Tautog tips, great cod and fresh water bite and top NOAA administrator visits Rhode Island

Henry Fisette of Coventry caught this catfish and a 19.13 pound carp last week at Lake Tiogue, Coventry.

Matt Mull (bottom) of Saunderstown, RI and Mike Casey of Danbury, CT caught these 20 pound cod fish last weekend while aboard the charter boat Drifter (Capt. Rich Chatowsky) out of Snug Harbor, RI.

Tautog tips, great cod and fresh water bite and top NOAA administrator visits Rhode Island

The Tautog bite improved last weekend in the east Bay and Mt. Hope Bay and heated up in the west Bay this week. I fished the jetty at Coddington Cove in Middletown Saturday and caught one keeper and two smalls on an outgoing tide. This Tuesday Ken Landry of Ray’s Bait & Tackle, Warwick, said, “The tautog are in. We fished Hope Island and caught six nice fish in one and a half hours. The largest was seven pounds.” Dave Henault, of Ocean State Tackle, Providence, reports anglers catching big tautog in the east Bay… a seven pound tautog caught in the Barrington River at the bridge and a nine pound tautog caught on the Warren River. Tautog bite will improve for the spring so get ready. Here are six tips to keep in mind.

1. Find structure to find tautog. Tautog can be fished from shore or boat and in both cases they like structure (rocks, wrecks, bridge piers, dock pilings, holes along the coast, etc. )

2. Fish where the fish are. This is particularly true with tautog because they are a territorial species, you have to find the tautog, they are not going to find you. So if you get no bites, move to another spot.

3. Green crabs are the bait of choice in the fall, however, in the spring clam worms and clams work well as the tautog seem to like soft baits. When using crabs make it easy for the tautog to bite and take the bait. Break off claws and legs, cut the crab in half and hook it through one leg socket and out another.

4. 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.” On the second or third tap I raise the rod up firmly feeling 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 in not able to run for cover.

5. Use braid line with little drag. Braid line allows you to feel the fish tap. Monofilament line will stretch allowing the fish to run for cover.

6. Where to fish for Tautog. From shore look for rocky coastline like Beavertail Point on Jamestown, locations off Newport and off breakwater rock walls at South County beaches. From a boat, I have had good luck at Plum Point light house next to the Jamestown Bridge, the rock wall north of Coddington Cove in Portsmouth, off Hope Island, around Brenton Reef in Newport, Whale Rock, Ohio Ledge in the East Passage and any other place there is structure, debris, rock clusters, wrecks, etc.

Report on Rhode Island’s Ports: “Opportunities for Growth”
The RI Bays, Rivers, and Watersheds Coordination Team (BRWCT) last week released an assessment of development opportunities for Rhode Island’s three major port areas, Providence, Davisville and Newport. The purpose of the report is to provide a review of Rhode Island’s existing port infrastructure, the marine cargo market of the U.S. Atlantic seaboard, and, based upon those analyses, recommend port investments with the greatest potential to bolster job creation and grow the State’s maritime economy.

The report confirms that the auto imports/exports sector, which has made substantial gains at the Port of Davisville, as well as ProvPort, has continued growth potential. It identifies growth opportunities in break bulk imports (perishables). It cautions that the scale and timing of the expansion of port facilities to support offshore wind facility development depend primarily upon successful power purchase agreements being struck between wind farm developers and electric utilities. Finally, it reviews the challenges to developing infrastructure in the Newport Harbor area that could inspire growth in cruise ship visits to Newport. An executive summary of the full report is available for download from the BRWCT website: http://www.coordinationteam.ri.gov/.

DEM announces free fishing days May 7 and 8
The Department of Environmental Management announces that Saturday, May 7 and Sunday, May 8 are free fishing days in Rhode Island. During those two days, all Rhode Islanders and visitors can fish in freshwaters without a fishing license or trout conservation stamp.
Anglers will have an opportunity to catch a prized Golden Rainbow trout on Saturday, May 7 during a fishing tournament sponsored by DEM’s Division of Fish & Wildlife at Little Round Top and Big Round Top Ponds in Burrillville. DEM’s hatchery staff will stock the Rhode Island hatchery-raised Golden Rainbow trout at these two fishing access areas for the event, and prizes will be awarded to the lucky anglers who catch a Golden Rainbow. There will also be loaner fishing rods and bait available.

Eric Schwab, one of NOAA’s chief fisheries administrators, visits Rhode Island
Eric Schwab, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) assistant administrator for fisheries was in Rhode Island last week to review a recent study conducted on inter agency/council cooperation between groups studying and managing fisheries in the Northeast. Groups studied included the NE Fisheries Management Council (NEFMC), the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) and NOAA’s Northeast Regional Office (NER). The idea of the study was to identify ways the groups can work together more efficiently, effectively with cooperation as a priority.

Rick Bellavance, president of the Rhode Island Party & Charter Boat Association said, “... it is very important for the industry to get the opportunity to have meaningful conversations with Mr. Schwab … Eric relayed a commitment on behalf of NOAA to follow through with the review recommendations and to continue to look for ways to improve the relationship between NOAA, NMFS and the Industry. “

Where’s the bite
Fresh water bite is very strong. Last week Henry Fisette of Coventry, RI caught a 19.13 pound carp in Lake Tiogue, Coventry using his home made chick pea scented bait. He followed this with a 9 pound cat fish and several trout he caught in the Pawtucket River in Coventry. Chris Catucci of Warwick found Lake Tiogue hot for bass fishing using jigs slowly retrieved or dead sticking a Senko. Chris’s gear included Eagle Claw Hooks a Wright and McGill fishing rod.
Tautog bite improved this week as mentioned above. Scott Bianco reports catching three keepers with little effort in Mt. Hope Bay.
Striped bass bite is on. Anglers along coastal shores in RI report catching striped bass with keepers mixed in with school bass. Reports on the RISAA blog of anglers in Saunderstown catching keeper stripers on clam works as they fished for tautog.
Cod fishing was great this weekend off RI. Matt Mull of Jamestown, RI reports catching a boatload of Cod at the Southeast Fishing Grounds on the charter boat Drifter (Capt. Rich Chatowsky) out of Snug Harbor, RI Saturday. After a couple of hours of fishing he, his friend Mike Casey from Danbury, CT and the rest of the party limited out. A dozen fish over 20 pounds were caught with very few throw backs.