Fresh and salt bite hot, so it’s your choice

 Double Gold:  Ted Zack, Aquidneck Island Rod Builders, with two golden trout caught one after another this week. Visit www.dem.ri.gov for trout stocked waterways and golden trout program details.

 First freshwater license: Elisa Cahill of Snug Harbor Marina, South Kingstown, shares her success at freshwater fishing with four trout caught in South County. 

First keeper:  One of the 23” to 28” school bass Jon Pickering caught from his kayak earlier this week.  Photo from www.ristriper.blogspont.com .

Fresh and salt bite hot, so it’s your choice

This week anglers have been fishing both fresh and saltwater with success. Ponds stocked with trout in Rhode Island and Massachusetts (see links below) have been exploding with good size trout and spring striped bass have invaded our southern coast shore, ponds, bays and inlets.

Neil Hayes of Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle, North Kingstown said, “In addition to PowerBait and worms, customers are now using spinners and silver spoons for trout.  One of our customers caught a 3.85 pound rainbow trout.  Barber Pond and Silver Spring Lake have been yielding great trout.”

On the saltwater side anglers are getting keeper tautog but fishing has been sluggish.  Mike Wade of Watch Hill Outfitters, Westerly said, “School striper fishing has exploded along coastal beaches, up the Pawcatuck River and in coves, bays and estuaries. We have an abundance of jumbo silversides in the water with shad (herring) all the way up the Pawtucket River that is attaching stripers.” Dave Pickering, expert striper fisherman and author said, “My son, Jon, got the first keeper in the family in this new year early in the week from his kayak… he landed quite a few decent fish from 23 to 28 inches.”

Enhance you catch & release skills

The 2020 fishing regulation for striped bass is one fish/person/day in the slot limit of 28” to < 35”.  National Oceanographic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) data shows that 90 percent of the striped bass caught by anglers are released back into the water.  This is good for conservation, however, NOAA urges anglers enhance their catch & release skills to decrease the mortality rate of released fish. 

Use the right gear and tackle

A single inline hook on lures is recommended.  If your lure has treble hooks consider change them or snapping down the barbs on each of the hooks with a needle nose plyer.  You’ll minimize the damage to a feisty fish with fewer hooks.  I also try not to muscle in these fish as their lips and mouths are small and weak.  Take it easy on them but bring them to the boat as quickly as possible to minimize fish exhaustion.

This year in Massachusetts circle hooks are required when targeting striped bass with bait and next year Rhode Island will likely have the same regulation.  Circle hooks tend to hook fish on the corner of the mouth rather than hooking them in the gut or throat like ‘J’ hooks.

Other catch & release tactics include keeping fish in the water as much as possible when removing hook; use gloves and/or wet your hand before handling the fish as dry hands remove the fish’s protective slime layer and leave it open to infection; gently remove the hook to minimize damage; return fish to water quickly and place them gently in the water in upright horizontal position.  Move it back and forth in the water holding its tail to force water across its gills.  Once fish revives, allow it to swim away.

Lighten-up

My personal favorite in the early spring is to use lightweight rods and reels as they provide anglers with the most challenging fight. I have a couple of light Penn rods and reels ready to go along with a couple of  St. Croix Mojo light and medium inshore spinning rods  paired with Shimano Stella 4000 reels.  The Shimano Stella reels are spooled with 20 pound braid and 20 pound fluorocarbon leaders just like the Penn rigs (use these for bonito and false albacore too).

When a bass smacks your lure and runs with it there’s nothing more exciting.  With an abundance of small fish around the past couple of years most experts expect that fishing for school bass will be hot once again this year.

Where to find the fish

Like most fish, finding spring striped bass is all about the bait.  Much of the bait in the spring is herring, or Atlantic menhaden.  So if you find the bait, the odds of finding the fish are dramatically improved.

An incoming tide is my preference.  Casting around jetties, sandbars, holes, ledges or small pieces of structure has been successful.  The idea is to cast into eddies, and just beyond them, that have been created by the incoming tide whirling around the structure.  Often times we cast in front of the structure, or if a sandbar in the low water on top of it, and then pull the lure away from the structure.  In this way your lure is acting much the same way a bait fish acts when it gets pushed up on the structure.   

Where’s the bite?

If fishing this week stay COVID-19 safe.  Keep six foot social distancing, no groups of more than five, and wear a mask or scarf when near others. State parks in Rhode Island are closed, so there is no parking. Call ahead to find out how your bait shop is servicing customers.

Freshwater.  Lorraine Danti of Lucky Bait & Tackle, Warren said “Customer Ted Zack of Aquidneck Island Rod Builders caught two golden trout this week”.  Zack said, “What a way to start the day. First golden ever then another one on the next fish! Going on the smoker now.”  Mike Wade of Watch Hill Outfitters said the trout bite is outstanding at Barber Pond and all stocked waterways.” Visit www.mass.gov/orgs/division-of-fisheries-and-wildlife for a list of stocked ponds and regulations in Massachusetts and if in Rhode Island visit www.dem.ri.gov .

Striped bass. Anglers are catching school bass where there is bait (Atlantic menhaden and herring). Neil Hayes of Quaker Lane said “The school bass bite is good at the West Wall, on coastal beaches and in bays and estuaries.”

Free Fishing Weekend for freshwater anglers

John Migliori with a 12” golden trout he caught at Melville Pond, Portsmouth.  Take a picture with your golden trout and send it to Jessica.pena@dem.ri.gov to receive a golden trout pin.

Free Fishing Weekend for freshwater anglers

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) will hold Free Fishing Weekend Saturday, May 6^th and Sunday, May 7^th. As part of the event, the public is invited to fish without a fishing license or trout conservation stamp in the state's freshwaters.

Six local ponds will be stocked with over 6,000 rainbow trout and 4,000 golden trout for the event. Stocked waters include:  Peck Pond, Burrillville; Browning Mill Pond, Exeter; Silver Spring Lake, North Kingstown; Upper Melville Pond, Portsmouth; Meadowbrook Pond, Richmond; and Shippee Sawmill Pond, Foster.

The free fishing program was established in Rhode Island in 1995 as an opportunity to encourage people to experience freshwater fishing as a new outdoor experience and highlight some of Rhode Island’s premier freshwater fishing areas. Anglers who catch a golden trout on free fishing weekend and throughout the season will receive a free golden trout pin. Take a picture of your catch and send it to Jessica Pena at Jessica.pena@dem.ri.gov .

Free fishing weekend does not apply to saltwater fishing. Freshwater fishing regulations on size and limits apply on May 6^th and May 7th. For more information or to purchase a license, visit www.dem.ri.gov.

DEM workshop for fishermen nets some good ideas

It was about half way thought the commercial fishing workshop Tuesday night at the URI Bay Campus when fisherman John Walker recommended a change in license use regulations that made a lot of sense to most fishermen and Department of Environmental Management (DEM) staff persons in the room.

The issue was allowing two licensed fishermen fishing on the same vessel to each take their allowable catch limit (this is done now with select species).  Walker said, “When you think about the amount of fuel, the added carbon pollution and cost we incur each time we fish it makes a lot of sense to allow two licenses to work one boat… it cuts expenses in half and is a lot safer.”

Fisherman Greg Duckworth said, “This recommendation makes a lot of sense to me, whatever we have to do to make it work should be explored.” DEM is taking the suggestion under advisement and will explore if and how such a change could be implemented.

Another proposed regulation discussed at the meeting was a regulation similar to one that exists now for lobster pots.  The regulation would prevent all pots such as eel and crab pots from being raised an hour after sunset and more than an hour before sunrise.  The aim of the proposal would be to prevent poaching, however, fishermen felt the regulation would be restrictive as some fishermen now raise their pots early morning to sell crabs, or set them a dusk, etc.

Workshops such as the one held Tuesday night are designed to seek fishermen input on regulations.  Regulations and proposals discussed will be explored further and presented at a public hearing in June.

Al Gag tackle demonstration at Ocean State

Ocean State Tackle, Providence will have Al Gag of Al Gag’s Fishing Lures at their store for a demonstration on Sunday, May 7 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  Meet the inventor of the Whip-It Eel and the Whip-It Fish and learn how to fish the lures.  For information contact Dave Henault at 401. 749.3474.

8^th Annual Customer Appreciation Day

Lucky Bait & Tackle, Warren, RI will be celebrating their 8^th Annual Customer Appreciation Day on Saturday, May 13^th.  Manny Macedo of Lucky Bait said, “We plan on having a number of reps on hand from a variety of manufacturers (Penn, Calcutta and a host of others). And, we will be having our traditional pig roast for customers.” 

Two quahog transplants… May 10^th and May 11^th

Two quahog transplants will take place this month.  This is the program that uses local quahogers to dig quahogs out of restricted areas and move them to clean waters. On Wednesday, May 10^th a transplant will take place at Greenwich Cove and Thursday, May 11^th a transplant will take place at Bristol Harbor, starting at the Independence Park boat ramp.  Licensed commercial shellfishermen will be paid $7/50 pound bag and those assisting with dumping $10/50 pound bad.  Both transplants will take place from 8:00 a.m. to 12 noon.

Shellfishermen should report to the on-site DEM enforcement patrol boat by 8:00 a.m. on the day of the transplant.  The shellfish transplant program is a cooperative effort between DEM, the Narragansett Bay Commission, the shellfish industry, and the RI Department of Health. 2017 transplant funding is provided by the Narragansett Bay Commission.

Where’s the Bite

Freshwater fishing continues to be very strong with anglers catching large and smallmouth bass.  The trout bite is expected to improve this weekend with DEM stocking ponds with trout and golden trout for Free Fishing weekend. See above article for ponds to be stocked or visit www.dem.ri.gov .   Mike Wade of Watch Hill Outfitters, Westerly said, “Trout fishing in DEM stocked ponds is still great and customers are catching bass and pike in Chapman Pond (Westerly).”  Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle, Providence said, “Ronnie Lippe caught a 26 pound carp in East Providence using pop-up baits.”

Tautog fishing has improved this week in the Bay with anglers catching keepers with shorts mixed in; however, fishing along the southern coastal shore was not good.  “Tautog fishing is good in RI but anglers have been keeping their fishing success to themselves as is the case in the spring time, but we know they are catching keepers somewhere." said Mike Wade of Watch Hill Outfitters. Matt Conti of Snug Harbor Marina, South Kingstown, said, “Spring fishing locations in water 15 to 25 feet has just not been good in South County.”  I fished with two anglers Saturday in the Newport and Jamestown area and had a very slow pick with two keepers and three shorts.  “Capt. Billy Silvia caught his commercial limit of tautog at Ohio Ledge this week.” said Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle. Manny Macedo of Lucky Bait & Tackle, Warren said, “We received reports of keeper tautog being caught off Newport, and all along Water Street but there are a lot of shorts mixed in.”  Joe Palmer of Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle said, “No major reports of blackfish being caught yet.”

Striped bass fishing in Southern, RI is exploding.  Matt Conti of Snug Harbor said, “Bass fishing is phenomenal.  A customer caught a 31” fish off the West Wall (Harbor of Refuge) this weekend with school bass being caught in mass at the Wall and on Matunuck and Charlestown beaches.  The ponds in Charlestown, Ninigret and Narrow River are all hot too.”  Anglers have caught as many as twenty school bass on an outing in Greenwich Cove (spreading to Apponaug Cove in Warwick too). “School bass with keeper bass mixed in are being caught everywhere including the Warren River, Kicketmuit River and all the way up to Pawtucket.” said Many Macedo of Lucky Bait & Tackle.  “We have a lot of school bass in the 14" to 15” range being caught but no reports of keepers really arriving yet.” said Mike Wade of Watch Hill Outfitters.

“Squid fishing is hit or miss with anglers catching as much as ½ bucket (a five gallon pail) fishing in the Newport and Jamestown.” said Manny Macedo.  “The squid are in and out depending on the day in Rhode Island with large numbers being taken in Hyannis, MA.” said Dave Henault of Ocean State.