Fall fishing is great

Family tautog fishing:  Greg Vespe of Tiverton, RI took his family tautog fishing with Capt. BJ Silvia after hurricane Sandy. (From left to right) Shawn Hayes Costello (Tiverton, RI), Ric Vespe (Little Marsh, Pa), Greg Vespe, and Colleen Hayes Costello (Tiverton, RI). 

Tautog fishing is great: Chris Benn, mate on the Seven B’s party boat out of Point Judith, fillets my tautog catch Sunday.  Some customers limited out, many anglers took home two to four fish and the largest fish that day was about nine pounds.

Big bass migrating: Angler Kurt Rivard of Warren, RI landed this 35 pound striped bass last week drifting and eel in 30 feet of water near the Mount Hope Bridge.

Fall fishing is great

So you think it is all over. You think fishing is done for the season… hurricane Sandy and the nor’easter must have shut it down. Well… you are wrong… fresh and saltwater fishing is great.  Anglers are catching bass and trout in ponds and rivers stocked by the Department of Environmental Management (visit www.dem.ri.gov for locations) and saltwater fishing is outstanding.  

Captain Rick Bellavance, president of the Rhode Island Party & Charter Boast Association said, “This is the best time of year to fish.”  Anglers are catching tautog, cod, scup and striped bass.  Black sea bass can still be caught recreationally in state waters (if you do not have a federal license).  Since Sandy came though many anglers are limiting out with tautog (six fish per angler) and they are catching migrating striped bass too.

Angler Kurt Rivard of Warren, RI landed a 35 pound striped bass last week drifting and eel in 30 feet of water near the Mount Hope Bridge. “The fish pulled 200 yards of line out before it got tired and turned” said Kurt’s fishing partner Corey Smith.

Five days after the hurricane, angler Greg Vespe fished for tautog. “I took my family out with Capt. BJ Silvia… we really clobbered them  (tautog) on the near shore and mid shore humps off of Newport…lots of five and six pounders, five seven pounders and a nine pounder was tops for the day. Picked up at least 40 legal sized tog.” said Vespe.

For anglers who may have put their boats away for the winter (and many did prior to the hurricane) there are a host of charter and party boats still fishing.  Visit the RI Charter & Party Boat Association web site at www.rifishing.com for a list of boats, fishing times, rates and boat web sites for details.  The smaller boats take two to six anglers and the larger party boats can take over a hundred anglers fishing.

The Snappa from Point Judith is a custom 46’ fishing vessel.  Captain Charlie Donilon, who has been fishing for tautog since Sandy,  said, “We (have been) fishing south of Newport in the deeper water between 50 and 100 ft. The largest fish weighed (about) 14 lbs. Approximately 1/3 of the fish are throwbacks.”  The Snappa has a heated cabin and will provide all bait and tackle. Your cost for an 8 1/2 hr. day of fishing is $130. A private group of six passengers can charter the boat for as little as $700. Additional passengers add $100/person. Visit www.snappacharters.com or call Capt. Donilon at 401-782-4040.

The Seven B’s is 80 feet and is licensed to take up to 120 people fishing.  They are tautog fishing now until December 15 at which time they generally switch to cod fishing. My brother-in-law and I fished with Captain Russ Benn this weekend, at first, the fishing was spotty but Captain Benn was determined to find fish and when he did all rods were bent.  The crew was fantastic. Some anglers limited out and others caught two to four keepers.  I did not speak to any unhappy customers.  We fished out in front a mile or two off shore from Newport to the Sakonnet River.  Seven B’s is now fishing Wednesday through Sunday, 6:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Adults $85 and children $45.  Visit them at www.sevenbs.com or call 401.789.9250.

The Francis Fleet vessels are owned by Captain Frank Blount.  He and his family have been running the business since 1978. They are running both tautog and cod fishing trips now.  Visit them at www.francesfleet.com  or call them at 800.662.2824.

Windmill mitigation workshop for recreational and commercial fishers
The second wind mitigation workshop for recreational and commercial fishers will be held November 16, 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the URI Bay Campus, South Ferry Road,  Narragansett, RI. For more informationcall 978-465-0492.  RSVP to Elizabeth Castle at ecastle@ene.com .

Fly Tyers to hold annual Christmas Banquet

The United Fly Tyers of RI (UFTRI) will hold their annual Christmas banquet December 5, at 6:30 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus hall on Sandy Lane in Warwick, RI.  The event will feature a meal, a guest speaker and raffle.  UFTRI is an educational organization, dedicated to teaching fresh and salt water fly tying. Yearly membership dues are $30 (September of current year through May of next year). Tying vises and materials are available for use by guests (anyone attending for the first time), as well as any paid member. Visit  www.uftri.org  for details and information.

Rhody Fly Rodders to meet November 20th

The Rhody Fly Rodders will hold their monthly meeting Tuesday, November 20, 6:30 p.m. at the Riverside Sportsmen Association, East Providence, RI.  The presenter will be Alan Caolo. He will 
be presenting a slide program, “Sight-Fishing for Striped Bass”, a comprehensive overview on an exciting style of fishing for taking stripers in the clear shallows, including strategy, stealth, presentation and flies. The presentation will include information for everyone from beginners to seasoned anglers.  Monthly Bucket Raffles with some great items will be held and as usual, the coffee pot is always on, along with a few tasty snacks.  For information call Peter Nilsen, board member, at 401.245.7172 or e-mail him at pdfish@fullchannel.net .  Directions: From Providence take Rt.195 to Exit 7. Bear right on the ramp & follow Rt. 114 South (Wampanoag Trail) for two miles. Look for WPRO Studios on left, and then take first U-turn back to Rt.114 North. Continue North and look for the Riverside Sportsmen’s Club sign on right side.

Where’s the bite

Striped bass fishing has been good.  Reports of school bass all along the southern shore.  Angler David Sweet reports, “Made our way up to Narragansett Beach and fished just north of the Coast Guard House in about 5-10 ft. of water for 15 + schoolies. Tagged 15… “. Large striped bass being taken in the lower
Bay and along southern Coastal shores.  Neil Hayes of Quaker Lane Outfitters, North Kingstown, RI  weighed in a 58.45 pound bass that Nick Gibbs caught while fishing at night off the Narragansett shore last week.  Nick was using a black bomber lure.  

Tautog fishing remains strong in the lower Bay and off coastal shores with a slower bite mid Bay and North.   I fished on the Seven B’s Sunday…  some anglers caught two to four fish, some limited out  and the top fish was about nine pounds.  Anglers experiencing a strong bite at Kettlebottom off Jamestown,  Newport in the Brenton Reef area, off Point Judith Light and off Narragansett on rock clusters.

Cod fishing is starting to pick up.  This past Sunday Captain Letourneau of On The Rocks Charters reported limiting out on Cod.  Captain Letourneau said, “Started out front in Newport with a 24" cod and never looked back…” The Francis Fleet repots an improved cod bite compared to this past week with the top fish Sunday weighing in at about 10 pounds.

Fall fishing tips from charter captains, Shallow Water Striper University February 18 and 19

Greg Anthony, East Providence and Charlie Wood, Barrington with one of the tautog they caught on Greg’s first ever saltwater fishing outing. Greg (nine years old) caught three tautog during the first 45 minutes of fishing before the bite shut off.

Chris Catucci of Warwick, RI caught this keeper tautog at Warwick Neck from shore while casting a green crab at rocks using an Eagle Claw 3/0 2x long hook with a two ounce sinker.

Shallow Water Striper University set for February 18 and 19
Shallow Water Striper University will be held February 18 and 19, 2012 at the Sheraton Motor Airport Inn on Post Road in Warwick, RI.

New speakers and new topics are planned including information on how to become a better striped bass angler. In a press release Captain Jim White of White Ghost Charters, event organizer, said, “New this year, will be "Hands On Tables" where on Sunday afternoon, you will learn from the experts how to rig baits, tie knots, read a map, use your electronics, build your own plugs, use and rig live and cut bait, and much more. You will be able to go from expert to expert and have your questions answered, receive one-on-one demonstrations and learn more than you ever thought possible.”
Speakers this year include: Capt Joe Pagano, Capt. Jim White, Don Smith & Peter Vican (two of the best big bass anglers in New England), Dave Pickering, Armand Tetreault (RI Poppers), Roland St. Denis on Kayaks, Capt. Pat Rena (T-Man Tackle), columnist Capt. Dave Monti, Capt. Jack Springel, and Mike Laptew.
The cost of the weekend remains the same as last year, $89.00 per angler. Reservations are now being accepted, Call Captain Jim White with questions at 401-578-9043.
Commercial menhaden boats allowed back in Bay
Jason McNamee, principal marine biologist of DEM’s Fish and Wildlife department said last week that, “We have reopened the Bay to commercial menhaden fishing. We have been monitoring through our independent helicopter flights since the closure and over the past two weeks or so, we have seen the number of schools climb pretty high in the Bay (82 schools as of the last count)… we were able to observe a spotter flight to get a biomass estimate. We also received a spotter estimate over the weekend from an independent aerial survey study… Based on all of this information, we were compelled to reopen the fishery. We will continue to diligently monitor the biomass in the Bay. We have spotter flights and helicopter flights planned, so all of those safeguards are still in place.”
The DEM menhaden species management plan outlines commercial equipment that can be used to fish, quotas, etc. and the fishery is highly monitored.

Corrected opening date for scallop season: the season opens November 5
The Department of Environmental Management (DEM) announced that the bay scallop harvest season opens at sunrise on Saturday, November 5 (not November 7 as previously announced) and continues until Saturday, December 31 at sunset.
Striped bass record holder to speak at RISAA event this Monday
Rhode Island striped bass record holder Peter Vican, Don Smith and Captain Bill Silvia will speak Monday, October 24, 7:00 p.m. at the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association monthly meeting at the West Valley Inn in West Warwick. Captain Silvia will speak about fishing for monster fluke.
Bait and tackle shops are a great resource
I was reminded how helpful bait and tackle shops can be to anglers this weekend when I visited John Littlefield, owner of Archie’s Bait & Tackle, East Providence, RI with my fishing partners for the day. It was the first time Greg (nine years old from East Providence) was going salt water fishing. John took great care of Greg Anthony and Charlie Wood of Barrington, sharing tackle, bait and location tips to make sure Greg hooked up with some fish on his first outing. We fished from shore for tautog and within the first 45 minutes, Greg hooked three tautog, making his first outing a success. I ask a million questions when visiting bait and tackle shops and you should too. They are very helpful. John, thank you for making this young angler’s first outing a success.
DEM releases first annual report on fishing license program
DEM’s Marine Fisheries Section has released the first annual report on RI’s Recreational Saltwater License Program. The report provides an overview of the program, covering the nearly 18 months since it took effect, and sets forth a proposed FY12 programmatic budget, drawing upon the license fee revenues received since April 2010 and projected through June 2012.
The report is being submitted to the Rhode Island Marine Fisheries Council, and will be reviewed at their next public meeting on November 1, 2011 at 6 pm (Corless Auditorium, URI Bay Campus, Narragansett).

Charter boat captains offer fall fishing tips
I asked three charter boat fishing captains about fall fishing tips they might have. Here’s what they had to say:
Captain John Rainone, L’il Toot Charters
Fishes for scup, tautog and black sea bass this time of year
Drifts or anchors up near/on structure… rock piles, jetties, wrecks, etc.
Crabs of all types… green, Asian, fiddler, hermit… whole of cut up for tautog; uses squid or clams for scup and black sea bass
If you are in a spot catching just small fish… pick up and look somewhere else where the fish are larger and the throw-back ratio is better
Prefers using one hook, rather than two, for all three species as it helps prevent bottom tie-ups
Fall fishery is great for children and families… you feel the bite and then feel the fight all the up to the boat or shore
Captain Jim White, White Ghost Chartres
Focus now is black sea bass, scup and tautog in Narragansett Bay
Fish anywhere there is structure
Asian crabs for tautog and black sea bass
Green crabs when there are no Asian crabs around
Fish for black sea bass and scup with squid, small crabs, clams or drift small jigs. Go to bait are Berkeley Gulp products (Sand Ell, Shrimp, Crab, Worm)
Captain Rick Bellavance, Priority Too Charters
• Prime bottom fishing season… many species on same trip… blues, bass, tautog, scup and black sea bass (fishing around Block Island is outstanding)
• Can drift and anchor up to structure using sea clams and squid for bait
• 20 pound Power Pro for bottom fishing rods
• Fishes East Grounds, West Grounds, S/W Ledge, and a lot of rock piles south of Block Island, tends to fish less popular spots

Where’s the bite
Tautog. Windy weather and high seas keep many anglers on shore this weekend and Monday for tautog fishing but the bite is improving as the water cools. Chris Catucci of Warwick caught two nice keepers and a dozen shorts from shore on Warwick Neck using green crabs and Eagle hooks. Tautog being taken at Monahan’s Dock and Hazard Rock in Narragansett said Al Conti of Sung Harbor Marina but bite around Block Island and off shore is slow. Kevin and Albert Bettencourt of East Providence caught nice tautog last week at Conimicut Light but the bite was not as good as the week before last.
Striped bass fishing remains good at Block Island with fish to 44 pounds being taken on eels. Some fish being taken along coastal shores and in the Bay. Key to success on Block Island is getting eels down into the strike zone before the bluefish get them. I caught two small school bass in Greenwich Cove, East Greenwich this past Sunday using swimming lures that mimic peanut bunker. John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait & Tackle, East Providence said, “Anglers are catching bass from shore using menhaden chucks or live lining them from Conimicut Point to Warwick Neck.”
Scup and black sea bass still very plentiful in the Bay and offshore. Al Conti of Snub Harbor Marina reports Point Judith, Center Wall, and Nebraska shoals are still producing good numbers of scup and black sea bass. As reported last week the scup have been very large.

Fall fishing in full swing

Chris Bellavance with a black sea bass caught off Block Island on Priority Too Charters out of Point Judith.

Perfect sunset… angler Tom Peters of Warwick caught this 15.6 pound bluefish on his way back from Block Island this weekend in front of Quonset Point, North Kingstown. The bluefish was caught on menhaden that was put back into the school he snagged it from (the school is the circular ripple behind him in the upper right corner of the photo).

Fall fishing in full swing

Bay Scallop season to open in RI
The Department of Environmental Management (DEM) announced that the bay scallop harvest season opens at sunrise on Sunday, November 6 and continues until Saturday, December 31 at sunset. Residents can take up to one bushel of scallops per day without a license, and commercial license holders can take up to three bushels per day/per boat from state waters. Non-license holders cannot offer scallops for sale. Harvesters are reminded that possession of seed scallops is prohibited. Legal scallops possess a defined, raised, annual growth ring.
To protect scallops and bottom habitats from dredge damage, scallops can be harvested by dip-net only from a boat from November 6 through November 30. Dredging will be allowed after November 30 to access remaining adult scallops residing in deeper waters. Additional information on bay scallop harvesting is available on the DEM website at www.dem.ri.gov/pubs/regs/regs/fishwild/rimf5.pdf .

West Bay Anglers weekly “Lobster Raffle”
The West Bay Anglers will hold its first weekly “Lobster Raffle” on Saturday, November 5 at the Fraternal Order of Police Loge #7 in Warwick, RI. They raffle off a lot more than lobsters. They actually raffle hundreds of prizes throughout the year; from flat screen TV’s to turkey’s, roasts and lobsters. Lunch for a great price is available throughout the two to three hour event each Saturday. The “Lobster Raffle” events run throughout the fall and winter months. Pam Tameo, president of the West Bay Anglers, said, “We raised about $16,000 last year with our Lobster Raffles, half went to this Take-a-Kid-Fishing initiative and half went to the non-profit Impossible Dream.” For information e-mail Pam Tameo at wbapamtam@cox.net .
Rhody Fly Rodders to meet October 18
The Rhody Fly Rodders first fall meeting will take place Tuesday, October 18, 6:30 p.m. at the Riverside Sportsman Club off the Wampanoag Trail on Mohawk Drive. The Rhody Fly Rodders is the oldest American salt water fly fishing club. Captain Bob Hines will speak about Steelhead Fishing in the upper New York State area. The meeting will start with a cookout. For information contact member Peter Nilsen at pdfish@fullchannel.net .
Public Hearings on Menhaden
A public hearing on menhaden quotas for 2012 was held Wednesday, October 5 by the Atlanta States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) at the URI Bay Campus, Narragansett, RI. The meeting was held to discuss comments on proposed regulations as the menhaden population has declined by 88 percent in the last three decades. Steve Medeiros, president of the Rhode Island Salt Water Anglers Association (RISAA), and RISAA members, proposed a 37 percent reduction for a total harvest of 143,200 metric tons. This is a very important species for salt water anglers. Historically menhaden has comprised 70 percent of the diet of the striped bass. They now account for just 7 percent and bass, particularly in the Chesapeake, have shown signs of malnutrition. One company Omega Protein of Reedville, VA landed over 80% of the menhaden, the remaining 20% was landed by commercial bait boats and recreational anglers as ASMFC records show. The ASMFC will take regional hearing input into consideration as it develops menhaden regulations for 2012 at their November, 2011 meeting.
Public comments can still be submitted until 5 p.m. Nov. 2, 2011. Direct them to Toni Kearns at tkerns@asmfc.org or by mail at Toni Kearns, AMFSC, 1050 N. Highland St., Suite 200 A-N, Arlington, Va, 22201.

Clarification of scup and black sea bass regulations
Captain Rick Bellavance, president of the Rhode Island Party & Charter Boat Association, said some anglers have been confused about scup and sea bass regulations between state and federal waters. So here is the scoop Images are not displayed
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Scup regulations: in Federal Waters (Outside of 3 Miles) is June 8th to September 26th open at 10 fish per person 10.5 inches. Closed after September 26th. Scup in State Waters (Inside 3 Miles) October 12th to December 31st shore and private anglers as well as party and charter boats are at a 10 fish/person/trip limit. Fish have to be 10.5 inches for private anglers and 11 inches for party and charter boats.
Black Sea Bass regulations: in Federal Waters is May 22nd to October 11th open at 25 fish per person 12.5 inches, October 11th to October 31st Closed, November 1st to December 31st open at 25 fish 12.5 inches. Black Sea Bass in State Waters for recreational anglers and party/charter boasts is July 11th to December 31st open at 12 fish per person 13.0 inches.
Where’s the bite
Scup fishing has been outstanding. Anglers Rich Jones of East Greenwich and Peter Sousa of Warwick caught several keeper size scup while tautog fishing on No Fluke Charters on the North and South sides of Hope Island this weekend. The largest was a nice eighteen-inch fish. John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait & Tackle, East Providence said the scup bite continues to be strong at Colt State Park in Bristol and around Prudence Island. Captain Rick Bellavance of Priority Too Charters said, “I enjoy bottom fishing and I anxiously await mid fall's approach as this is prime bottom fishing season. The Black Sea Bass, Scup and Tautog fishing around Block Island has been spectacular this year, we even had a couple keeper Cod in the mix already.”
Black sea bass bite has been good with anglers taking fish while tautog fishing as well as when targeting the species directly. They are taking green crabs from tautog anglers and squid stripes from anglers targeting the species. Fair amount of fish being caught off Newport as well, with a few fish in the Bay but the big bite seems to be around Block Island. Captain Rich Hittinger, RISAA vice president, said he fished for black sea bass at Block Island, “The action was non-stop on rock piles in 35 to 45 feet of water. The only problem was there were so many small scup you had to catch a dozen or more of them to get one keeper sea bass. We caught 1 - 20” fluke on a scup rig also.”

Striped bass fishing at Block Island remains good although it is not as outstanding as it has been the past couple of weeks. Anglers taking small and large fish with eels but they are as plentiful. A few fish are being caught under the menhaden schools that are in the West Passage of the Bay. Angler Mike Swain of Coventry related he has been catching bass with chucks and live menhaden in the West Passage from the mouth of the Bay to Quonset Point… anywhere you usually find bass. Ken Ferrara of Ray’s Bait & Tackle, Warwick said customers have been catching bass by snagging porgies they find in the West Passage, cutting them up into chunks and then sending them down on the edges of the menhaden school to the bottom with sinkers to get them beyond the bluefish.

Menhaden. Dave Henault of Ocean Sate Tackle, Providence, commented on the common reference to menhaden schools as being menhaden pods. He said, “Mammals swim in pods, finfish swim in schools.” So as Dave related, the menhaden pods you see in the Bay are not pods, they are schools.

Tautog fishing reports in the Bay have been spotty. Most anglers are catching fish but the keeper to short ratio has not been good. Some good fish being caught along the coastal shore on rock piles off Narragansett and around Block Island.

Bluefish. No schools on the surface reported yet monster blues are being caught in the menhaden schools throughout the West Passage. Tom Peters of Warwick caught a monster 15.6 pound bluefish under a menhaden school off Quonset Point this weekend. Find a menhaden school and you likely have found bluefish, now all you have to do is catch one.