Hillary Kenyon of Groton, CT attends
mate school run by Capt. Charlie Donilon of Snappa Charters.
Atlantic menhaden regulations get attention
This Monday a workshop was held at
the URI Bay Campus to review the stock status and proposed regulations on Atlantic
menhaden, regulations pertaining to lobster, crabs and other crustations as
well as commercial gill net regulations.
It was a proposed option to reduce
the commercial threshold in the Narragansett Bay Atlantic menhaden management
area that got the attention of recreational anglers. An Atlantic menhaden
industry proposal for the Bay management reduced the Narraganset Bay biomass trigger
form the 1.5 to 2-million pound range to 1.0 to 1.5-million pounds (a 500,000
pound reduction). The proposal would
open the Bay management area to commercial fishing when there are 500,000
pounds less of Atlantic menhaden in the Bay.
Presently, the biomass is assessed by air with trained pilots counting
the number of schools and fish in the Bay on a regular basis. The management area in the Bay opens and
closes depending on the number of fish in the Bay compared to the biomass
threshold.
An industry spokesperson said,
“This proposal was made to keep our boats in the area as last year with the Bay
open and closed it was difficult to keep them in the area to commercially fish
when the Bay was open.”
Steve Medeiros, president of the RI
Saltwater Anglers Association, said, “The Narraganset Bay Atlantic menhaden
plan is working well. We spent a number of years trying to work something out
for the commercial fishery and leave enough biomass in the water as forage fish
and the recreational fishery. So why change the program now.”
Other workshop highlights included
a discussion on new proposed regulations for Johan and Atlantic rock
crabs. Johan crab regulations being
suggested by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) where
proposed for Rhode Island. Fishermen
expressed concern about the regulations not taking into consideration the
uniqueness of the crab fishery in RI and tying it to lobster fishery
regulations. Others felt the new
proposed regulations did not consider the uniqueness of the RI State
fishery. New proposals are expected to
surface in time for the March 23 public hearing when all of the above
regulating will be offered for public comment.
Quahog Week is next
week
As part of a continued effort to support growth of the local
food economy, Governor Gina Raimondo and First Gentleman Andy Moffit, along
with state and food-industry leaders, will kick off Rhode Island’s first Quahog
“Restaurant” Week on Monday, March 21, 2016 during a special launch event at
Save the Bay.
For more information about Quahog Week and for a list of
participating restaurants and events, visit www.seafoodri.com or like the Quahog Week page on Facebook.
Join the conversation in social media by tagging the Facebook page or
@RhodeIslandDEM on Twitter; share recipes, quahogging stories, and/or favorite
restaurants and quahog dishes.
Mate school
Capt. Charlie Donilon of Snappa Charters, Pt. Judith will be
kicking off his second make school on
April 2nd and 9th with six hour long in classroom
sessions at Centerville Commons, 875 Centerville Road, Warwick, Bld. 2, Suite
5. The school will culminate with an on
the water practicum aboard the charter fishing vessel the Snappa the week of May 7th. The cost of the school is $195. Interested
students should contact Capt. Donilon at 401.487.9044 or snappacharters@cox.net.
“We hope to place as many as ten
students this year with summer jobs aboard party and charter boats. And a new twist, we will be offering a scholarship
for the program through a local technical high school. It will likely take the form of an easy
contest.” said Donilon. Contact Capt. Donilon for details on the scholarship program.
Mate School teaches students who
want to be mates on charter and party boats how to prepare the vessel to fish,
how to take care of and prepare fishing gear, how to teach customers how to
fish, how to treat customers and much more.
The program as it is designed now includes two six hour in-classroom
sessions and a five hours on a trip aboard Capt. Donilon’ s charter fishing
vessel the “Snappa”. Additional on the job training would occur
aboard the Snappa or on another
charter boat when you are hired. Mate School aims is to introduce students to
what it is like to be a mate and what is expected of them as a mate on a
charter or party fishing boat.
Where’s the bite
Fresh water fishing exploded this week with anglers catching largemouth
bass, while perch and pickerel in fresh water ponds and lakes. John
Migliori caught his firs freshwater bass in Big Pond in Newport last week using
a Shadeycreek lure. Dave Henault of
Ocean State Tackle, Providence said, “Fishing picked up nicely this week in
area ponds. Customers are catching white perch in the Turner Reservoir,
Riverside using crappie jigs and worms.
The largemouth and pickerel bite is good in northern Rhode Island Ponds. Narrow River is yielding white perch as well
as hold over striped bass north of Middle Bridge.” John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait &
Tackle, Riverside said, “Freshwater fishing is hot. I sold out of shiners and
worms this weekend. Customers are catching largemouth and pickerel at Stump
Pond using shiners and earth worms.” Mike Wade of Watch Hill Outfitters,
Westerly, said, “We missed out on an ice fishing season due to warm weather but
customers are starting freshwater bass in Chapman’s Pond. But most are getting their gear ready for the
start of trout season.”
Striped bass fishing for hold-over fish is outstanding in Connecticut
rivers. Dave Henault said, “Fish to 32” are
being caught with anglers using weighted jig heads.” John Littlefield of Archie’s said, “Customers
are catching hold-over striped bass to 20 pounds in the Connecticut rivers. However,
the bite in the Providence River for hold-over striped bass has not been good
this year.”
Bait and seals have been in Narraganset Bay and in our coves in unusually
large numbers the past couple of weeks.
Ken Ferrara of Ray’s Bait & Tackle, Warwick said, “The peanut bunker
(juvenile Atlantic menhaden) never left Apponaug Cover this winter.” The bait along with herring is now populating
the cove with seals feeding on the bait.
John Littlefield said, “Quahogers in the Conimicut Point area said seals
are crashing schools of herring creating a lot of jumping and splashing action
on the surface.”
Cod fishing has picked up with improving weather. Frank Blount of the Francis Fleet said, “We saw much better numbers of
nice green market cod and a lot of short cod as well. The fish seemed to be
spread out over a fair size area as well. One trip we had some nice ling and a
Pollock mixed in as well as few early spring sea bass which were released
unharmed immediately. On a few days hi hooks had upwards to 5-8 keepers apiece
and the majority of fishers left with enough cod for dinner.”
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