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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

DEM opens Bay Line, call 222.888

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

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

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

Where’s the bite

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

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

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

Ten Favorite Ways to Catch Striped Bass (4/28/09)

10. Trolling with umbrella rigs. Like to use this technique trolling in deeper parts of Narragansett Bay, off Newport or Block Island with a variety of squid, shad, worm or eel umbrella rigs. Hook two or three fish at the same time and you are in for a very memorable ride.

9. Casting plastic shad swim baits. Many anglers love this technique and use it most often with success in the spring.

8. Buck tail jigs with pork rind squid strips. Have had success with this method to get under schools of blue fish to get at the striped bass on the bottom.

7. Live eels. Used by shore or boat anglers, some fishing guides use this as their primary method to catch killer stripers. Hook the eel through the mouth and out an eye. Going between the eyes usually kills the bait.

6. Live menhaden. Snag the live bait with a weighted treble hook. Hook the bait through the bridge of the nose, find the pod of fish again and put the live menhaden back into the pod of bait and let it swim. Used when menhaden are running strong, particularly up the Providence River in early spring.

5. Chucking fresh or frozen menhaden. Can anchor or fish moving bait pods with chunks. Can chum with chucks and pieces too. Some anglers use a weight slider to get the bait down to the striped bass.

4. Surface plugs. Have caught hundreds of school bass in the spring using surface plugs of all types.

3. Swimming lures. Great way to catch fish in coves, on rivers, etc. My friend Jim swears by Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnows.

2. Parachute squid jigs. Often used in ocean water (where there are squid). Anglers successfully use this method off Newport and Block Island.

1. Trolling with tube and worm. I have had great success using lead line on the Bay with red tubes. Hugely successful on the Southwest ledge off Block Island with 300 ft. of wire line out in 40 to 50 feet of water and using amber tubes.
There are other ways to catch striped bass. So e-mail me your favorite method(s) and we will share it with others.

New Proposed Fishing Regulations
The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) has proposed amendments to Marine Fisheries Regulations (both recreational and commercial) for several salt water species at a public hearing on Wednesday, April 22 at the URI Bay Campus. For a complete list of proposed regulation changes visit DEM’s Fish & Wildlife Web site at www.dem.ri.gov./progrmas/bnatres/fishwild/ .

At the meeting, DEM related a change in recreational summer flounder regulations necessary to properly manage the fishery. With input from fishermen and the industry, DEM’s Fish and Wildlife Division developed six different summer flounder recreational fishing regulation change options. Option four was the most popular option at the meeting. The proposed regulation increased the size to 21” (from 20”), reduced the per person per day bag limit from seven to six, and reduced the recreational fishing season for summer flounder from year round to June 13 through December 31.

Richard Hittinger, board member of the Rhode Island Salt Water Anglers Association and a recreational representative to the Rhode Island Marine Fisheries Council said regulations are a balance between the season, size and bag limits. “Each of the options presented had pluses and minuses, but option four seemed to make the most sense”.

Acting Marine & Wildlife director Mark Gibson related that DEM director, W. Michael Sullivan, will review the proposed change options, public comments and will develop recommendations. The Rhode Island Marine Fisheries Council will then vote on recommended changes.
My guess is that the approved changes will not be in effect before the summer flounder start to bite. But keep your eyes and ears open because regulations will likely change as the season progresses.

Where’s the bite
Striped bass. A lot of bait fish around the mouth of the Barrington River and at Rumstick Point, however no stripers. Ken Ferrara from Ray’s Bait & Tackle related customers caught fish using frozen herring chucks at Mill Cove near Conimicut Point. Angler Mike Shepard from Newport reports no striped bass around this weekend. Craig Mancini from Continental Bait & Tackle in Cranston said school stripers are being reported in and around the mouth of Narrow River. Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle (Coventry/Providence/Bristol) reported Bob Oberg continues to catch stripers (31 this week) trolling in this kayak with tube and worm on the Thames River in CT. I fished Green River, Greenwich Bay and Greenwich Cove with no luck this past weekend. The water is warming up, bait is more visible so conditions are right for striped bass to start appearing soon.

Tautog action slow this past week in the Bay and off Newport. Gary Leatherberry of Erickson’s Bait & Tackle in Warwick related that when the apple blossoms appear the tautog appear too, so tautog should be here soon.
Fluke. No fluke bite reported. See proposed DEM regulation changes above.
Fresh water bite still good. Anglers still catching fish at a variety of ponds, again not their limit but some nice fish. A lot of largemouth bass were taken this weekend at Meshanicut Lake reports Craig Mancini of Continental Bait & Tackle.

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 Caption A
Eric Appolonia of North Kingstown and I caught monster striped bass this fall using wire line and amber colored tube and worm on Block Island’s Southwest ledge. The largest fish that day was 46” and 40 lbs.

Photo Caption B
Angler Jim Malachowski of Cranston displays a 36” striped bass caught last spring using live menhaden on the Providence River.

Tube and Worm Can Yield Big Bass

Trolling with tube and worm for striped bass has been very productive for me over the years. It is a more passive than active tactic compared to site fishing and casting. However, the method allows you to cover a lot of ground when fish are on the move, below the surface and can put your bait exactly where the fish are in the water column. The reward for your patience? You catch bigger striped bass.
Here are a few tube and worm trolling tips that will enhance your catch.
What is a tube and worm rig? A tube and worm rig consists of a colored rubber tube with wire running through it. At one end it has a weight and a swivel that attaches to your line and a hook (or two) on the other end. A live or artificial worm is placed on the hook.
What type of line is used? Fishing with tube and worm generally involves trolling with lead core line (wrapped with braided nylon) or wire line so the tube sinks to a desired level depending on how deep the water is and where the fish are. Generally you want the tube close to the bottom where the big bass are. Lead line is generally used in the Bay for depths of eight to twenty-five feet and wire generally in the ocean for depths greater than twenty-five feet.
The line is marked or coded so the angler knows how much to put out for the depth of the water. For example each thirty feet of lead line is a different color and gets you down five feet. However, I have found this to vary widely depending on the current, weight of the tube and boat speed (when trolling for bass in the Bay I like to troll at 1.5 to 2 knots).
Different types of rigs. Tubes come in all sizes and colors. I have had great luck with red tubes in Narragansett Bay, but amber tubes seem to work best in the ocean in deeper water. I keep a few colors on board… black, orange, purple, red, amber, etc. and rig two different colors and see which color the fish seem to bite. Then switch the rigs to the color that is working.
Knot your tubes. This is important… tubes are supposed to curl and twist like a cork screw as they go through the water. The twisting helps call attention to the bait and they say the bass see it as an eel or large worm going through the water. So buy tubes that are rigid enough to hold a twist. Many anglers knot tubes in storage so they are not flat when they are pulled through the water.
Where to troll. Troll close to shore where bait can get trapped by bass and any place that has good structure on the bottom… rocks, ledge, debris, near bridge pilings, holes and at the edge of current flows. Large bass hold up behind rocks and pilings, in holes and outside of current flow waiting for bait to swim by and then move to take the bait. The ideal place to troll is along a rocky coastline close to shore. Lobster pots are often placed on the edge of a drop off. So although they can create accidental hook ups, tolling near lobster pots is usually a good bet… you’re on a ledge and there is bait in the pot which acts like chum.
Single hook good for catch and release, but keep the pressure on. Striped bass taken on tube and worm are generally hooked on the lip (no gut hooks) with a single hook. The hook is easy to remove and causes minimal trauma to the fish. However, the single hook in the lip can easily be shaken loose by the bass, so it is important to keep pressure on the fish.
Fighting and boating your catch. When fighting fish it is important that the master of the vessel keep the boat moving forward at slow speed and the angler keep pressure on the fish keeping the pole high. Vessel movement is often achieved by putting the boat in and out of gear so it creates slow forward movement. Once the fish is close to the boat try to bring it to the side of the boat so it can now be removed from the water by hand or gaff without shaking loose the hook. These tactics are difficult to do if the angler is alone. Safety should be your top priority, so you may only be able to use some of these tactics when alone.

Where’s the Bite
Fresh Water. Harold Hemberger reported catching three nice pike (the largest six pounds) and one bass on Waterman Lake last Sunday at sunrise with shiners. Melonie Carr and her partner Joe caught five trout, two at Carbuncle Pond in Coventry and three on Wood River. I met Julies Mitchell of Warwick on his way out for a day of bass fishing on Indian Lake. He related he has caught a lot of great bass in Warwick, close to his home, at places like Arnold Pond. Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle in Providence/Coventry/Bristol reported that Dave Pickering caught a 22 lb. carp and Devon White (seven years old) caught a 17 and an 18lb carp at Lake Tiogue in Coventry. Fresh water fishing has been consistent but few have caught their daily limit.
Striped Bass. The striped bass bite seemed to slow as the water cooled last week (dropped two degrees by Friday) and fish in the lower part of the Bay were finicky. Mike Shepard from Newport reported that the bite on and around Aquidneck Island slowed. However, striped bass were being caught in the upper Bay as the water warmed up again Saturday. Anglers caught striped bass using a variety of baits. Ken Ferrara of Ray’s Bait & Tackle in Warwick reported anglers taking fish all over Greenwich Bay… Sally Rock, Warwick Light, Sandy Point, etc. A lot of fish, school bass as well as keepers up to 36”, taken on medium sized storm shad. Early in the week I caught six fish using surface and swimming plugs and at the end of the week landed five fish using tube and worm including a 30” keeper on Greenwich Bay.
Tautog bite was strong in Bristol Harbor this week with Captain Billy Silvia reporting several seven to eight pound fish taken. No fish reported taken at Ohio Ledge Saturday with an incoming tide. However, Ken Ferrara from Ray’s Bait & Tackle reported anglers landing good sized tautog (8 lbs.) at Spindle Rock and Ohio Ledge on Monday with the outgoing tide.
Fluke. This week the RI Department of Environmental Management establish a 21” summer flounder minimum size, with a season that runs from June 17 to December 31 and a possession limit of six fish per person per day. So far other 2009 Recreational Marine Fisheries regulations have stayed the same.
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 .

Big fish are caught in the winter

My wife laughs when I say “big fish are caught in the winter”. The saying has its roots in a football quote form Vince Lombardi (I think?)… something like… football games are not won in the fall or winter but in the off season when all the preparation occurs. I guess my wife is amused at how excited I get over the sport. But it is true, you have to prepare in advance to catch big fish, in the winter or early spring. Who wants to loose a big fish due to faulty tackle? Not me... I have leaned my lesson… lost too many fish this way in the past.

So, if you haven’t already done so, get your gear in order now so when the bite is on you are fishing your tackle box with confidence. The last thing you want to do is reach for your tackle and not have the proper bait, rod or reel available in good working order.

Here’s what I do in the winter and early spring to prepare for the season:

Line
Each year I replace most line that has been used. This is a judgment call as to what is meant by “used”. For example I have a couple of reels spooled with 40 lb. test monofilament line for fishing live bait (Menhaden for stripers). I used them three or four times 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 I own with new monofilament, braid, lead or wire. Spool tight enough and then stretch the line… maybe the first 100 feet (of monofilament line) to relax its memory to avoid those nasty bird’s nest tangles.

Reels
Give your reels a good cleaning, particularly when the line is off. Grease where directed by manufacturer, often times where to do this is marked right on the reel or with the instructions that came with the reel. If you’re like me the instructions are long gone so 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. By the way, do not place hooks on the eyes or they will eventually create cracks that will cut line as it passes through.

Tackle
Here’s how I approach my tackle. I think about getting tackle ready in chronological order when certain species are fished… starting with winter… tautog, striped bass, blue fish, fluke, tuna, etc. I then go through all by tautog rigs first, then the striped bass, etc. I make sure I have enough rigs to fish the species. All hooks are clean and sharp (no rust), and strong enough for the size fish I am going after. Often hooks that come with lures are not strong/quality hooks. For example I use surface plugs and swimmers for striped bass (and blue fish) in the spring and early summer so I have replaced all lure hooks with treble hooks that are 4 times stronger to make sure they will hold bigger, stronger fish.

Leaders/Circle Hooks
Use wire leaders for blue fish and monofilament or fluorocarbon for striped bass. Blues won’t bite though the wire and stripped bass will find it harder to see the monofilament or fluorocarbon leaders. Make sure lures have no nicks or stress marks from fish pulling. If they do, replace them. This year I plan to switch most of my leader hooks to circle hooks to safely catch and release undersized or unwanted fish (particularly stripped 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

Opening Day/Weekend. In spite of bad weather and a holiday weekend opening day/weekend was OK. Most anglers caught fish, maybe not their limit, but they caught fish. Good reports from Silver Spring in North Kingstown, Carbuncle Pond in Coventry and Ken Ferrara Jr.’s dad related he caught two nice fish at J.L. Curran Reservoir in Cranston. Don at John’s Bait & Tackle related they already had several entries to their in-house trout contest. Angler Melanie Carr and her partner Joe fished several ponds and caught two fish at Barber Pond in South Kingstown. Craig Mancini of Continental Bait & Tackle in Cranston said that by 11 a.m. Saturday a customer had called to relate that trout would be on the dinner table Saturday night.

Tautog. Spring season opens their week, April 15. Some good sized fish have been reported in traps and lobster pots. So all seem cautiously optimistic. We will know by week’s end.

Striped Bass. Gary Leatherberry of Ericson’s Bait & Tackle related the Herring were in Little Gordon Pond next to the shop (good sign). Ken Ferrara reported school bass were caught in East Greenwich Cove (bait reported to be seen in cove, but when I fished it last week I had no luck, but things can change quickly). Seals spotted in Greenwich Bay last week (they fish better than we do, hope they leave soon). Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle (Bristol/Coventry/Providence) reported school bass taken in Sothern Rhode Island at mouth of rivers and near power plant in Providence.

We Want Your Fish
Do not hesitate to forward electronic photos of fish you caught with a brief caption description of the fish, trip and who is in the photo. Send images to Caption Dave at dmontifish@verizon.net .Visit our Web site to view the images as we get the on-line version of the No Fluke column rolling.

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