It's all about the kids

Karina Gonzalez (left) of Middletown, RI with the keeper fluke she caught during the West Bay Anglers take- a- kid fishing trip last summer. Seven B’s mate Julia Clarke (right) of Narragansett, RI helps her with her catch.

Faithful donors attend the West Bay Anglers St. Patrick’s Day Lobster Raffle to raise funds for the Rhode Island Take a Kid Fishing effort. From left to right: Jim Bender of East Greenwich, Dave Myrick and Ray Kettell both of Cranston.

John O’Neil, assistant director of The Impossible Dream, Warwick, RI receives an $8,500 check from Pam Tameo, president of the West Bay Anglers at their final Lobster Raffle held Saturday, March 17.

It’s all about the kids
“It’s all about the kids” said Pam Tameo, president of the West Bay Anglers, at the last of eighteen lobster raffle fundraisers that took place this Saturday at the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #7 in Warwick, RI. “Some of the children we take fishing through our Rhode Island Take- a-Kid Fishing program have never even seen the ocean before, never mind going out on a boat to fish.” The group has been raising money to take children fishing for fourteen years. And this Saturday, the West Bay Anglers presented checks totaling $17,000. Tameo said, “We are very happy, this is what we use to raise prior to the recession.” Half of the money raised, $8,500, was presented to The Impossible Dream non-profit headquartered in Warwick and the second half went to the West Bay Anglers’ Take- a-Kid Fishing program.

The Lobster Raffles occur for eighteen Saturdays in a row during the fall and winter months and the prizes are unusual. Yes there are lobsters… not ordinary lobsters.. but large lobsters ranging from six to fourteen pounds. They have a raffle table with small appliances like toasters and George Forman Grilles, a meat table with hams and roasts of all types, a miscellaneous table, the final raffle table had a large Sony flat screen TV, a GPS system, a $100 gift card, cash and much more.

Fortunately there are volunteers like those from the West Bay Anglers and Captains like Russ Benn of the Seven B’s Party Fishing Boat that take the children fishing for eight consecutive Tuesdays in the Summer. This summer, I fished with Pam Tameo aboard the Seven B’s with a group of 30 children. Pam said, “The Seven B’s really came through with burger lunches for the children and a discounted price that made these take-a-kid fishing days possible this past summer. Without their participation we would end up taking far fewer children fishing. Jeanne Benn (Captain Benn’s wife) does a great job handling logistics for the Seven B’s and their crew, particularly the mates, do a great job helping the children fish.”

Ten volunteers from the West Bay Anglers sell raffle tickets and work at the Saturday raffles, while three work in the kitchen at the FOP Lodge. It is a great fishing community event and achievement. Pam Tameo closed the event Saturday and said, “Thank you for all your support, some of you are even out of work and managed to come this year, this is a great achievement. You will make a lot of children happy this summer.”

What impact will warm water have on spring fishing and hypoxia?
Readers continue to be curious about what impact this warm weather will have on fishing and hypoxia (low oxygen) in the Bay. Earlier this winter we had reports of bait… menhaden and herring as well as fish… striped bass and blue fin tuna in and around Narragansett Bay. Reports were verified by anglers and Rhode Island DEM reporting more menhaden in survey work. And this year, anglers have caught more striped bass than usual in the upper Bay.

Dr. Chris Deacutis, chief scientist for the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program and professor at the URI Graduate School of Ocianography said “We might be having a warm winter but Europe is experiencing a very cold winter. The jet stream is running above us bringing down warm weather whereas Europe is having a very cold winter and the jet stream is running below them.”

So this may explain why our water is a couple of degrees warmer than usual in the Bay and ocean and therefore why it is holding an unusual amount of bait fish and fish in our waters for this time of year.

I asked, “This warm water will likely have an impact on hypoxia and fish kills this spring and summer, right?” Actually no, it will likely have no effect. Dr. Deacutis said, “This warm water should have no influence on spring and summer hypoxia. What really impacts us is wet weather, a lot of rain in June, July and August. This brings more nutrients from runoff and treatment plants into the Bay, more fresh water too that stratifies the water column and there is less oxygen mixing and therefore more hypoxia (lack of oxygen).”

Dr. Candace Oviatt, professor of oceanography at the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography, spends a lot of her time studying water temperature, oxygen in the Bay and algae blooms. Dr. Oviatt said, “This winter we had no bloom in the upper bay, a small one in the mid-bay area and no bloom in the lower Bay. With colder water in the winter food falls to the bottom and feeds creatures on the bottom.” This is good for shellfish and bottom feeders like flounder (fluke) and any other species that feeds off sea life on the bottom. Dr. Oviatt said, “Nitrates from the rivers should take care of upper bay and mid bay, it is the lower bay that may suffer this spring with less food.” This is all very interesting. One wonders if there is a chance that certain types of bottom fishing might be better (more than usual) in the upper and mid bay this summer compared to the lower bay.

I asked Dr. Oviatt if she felt that the presence of the menhaden and other bait fish in the Bay was a positive sign for a good spring and summer fishing season. She said, “You know the bait can leave the Bay just as fast as it came into the Bay.” Oh well, so much for predicting a positive fishing season. We will just have to wait and see how the fishing is.

Hummingbird Electronics and Minn Kota Motor workshop
Learn more about electronics and electric motors at Wood Boat & Motor, Warwick, RI, Saturday, March 24 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Regional representatives from Minn Kota Trolling Motors and Hummingbird Electronics will be available to answer questions. New Talon Shallow Water Anchor systems will on display too. Call Debbie Wood for a reservation at 401.739.4040.

Where’s the bite
Cod fishing has been mixed. Some days good, some days not so good. Angler Jeff Barker said he and a group of fishermen from the West Bay Anglers went cod fishing last week and did not do so well, only three or four keeper cod were landed. However, the next day anglers fishing on the Seven B’s landed over fifty fish. Francis Fleet vessels reported this weekend that “The cod were not at all easy to catch today as the bite was incredibly soft and the cod seemed to show a distinct preference for the bait to be hard on the bottom almost with a bit of slack in the line... for the past two days very few cod were taken on the metal with bait far out producing for the fish managed.”

Striped bass bite improves... five more ways to catch them

Michael Weaver of Plymouth, New Hampshire caught this keeper bass aboard No Fluke Charters of East Greenwich using a weighted T-Man bubble gum tube & worm while fishing in 13 feet of water north of Conimicut Light.

Alan Stewart of Westport, Massachusetts with bass he caught off Prudence Island in 80 feet of water using a whole native squid.

Craig (left) and Jay Conway (right) of North Kingstown, Rhode Island fished No Fluke Charters on Memorial Day and caught six striped bass, the largest was 32”.

Striped bass bite improves... five more ways to catch them
Striped bass fishing continues to improve in Narragansett Bay, along southern coastal shores and around Block Island. Rick Bellavance of Priority Too Charters, Pt. Judith, RI said he and his parties have been catching nice bass off Block Island. Rick said, “The keepers were 29” and in the low 30”s… perfect for eating”. Alan Stewart of Westport, MA said he “Caught a striped bass in the mid - 30”s near Prudence Island using native squid on the bottom in 80 feet of water. We also caught a 24 inch fluke in 50 feet of water - first time for a fluke in that area as the bottom was rocky.”

Tony Lauro fished outside of Allens Harbor in North Kingstown and said, “As I finished letting the line out on a white umbrella rig, I caught a fish on it before I even got it back in the rod holder. 15 minutes later, caught another on the Rapala (a diving swimming lure). Both fish were 29" and caught in 25 feet of water trolling between 3 and 3.5 knots.”

Monday the bass bite was on in the East Passage. Jay and Craig Conway caught six bass, the largest 17 pounds, 32”. Sunday morning I caught two keepers at 29” and 30” in Greenwich Bay between Sally Rock and Sandy Point. Saturday Michael Weaver of Plymouth, New Hampshire fishing on No Fluke Charters caught nine bass and two keepers north of Conimicut Light. The restricting of menhaden boats north of Conimicut Light and in Greenwich Bay has improved fishing.

Bob Oberg said he “Fished the upper bay this Saturday from 5:30 am to noon in my kayak. Caught 18 stripers, including 7 keepers to 35 inches. Most fish were in the 26" - 30" range with tube and worm. Was hoping to snag pogies, but I only saw about a 3 foot circle of them rise to the surface and they were gone by the time I could put down my fishing rod and pick up my snag rod. Saw a couple of small ripples and a couple of small clouds go under my boat, but that was it.”

There are a number of ways to catch striped bass, last week I related five methods. Here are five more:

1. Chunking fresh or frozen menhaden. You can anchor (and chum); drift fish or fish the moving bait pods with chunks. Some anglers use a weight slide to get the bait down.
2. Surface plugs or poppers. Great way to catch school bass in the spring.
3. Swimming lures. My favorite is a grey Yozuri Crystal Minnow.
4. Parachute squid jigs. Often used in ocean water (or where there are squid). Anglers successfully use this method off Newport, Narragansett and Block Island.
5. Trolling with tube and worm. The idea is to get the bait down to where the fish are. Big fish often at bottom waiting for prey. I have found less line beneficial in tight quarters where maneuvering is tough. Use lead line in Bay and wire offshore in deeper water. Use different colored tubes until you find one that works.

Bluefin tuna stays off endangered species list
After an extensive scientific review, NOAA announced today that Atlantic bluefin tuna currently do not warrant species protection under the Endangered Species Act.
NOAA has committed to revisit this decision by early 2013, when more information will be available about the effects of the Deepwater Horizon BP oil spill, as well as a new stock assessment from the scientific arm of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, the international body charged with the fish’s management and conservation.
NOAA is formally designating both the western Atlantic and eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean stocks of bluefin tuna as “species of concern” under the Endangered Species Act. This places the species on a watch list for concerns about its status and threats to the species.
“NOAA is concerned about the status of bluefin tuna, including the potential effects of the Deepwater Horizon BP oil spill on the western stock of Atlantic bluefin, which spawns in the Gulf of Mexico,” said Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “We will revisit the status of the species in early 2013 when we will have a new stock assessment and information from the Natural Resource Damage Assessment of the oil spill. We will also take action in the interim if new information indicates the need for greater protection.”

DEM opens Bay Line, call 222.888

The Department of Environmental Management announces that its seasonal 24-hour Bay Line telephone information line is now open. The Bay Line number, 222-8888, is toll-free within the state.

Bay Line provides Rhode Islanders with a central telephone number to leave a recorded message about any sign of Bay-related environmental problems throughout the summer season for appropriate follow-up. It also offers updates on water quality in Narragansett Bay, and referral numbers for information about any current restrictions on beaches or fishing. Callers may also pose questions about the Bay.

Reports of Bay water quality conditions, updated weekly on Bay Line, are compiled from data provided by a network of monitoring stations in the Bay that monitor oxygen, temperature, salinity, pH levels, and, in some cases, water clarity and the presence of algae blooms. The Department, in cooperation with the University of Rhode Island, has begun the seasonal deployment of additional monitoring instruments.

Where’s the bite

Striped bass fishing is outstanding. Fished the upper Bay last week and the striped bass were pushing the bait to the surface, you might have thought they were bluefish. Took two fish, one 30" and one 33" fish using T-Man weighted bubble gum tubes in 13 feet of water as close to the bottom as we could get them.
Blue fish bite is good. I caught ten small blue fish off Buttonwoods in Warwick using a large surface popper this past Sunday. Lenny Lake of Warwick a fly fisherman said he has been catching 8 to 10 bass per outing in Greenwich Bay and Cove. Last Thursday he was landing a 20” striper, just ready to pull the fish into the boat, when a twelve pound blue fish came up out of the water and bit the striper in half.

Fluke fishing is good with fish just starting to get big. Francis Fleet reports fish to eleven pounds taken this past weekend with most customers taking home two to three nice fish. This fishery is expected to do nothing but accelerate over the next three to four weeks as the bio-mass has been enhanced and the legal size has been reduced to 18 ½ “ by DEM this year.

Squid fishing remains good this week. They are still here.

Take a Kid Fishing (6/22/09)

As we prepared the boat to take the children fishing you could hardly see the end of the dock. The fog engulfed the boat as we motored up Greenwich Cove as if it was protecting us. Just as the 250 children and over 60 vessels that participated in the fishing event would be protected throughout the day. It was the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association’s (RISAA) 12th Annual “Take-a-Kid Fishing Day” that took place Saturday, June 20 at Brewers Greenwich Bay Marina in Warwick at the mouth of Apponaug Cove. The event was a huge success.

RISAA member vessels from around the state, travelled in severe fog to participate in the event. Captain Robb Roach of Kettlebottom Outfitters, Jamestown, on his boat “Stella”, said “It took forty- five minutes to get to Brewers Marina”. The trip form Jamestown normally takes twenty to twenty-five minutes without the fog. I asked how many children would be on his boat. Robb related, “I want to take as many as they give me, my boat is large enough to handle quite a few.” He ended up with eight children in addition to chaperones and mates to assist him. This sprit from RISAA members set the tone for the day. A day of giving, shared by the children, the captains, the mates and over 200 volunteers that worked the logistics, the docks, the water and the barbeque grills. A fine lunch was provided for all participants and volunteers after the event.
The purpose of the event is to give seven to thirteen year old children a chance to ride on a boat in saltwater and to experience the thrill of catching a fish. Many fish were caught, mostly small blue fish, however, a few children had the experience of catching their first striped bass. Several keeper bass over 28” were caught. For safety, fishing was restricted to Greenwich Bay. Vessels fished the Sally Rock area, the west side along Chepiwanoxet and the north side of Greenwich Bay along Buttonwoods.

Fishing Tournament for the Blind
The Rhode Island Lions Sight Foundation will sponsor a fishing tournament for the blind and visually impaired on Sunday, June 28 from 8 a.m. to 12 noon on one of the party fishing boats of the Frances Fleet in Galilee, Rhode Island. The tournament will be followed by a buffet lunch at Casey’s Restaurant in Wakefield. The excitement of catching a fish is the same for the visually impaired. Even though they can’t see the fish they touch and feel them. For many participating in this tournament it is the first time they have fished. Contact Jay Ward at 401.699.7009 for additional information.

Where’s The Bite
Fresh Water. Fresh water fishing was good this week. Action continues to heat up. Craig Mancini from Continental Bait & Tackle said largemouth bass are biting and the trout have joined the action too. Shiners continue to be the number one choice bait for largemouth bass. Trout worms and rainbow trout power baits are keeping the trout bite on.
Striped bass fishing continues to be lively in the Bay, along the ocean coast and out on Block Island. Artie Peltier of Erickson’s Bait & Tackle, Warwick related that he has been catching small bass in Greenwich Bay throughout the week using soft plastics and at the end of the week he caught a 38” striped bass on light tackle. Craig Mancini from Continental Bait & Tackle, Cranston said the break wall off Narragansett Parkway continues to produce keeper sized bass. One customer pulled in 25 to 35 pound fish. A customer said the area near Fox point, the Washington Bridge and the river all the way up to Pawtucket has been producing monster sized cows off live and frozen menhaden.
Fluke (Summer flounder) season opened June 17th and the fishing has been great. Don Smith fished between Deep Hole and Carpenters Beach in 38 to 40 fee of water and caught his limit including a 9.7 lb fish. Fishing off Matunuck Beach has been good too in 35 to 40 feet of water. I caught one keeper out of four fish at Austin Hollow in seventy-five minutes. Once the tide changed to an outgoing tide making the current and wind move in opposition direction, the bite was off. I tried to move the boat slowly with the engine but could not get them to bite again.

Caption Dave Monti has been fishing and shell fishing on Narragansett Bay for over 40 years. He holds a captain’s master license and a charter fishing license. Your fishing stories, comments and questions are welcome… there’s more than one way to catch a fish so e-mail Captain Dave at ­­­dmontifish@verizon.net .

Photo A
Juan (left) and Alberto (right) of Boy Scout Troop 7, Central Falls, RI fished my boat Angel Light during the RISAA Take-a-Kid Fishing Day. Alberto caught this striped bass off Sally Rock.
Photo B
From left to right: the crew on Angel Light, Captain Dave Monti of Warwick, Alberto and Juan of Central Falls and Peter Sousa of Warwick, who served as mate .
Photo C
Blue fish is hauled in by a crew member of Fish Reaper during Take-a-Kid Fishing Day on Greenwich Bay, Saturday, June 20
Photo D
Angel Light crew fishing in a lifting fog Saturday during the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association Take-a-Kid Fishing Day.

It’s not always about the fish (5/18/09)

My father-in-law Horace Magnan was a music educator and band leader. He had a saying my wife likes to repeat… it’s not always about the music. Over the years my wife sang and helped manage the band. When things got hectic my father-in-law would tell her to relax… take it easy… it’s not always about the music. It just as much about the people … the friendship of guys in the band, the love for the people you play for, etc.

So, as a fisherman, I have adopted this saying… it’s not always about the fish. Just as important are the lessons we learn from fishing… discipline, creativity, self reliance, environmental awareness and conservation. And, the most important fishing lesson is obtained through the relationships developed while fishing. To this day, some of my fondest fishing memories include fishing with my son when he was six years old (he is now is 31 years old), my father, brothers, brothers-in-laws, nieces, nephews, friends and, of course, my wife.

Everyone who catches a fish is happy. I have an office filled with photographs of people (young and old) who have caught fish on my boat and every one of them has a smile on their face. It feeds our sense of self worth to fish. It makes us feel successful and gives us a sense of accomplishment. A sense of accomplishment and enhanced self image is particularly important for young people.

That is why today, I signed up as a volunteer for the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association’s (RISAA) 12th Annual “Take-A-Kid Fishing Day”, Saturday, June 20, 2009 from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at Brewers Greenwich Bay Marina in Warwick on Masthead Drive. Children are treated to a morning of fishing on the Bay followed by a cookout. Last year over 250 children, 59 member boats and 200 volunteers participated. The purpose of the event is to give seven to thirteen year old children a chance to learn about Narragansett Bay and the environment, experience the thrill of catching a fish, ride on a boat in saltwater and a chance to start building a lifetime of fishing memories. For many children it is the first time they have ever been on a boat.

RISAA is looking for volunteers to help with logistics and cook as well as RISAA members that have boats to offer. Steve Medeiros, president of RISAA, said, “It is always a balance between the number of children and available boats. So, children generally participate through partner organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club, Scouting, neighborhood groups and recreation departments. We are looking for potential partner organizations for next year’s event so please call if your organization is interested in the Take-A-Kid Fishing event.” For more information visit http://www.risaa.org/ or call 826-2121.

Where’s the bite
Freshwater fishing is heating up as the bass are hitting all over the place, said Craig Mancini of Continental Bait & Tackle in Cranston. Three to four pound fish have been hauled in at Stump Pond in Smithfield. Mancini said in the Cranston area, “Angel’s, Blackamore and Meshanicut were all reporting good size fish.” Trout have been restocked for the holiday weekend according to Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle, Bristol/Coventry/Providence. He related Johnson’s Pond and Stump Pond have been offering nice bass as well as pike.

Striped bass fishing on the Bay is good. Lenny Lake reported he and his friend caught several fish (including a 35” striper) this weekend fly-fishing in about 12 feet of water close to shore north of Conimicut Point between the base of Conimicut Point and Gaspee Point. The fish were feeding about two to three feet below the surface. Peter Magnan of Cranston went striper fishing for the first time on my boat this weekend and caught two fish, a 31” and a 32” striper off Bear Point, Prudence Island. Sunday I caught several good size school bass with surface lures in Greenwich Bay off Buttonwoods. Surfcasters in South County are finding bass with top water plugs and shallow divers at Narrow River, Deep Hole and Watch Hill said Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle. The menhaden are up the Pawcatuck River and keeper bass are being landed live lining and chucking with the menhaden. Fishing off Block Island is heating up too, fish caught on North Rip and between the Island and Southwest Ledge according to Ken Ferrara, Jr. of Ray’s Bait & Tackle in Warwick (fish being caught with umbrella rigs and parachute jigs). Angler Mike Shepard of Newport said fishing around Aquidneck Island has been on one day and off the next. Squid seem to be on and off too. However, some fish are starting to appear along the ocean fronts.

Blue fish and scup are in. Several reports of tube and worm anglers landing four to five pound blue fish and they are also bringing up scup reports Ken Ferrara, Jr. of Ray’s Bait & Tackle. The recreational season for scup (shore and private) starts May 24. Minimum size is 10 ½” and the possession limit is ten fish/person/day.

Captain Dave Monti has been fishing and shell fishing on Narragansett Bay for over 40 years. He holds a captain’s master license. Your fishing photos with captions, stories, comments and questions are welcome… there’s more than one way to catch a fish so e-mail Captain Dave at dmontifish@verizon.net .
Photo A caption
It’s not always about the fish… this weekend I enjoyed fishing with Peter Magnan of Cranston (my brother-in-law). Pete landed this 32” striped bass off Bear Point, Prudence Island. This was his first striped bass and a great experience.
Photo B caption
Children fish on Greenwich Bay during RISAA’s 2008 Take-A-Kid Fishing event. Often it is the first time the children have been on a boat.