostel was on the rod when the fish hit.   Paul Warner on ‘Bull Dog’ took second place with a 225 pound thresher and Ryan Napolitano ‘Knot Reel Teeth’ took first place in the mako category with a 157 pound fish.

Elisa Cahill of Snug Harbor Marina said, “We had a great turnout even though the weather was not the greatest.  We had 47 boats participate in the Tournament and everyone had a good time.”  The tournament took place July 9 and 10^th and concluded with a cookout after weigh-in closed at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday.

Proceeds from the tournament go the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association and the Recreational Fishing Alliance.

 

DEM Arrests three for failure to fin clip striped bass

 The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) Division of Law Enforcement announced the arrest of Chad W. Braga, age 31, of Swansea, Massachusetts and Brandon DeFaria, age 34, of Rehoboth, Massachusetts. The two men, charged with failure to fin clip striped bass found in their possession as required by law, were fishing recreationally out of Galilee. Braga and DeFaria are scheduled to be arraigned in 4th Division District Court on Wednesday, July 27. The seized fish were donated to local charity, Amos House.

 

Last month, Michael A. Saviano, age 35, of Warren was arrested at the Independent Park Boat Ramp in Bristol on fin-clipping violations. The arrest was the first since Rhode Island enacted fin-clipping regulations earlier this year. He will be arraigned in 6th Division Court on July 22.

 

"The striped bass fishery is an important one in Rhode Island. And preserving it and all our marine resources are responsibilities we take very seriously," said DEM Director Janet Coit. "These regulations are the latest step in our efforts to thwart illegal fishing practices in Rhode Island. I am extremely proud of our DEM Division of Law Enforcement and the commitment and professionalism our officers demonstrate every day in responding to illegal activity and bringing the people responsible to justice."

 

In April, DEM enacted regulations to help prevent the illegal harvest and sale of Atlantic striped bass; the rules require recreational anglers to clip the right pectoral fin of striped bass 34 inches or larger at the time of harvest. Complementary dealer regulations make it unlawful for a licensed dealer to purchase and/or offer for sale any striped bass with the right pectoral fin removed. Braga and DeFaria, who holds a Massachusetts commercial fishing license with a striped bass endorsement, were found with six striped bass meeting the clipping requirement.

 

Saviano, who also holds a Massachusetts commercial fishing license with a striped bass endorsement, was found with two striped bass. All men were apprehended as part of DEM striped bass enforcement patrols.

 

Newport International Boat Show announces partners

Newport Exhibition Group, owners and producers of the Newport International Boat Show which is taking place September 15^th to 18^th on Newport Harbor, announced today its sponsorship program for this year’s show.

“Our attendees come from all over the globe and represent a sophisticated demographic with varying life and boating styles,” said Nancy Piffard, show director of Newport Exhibition Group. “We make every effort to improve their experience by partnering with companies that share our goals. This year’s sponsors are exceptional and we are really looking forward to September.”

Current sponsors include Celebrity Cruises, Centreville Bank, Dockwa, Harbor Town Wine, Harpoon Beer, Helly Hanson, Hendricks Gin, Karma Wellness Water, Lipton Pure Leaf Collection, Polar Beverage, Sea Bags, Sebago and Sobieski Vodka.

 

Where’s the bite

Fresh water fishing has been OK.  Angler Harold Hemberger said, “Fished the pond located in the Buck Hill Management Area today (Sunday) in Burrillville.  It was all pickerel all day.  I caught six pickerel on a red & white daredevil spoon.  I was there for about three hours.  The faster I fished the spoon the more hits it generated.”  John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait & Tackle, Riverside said, “Things seemed to have slowed a bit for freshwater customers however Stump Pond is producing bass for some customers and a nice carp was caught at Brickyard Pond.”

Striped bass fishing was good this week at Block Island with fish being taken with eels and trolling umbrella rigs, tube & worm and parachute jigs.  I fished Block Island with Ron and Josh Barnes and friends Monday, they caught striped bass to 46 pounds trolling umbrella rigs.  The early morning bite was very active. Many Macedo of Lucky Bait & Tackle, Warren said, “We sold a lot of eels to anglers fishing Block Island.  And, there are still a lot of school bass in the 24” to 25” range in the Bay.”  John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait & Tackle, Riverside said, “ We had two nice fish a 36” and a 31” striped bass caught from shore at Sabin’s Point this weekend right at dusk.”  Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle, Providence said, “Striped bass are still being caught in the Mid and Upper Bay with a good bite off Newport.” Elisa Cahill of Snug Harbor Marina, South Kingstown said, “Stipend bass fishing is a bit spotty.  However, the best bite now seems to be with eels on the southwest side of Block Island.” Neil Hayes of Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle, North Kingstown said, “Anglers are using eels to catch bass at on Block Island’s southwest side and some are trolling tube & worm and umbrella rigs. The shore bite is now a night game with anglers doing well in the Narraganset and Jamestown areas.”

“Summer flounder (fluke) fishing has been very good at the mouth of the Sakonnet and at Ft. Adams Newport with anglers limiting out.” said Many Macedo of Lucky Bait & Tackle. Anglers are generally limiting on black sea bass too (3 fish/person/day, 15” minimum size) as they fish for summer flounder (8 fish/person/day, 18” minimum size).  Neil Hayes of Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle said, “Fluke fishing around the Newport and Jamestown Bridges has been pretty good as well as along the southern coastal shore.” Patty Ferrara of Ray’s Bait & Tackle, Warwick said, “Fishing for fluke south of the Jamestown and Newport Bridges has been very good for customers.”  Capt. Frank Blount of the Frances Fleet said “Boat limits of big sea bass on full day trips were caught this week with varying numbers of nice size fluke mixed in. Some better numbers of big fluke later in the week with Friday and Saturday by far the best days with Saturday’s biggest fish weighing in at nine pounds.”  Riley Cahill caught a 5.7 pound fluke Monday fishing off the center wall of the Harbor of Refuge with her uncle.  Elisa Cahill of Snug Harbor Marina said, “Fluke fishing on the southeast and southwest sides of Block Island is very good with fish being caught along the southern coastal shore too with black see bass mixed in.  There are also a lot of bluefish in the area.”

Scup fishing has exploded in the Bay and along the coastal shore.  “Huge scup are being caught at Portsmouth, Bristol and Tiverton.” said Dave Henault of Ocean Stale Tackle. “Things are off the wall with scup. A customer caught eight nice scup at Colt State Park.” said John Littlefield of Archie’s.    “16” and 17” scup are being caught at Independence Park, under the Mt. Hope Bridge and at Colt State Park.” said Manny Macedo of Lucky Bait.

Mike thinks like a fish

 Mike Swain with one of the many striped bass he has caught in the Conimicut Light area this year.

 Fish in the box: Paul Bertelli took brother-in-law Jim Pontarelli and nephew Will (both of Narragansett) fishing this weekend and hooked them up with these summer flounder off Matunuck.

Matthew Garstka of Central Falls weighed in this 13.44 pound fluke caught off Block Island at Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle. 

Mike thinks like a fish

What time do you fish?  Where are you fishing this this week? Are you leaving the dock at 5:00 a.m. or 6:00 a.m.?  These are the questions Mike Swain of Coventry hears often as angler acquaintances try to figure out what he is doing right to catch such large striped bass, summer flounder and other species. 

Mike works at Electric Boat, Quonset Point, but fishing is his passion.  It is in his genes.  His Dad fished commercially and recreationally for years and he learned a lot from him.

To catch fish consistently in Narragansett Bay and along coastal shores, you have to learn from your experiences, the patterns fish have followed over the years and start to think like a fish.  Mike Swain has done this.

To think like a fish you have to consider a lot of variables including the forage fish stripers eat.  What brings the type of food striped bass eat (and the striped bass) to a particular spot includes variables such as the spawning season of forage fish, water temperature and depth, current and tide and time of day.  Mike combines these factors with his historical fishing experiences to think like a fish.  He shows up waiting for the striped bass with the type of bait or food they are eating.

Mike then puts in the time to catch fish. “We fished all day for two fish.” said Mike as we talked about striped bass fishing in the upper Bay a couple of weeks ago.  The fish caught were in the high twenty pound range, which for some are lifetime trophy fish and/or their personal best. 

Mike and his fishing partner Jay Anctil (also of Coventry) have caught dozens of striped bass many in the 15, 20 and 30 pound range this season with one of his largest being caught last week topping 36 pounds. These are large fish for the Bay and he has caught fish like this year after year. 

Two years ago I had the privilege of fishing with Mike.  We fished on his boat his way… with the freshest bait possible,  moving from place to place fishing where the bass have appeared in the past… trying to think like a fish and being patient waiting for them to bite.

Atlantic menhaden, either live lining them or fishing with cut-up chunks, is his bait of choice this time of year for striped bass.  This Saturday Mike called me while on the water, “Hey Dave I am fishing just north of you (in the East passage) and can’t revive a fish.  He came to the boat and we chatted.  He and his fishing partner Jay had caught two fish in the 25 to 30 pound range.

Mike has a nose for bass, a nose for fish in general.  Once the bass fishing slows in the upper Bay he moves to the mid and lower Bay fishing favorite spots around Prudence Island, Hope Island and Jamestown.  He then puts his summer flounder (fluke) game face on and finds them wherever they are including Warwick, North Kingstown, Jamestown, Newport, Narragansett and more.  

“You just have to put the time in.” said Mike.  And yes, think like a fish to find and catch striped bass and other fish consistently.

Where’s the bite

Striped bass fishing remained good in the Bay but anglers have to first find the fish and work to catch them.  On Block Island the bass bite dramatically improved last week.  Capt. Rick Bellavance of Priority Too Charters, Pt. Judith said, “We are starting to catch some nice fish at Block Island both at the North Rip and Southwest Ledge area.  There seem to be a lot of small scup in the water so we have been using silver spoons with success.”  With high winds anglers have not been able to get out the past couple of days but shore anglers are doing well.  Christian Silvia of Watch Hill Outfitters, Westerly said, “There is a good bass bite all along the southern coastal shore.  Anglers are catching fish in the 30” range at the mouth of the Pawcatuck River and at Napatree Point.  Fishing up the River has slowed.” Manny Macedo of Lucky Bait & Tackle, Warren said, “Anglers had a slow day or two but the bass bite overall has been tremendous with anglers catching fish all along the coast in the East passage from shore and from boats.  This week we weighed in a 32 pound fish caught off Colt State Park.” Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle, Providence said, “Molly Romanco was fishing with boyfriend Cody Trostel and caught a 30 pound striped bass using live pogies and anglers in the Pawtucket Division Street and Parent’s Marina area are catching large bass too.” Bass fishing expert Mike Swain of Coventry said, “We caught striped bass to 27 pounds in the upper Providence River last week and this weekend we landed multiple fish in the mid thirty pound range, our largest was 45” (about 36 pounds) in the East Passage.  We were spotting some very large fish. It was a great week for striped bass fishing in the Bay and River.”   John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait & Tackle Riverside said, “Things slowed in the upper Rivers this week with a lot of activity moving further south to Nayatt Point, Rocky Point and Colt State Park.  One customer caught a 36 inch fish from Sabin Point.  It was a short fish, but it was very fat, it must have had 15 pogies in its belly.”

Summer flounder (fluke).  Jim Pontarelli of Narragansett (and his son Will) fished with brother-in-law Paul Bertelli for fluke off Matunuck this weekend.  Jim said, “We got several around 20 inches but had many just under the limit. A lot of throw backs.”  Mike Bestwick of Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle said “Customer Matt Garstka of Central Falls weighed in a 13.4 pound, 29.5” fluke Saturday that he caught while fishing off Block Island.”  Bruce Lawing reports on the RISAA blog a good fluke bite on the west side of Block Island.  Mike said, “We fished four hours and had a 50/50 short to keeper ratio with our largest fish just over four pounds.”  Angler Rick Sustello and his wife fished off the southern coastal shore in a couple of favorite spots from 40 to 60 feet of water.  Rick said, “We returned with eight keeper fluke with five of them between 22 and 24 inches and two slab scup about 15”.   “Capt. B.J. Silvia of Flippin’ Out Charters is reporting a good fluke bite around Jamestown and Newport.” said Dave Henault of Ocean State. Capt. Frank Blount of the Frances Fleet said, “Quite a few big fish this past week. Biggest fish of the week was an 11 pound fish caught last Thursday along with other fish in the 6-8 pound range. There seems to be respectable amounts of fluke just about everywhere but the amount of bait around is staggering and the fluke seem well fed which can lead to them being wary about taking an angler's offerings. It is more of a finesse fishery lately.”

Freshwater fishing is still very good.  Trout are being caught in ponds restocked by the State of RI (visit www.dem.ri.gov for a complete list).  A variety of other species are also being caught by anglers.  Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle said, “Freshwater bass fishing is excellent and are being landed on heavy medium shiners.  Stump Pond and Turner Reservoir have been good. Trout fishing has been good at Olney Pond in Lincoln Woods.”

Fishing tournament for visually impaired

 Barry Gootkind of Narragansett with the 11.1 pound summer flounder he caught on the Seven B’s last Friday.

 Brandon Hagopian caught this 43 pound, 47” striped bass this week as fishing intensified in the upper Bay.

 Ken Blanchard and family fished the Providence River with Capt. Jack Sprengel of East Coast Charters and landed this bass on a live pogie last week.

Dawn McWilliams of Ithaca, NY caught her first Narragansett Bay striped bass last week, shown with Capt. Dave Monti.

Fishing tournament for visually impaired

The RI Lions Sight Foundation (RILSF) will be hosting their 9th Annual Fishing Tournament for Visually Impaired Persons (VIPs) on June 26^th aboard the Frances Fleet party boat in Galilee, RI.

The half-day tournament is free to the VIP’s and their guides and includes gifts, breakfast and the half-day of fishing from 8:00 a.m. to noon.  The fishing tournament will be followed by lunch and an awards ceremony at the Hanks’ Down South restaurant.  The three top winners will be eligible to represent Rhode Island at the Lions National VIP Fishing Tournament held on the Outerbanks of North Carolina.

There are over 2,500 visually impaired persons in Rhode Island so organizers are urging readers to please pass along information on this opportunity. For information and forms visit http://www.lions4sight.org/fish.htm or call Ken Barthelemy at 401.529.6173.

Striped bass fishing continues to improve

Live lining or fishing with chunks of Atlantic menhaden, day or night, has been the bait of choice for striped bass.

Angler Ken Blanchard Jr. said, ”We caught four nice stripers with Capt. Jack Sprengel of Warwick on East Coast Characters in the twenty pound range and one nearly thirty pounds fishing with my brothers and nephew last Friday.  We left Greenwich Marina at 5:30 a.m. and went up the Providence River.  We located the bait, snagged Atlantic menhaden and then live lined them.  We had our limit by 8:30 a.m.”

Angler Mike Swain of Coventry said, “We caught striped bass to 27 pounds in the upper Providence River this weekend and did well on Monday.” Patti Ferrara of Ray’s Bait & Tackle, Warwick, said, “Striper fishing is very good.  This weekend customers were catching stripers with chucks of Atlantic menhaden off Prudence Island at Providence Point.”  The East Passage of the Bay has been where all the action has been.  Additionally, fishing in the Mt. Hope Bay has been good.  Angler Travis Barao of East Providence said this weekend, “We left the Mt. Hope Bay area and saw over twenty boats fishing for striped bass at the Bridge.”

One of the largest fish this week was caught by Brandon Hagopian which was a 43 pound, 47” striped bass.

Capt. Rick Bellavance of Priority Too Charters, Pt. Judith said, “We are starting to catch some nice fish at Block Island both at the North Rip and Southwest Ledge area.  There seem to be a lot of small scup in the water so we have been using silver spoons with success.”

Noted local fly fisherman, Ed Lombardo said, “We have been fishing the Barrington River for the last week and a half and there are plenty of striped bass but they are small fish but are a lot of fun on a 6 wt. or 7wtl fly rod. Dark olive and black flies work very well because the number of mummichogs in the River. One bass was a nice 19” fish, big for what we have been getting at the Narrow River, Barrington and other rivers.  My records show that this month, June things should change the larger fish should be entering these River systems.”

Fly fish Aquidneck Island by train

On Saturday, June 4^th, 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. the Fly Fishing Express take anglers to fish on Aquidneck Island. The train will leave from 710 Anthony Road, Portsmouth and head toward Newport stopping at hard to get to places to fish.  The train stops for lunch and then more fly fishing in the afternoon.  The cost is $15.  Register with Kim Sullivan at 401-539-0037 or email her at  Kimberly.sullivan@dem.ri.gov.

National Seminar Series moves to Taunton

This season’s 30th Annual Salt Water Sportsman National Seminar Series in New England will be held in Taunton, Massachusetts.  The Seminar Series brings decades of experience and expertise to eight of the most active and engaged fishing communities in the country and this year the Taunton area will be one of them.

As the nation’s longest-running educational program on recreational marine fishing tactics, the series covers the how-tos and where-tos of catching gamefish. Every seminar is hosted by George Poveromo, host of “World of Saltwater Fishing” on NBC Sports, with the help of local fishing experts and captains.

Each seminar is five hours and covers a variety of tailored topics relevant to the regional fishing environment, including weather conditions, controlled-depth fishing, tools and technology, and the effects of tides and temperature on fish. The series employs a team-teaching concept, where four experts take the stage for each session.

The first seminar is scheduled for January 7 in Fort Myers, Florida and the session in our region is scheduled for March 4 in Tauton, Massachusetts.

Where’s the bite

Striped bass fishing remains strong in the Bay with fish getting larger.  Bass bite is starting on Block Island and fish continue to be landed along the southern coastal shore. See above column.

Fluke fishing was mixed last week with rough seas and turbid water.  As the water clears and warms the bite is expected to improve and move closer to shore.  The Frances Fleet reported a fair fluke bite last week.  Capt. Frank Blount said, “Fishing OK for this time of year considering that water temperatures are still not ideal due to the cool spring weather.” Fish being caught are close to shore along the coastal shore where the water is lower and warmer.  Patti Ferrara of Ray’s Bait said, “Fluke are being caught in the Jamestown Bridge area this weekend.”  I made a test run for fluke off Newport, Jamestown and the Newport Bridge area and did not hook up early this week but did manage to catch and release some nice black sea bass in the process.  Eric Duda reported on the RISAA blogg that he fished the Sakonnet River this weekend for fluke.  Duda said, “ We caught four fluke… a 17.5”, 18” and two 19” fish along with six keeper seabass were released because they are out of season and scup to nearly two pounds.  Most fish were caught in 20 to 30 feet of water.”

Squid fishing last week was slow with dirty water but reports over the weekend were expected to improve and they did as the water cleared and warmed up a bit.  I fished the Frances Fleet for squid with the RI Saltwater Anglers group Saturday night and caught about 12 squid which was about the average on the boat with some angler catching a lot more and some less.

Freshwater fishing improved over the weekend at waterways restocked with trout by the Department of Environmental Management.  Visit www.dem.ri.gov for a list of ponds that have been restocked. Angler Harold Hemberger said, “I fished the Curran Reservoir off Seven Mile Road in Cranston on Saturday. I caught seven largemouth bass - all on top water lures.  I saw several people fishing from shore doing well catching some fairly large trout.”