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.

Fresh RI fish coming your way

Hannah Mellion of Farm Fresh Rhode Island talks about their fresh fish pilot project at the RI Senate Special Task Force on Fisheries chaired by Senator Sosnowski.

Fresh RI fish coming your way

How would you like to buy fresh Rhode Island cod, striped bass or flounder for dinner tonight and know where and when it was caught and a little something about the captain and crew that caught it? This is what the Local Catch Pilot project of Farm Fresh Rhode Island and Local Catch, Inc. is doing. They aim to bring fresh local fish to market at competitive prices.

Hannah Mellion of Farm Fresh Rhode Island said, “We are applying the same model we used to successfully bring fresh RI produce to restaurants, farmer markets and supermarkets and are applying it to fresh fish caught in Rhode Island.” Efforts to bring fresh RI fish to market were outlined last week by Local Catch, Inc. and Farm Fresh RI at the Special RI Senate Task Force on Fisheries chaired by Senator V. Susan Sosnowski (D-South Kingstown and New Shoreham). Larry Mouradjian and Ken Ayers of the Department of Environmental Management also spoke. Ken was responsible for helping to start the “RI Fresh” movement and said his department has set aside $20,000 in grant money to start a RI Seafood Marketing Collaborative whose purpose will be to market fresh Rhode Island fish.

Another speaker a last week’s hearing was Eric Reid from Deep Sea Fish of Rhode Island, a RI seafood wholesaler, who said stable markets are needed to bring fresh RI fish to market, “We can’t have derby fishing.” Relating to the way fisheries are often managed by dictating that they must only fish on a limited number of days taking away their flexibility and ability to bring fish to market in a consistent, reliable manner (see below story on successful fisheries sector management techniques).

Steve Brustein, chef/manager of The Met, a Rhode Island School of Design campus restaurant, is a Farm Fresh Rhode Island customer. He said, “We loved it when Farm Fresh RI organized farmers and offered fresh produce to chefs, now we are very excited about the opportunity to purchase fresh fish.”

Branding Rhode Island fish as fresh, wholesome, nutritious and reasonably priced is something that I think is a great idea. Branding RI fish in this manner will help recreational fishing in RI as well as commercial fishing.

NOAA points to success of “sector” fisheries management
Under a new fisheries management program effective since last May, revenues increased for the Northeast groundfishery during the first nine months of the 2010 fishing year compared to same period in 2009.

Higher average prices for all species accounted for the increased revenues. These are among the findings in an interim report released by NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center. Researchers looked at gross revenues, fishing effort, average vessel performance, distribution of revenues, and employment for the first nine months of the 2007 through 2010 fishing years. Among the new trends are increased revenues and prices. Revenues from all species on all trips by groundfish vessels in the first nine months of 2010 were up about $24 million over the same period in 2009.

New England groundfish management measures which took effect in 2010 include annual catch limits to prevent overfishing and rebuild overfished stocks and two options for controlling fishing effort. Fishermen can either form groups and fish an allotted share of the total allowed catch (like the RI Fluke Sector Pilot mentioned below) or fish individually with a limit on the number of days spent fishing.

Another successful example of “Sector” management is the commercial RI Fluke Sector Pilot which is now in its third year. Since its inception this Pilot Fluke Sector has grown, new members have been added as fishermen saw the benefits of flexibility… being able to fish when other species were not available or when market demand is highest. The sector has proven to be a very effective way to sustain the resource as well with record low discard rates compared to the days a sea method.

Rhode Island recreation saltwater fishing license challenge
Last week I received an e-mail from reader Tom Poirier who said he supported the Rhode Island bill that would “make the fishing license free”, Rhode Island House Bill # 5584 introduced by Rep. Gallison of Bristol. Tom said, “The state of NY just put a two year moratorium on their license… (In RI) we are paying for something (data collection and research) that is not going to happen.”

The Federal Government mandated that all coastal states have a registry (or license program) that supplied contact information on all saltwater anglers for surveys and data collection to obtain more accurate fishery data to manage better. The Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association (RISAA) worked with DEM to write the Saltwater Fishing License law we presently have. Funds raised by the license will go into a separate fund that must be used to enhance the fishery. It does not go into the general fund. The Federal Government will use the data collected by the State to study recreational fishing.

Last week Gary Leatherberry, an avid angler and associate at Erickson’s Bait & Tackle, Warwick, said during a NBC Channel 10 interview that he supported the existing State license law, saw the need for data collection to better manage and had faith that the funds collected would be properly used. This is a view shared by many anglers including RISAA, an organization that represents over 6,000 recreational anglers in Rhode Island. The State of RI is in tough fiscal condition. Funds to implement a state registry with no fee would likely make the situation worse.

Where’s the bite
Striped bass fishing continues to improve. Rich Di Giuseppe of North Kingstown caught a nice keeper bass (very clean fish) in Greenwich Bay on No Fluke Charters Friday night. John Wunner of John’s Bait & Tackle, North Kingstown reports keeper bass being caught by customers at Mt. View in North Kingstown and in Greenwich Bay. Craig Castro of Erickson’s Bait & Tackle, Warwick, said school bass are being caught in Apponaug and Greenwich coves. Bob Oberg fished the East Bay Friday night from his kayak, at sundown on an outgoing tide, he said “Caught four fish in about twenty minutes, including a 29-incher and a 27-incher… using tube and worm with a light rod.”
The squid are in and are being taken at Goat Island and Ft. Wetherill said John Wunner of John’s Bait & Tackle. Charlie Santos of Tiverton said, “The squid fishers are shoulder to shoulder at the Calamari Causeway (Goat Island) Newport…(they are also likely) at Fort Getty in Jamestown, Sakonnet Point in Little Compton, Pt. Judith docks, on the Cape in Falmouth and the Woods Hole town docks.”

Fluke. Bruce an associate at Breachway Bait & Tackle in Charlestown said customers have been catching small fluke with some keepers off southern coastal beaches. Similar reports from Francis Fleet vessels.
Tautog bite remains good in the bay with hot action taking place in the upper bay. John Wunner said, “Bullocks Point, Rocky Point, Conimicut Light and other East Bay areas are producing good sized tautog.”

Catching this striped bass was no fluke

August 10, 2010

Captain Dave Monti with the striped bass he caught this week while fishing for fluke (summer flounder). The 34” bass hit a whole squid under the Newport Bridge.


I fished in the Newport area for a couple of hours Saturday during the Newport Folk Festival. Fishing under the Newport Bridge can be challenging… bottom hang ups, fast water, boat congestion and more. I was using an eight oz. fluke ball weight with a buck tail and a second green florescent fluke rig above it, both tipped with squid… in fact whole squid. A second single hook rig was out on another rod too.

The rod bent as I got a huge hit… what a fluke and then all of a sudden this fluke was running. A fluke running ? A minute later a dorsal fin surfaced behind the boat as well as my sea anchor that I had dispatched a few minutes earlier to slow the boat. It was a 34” striped bass that hit the top hook. I managed to land the fish along with everything else that was is one big ball… the sea anchor, its line, most of the fishing line from the two rods and all the squid rigs.
This experience was no fluke because striped bass love squid and feed on the bottom, near structure and fast moving water that tumbles bait around. It is common to get bass hits when fishing for fluke, particularly when using whole squid.

This story is good news… bass are in the Bay. There have been other reports this week about bass in the Bay… so even though water is warm and has chased fish to cooler, deeper water, things did seem to pick up this week,The East Bay Anglers will hold their monthly meeting Wednesday, August 11 at the Riverside Sportsman’s Club on Mohawk Drive in East Providence. Will Barbeau of the East Bay Anglers said promotional plans for the East Bay Anglers 2011 EXPO will be reviewed by member Mike Laptew . The annual EXPO fishing show takes place in January. Reservations to attend the August meeting can be obtained by calling 245-8375 or e-mailing wbarb@cox.net.

Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association (RISAA) is holding their Bluefish/Striped Bass Combo Special Tournament for individual anglers from August 13 to August 22. Anglers must enter a bluefish and a striped bass to qualify. Total weight. Boat and Shore Divisions. Pre-registration NOT required for RISAA members. For more information contact Chairman Mark Paparelli at 401-884-6724.

Commercial striped bass quota hearing. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission will hold a public hearing to take comments on Striped Bass Draft Addendum II. This is a proposal to increase the coastal commercial striped bass quota. Recreational anglers are urged to attend the meeting and voice their opinion as the decision to increase the quota would likely impact recreational fishing in a negative fashion. The Rhode Island meeting will be held Tuesday, August 17, 6:00 p.m.at the URI Narragansett Bay Campus, Corless Auditorium, 215 South Ferry Road, Narragansett, RI. A Massachusetts meeting is scheduled for Monday, August 16 , 6:00 p.m.at the Holiday Inn in Dedham, MA.

Tautog fall catch limits. The Department of Environmental Management’s (DEM) Marine Fisheries Division proposal to reduce the recreational tautog catch limit this fall from eight fish to three fish per angler per day will likely be recommended to the DEM executive director. Rick Bellavance, president of the Rhode Island Party & Charter Boat Association, said “The proposal to allow the Party/Charter Industry to remain at eight fish from October 15th to November 30th will likely vw recommended as well.” Bellavance’s proposal included a provision for one fish per person at all other times besides October 15th to November 1st, for the remainder of 2010. This would allow the industry to fish tautog in the important fall season, yet limit fishing at other times this year. Tautog regulations will be revisited in late 2010 to address the 2011 season.

Black sea bass catch limits. The RI Marine Fisheries Council also recommended to the DEM director to increase the recreational Black Sea Bass season, which would now run until October 11th, would close until November 1st, and then reopen for the remainder of the year. The bag limit would stay, 25 fish/person at 12.5 inches.

Where’s the bite

Striped bass fishing on Block Island and off southern Rhode Island coastal shores remains good. Jim Rogers reports a good fishing night last Friday around the Point Judith Light fishing in ten feet of water with eels. He hooked up almost every cast. The largest fish caught was a 45 inch bass that had a large lobster in its stomach. Angler Don Smith reports great fishing on Block Island with 30 bass caught Friday night, in the mix twelve bass were over 40 lbs. with a 51 lb fish caught by Peter Vican. Bass taken with light tackle and live eels. I caught a 34” striped bass under the Newport Bridge while fluking last Saturday and a RISAA blogger reports catching a 24” bass on the troll with tube and worm near the BP Buoy off Barrington. So this is good news Bay fishing is improving.

Bluefishing seems to be picking up with many reports of fish surfacing both in the east and west Bay passages in the Quonset Point and Half-Way Rock areas. Bluefish taken on surface lures and on the troll with tube and worm off Bullock’s Point and south to Barrington Beach, another sign that Bay fishing is improving.

Bonito. Tom of Erickson’s Bait & Tackle in Warwick reported taking two Bonito off Narragansett last week. He chased them for a while but they did not like what he was casting. He then trolled at three to four knots with an artificial bass lure and hooked up five times and landed two fish.
Fluke fishing is fair in the Bay and better off f Block Island. Saturday fishing around Jamestown and under the Newport Bride produced fish for anglers but plenty of shorts were taken with some keepers mixed in.

Off-shore fishing is good. Robb Roach of Kettlebottom Outfitters in Jamestown reports a good Yellow Fin Tuna bite at the Fishtails and east on the troll. Robb reports he and his team regrettably lost a 300 lbs Bigeye tuna after a six hour fight.

Fresh water. Craig Mancini of Colonial Bait & Tackle in Cranston reports a good fresh water bite with a customer reporting thirty largemouth bass being caught at JL Curran this past week. Shiners were their choice of bait. The other local area ponds were slow, bass were not biting too well on shiners, but night crawlers seemed to spark their interest.

Captain 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 photos in JPEG from, stories, comments and questions are welcome… there’s more than one way to catch a fish. Visit Captain Dave’s No Fluke website at http://www.noflukefishing.com/ or e-mail him at dmontifish@verizon.net .
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Electronic logbook for anglers well received

Peter Sousa of Warwick caught seven striped bass including this 31” keeper on No Fluke Charters out of East Greenwich Cove. The fish was caught near Conimicut Light in fifteen feet of water.

Today I registered and recorded my fist two tautog fishing trips in the Rhode Island Recreational Online Angler Logbook. It took ten minutes. Anglers can use it free of charge and the system is voluntary.

Some saltwater anglers hold details of their fishing trips close to the vest. The less others know about when, how and where they fish the better, particularly an environmental regulatory agency like DEM. However, information in this logbook is confidential; data will be examined in aggregate form to provide an independent data source for DEM policy makers.
I like the log system and will give it a try this season. It allows me to keep accurate historical data that I can build on year after year while helping the fishery.
Dan Costa, who developed the logbook for DEM’s Fish and Wildlife Marine Fisheries Department, said, “We hope Rhode Island anglers use the logbook to their advantage, to help them fish, while we collect data to improve the fishery.” Dan said that Massachusetts one year old logbook system has about 200 uses. Rhode Island, who announced their logbook program three weeks ago, has 45 anglers signed up at press time.
Visit http://www.dem.ri.gov/ to sign up for the logbook and/or e-mail questions to Dan Costa at dan.costa@dem.ri.gov .

The squid are in
Anglers use squid as bait for fluke (summer flounder), sea bass and many other species. Last week I attended a Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association seminar titled Squid Fishing Strategies, Locations & Tips given by one of Rhode Island’s top anglers and squid authorities Dave Fewster. Squid fishing is part science, part art and very stealthy according to Dave. “You have to put in the time to find out where they will likely be, set up your lights and then be ready to move into action when they arrive”. Dave related that his favorite locations for catching squid are Newport, Jamestown and Narragansett. Usually near bridges, jetties, wharfs and always around light that attracts the squid. Dave related that the season usually starts at the end of April and runs through May. However, last year the season extended well into June. Calm water is ideal for squid fishing as is a full noon and water temperatures around 59 degrees. Dave spoke highly of new Yozuri squid rig that people (and the squid) cannot seem to resist. He found it at Ocean State Bait and Tackle in Providence.

Fishing tournament for visually impaired
The RI Lions Sight Foundation (RILSF) will hold their 3rd Annual VIP Fishing Tournament for Visually Impaired Persons (VIP) on June 27, 2010. The half day tournament will be held on a chartered party boat out of Galilee, RI. Participants are eligible for trophies and an opportunity to represent Rhode Island at the Lions National “VIP” Tournament which takes place on the Outer Banks of North Carolina in October. For information contact Ken Barthelemy, tournament chair, at kenbar123@aol.com .

Kettlebottom Outfitters “Brand X” action sport videos now on Cox
Robb Roach and his Brand X Production Company, has produced a series of adventure sport videos airing five times a week on Cox 3. Programs also air on Video’s on Demand (VOD’s) were Kettlebottom Outfitters has a number of other programs on fishing and hunting. Shows are on a variety of topics from shark fishing to kite surfing. I still use Robb’s recipe for baked fluke… a recipe I like and learned from watching one of his videos. Visit http://www.kettlebottom.com/ for details on Brand X programs.

DEM announced free fishing days
The Department of Environmental Management (DEM) announced that Saturday, May 8 and Sunday, May 9 are free fishing days in Rhode Island. Rhode Islanders and visitors can fish in freshwaters without a fishing license or trout conservation stamp. Free loaner fishing rods and bait are available. Visit http://www.dem.ri.gov/ for locations and details.

Where’s the bite
Tautog. Ken Ferrara of Ray’s Bait and Tackle, Warwick, related that Ken Landry caught a nice white chinned tautog at Ohio Ledge. He also caught a 36” striped bass off Pine Hill this past weekend. Robb Roach of Kettlebottom Outfitters in Jamestown reports a 10 lb fish caught off Narragansett.

Striped bass were all over Narragansett Bay and this week. Robb Roach from Kettlebottom Outfitters reports decent fish caught to 27” in the Narrow River. Angler Peter Sousa of Warwick landed seven striped bass and two keepers to 31” on No Fluke Charter Fishing this weekend. Pete caught his fish trolling with tube and worm on lead line weighted with three ounce sinkers, a method that got the line down low with only 60 feet of line out in about 15 feet of water. The fish were caught between Gaspee and Conimicut Point. Steve McKenna of Cranston and an associate at Quaker Lane Outfitters, North Kingstown, reports many keeper bass to 20 pounds being taken in mid Narragansett Bay area. Steve caught eight keepers using metal lip surface swimmers. His fishing friends used Danny plugs and spook type lures and did just as well. School striped bass with keepers mixed in have been landed in East Greenwich Cove; off Poppasquash Point, Bristol; areas north of Connecticut light, Warwick and Barrington; Pine Hill off Prudence Island: and a host of other Bay and river areas.

Freshwater fishing for trout at stocked DEM ponds is still good, visit http://www.dem.ri.gov/ for listings. Andrew Cahrhoff of Erickson’s Bait and Tackle in Warwick said that fishing has been good and promises to get better now that spawning season is upon us. Andrew will be fishing the shallows as the water warms and fish start to clear their beds for matting. Andrew bass fishes competitively; his favorite places to fish include Beach Pond, Johnson Pond and Indian Lake.

Finally, a trophy bass… and then snap…your line breaks

No one wants to lose a big fish. Not me, yet time and time again I lose fish because the gear is not right for the job, the tackle is faulty or because I wasn’t ready. Last year I lost a monster fluke (summer flounder) under the Jamestown Bridge. I was fishing for that doormat-sized fluke, yet the rig I was using just didn’t have enough muscle. I keep telling myself “You have to be ready, prepare before you drop your hook, before your fishing trip and before the season starts.” So this article focuses on getting your gear ready for the fishing season now so you don’t lose that big fish.

Here’s a guide on what to do to prepare for the season.

Line
Each year, replace most used line. This is a judgment call as to what is meant by “used”. For example I have reels spooled with 40 lb. test monofilament line for fishing live bait. I used them infrequently last year. So I checked the line, it looked good… no nicks, snags or apparent stress so I did not change it. However, I changed just about every other rig with new monofilament, braid, lead or wire. Spool tight enough and then stretch the line, the first 100 feet (of monofilament line) to relax its memory to avoid bird’s nest tangles.

Reels
Give your reels a good cleaning, particularly when the line is off. Grease where directed by manufacturer, often times, the reel is marked where to do this. If instructions are long gone do not hesitate to stop by your local bait or tackle shop to ask where to grease. Do not be afraid to ask questions, that is what they are there for, and they want your business. By the way, do not grease the drag, It is not meant to be greased, if you do, it will not work.

Rods
Examine the rods for cracks and stress marks. Closely examine the eyes for chips or cuts that could cause line to snag, rub or break. Do not place hooks on the eyes or they will eventually create cracks that will cut line as it passes through.

Tackle
I get tackle ready in chronological order when certain species are fished… starting with tautog, striped bass, blue fish, fluke, tuna, etc. I then go through tautog rigs first, then the striped bass, etc. Make sure you have enough rigs to fish the species. Hooks should be clean and sharp (no rust), and strong enough for the size fish you are going after. Often hooks that come with lures are not quality hooks so I replace them with stronger hooks.

Leaders/Circle Hooks
Use wire leaders for blue fish and monofilament or fluorocarbon for striped bass. Blues won’t bite though the wire and striped bass will find it harder to see the monofilament or fluorocarbon leaders. Make sure leaders have no nicks or stress marks from fish pulling. If they do, replace them. I switched most of my leader hooks to circle hooks, I did this so I can safely catch and release undersized or unwanted fish (particularly striped bass). Circle hooks are designed to hook the fish at the corner of the mouth and not down in the belly.


Where’s the Bite

Freshwater fishing: Opening day is Saturday, April 10. Get you gear ready. Kim Bissonnette of Portsmouth, RI reported a healthy largemouth bass bite this weekend. On Saturday Kim landed nine largemouths in about 3 ½ hours of fishing. Kim will be reporting regularly on the freshwater bite this season. throughout the season.

Saltwater fishing regulations and license. DEM director Michael Sullivan is expected to announce 2010 saltwater fishing regulations in the next week or two. Rhode Island will also likely institute its saltwater fishing license requirement this year. If they do not a federal license will be required. Stay tuned for 2010 regulations and details on the license law roll-out.

Tautog. Spring tautog season opens, April 15 (if tautog regulations stay the same). The tautog proposal presented by the RI Fisheries Council was status quo with 2009… a minimum size of 16” with a split season… April 15 to May 31 (three fish/person/day), July 1 to October 16 (three fish/person/day) and October 17 to December 15 (eight fish/person/day).

Striped Bass. We still have holdover striped bass in the upper reaches of rivers and bays. The only other news I heard was from Rich Back of On The Water magazine on line (http://www.onthewater.com/ ). Rich reports
Osprey sightings which traditionally follow the herring up North. And, if the herring are coming north, the striped bass are right behind them. So this is a good sign.

Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association successfully completed their
annual New England Saltwater Fishing show at the Convention Center in RI and is now preparing for their March 29, 7:00 p.m. monthly seminar. The seminar will feature two topics… Light Tackle Fishing in Narragansett Bay with Captain James White (owner of White Ghost Charters) and a discussion of the R.I. ocean Special Area Management Plan (SAMP) which aims to define zones for RI’s ocean waters. David Beutel of the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council will speak about RI’s ongoing SAMP initiative.

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.