How to catch larger fluke

 Winning bass: Jude Monti of Warwick with the 14.5 pound striped bass that took first place in the Youth Division of the ‘Fishing for Fibromyalgia Striped Bass Tournament'.

No Fluke:  Steve Brustein of West Warwick with a 26” fluke he caught Sunday coming out of the deep water trench at Austin Hollow, Jamestown.

How to catch larger fluke

Anglers are catching a lot of summer flounder (fluke) but the fish are undersized. In Rhode Island the minimum size is 19”, six fish/person/day, and in Massachusetts the minimum size is 17”, five fish/person/day.

Mike Cardinal of Misquamicut Bait & Tackle said, “Fluke fishing along the southern coastal shore is tough, anglers are catching plenty of small fish but not a lot of keepers.  It’s about 30 shorts to one keeper.”  Michael Callahan of Red Top Sporting Goods, Buzzards Bay said, “Fluke fishing has been difficult in Buzzards Bay but things are improving a bit for anglers with larger fish.”

Most all of the large fluke we have caught on my charter boat have been on edges or in deeper water this time of year.  Summer flounder look into the current to ambush bait fish, and the larger ones like to use edges for cover.  What I mean by edges is bottom structure such as reefs, channel edges, flat areas at the foot of jetties, open sandy spaces between bottom structure, the edges of underwater valleys, etc. 

Another important factor is water movement.  When water is warm in August fish often can be found in deeper water and/or water that is moving and tossing around bait such as bridge abutments, jetty and channel edges, etc.

I also like to use a large bait to catch larger fluke and often tip my squid rig with squid, silversides or spearing and often add a piece of fluke belly.  I do not catch as many fish with this rig but the fish we do catch are larger.

Search ‘larger fluke’ when you visit my blog at www.noflukefishing.blogspot.com for tips from the experts on how to catch larger fluke.

Favorite Places to catch fluke

• Channel breaks in and around Warwick Neck light

• Channel breaks and edges around the Jamestown and Newport bridges

• Drop off areas on the North West corner of Dutch Island

• Underwater valley off the southeast side of Dutch Island

• Areas off URI’s Bay Campus

• Austin’s Hollow (an underwater valley) off the west side of Jamestown

• Beavertail in deep water off the west side

• Southern Rhode Island coastal beaches… Watch Hill, Charlestown, in front of the five cottages, etc.

• The center wall of the Harbor of Refuge

• Newport at any number of deep water brakes off Seal Ledge and Brenton Reef, often 80’ of water

• At the mouth of Hull and Mackerel Coves off Jamestown at the drop-offs

• Off Block Island… the North Rip, Cow Cove on the north end, along the State beach on the east side, the south side of the Island in and around the wind farm area, the East Grounds, three miles off Block Island

Jude Monti takes Tournament youth division

Jude Monti, age 12 of Warwick, took the Youth Division of the first annual ‘Fishing for Fibromyalgia Striped Bass Tournament’ with a 14.5 pound striped bass.  Mike Mcgee took first place in the kayak division.

Organizer Richard Geldard said, “The Tournament (which was held July 20) was sponsored by Snug Harbor Marina, On The Water Magazine and Massachusetts General Hospital. “

Jenn Monti, Jude Monti’s mother said, “My husband (Jimmy) signed Jude up at the last minute when they were buying bait that Friday.  He was so excited to win. There is nothing he would rather win a trophy for!”  Richard Geldard said, “We had 24 entries, a good start for a tournament we plan to hold annually.”

Where’s the bite?

Summer flounder (fluke) fishing remained mixed this week with some large fish being taken but anglers had to work for them.  Capt. Frank Blount of the Frances Fleet said, “The fluke fishing has really been a toss of the coin, good fishing one drift and then nothing on the next. The beginning of the week saw the best action with fluke to 10 pounds.”  On Sunday Steve Brustein of West Warwick caught a 26” fluke on the north end of Austin Hollow, Jamestown coming out of the 70 foot trench in 38 feet of water. Tom Giddings of the Tackle Box, Warwick said, “We had a 25” fish caught off Prudence Island last weekend.”  Mike Cardinal of Misquamicut Bait & Tackle said, “Fluke fishing along the southern coastal shores is tough, anglers are catching plenty of small fish but not a lot of keepers.  It’s about 30 shorts to one keeper.”

Striped bass fishing has been mixed.  Many reports of school bass in lower Narragansett Bay area with keepers mixed in.  “We weighed in a 25 and a 28 pound striped bass this weekend caught in the Gould Island to Prudence Island area.” said John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait & Tackle, Riverside.  Tom Giddings of the Tackle Box, Warwick, said, “This weekend we had customers travel to Block Island and caught no bass, yet when they returned to Narragansett Bay they hooked up with school bass (some keepers mixed in) at the Jamestown Bridge.  Fishing at Block Island has been good.  Mike Cardinal of Misquamicut Bait & Tackle said, “They are hooking up with many large fish, almost too many in my book. Fishing from shore, particularly at the breachways has been good.  A lot of school bass with keepers mixed in.”  Neil Hayes of Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle said, “Striped bass fishing at Block Island is very good.  Anglers continue to catch fish at night and during the day with eels and on the troll as well.  Shore anglers are catching keeper striped bass too with Brenton Reef yielding fish but nothing like Block Island.”

Black sea bass and scup.  “Scup fishing is good.  Customers are catching 15” fish in the Bay and the black sea bass bite has been good.  Very large sea bass off Pt. Judith Light.” said Tom Giddings of the Tackle Box.  John Littlefield said, “We have had a lot of scup caught at Sabin Point and Colt State Park with balck sea bass being caught at Colt State Park.  For some reason the black sea bass do not travel to the upper Providence River areas.”

“Freshwater fishing customers are crushing it.” said Tom Giddings of the Tackle Box.  “The largemouth bass bite has been very good.  Anglers are finding success with top water lures early morning and at dusk, and are fishing a bit deeper during the day when water is warm.” said Giddings.  Neil Hayes of Quaker Lane said, “The small and largemouth bass bite has been very good.  Indian Lake (South Kingstown) is yielding fish for customers.” John Littlefield said, “We weighted in a 5.5 pound largemouth last week.”

Lots new at the Newport Boat Show

Steve Brustein of Portland, ME with a 30 pound Block Island striped bass he caught Saturday on No Fluke Charters.

Fluke still holding inshore: Angler Jack Leyden of North Kingstown with two fluke to 22” he managed to catch while fishing in the Newport Bridge area after storms last week.

 Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle and Capt. Jack Sprengle of East Coast Charters with the 120 pound bluefin tuna they caught Friday in Cape Cod Bay.

Lots new at the Newport Boat Show

The Newport International Boat Show held this weekend was a great success.  I attended Sunday under threatening skies and the in-the-water show docks were crowded with attendees. Over 600 exhibitors were at the show with an assortment of boats and a wide variety of accessories, equipment, electronics, gear and services for boaters. I visited the People’s Choice Award Winning manufacturer and checked out a few other exhibits that impressed me. 

The Nordic Tug 40 foot Flybridge won the People’s Choice award at the show.  Its big sister the Nordic 44 Tug took second place in the People’s Choice.  The Nordic Tugs on display at the show were getting a lot of attention when I toured them. I ran into three different Nordic Tug owners who were just stopping by to say hello to the Nordic team.  One owner said, “You know what makes the Nordic a desirable boat… it’s the fit and finish, just look at this woodwork.”  Paul Tortora, sales representative for Wilde Yacht Sales that represents Nordic, said, “Nordic gives you the economy of a displacement hull (2.5 gallons/hour), yet it can comfortably cruise into the mid to upper teens.”  The Nordic 40 features a new wider swim platform with a large stern entry door and new this year a second side door at the stern. The Nordic Tug 40 brochure price was $729,950. Visit www.wildeyachts.com   for details.

The Parker 2510 walk around with a cuddy cabin is a fishing machine.  This stable fishing platform has been upgraded with some finer touches such as colored hulls and fabrics.  Over the past couple of years they added a stern cockpit door and live well.  Tom Grimes, sales associate for Don’s Marine in Tiverton that represents Parker in this market said, “Parker was always a great fishing boat appealing to fishermen.  They now have added some touches like hull colors and fabric colors that appeal to women and families.”  The 25 foot Parker on display a the show featured a Windlass Package, a  West Coast Bow Rail Package, a Sandy Tan Hull and two 200 horsepower engines.  The show special price on this 2016 2510 W/A was $132,366.  Visit www.donsmarineri.com  for details on this Parker and others.

Dockwa software application that can find you dockage or a mooring in Newport, Boston, the Cape and Islands, New York and a host of other destinations. Discover and stay in new harbors… just tap, book a slip or mooring. The app works from your telephone or the web.  The application can be downloaded from the Apple Store or Google and it is totally free. So book in advance or make a last-minute reservation with Dockwa.  Visit www.dockwa.com  for details.

Zipwake dynamic trim control tabs.  These are not your conventional aluminum trim tabs but a system that incorporates a state of the art series of durable, fast-acting interceptors that eliminate the trim problems of planning and semi planning boats between 20 and 60 feet.  Zipwake sales associate Dan Schermerhorn of Pro Marine Distributing said, “The system eliminates boat pitch when passengers walk around the vessel automatically and the system automatically eliminates wave resistance which saves fuel and money.”  Prices for the system which includes a control panel, distribution unit and their state of the art interceptors that extend and retract as needed start at about $1,800 for vessels 18 to 20 feet.  To get a feel for how this system works, visit www.zipwake.com.

Fisheries Council reviews policy document

The Rhode Island Marine Fisheries Council (RIMFC), which makes commercial and recreational fishing regulation recommendations, met last week largely to review and approve a new policy and procedures document for the Council.  The document formalized new Department of Environmental Management (DEM) policy pertaining to how it solicits public input on fisheries regulations at newly formed public workshops.

The workshops take the place of specie advisory panels that use to meet multiple nights rather than at one workshop meeting.  The workshops are part of the Department’s “lean initiative” that identified ways to save time and money while enhancing public participation at input meetings.

Although most specie advisory panels were eliminated, two remain intact; the Industry Advisory Committee (IAC) that coordinates recommendations from commercial fisheries sectors and the Shellfish Advisory Panel (SAP) which provides recommendations to the Council on all shellfish-related matters.

The RIMFC also welcomed two new councilpersons to their first meeting;  Michael Roderick, an executive at Town Dock, Narragansett and Travis Barao of East Providence, a recreational fisherman and a member of the RI Saltwater Anglers Association (RISAA) board of directors.

For information on RIMFC meeting material and minutes from past meetings, visit www.dem.ri.gov .

Where’s the bite

Striped bass fishing improved greatly this week as the water cleared from the storm.  Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle, Providence, said, “Anglers are catching striped bass from shore in the lower Providence River from Pawtuxet to Conimicut Point using eels and lures. Fishing is also good on the Cape. Customer Elijah Depaolo (13 years old) caught a 32 pound bass using live eels on the Cape Cod Cannel.” Jason Macedo of Lucky Bait, Warren caught a 47 pound striped bass last Friday at Block Island using eels at night.  Angler Eric Appolonia said, “My son Alex and his friends fished the Southwest Ledge of Block Island this past week and caught nine striped bass on one drift using eels.” I fished with Steve Brustein of Portland, ME Saturday at the Southwest Ledge where he managed to hook up with bass to 30 pounds trolling tube & worm.  Bill Sokolowski reports on the RISAA blog that, “We fished the Southwest Ledge Saturday night and once the sun set bass started to hit on each drift. Three of us caught a total of ten striped bass. The largest was 35 pounds. We each kept a small fish and released the balance. So much for no fish on a full moon. It couldn't have been a more beautiful night!”  John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait & Tackle, Riverside said, “School size bass are being caught in the East Passage with a few keepers mixed in.”

Black sea bass and fluke.  The fluke bite has softened a great deal, however the black sea bass bite is still good.  Angler Mike Swain of Coventry fished off Narrgansett Saturday and boated six nice black sea bass and one summer found.  I fished south of the windmill area at Block Island Saturday as well as the Hooter buoy area off Pt. Judith and did not catch as may black sea bass as we have in the bass with only short fluke caught at this time.  Manny Macedo of Lucky Bait said, “Sea bass fishing for some customers is OK with fluke still being gh off Newport and at the mouth of the Sakonnet River.”

False Albacore. “ The albie bite from shore at Pier Five, actually anywhere from Narrow River to the West Wall has been outstanding from shore.  One customer caught 50 false albacore from Pier Five. Most people do not eat them but I have some customers that like eating them.  They prepare them using coconut milk.” said Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle.

Cod fishing has been good.  Angler Lary Norin reports catchingt cod to 30 pounds on Cox’s Ledge.  Capt. Frank Blount of the Frances Fleet said, “Our largest fish this week was in the 20’s with fish taken on both bait and jigs.  Hi hook this week went to an angler that boated seven nice cod fish.”

Bluefish large and small are being caught in the Bay with skipjacks growing in size.  John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait said, “Some skipjacks are 6 to 10 inches long, and they are still very plentiful.”  Manny Macedo of Lucky Bait said, “Bluefish are all over the Bay, more plentiful than they have been most of the season.”

Tuna fishing for school bluefin is hot at the Cape.  Angler Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle said, “I fished with Capt. Jack Sprengel of East Coast Charters, Warwick Friday on the Cape and landed a 120 pound bluefin using light tackle with a spinning reel and jig in 173 feet of water.”

Fishing after storms

Newport Blues:  Angler Steve Brustein of West Warwick with one of four bluefish caught when a school surfaced in front of 1^st Beach, Newport. The fish were bled and iced in minutes ready for the smoker.

 Fishing after storms

The storm is over.  The seas are settling down.  Ever wonder what impact storms have on fishing?  

A storm like the one we had this past week can change fishing a lot.  Some species may leave the area totally.  Yet others species just won’t bite.  They may not bite because the water is dirty with sand and mud that either irritates the gills of fish so they stop moving around and feeding or they simply cannot see your bait in murky, cloudy water. 

But there is hope. Storms also create opportunities with reefs, clam and mussel beds that get torn up with broken shells providing a feeding ground for many of the fish we target.  Additionally, a good storm this time of year often provides a cleansing and a wakeup call to anglers suggesting that it is time to target fall species like tautog, migrating striped bass, surface feeding bluefish and false albacore.

“The water is like dirt.” said Matt Conti of Snug Harbor Marina, South Kingstown.  “A stormy week like we just had can convince a species that it is time to move.  Like summer flounder.  Last week, right up until Sunday, we had a commercial rod & reel fisherman bring in 20 pounds of fluke.  So they were still here.  But very possibly with a storm like this, with water this dirty we won’t find them again.  We might get a few stragglers as the fluke move out to deeper water.  At the lower part of the Bay for example or it may come back for a while off shore.  We will have to wait and see.” 

There have been an abundance of school size striped bass in covers and ponds.  Wickford Cove and other ponds and coves around the state are holding Atlantic menhaden and a lot of smaller bait that the school bass are feeding on.  Matt Conti said, “Salt Pond is loaded with school bass.  This is a place and species you can target when the weather is bad out in front or offshore.”

At press time the water has started to clear so hopefully by the weekend anglers will be able to fish for species such as black sea bass, striped bass, tautog and cod fishing which has been experiencing a fairly  good bite close to shore. 

Neil Hayes of Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle, North Kingstown, said, “Customers have been catching cod fish just south of the windmill area.”  So the hope is that fall cod fishing will develop like last year… a good bite at the East Fishing Grounds and around Block Island and waters close to shore, like the waters off Newport that produced good cod fishing last year.

Another good thing about storms is that they create new fish habitats with a new food supply of insects, shrimp, shell fish and small fish that arrive with the water. These flooded areas and water adjacent to them can become good fishing areas as the water starts to recede.   Fishing is good at inlets and outflow too because water levels are high due to rain, abnormally high tides and heavy surf. Once water rushes out of rivers, bays, and inlets, bait that may have sought refuge up inlets gets tossed around as they leave for open water where larger fish are waiting.

Good fishing as the weather clears.

Pabst Blue Ribbon Catch & Release Tournament selects final winners

The Pabst Blue Ribbon catch and release striped bass, bluefish and summer flounder (fluke) tournament ended August 20^th.  To be eligible for the season ending cash prizes, a minimum of three fish had to be caught and released.  The length of the longest three fish in each specie category makes up an angler’s total entry.

Last week after all winning candidates passed a polygraph test the results of the competition became final. 

Tournament winners: Striped bass category winners were Russell Zivkovich, 150”, $5,000 cash prize; John Hanecak, 149.5”, $1,500; and Keith Darrow, 147.5”, $500.  Summer flounder (fluke) winners were Gary Stephens, 87”, $5,000 cash prize; John Davis, 83”, $1,500; and Howard Ward, 74”, $500.  The bluefish winners were Russell Zivkovich, 110.25”, $5,000 cash prize; Al Tremblay, 108.50, $1,500; and Gary Stephens, 108.25”, $500.

Visit www.pbrfishing.com for details on the September 25 celebration event and for a listing of Junior Division winners.

Where’s the bite

Summer flounder and black sea bass.  Last week we bottom fished a portion of four separate trips.  The areas we covered included the West and East side of Jamestown and all along the Aquidneck Island’s southern coast from Elbow Ledge at the Sakonnet River to the Brenton Reef Area. We also fished the areas around the Newport Bridge.  The result yielded a number of nice sized black sea bass to 21” but only seven keeper summer flounder. So I am convinced that this storm is very likely to chase any remaining summer flounder up and out of the area and away from our coastal shores to deeper water for the rest of the season. Angler Mike Swain of Coventry said, “I checked my logs from last year and this time last year the fluke were gone.  So I think they are gone for good this year.”  Neil Hayes of Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle, North Kingstown said, “Fluke fishing had been great before the storm at Block Island in the wind farm area with tons of nice black sea bass being caught too.”  Frank Blount of the Frances Fleet said, “Fluke fishing was picky most of the week with big fish to 10 pounds being caught but the overall numbers were not good.” 

Bonito and false albacore.  The bonito bite is expected to be soft as they seem to be moving out of the area.  Neil Hayes of Quaker Lane said, “Earlier last week the bonito bite was good along the coastal shore.  They were mixed in with schools of bluefish so anglers were getting cut-off quite a bit.”  However, the false albacore are in.  Matt Conti of Snug Harbor said, “Toward the end of the week the false albacore were here pretty strong.  Generally when they arrive, the Bonito leave the area.  But they were blitzing pretty good last week before the storm along the southern coast shore.”

Bluefish were on the surface from Elbow Ledge all along the Aquidneck Island southern coast to Brenton Reef.  They were rather spotty, you had to look for them but they surfaced from time to time.  Angler Kevin Fetzer of East Greenwich said, “We spotted schools of bluefish Sunday off of first beach and we casted into the fray when they surface. We landed four for a friend who likes to smoke them.  No false albacore on bonito were mixed in with them.”

Striped bass fishing remained very strong last week.  Angler Eric Appolonia said, “We fished with eels on the Southwest Ledge at Block Island just before and after high tide and did very well last week.”  Matt Conti of Sung Harbor said, “The commercial season opens again this week so I am sure we will have a lot of fishermen targeting striped bass as soon as the weather clears.”  Fishing for striped bass can be hit or miss as the fall migration starts.  Schools of fish move in and out so someday the fishing can be good and other days it is not good. 

“Yellow fin tuna fishing on our first trip of the season was successful last week as anglers caught fish in the 50 to 70 pound range drifting chuck bait during the day. The trips will be run into October.” said Capt. Frank Blount of the Frances Fleet.

Freshwater fishing for trout has not been good.  Anglers are waiting or the restocking of ponds and waterways with trout for the fall and winter season.  However, largemouth bass fishing has been consistently good.  Neil Hayes of Quaker Lane said, “The largemouth bass bite has been good with anglers using shiners and worms as well as spinner baits with success.  Worden Pond and Indian Lake have been yielding fish consistently for customers.”  Kim Petti of Fin & Feather Outfitters, North Kingstown said, “Fishing in our spring fed ponds had been good all season.  With no rain the ponds did not heat up.  The Wood River water level remains high but everyone is waiting for DEM to restock with trout.”

Catch and release… and then mount your fish?

 Steve Brustein caught this cod (about to be filleted) while tautog fishing off Newport.

 Kevin Fetzer of East Greenwich with a black sea bass caught with a green crab while tautog fishing

 Mike Radziszewski’s 57 pound, eight ounce striped bass that took first place in the Pabst Blue Ribbon Fishing Tournament.  

Capt. Joe Pagano of Stuff-It Charters will speak about taxidermy at a RISAA meeting Monday, October 26 at the West Valley Inn, West Warwick, RI.

Catch and release… and then mount your fish?

How would you like to stuff a 10’ 2” Alaskan Kodiak brown bear, a full size lion attacking a zebra, or better still recondition a polar bear originally prepared in the 1800’s and build an iceberg for it to stand on alongside another bear at the Roger Williams Park Zoo?

This is what Captain Joe Pagano of Stuff-It Charters has done since high school as a taxidermist along with preparing a full range of fish mounts… shark, bluefin tuna, striped bass, cat fish, largemouth bass and much, much more.

Next week Capt. Pagano will be guest speaker at a Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association Monday, October 26, 7:00 p.m. meeting at the West Valley Inn, West Warwick, RI.  And of course, the topic will be taxidermy. Many of the animals like the panda bear he stuffed came from a zoo where the animal had passed away and now was being preserved for exhibition.  

Capt. Pagano said, “Many anglers who catch trophy fish now prefer to release the fish after they take a photograph and measure it and have a fiberglass replica made of the fish.” Pagano said, "This is usually more expensive as the glass mounts are sculptured and painted to match the fish in the photo.  But the beauty is that the angler has the satisfaction of releasing the fish back into the water.” 

“Taxidermy in the winter and taking people fishing in the summer is all I have ever done.”  Pagano is a noted local charter captain who fishing in the surf near shore for striped bass with his boat often fishing at night.  He practices catch, tag and release with many of his customers. And, in 1991, Captain Pagano caught the second largest fish in the world ever landed by rod and reel. It was a 2,909 pound, 15 1/2-foot long Great White Shark. 

The evening starts with an optional West Valley Inn Dinner from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.   Non-members are welcome and are asked to make a $10 contribution to the RISAA Scholarship fund, no charge for RISAA members.  Visit www.risaa.org (calendar) for details.

First place striped bass earns $10,000

The final winners of the Pabst Blue Ribbon Fishing Tournament received their awards Saturday at a special ceremony held at the Ocean Mist Restaurant, South Kingstown, RI.  This is the tournament’s fourth year with an expanded time frame and weekly, monthly and overall tournament prizes for striped bass, bluefish and summer flounder (fluke).  Visit www.pbrfishing.com for details on tournament winners.

Where’s the bite?

Tautog fishing was outstanding this week. Both shore and boat anglers have been limiting out.  And this weekend (October 18) the limit increased to six fish/angler/day. However the ten fish boat limit is still in place (does not apply to charter or party boats).  Again this week I fished off Newport with great results.  In addition to tautog, the two anglers on board Kevin Fetzer of East Greenwich and Steve Brustein of West Warwick caught five black sea bass, scup and a cod.  Yes, a cod fish while fishing with green crabs for tautog.  In fact a number of cod fish were caught in shore this week.  Nelson Valles of Maridee Bait & Canvas, Narragansett said, “A few customers caught cod in shore this weekend, two anglers were fishing Black Point for tautog and caught cod fish.”  Valles said, “Tautog is being landed off the rocks from shore all along the Avenues.”  “Commercial tautog fishermen are having no trouble catching their ten fish limit.  Tautog fishing is very, very good right now. Recreational fishermen are doing very well too.” said Tom at Snug Harbor Marina in South Kingstown. “A customer fishing Coddington Cove Saturday with two friends caught thirty shorts and nine keepers. And those who fished Conimicut Light would go through a half gallon of crabs to catch three keepers. However the bite from shore at the Wharf Tavern and at the bridges in Warren and Barrington is good.  Anglers are catching keepers, a much improved tautog bite from last week were most were catching shorts.” said John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait & Tackle, Riverside.

Black sea bass are still plentiful. Few anglers are targeting, but rather they are catching them while tautog fishing. Anglers are still catching sea bass at Colt State park when tautog fishing said John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait & Tackle.

Cod fishing has been fair.  Capt. Frank Blount of the Frances Fleet said, “We are finding a few cod just about everywhere which is good - just not in the numbers since before the eight days of gale force winds in early October. Mixed in with the cod have been some good size porgies and ocean perch, a few noteworthy fluke including a ten pound fish caught by customer John Magnuszewski from Newington CT, an occasional sea flounder and a handful of blue fish. Both jigs and bait did account for keeper cod this past week.”

Striped bass fishing has slowed.  Nelson Valles of Maridee Bait & Canvas said, “It's hit of miss with striped bass.  If you are fishing from shore you may as well stay put and wait for a school of bait to come close to shore.”  Fall striped bass are generally migrating and are on the move.  “Many school size bass are in Salt Pond and anglers are catching them often.” said Tom of Snug Harbor Marina. Striped bass fishing in the upper Bay has slowed with some fish being caught in the Mr. Hope area.” said John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait & Tackle.

Freshwater ponds stocked for fall, while saltwater tautog bite is strong

 Angler Steve Brustein with a large tautog caught at General Rock, North Kingstown earlier this week.

 This week Rick Croteau and Jim Malachowski caught tautog to 23 inches off Newport.

 Erik Jackson of Charlestown, RI with a cod he caught last week on the Frances fleet.

 Chef Steve Brustein said, “Sea robin tails, particularly the large ones, are delicious to eat.”  They are often used in bouillabaisse. 

Angler Jim Malachowski of Cranston was greeted by dolphins as he left Newport to tautog fish Monday. 

Freshwater ponds stocked for fall, while saltwater tautog bite is strong

“We hope families will venture out and experience the thrill of reeling in a trout.” said Janet Coit, Director of the Department of Environmental Management (DEM).  Last week DEM announced it stocked Rhode Island ponds and rivers with 6,600 brown and brook trout.

The ponds and rivers stocked with trout include:  Meadowbrook Pond, Richmond; Carbuncle Pond, Coventry; Olney Pond, Lincoln; Silver Spring Pond, North Kingstown; Barber Pond South Kingstown; Carolina Trout Pond , Hopkinton; Beaver River, Richmond; Round Top Pond, Burrillville; Stafford Pond, Tiverton; Wyoming Pond, Hopkinton; Blackstone River; Upper Pawtuxet River, Cranston and West Warwick; and Wood River and Pawcatuck Rivers, Richmond.

A 2015 fishing license is required for anglers 15 years of age and older.  A trout conservation stamp is also required of anyone wishing to keep or possess a trout or to fish in a catch-and-release or ‘fly-fishing only’ area.  Fishing licenses can be purchased online at www.dem.ri.gov or in person by visiting the Boat Registration and Licensing Office at DEM Headquarters, 235 Promenade Street, Providence.

Fishermen in Northeast are dedicated to sport

A report about recreational fishing in the U.S. found that anglers in the Northeast and Midwest had the lowest drop-out rate compared to anglers in other parts of the country. The report examined fishing license purchases in the Northeast, Midwest, Southeast and West over a ten year period. 

While there were some significant differences among regions, in each region the analysis was consistent with what was found nationally:  women, young people, and those who live in urban communities are more likely to lapse in their fishing from year to year.

Visit www.asafishing.org for study details.

Where’s the bite?

The tautog bite was very good this week with some very nice fish being caught off Newport and Narragansett on rock clusters.  Greg Bruning of the Tackle Box, Warwick said, “Anglers were catching tautog at Conimicut Light and limiting out quickly.”  Matt Conti of Snug Harbor Marina, South Kingstown said, “Tautog fishing is improving as the water clears with fish being caught off Narragansett.”  Ken Ferrara of Ray’s Bait & Tackle, Warwick said, “I sold more crabs than ever this weekend.  Customers are catching tautog at Hope Island, Coddington Cove, and in the upper Bay, customers are limiting out at Conimicut Light with a strong bite along the bulkheads in the Providence River on the west side industrial area.”  I fished with anglers Rick Croteau and Jim Malachowski off Newport Monday and they found good sized tautog to 23”, also fished the General Rock area Saturday in North Kingstown and caught two keepers with those on board having difficulty landing keepers. Capt. Charlie Donilon of Snappa Charters said, “I have been fishing the #2QR  buoy and # 4 buoy one mile south of Castle Hill and the Fountain area one mile further out.  We caught a mixture of sea bass and blackfish.  We had the same results yesterday at the site of the old Brenton light tower on Columbus Day.  Two sea bass tipped the scale at 6 and 7 lbs.  Largest blackfish was 9 lbs. with six others over 7 lbs.  The first 5 hours of the day had consistent action with the last hour having zero results. I’m sailing as an open boat forming mixed groups during the next two weeks.” Angler Lary Norin said, “I fished for tog Friday and Saturday morning.  Friday 7-11 a.m. two keepers and countless shorts.  Saturday the first five casts produced four fish and two keepers and then it was nonstop action until we left around 9:30 a.m.  Short morning we left them biting.  Fish were caught on Asian and green crabs.”  Mitch Maloof of Breachway Bait & Tackle, Charlestown said, “The tautog bite has been good at the Charlestown Breachway.”

Striped bass and bluefish in the Bay are back.  Greg Bruning from the Tackle Box said, “Large bluefish in the ten pound range are being caught at Conimicut Point along with keeper sized bass mixed in.”  “Thursday was an OK day for bass fishing at the southwest Ledge off Block Island but I expect things to pick up more as the water continues to clear.  We had a good bass bite this week from Watch Hill to Point Judith from shore.” said Matt Conti of Snug Harbor. Fishing along the southern coastal shore has been very good. “Striped bass in the 20” to 40” range are being caught out in from as well as from the Charlestown Breachway and from shore.” said Mitch Maloof of Breachway Bait & Tackle.  Ken Ferrara of Ray’s Bait & Tackle, Warwick said, “Barrington Beach has been very good for nice sized bluefish all week.”

Offshore and inshore… bonito, false albacore, sharks and bluefin. “False albacore bite was occurring all the way up Narragansett Bay last week with fish surfacing in the Popasquash Point, Bristol area.” said Greg Bruning of the Tackle Box.  “There were green bonito at the Mudhole along with blue sharks today (Thursday). The water is now 64 degrees at the Mudhole so the bluefin should start coming around” said Matt Conti of Snug Harbor Marina. Capt. Frank Blount of the Frances Fleet said, “The big news this week was the outstanding tuna trip Friday. A big eye tuna estimated to be over 250 pounds and a swordfish well over 150 pounds complimented a great catch of 50-75 pound yellows and a bunch of albacore. Toss in plenty of mahi to 30 pounds, a Wahoo and a few big ones that got away and all we can say is…What a trip!”

Cod fishing is fair.  Roger Simpson of the Frances Fleet said, “A fair amount of cod both on Wednesday and Saturday's trips. Hi hooks had 3 apiece each day.”

The "Striker" strikes with a 295 pound thresher

 Steve Brustein with some of the fluke and black sea bass caught off Seal Ledge, Newport last week.

 

 First place thresher and overall tournament winner was a 295 pound thresher caught by Adam Littlefield (right), North Kingstown with captain of the Striker, Russ Blank. The Snug Harbor Marina Shark Tournament was held this weekend.

 251 pound mako shark took first place in its category. Tom Lai, Bill Ward (Capt. and angler), John Durand and Ken Lai.

 Lary Norin with a 22” summer flounder (fluke) he caught from a State dock in South Kingstown on his lunch hour Tuesday.

Five pound black sea bass caught aboard the Francis Fleet last week by Ginny Reed of Bristol, RI and her grandson Cole.

The Striker strikes with a 295 pound thresher

Snug Harbor Marina, South Kingstown, ended their two day shark tournament Sunday with a 295 pound thresher taking the tournament’s top prize. 

Adam Littlefield of North Kingstown caught the fish while aboard the Striker captained by Russ Rand.  Al Conti of Sung Harbor said, “57 boats and 200 anglers participated in the tournament.  And, 43 fish were tagged and released with only eight fish captured.  This is a great use of the resource when you start to think about the economic impact of such a tournament”.  Elisa Martin of Snug Harbor said, “The sharks topped fishing news this week but there was a lot of other news too.” Proceeds from the tournament are being donated to the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association (RISAA) and the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA).

“We had anglers fishing the Gully, the Suffix and the Horns area and some went all the way to the edge. But you do not have to go that far.” said Elisa Martin. Bill Ward of Mansfield, MA took the mako shark first place prize with a 251 pound fish.  No blue sharks were weighed in at the tournament.

Lunchtime fluke big surprise

Lary Norin fished for fifteen minutes for summer flounder (fluke) during his lunch break Tuesday from a State dock at Snug Harbor.  Here’s what he had to say, “I only made about ten casts but I did manage to hook up five times.  Two of them were keepers.  The biggest was 22 inches and weighed 4.4 pounds at Snug Harbor.  I was using a very simple setup, a small white bucktail tipped with local squid.  Sometimes you just need to be in the right place at the right time.  Best day of fishing yet this year!”

Rhody Fly Rodders meeting July 17

The Rhody Fly Rodders are holding their summer fishing meeting Thursday, July 17, 3:00 p.m. to dark at the Narrow River.  A grill, condiments, water and chips will be provided, but bring your own food items to grill (and a chair if you want to sit).  The head guide for the meeting is Geno Rapa.  Meeting at the Sprague Bridge parking lot at Narrow River on RT 1A.  Contact Peter Nilsen at pdfish@fullchannel.net with questions.

Trout Unlimited stream side meeting

The Narragansett Chapter of Trout Unlimited (#225 ) will hold streamside meeting Wednesday, July 30, 6:00 p.m. at the Arcadia Management Area Check Station, Rt. 165, Exeter, R.I.  Hot dogs, hamburgers and beverages will be available. All members and guests welcomed. For information contact chapter president, Ron Marafioti at (571) 643-1452. 

Where’s the bite

Striped bass.  Manny Macedo of Lucky Bait & Tackle, Warren said, “Block Island was on fire the past few days, starting the weekend we weighed in several fish in the 40 plus pound range.  We weighed in a 34 pound fish caught in the Westerly area by Charlie Soars trolling tube & worm.” Elisa Martin of Snug Harbor Marina, South Kingstown said, “Striped bass fishing blew wide open on the north rip and southwest side of Block Island this weekend with several fish in the 40 plus pound range being landed.”   Angler Jack Leyden of North Kingstown said, “We fished Block Island this weekend and landed a nice fish in the thirty pound range.”  Phil Tower reports on the RI Saltwater Anglers Association blog, “My brother, me and three dozen live eels launched at Pt. Judith for a bumpy ride out to the SW corner ( of Block Island Saturday night)… We were greeted by lots of birds and bluefish that we're scattered all around the area. After about 2 hours of trial and error we landed our first striper at 8:00 p. m. We found good action between bass and pesky blues. We landed seven bass with four over 40" and the largest weighing 26 lbs.”  Dave Henault of Oceans State Tackle, Providence said, “Capt. Billy Silvia of Can’t Imagine Characters caught (striped bass) at 51, 53 and 61 pounds last week off Newport and Capt. BJ Silvia of Flippin Out Charters caught several bass in the 40 pound range.”

Shore fishing.  “30 and 40 pound striped bass are being caught at night with eels from the Charlestown Breachway along with large bluefish.” said Julian Trozzi of Breachway Bait & Tackle, Charlestown.  Manny Macedo of Lucky Bait said, “Scup fishing has been great all over with 12 and 14” fish being caught.  Guys have not been catching their thirty fish limit, but they are going home with fifteen or so good sized fish.  Scup fishing is good at Colt State Park and even at the Warren Bridge where we don’t normally see scup until later in the season.”  Dave Henault of Ocean State said, “Bass still in Providence and Seekonk Rivers”.

Summer flounder fishing remained strong with fish being landed off Newport, at the mouth of the Sakonnet, all along the southern coastal and out at Block Island.  Angler Steve Brustein of West Warwick landed fluke to 22 inches off Newport drifting southwest of the Seal Ledge, Newport area.“We weighed in two eleven pound fluke caught on the south side of Block Island this weekend.” said Elisa Martin of Snug Harbor.  “Fluke fishing at the Sakonnet was good Sunday, we weighted in a 6.2 pound fluke that was being entered in the RISAA fluke tournament.” said Manny Macedo of Lucky Bait.  Julian Trozzi of Breachway Bait & Tackle said, “Anglers fishing from boats along the beaches in the Charlestown area are doing well but fluke fishing from the rocks on shore is slow.”

Black sea bass fishing is good with anglers catching them when the fishing for summer flounder.  I fished off Newport this weekend and had no trouble catching my limit of three mixed in with some keeper fluke.  Ken Landry of Ray’s Bait & Tackle, Warwick said, “Black sea bass, fluke and scup are all being caught by anglers when fishing form fluke.  The mid Bay area has been good with guys catching fish right at the red can off Warwick Light.”

Offshore.  Adam Dunstan reports on the RISAA blog, “We were heading south to Tuna Ridge, put in there and trolled to Ryans Horn… Caught four BFT to 40 inches (kept one), fought something much bigger for a few minutes … Best performer was my trusty and old cedar plug in the wash”.  Spencer Ingram, who fished for tuna both Saturday and Sunday, said, “Trolled for four hours, mostly north past The Fingers, with small football BFT blind hitting us… Kept one 30” BFT for dinner.  Green machines were never hit but my rainbow daisy chains, bird with a feathered red/black teaser and pink spreader bars were the ideal choice for trolling.”