Camp aims to hook youth on fishing

Joseph Stracuzzi (seven) of Hope Valley gets his life jacket inflated by Marcus Mitchell, Vice Commander Division 7 of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary at the RI Saltwater Anglers Association/DEM fishing camp.

 Take-A-Kid Fishing Day a Success:  Alexander, a Cub Scout from Providence, with a bluefish he caught Saturday with the help of Steve Brustein, a RI Saltwater Anglers Association volunteer from West Warwick.

Children at Fishing Camp participate in the symbolic ‘first cast’ with Steve Medeiros, president of the RI Saltwater Anglers Association, Mayor Joseph Solomon, DEM director Janet Coit, Warwick Parks & Recreation Director James Scott, and Rep. Joseph Solomon Jr. of Warwick.

Camp aims to hook youth on fishing

The Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association (RISAA) and the Department of Environmental Management’s (DEM) held their annual youth fishing camp this week for 55 children. Funding for the three day camp was provided by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services.  The camp was held at Rocky Point State Park, Warwick for children 7 to 12 years old. 

Steve Medeiros, president of the RISAA said, “Fishing appeals to our sense of adventure, teaches us patience and how to take care of the environment.  We learned that the children love to fish so we have optimized fishing time from shore, on private vessels and one day we will travelled to Pt. Judith to fish on the Seven B’s party boat.”

Topics covered over the three-day camp include fish identification, conservation, use of spinning and conventional gear and tackle, basic marine biology, how and why to use different baits and lures, boating safety, casting form shore and fishing from private boats as well as a party/charter boat.

Janet Coit, Director of the Department of Environmental Management, said, “The youth fishing camp is one of DEM’s favorite events of the year because it combines and highlights so many important values including clean water, access to recreational opportunities for all, ecological stewardship, fellowship with terrific partners like RISAA, and of course, fun.”

The popular camp is annually held in June, visit www.risaa.org for announcements on next year’s camp.

RISAA also held their annual Take-a-Kid Fishing Day last Saturday.  Thirty-two vessels took ninety-two children form Boys & Gils Clubs, scout troops and town/city recreation departments fishing.  Young anglers trolled for bluefish and the bite was on.  The bluefish were in the two to four pound range.  Hat’s off to RISAA and the 125 volunteers who provided fishing and a cookout for all after fishing. 

Now is the time to fish for fluke

It’s time to fish for summer flounder (fluke).  The bite is likely as good as it is going to get in the mid-Bay region before the fish move out to the lower Bay and out to deeper, cooler water.  The fluke season runs from May 1 to December 31 in Rhode Island with a six fish/angler/day limit and a 19” minimum size.

Rhode Island also has a special shore area provision. Two fish 17” minimum size are allowed in special shore areas only.  The total possession limit is still six fish, but two can be 17”, the rest must be 19” or larger.  When fishing from shore the special areas are Fort Wetherill, Jamestown; Fort Adams, Newport; India Point Park, Providence; Stone Bridge, Tiverton; the West and East and Walls of the Harbor of Refuge, South Kingstown and Narragansett; Conimicut Park, Warwick; and Rocky Point, Warwick.

Fluke facts

In May, fluke move in shore from deep Continental Shelf waters where they spend the winter.  They stay inland until October and then move back to the deep water.

Fluke return to the same areas, Bays, etc. year after year.

Fluke are a flat fish with two eyes on the same side of the fish.  They are bottom fish that do not look aggressive, but they will chase bait aggressively and eat the same bait that bluefish and striped bass eat.  The difference is that they feed off the bottom.

They can be caught from a boat (usually while drifting) or from shore with little knowledge, so they are an ideal catch for beginners and children

Fluke are chameleons, they change color to blend with the bottom.

Largest fluke on record is 26.6 lbs. and 36” long.

Where’s the bite?

Fluke (summer flounder) and sea bass bite is in full swing. Doug Wade of Watch Hill Outfitters said, “The fluke bite off Block Island was not good at the end of the last week.  Too many dog fish (sharks) and anglers are having difficulty working their way through them all.”  The coastal shore has been good for fluke. Wade said, “Customers are catching fish in the five to eight pound range from Misquamicut Beach to Watch Hill. So the fishing for fluke is good.  The Fishers Island bite continues to be strong.”  Capt. Frank Blount of the Frances Fleet said, “We spent the whole week working the Island. Many anglers left with limit catches or one or two shy. The quality of the fish was great with pool fish being 7-10 pounds every day. More sea bass have been showing up as well. The half days have been off to a slower start. The beaches have been peaks and valleys. We are catching a few keepers and piles of shorts along the beaches. Sea bass are also starting to show up on the beaches.”  Ken Ferrara of Ray’s Bait & Tackle Warwick, said, “Anglers are catching keeper fish off Warwick Country Club and in the channel between Warwick Light near the red can.  The bite south of the Jamestown Bridge has been OK too.  And, the sea bass have been larger in the lower Bay, south of the bridges.”

Scup fishing has improved a lot this week, particularly in the mid Bay region.  John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait & Tackle Riverside said, “The white church bridge in Barrington is producing a lot of scup.  They are in the upper portion of the water column so anglers getting their bait to float in that area a doing well. One customer caught 30 keeper scup at the white bridge.”  Doug Wade of Watch Hill said, “The porgies (scup) are very big.  Southern coastal shore anglers are experiencing a great scup bite.”

Striped bass/bluefish bite has been mixed.  Capt. Frank Blount of the Frances Fleet said, “Monster striped bass have been showing up in waves as well. Many fish between 30-50 pounds (at Block Island) have been reported by some of the day boats.”  “There are bluefish of all sizes all around the Bay” said Ferrara of Ray’s Bait.  Last Saturday 40 boats trolling for bluefish in Greenwich Bay as part of the Take-A-Kid Fishing Day hooked up with bluefish.  The striped bass bite in the upper Bay, the Providence River area, has not been good at all this year.  Anglers say there is a shortage of pogies (Atlantic menhaden) which the bass historically follow up the Rivers in Providence.  Littlefield from Archie’s Bait & Tackle said, “My avid bass fishermen and commercial fishermen are traveling to Block Island to hook up with striped bass.  We are catching a ton of school bass but keepers are far and few between.”  Wade of Watch Hill said, “Anglers are catching bass along the southern coastal shore but they are small fish.  Large bass in the 30 pound range are being caught off the reefs at Watch Hill.”

Freshwater fishing for largemouth bass has been good.  Littlefield said, “The trout bite is nonexistent as the water is warm now but anglers are catching sunfish and largemouth in area ponds.”  The largemouth bass bite in South County continues to be good said Wade of Watch Hill.

Summer flounder fishing no fluke

Paul DeMarco of North Kingstown, Russ DeMarco and Dave Zartarian of South Kingstown with some of the twelve summer flounder they landed off Newport Saturday. All keepers shown below. 

 Liam Teixeira and his dad Bill of Bristol, RI landed this 36” striper last week while trolling with tube & worm in Narragansett Bay. 

 Steve Weinstein, Cranston, with the 33 inch, 17 pound bluefish he caught Saturday while fluke fishing.

Chris Catucci of Warwick with the 40 plus inch striped bass he caught and released while fishing from shore in Warwick last week.

 Atlantic sturgeon found at the mouth of Narrow River, Narragansett last week by the Burdick brothers.  Their mom Melissa Burdick said, “DEM took the fish for study.”

Noted local fly fishermen Ed Lombardo (in photo) and his fishing partner Richard Santos caught striped bass to 36” on Narrow River, Narragansett last week.

Summer flounder fishing no fluke

Summer flounder (fluke) fishing is great.  The best season I can remember in a long time.  This week anglers continued to report great fishing along the southern coastal shore from Pt. Judith to Watch Hill, fishing off Newport, Jamestown and Block Island has been good with the mouth of the Sakonnet River yielding fish too. 

If you have not given it a try, now is the time.  Our fluke fishery is in good shape, so good, fish managers lowered the minimum size in RI last year and this year to 18” with an eight fish/angler/day bag limit with a fluke season running from May 1 to December 31.

Fluke facts

• In May, fluke move in shore from deep Continental Shelf waters where they spend the winter.  They stay inland until October and then move back to the deep water.
• Fluke return to the same areas, bays, etc. year after year.
• The local abundance of flounder, including summer flounder or fluke, has been on the rise.  Studies show abundance moving from off Maryland and Delaware in the early 1960’s to off the coastal shores of NY, CT and RI today.  Some scientists (including Dr. Jonathan Hare, NOAA’s lab chief in Narragansett, RI) believe climate change is contributing to this movement.
• Fluke are a flat fish with two eyes on the same side of the fish.  They are bottom fish that do not look aggressive, but they will chase bait aggressively and eat the same bait that bluefish and striped bass eat.  The difference is that they feed off the bottom.
• They can be caught from a boat (usually while drifting) or from shore with little knowledge, so they are an ideal catch for beginners and children.
• Fluke are chameleons; they change color to blend with the bottom.
• Largest fluke on record is 26.6 lbs. and 36” long.  The RI State record is a 17 pound, 8 once fish caught by G. Farmer or Warwick, RI in 1962.

Fluke fishing tips

•       Wind and tide should be going in the same direction because fluke face into the current to feed, bait should drag over the front of the fish, if dragged over their back they may not see it

•       Fish edges of channels, banks, underwater valleys and humps as big fish ambush bait there

•       Squid is bait of choice, many use other attractants… blue fish, silversides, mummies, fluke bellies

•       Trailer teasers work, a second hook usually a bucktail with a 3 ft. leader tied above main bait/jig

•       Find the fish and repeat pattern… drifting over the same location or depth that is yielding fish

•       Both jigging and fishing traditional fluke rigs work

•       My favorite bait is big… a fluke cocktail… a plastic squid rig tipped with squid, a fresh water minnow held on by a fluke belly, you will catch fewer but larger fish

•       Power drift putting vessel in and out of gear for movement at slack tide or when wind and tide not ideal, as you need movement to catch fluke

Special video interviews on fluke fishing

Visit http://newenglandboating.com/videos/fall-fluke-fishing.html for a video with Capt. Dave Monti, Kelly Parker and Tom Richardson, co-hosts of New England Boating TV, they fish for fluke off Jamestown, RI and make Capt. Monti’s Fluke Cocktail.

Visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=18LMdrcMZi4 for and interview with Capt. Charlie Donilon of Snappa Charters, Pt. Judith, RI on how and where to catch fluke off Block Island and coastal shores.

Atlantic sturgeon found at river mouth

The Burdick brothers started their summer with quite an adventure.  They found an Atlantic sturgeon at the mouth of Narrow River in Narragansett last week. Their mom Melissa Kells Burdick (manager of Adventureland, Narragansett) said, “It had beached itself.  There were no visible injuries or markings on its body. The boys carried it home in a towel and we froze it over the weekend in our business' ice cream freezer!   We called DEM on Monday and reported the find.  They came it took it for study.”

Atlantic sturgeon is among the oldest fish species in the world and can be found from Canada to Florida.  It was in great abundance when settlers first came to North America but has since declined due to overfishing and water pollution and is considered an endangered species. They can grow to 14 feet and weigh up to 800 pounds and travel up rivers to spawn in brackish water.  When juveniles reach 30 to 36 inches they move into near coastal waters.

Where’s the bite

“Striped bass fishing slowed a bit in the Bay but some nice fish are still being caught.” said Ken Landry of Ray’s Bait & Tackle, Warwick. “Anglers are still catching 25 to 35 pound fish.  Many of them working schools of Atlantic Menhaden up near the old Henderson railroad bridge in Providence.  Bass and bluefish continue to crash the pogies there. And, at Block Island, day fishing is improving.  Night fishing is still OK, but guys are staying two and three tides to catch five or six fish. If you want to call that good, I guess it is a matter of perspective.”  Capt. Rick Bellavance of Priority Too charters, Pt. Judith said, “Daytime Bass fishing is improving out at Block Island with some big fish being caught on each trip.” Liam Teixeira and his dad Bill of Bristol, RI landed a 36” striper aboard their vessel the “Keeper” last week while fishing in the middle of the afternoon on Narragansett Bay trolling with tube and worm.  Dave Keil of Watch Hill Outfitters, Westerly said, “The Fish are getting larger, we weighed in a 56 and a 49 pound striped bass this week, both were from Block Island.” John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait & Tackle, East Providence said, “Customers have been catching keeper size bass in the 28" to 30” range using tube & worm off Barrington and catching fish in the 15 to 25 pound range using Atlantic Menhaden (chucked, live lining and yo-yoing) in the Nayatt Point, Conimicut Light area.”

Summer flounder (fluke) fishing was very strong this week.  “Fluke fishing under both bridges improved for customers this week.” said Ken Landry.  I fished this Saturday with Rus DeMarco and Dave Zartarian of South Kingstown, Paul DeMarco, North Kingstown and Steve Weinstein of Cranston and they landed over a dozen fluke under the Newport Bridge and out in front of Brenton Reef, Newport.  “Fluke fishing is good when the drift is strong, smaller fish are biting as it slows down.” said Capt. Rick Bellavance. “Elisa Martin of Snug Harbor Marina said, “Bruce Dubois won first prize in their fluke tournament this weekend with an 8.98 fish, followed by Ron Enright who landed an 8.80 pound fluke for second place.  Forty-four anglers participated in the Tournament most fishing off Newport, at the mouth of the Sakonnet, Block Island or along southern coastal shores.”  Dave Keil of Watch Hill said, “Fluke fishing is now very good, we have customers catching their limit with fishing is particularly good off Misquamicut and Charlestown beaches.”

Shore fishing continued to improve this week.  Julian Trozzi of Breachway Bait & Tackle, Charlestown said, “Striped bass fishing at night, right in the middle of the Breachway with eels has been very good.  Anglers are landing 30 to 40 pound fish. There is a lot of small bait in the water and blue fish and bass are crashing them all over, just watch for the birds.” Warwick angler Chris Catucci caught and released a 40 plus inch striped bass from shore in Warwick last week.  Fly fisherman Ed Lombardo reports a  good bass bite in Narrow River, Narragansett.  He and fishing partner Richard Santos landed 29” and 36” fish while fly fishing.  Ed said, “The bite was much better on the incoming tide… My hot pink high tie streamer and all white high tie streamers worked very well. Also my shrimp worked well on the shad at dark.”  Dave Keil of Watch Hill Outfitters, Westerly said, school bass fishing from the breachways at Weekapaug and Quonnie has been good. With fluke and scup being landed from the shore at Watch Hill.” Scup fishing continues to improve with the fish getting larger.  John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait said, “One customer came in with a 19” scup he cauth off the dock at Colt State Park.  And another customer and his grandson caught a total of 55 scup in Barrington.” 

Offshore.  “We caught and released eight Blue Sharks on our first offshore trip on Thursday. As an added bonus Whales, Sea Turtles, Sunfish, and Dolphin sightings can be expected on any trip offshore right now.” said Capt. Rick Bellavance. Elisa Martin of Snug Harbor Marian said, “Customer Bill Fazano landed a Mako and a Thresher shark this weekend at Tuna Ridge.  The fish must have been good size as he had to respool his reels and check gear due to the all the action.”  Shark fishing for mako and thresher sharks has been good offshore with lots of bluesharks being caught said Capt. Gene Kelly of the Montauk Sportfishing Association. Last week, first place winners of the Montauk Marine Basin shark tournament included a 353 lbs. mako, a 355 lbs. thresher and a 311 lbs. blueshark.

Freshwater. Fly fisherman Ed Lombardo fished the Wood River Sunday night for brown and rainbow trout during the Hexagenia or “Hex hatch”.  The Hex hatch refers to the emergence from the water of large, white mayflies when they mature from nymphs to flying insects. Ed said, “I raised two fish when we first got there during daylight with an orange colored body Wolff pattern size #8. White wings and tail of calf tail and one hackle feather wrapped in back and front of the wing brown in color. Spent Spinners work best once the hatch starts; we left the water at 10:10 p.m.  (My fishing partner) Toby had a great night with eight or so fish.”