Galilee Fishing for a Cause Tournament and Festival big success

 Most trophies:  Joey Scrofani of Wakefield, RI with two nice fish… a black sea bass (left, 3.60 lbs.) that took 1^st place in the Junior Division and scup (right).  Joey also took home the 1^st place trophy for the largest Junior Division bluefish at 6.40 lbs.

 Top fish: Ray Jobin of Charlestown, RI took first place in the Tournament Boat Division with this striped bass that weighed a healthy 37.10 lbs. 

 All smiles: Fishing for a Cause Tournament participants Joel Cooper (left) of Smithfield, RI, Dave McCormick of North Kingstown, RI (center), and Jeff Eastman of North Attleboro, MA (right) .

Measuring up:  This 28 lbs. striped bass caught by Andrew Raucci (left) of Wakefield, RI  gets weighed in and measured by Ed Carney, RISAA board member (right), at the Galilee Fishing for a Cause Tournament and Food Festival.

Galilee Fishing for a Cause Tournament and Festival big success

The First Annual Galilee Fishing for a Cause Tournament and Seafood Food Festival was “very successful” said Steve Medeiros, president of the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association (RISAA). “Even with the weatherman forecasting bad conditions, we still had 148 registered anglers… this is not bad at all… and yes, there will be a Second Annual Galilee Tournament and Food Festival.”, said Medeiros.  The three day Tournament and Food Festival was organized by the Town of Narragansett, the Department of Environmental Management (DEM), and the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association.  Funds raised from the tournament and food festival will be donated to Hasbro Children’s Hospital, Narragansett Parks and Recreation Financial Aid Program, and the Johnnycake Center of Peacedale, RI.

The Galilee Fishing for a Cause Tournament and Seafood Festival aims to celebrate and promote Rhode Island’s recreational and commercial fishing industries.  Organizers wanted to create an event reminiscent of the past tuna tournaments held in Galilee, Rhode Island to help create awareness and interest in fishing and seafood in Rhode Island. 

Recreation and commercial fishing displays and demonstrations were held throughout the festival with participation from a variety of commercial fishing interests such as Superior Trawling and the Rhode Island Party and Charter Boat Association. The Festival featured local seafood, artisans, music, and educational exhibits.

Fishing tournament winners

Black sea bass Junior Boat Division winners were 1^st place Joey Scrofani (3.60 lbs.), 2^nd Zoey Realeau and 3^rd Shawn Rogers.

Bluefish Junior Boat Division winners were 1^st Joey Scrofani (6.40 lbs.), 2nd Michael Morrison and 3^rd Jack Spych. Bluefish Adult Boat Division winners were 1^st place Dave Kops (13.15 lbs.), 2^nd John Eldridge and 3^rd Stephen Daignault. Bluefish Adult Shore Division 1^st place winner was Joshua Richardson (11.75 lbs).

Fluke Adult Boat Division winners were 1^st place Ed Sylvia (3.10 lbs.), 2^nd Jared Henry and 3^rd David Fewster.

Scup Junior Boat Division winners were 1^st Nate Ambrad (2.25 lbs.), 2^nd Zoey Realeau and 3^rd Joey Scrofani. 

Striped bass Adult Boat Division winners were 1^st Raymond Jobin (37.10 lbs), 2^nd Peter Vican and 3^rd Jonathan Lewie.  Striped bass Adult Shore Division 1^st place winner was Richard Reich (8.5 lbs.).

Block Island wind Farm informational meeting

Deepwater Wind (developer of the pilot wind farm project off Block Island) will hold a Block Island Wind Farm and Transmission System informational meeting and open discussion with the Rhode Island fishing community on Tuesday, October 9, 2012 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at The Village Inn, 1 Beach Street, Narragansett, RI.  If you are a recreational or commercial fisherman (or anyone else for that matter) and want to learn about the project or have a concern about the proposed wind farm you should attend.  Learn about the fisheries data that has been collected and what research is proposed as the project moves forward.  For further information contact independent fisheries consultant Rick Bellavance at 401.741.5648 or www.biwffisheries@gmail.com .

Where’s the bite

Tautog fishing is heating up as anglers start to target this species.  Legal size is 16” minimum with a limit (until October 19) of three fish/day/angler with a maximum of ten fish per boat.  JR Carlow reports on the RISAA blog, “I got out with my dad on Friday for some tog. We hit the ledge at the corner of Castle Hill, right where the Coast Guard cutter comes out, if you follow the shoreline out to the front of the Inn at Castle Hill. Got nine keepers and a total of 17 fish in about 2 1/2 hrs. All on Asian crabs. Slack tide too. Took the best five home.”  I fished in the mid/lower Bay Sunday and caught many shorts and two nice keepers in the 20” range in the General Rock, North Kingstown area in a matter of 1 ½ hours,  2.5 hours before low tide.  Once the current slowed, the fish shut off. I was using green crabs, chumming with a mixture of clam bellies and green crabs.

Striped bass fishing remains strong at night and early morning at Block Island.  Fish not as plentiful as they were, but still worth the trip. Tommy Pelto reports a good striped bass and blue fish bite along southern coastal shores, “I had a great night along South County. Even with a stiff wind fishing was great and consistent. Bass and blues were all mixed in together. A black and purple bottle plug did the job. Definitely an encouraging sign… (for) the next couple months.”

False albacore, albies or little tunny as they are called are appearing in good numbers along Rhode Island southern coastal shores.  Stephen Katkowski reports, “Fished the south shore for albies on Monday in my 14' skiff.  Landed 13 out of 17 for the day fishing all afternoon.  Kastmaster XL's were the ticket for me.  Fish were in tight just outside the surfers between Deep Hole and the Ocean Mist

Offshore. The bluefin tuna bite is still on at the Mudhole.  Joey Manansala said, “We fished the Mudhole this weekend. There are still small BFT and plenty of false albacore to keep you busy.”  Roger Lema said, “We were able to catch green bonito this Saturday along with Capt. Tom Toyota and the Mark V.  Fourteen fish total… with almost uncountable albies.”

Second giant in 10 days for Rhode Island angler

 Giant bluefin caught after five hour fight: This 763 pound tuna was caught by David Appolonia, South Kingstown, RI (bottom right), his second giant bluefin in ten days.  Lenny Upham (bottom left) of Cranston and Appolonia’s brothers Felix (top left) of West Warwick and Eric of North Kingstown (top right) were part of the team that caught this giant. Photo by Capt. Louis DeFusco.

State champs: Pat Crabtree and Chris Catucci of Bishop Hendricken High School, Warwick are getting ready for the freshwater fishing High School Eastern Conference Championship in Virginia on September 15.  Pat and Chris shown here as they finished first in the State of Rhode Island with a largemouth bass five fish limit weight of 14.5 pounds.

Second giant in 10 days for Rhode Island angler

Fishing for giant bluefin tuna off Rhode Island coastal shores hasn’t exactly been productive for sport fishermen for the past several years.  In fact, many have taken to fishing off Cape Cod as bluefin tuna have been more plentiful and larger in that area. But this season, with very few fish around in waters off Rhode Island, David Appolonia of South Kingstown, RI and his crew managed to boat two giant bluefin fishing the waters south of Block Island.  His second fish, 763 pounds and 108 inches long, arrived at Snug Harbor Marina, South Kingstown, RI after sunset.  Just ten days earlier, Appolonia brought a 730 pound bluefin to the same dock.

Snug Harbor Marina serves as the weigh-in station for most big game fish landed in RI.  Owner Al Conti said, “It is like getting struck by lightning twice… but David Appolonia managed to catch his second giant bluefin tuna… when there is nothing else around.” 

David Appolonia is no novice. He is a giant hunter, catching an 878 pound giant bluefin tuna three years ago. “Catching giants is truly a team effort.  This time we had Lenny Upham of Cranston, RI on the boat. He is experienced and comes from a long line of tuna fishermen.  And very special for me, my two brothers Felix (Appolonia of West Warwick, RI) and Eric (Appolonia of North Kingstown, RI) were crew members too.  All took turns on the reel as this fish was very strong.”

“We were anchored and chumming when we picked up the fish at 12:10 p.m. We thought we would luck out as it surfaced in 45 minutes but then sounded and it took five hours to land.  Lenny harpooned it and my brother Felix gaffed the fish.  We got the tail tied at about 5:15 p.m.  It took us about two and a half hours to get back to Point Judith.” said Appolonia.  It is important to note that all three of David’s giant bluefin tuna were caught on his 26’ Regulator.

Well done and congratulations David, Lenny, Felix and Eric on a very nice fish!  David Appolonia and his crew members are writing new chapters in the history of Rhode Island giant bluefin tuna fishing.

NOAA here to listen to fishermen

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) was in Rhode Island Monday to hear directly from Rhode Island fishermen about issues facing the industry.  John K. Bullard, who was recently appointed to head the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Northeast Regional Office of the National Marine Fisheries Service, and Bill Karp, who was recently named Science and Research Director for NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center met with fishermen in Narragansett at what was billed as a “listening session”.  Senators Jack Read and Sheldon Whitehouse along with DEM Director Janet Coit organized the meeting.

Warm water hurting striped bass when brought to surface

For the past three weeks, anglers catching and releasing striped bass off Block Island have noticed that the fish are having much more trouble reviving than ever before.  Many wonder if it is a lack of oxygen.  Last week when fishing on the southwest side of Block Island angler Chris Jalbert said, “… Some of the fish were difficult or impossible to revive even after short fights with circle hooks and being released without even lifting them from the water.  Somewhat exasperating, and (it) is the reason we stopped fishing…”

Chris Deacutis, PhD and chief scientist for the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program (NBEP) at the URI Bay Campus has been working on the issue of low oxygen in saltwater and its impact on fish for over ten years.  Dr. Deacutis does not think it is low oxygen affecting striped bass but rather CO2 and warm water temperatures when the fish are brought to the surface.  Dr. Deacutis said, “Open waters outside the upper half of the Bay have never shown any evidence of low DO (dissolved oxygen).  The most likely culprit (for bass having trouble reviving) is the CO2 - blood pH issue after a fight.  The surface waters are so warm now (75 degrees) the bulls (striped bass) just can't acclimate to these surface temps...that's why they stay on the bottom, and there is significant stress just from the temp jump alone when brought to the surface, never mind the fight.”

Anglers are urged to catch only what they plan to keep, then lay of the striped bass as the mortality rate of released fish under these conditions is likely very high.

Where’s the bite

Striped bass fishing when the weather permitted last week was good at night and slow during the day at the North Rip and the Southwest Ledge area off Block Island.  Captain Robb Roach of Kettlebottom Outfitters, Jamestown, RI said, “I was out fishing Thursday and Friday at Block and yesterday locally. Block Island has been a bust lately unless you seek bluefish and sea bass. Locally we have found a lot of the same. We fished yesterday with eels and managed only bluefish and sea bass. Switched to tube and worm and nailed a nice 47" striper.”  Mary Dangelo of Maridee Canvas-Bait & Tackle of Narragansett said, “Prior to rough conditions, customers were catching school striped bass with some keepers mixed in at dawn until 7 a.m. fishing off the wall at Narragansett Pier.”

Tautog fishing is still slow.  Anglers catching some small tautog off Black Point in Narragansett. “Divers are reporting a good number of tautog but not many anglers are targeting them yet.” said Mary Dangelo of Maridee Bait & Tackle.  John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait & Tackle said, “Small tautog is being cauth at Conimicut Point, Colt State Park and at Ohio Ledge with few keepers in the mix at this time.” A good tautog bite reported off the Castle Hill area of Newport.

Scup fishing remains strong at Colt State Park, Ohio Ledge and off Conimicut Light said John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait & tackle.

Offshore.  Eric Weybrant said bluefin fishing was slow last Monday at the Mud hole (14 miles off Point Judith), “We got one small bluefin just under 30" right on top of the deepest part of the Mud hole about 20 minutes after going lines in. This was at 6 am. Should have called it a day right there but we slugged it out for another five hours. One more hookup at 10 a.m. at the southern tip of the Gully but the hook pulled before we could fight the rod out of the holder.”

Why fish at night?

Night fishing pays off.  Greg Vespe, an East Bay area resident, has successfully completed 375 night striped bass fishing trips on Narragansett Bay. “I fish at night to catch quality fish… it’s not as dark as you think out there.” Greg with a striped bass he caught a night on the Bay.

Large black sea bass taking eels off Block Island. Ralph Battista (executive chef at Luigi’s Restaurant & Gourmet Express in Johnston, RI) landed this monster 6 pound black sea bass last week on the Southwest Ledge.

Why fish at night?

Greg Vespe has successfully completed 375 night fishing trips for striped bass on Narragansett Bay.  He fishes for three types of striped bass. The first group he targets are spring fish, the second are transit bass and the third he refers to as “resident grubbers”.  He spoke last week at the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association (RISAA) monthly seminar and shared tactics he uses to target these fish from early May to October.

One may ask why fish at night?  Vespe said, “Fishing at night allows me to be competitive, I can catch quality fish, it is peaceful and not crowed like in the day and the seas are usually a lot calmer at night.  And, it is not as dark as you think out there.”

Greg, who generally fishes from his 14’ aluminum boat (and occasionally from shore) finished 16^th out of 1,500 anglers in the Striper Cup Angler of the Year competition in 2009.  So he is an accomplished fisherman.

He suggests anglers should have confidence in their boat and ability to navigate at night.  “Go out during the day to the exact spots you plan to fish.  It is not like day time fishing where you go from spot to sport and are consistently moving.  I pick three spots, going to the furthest one first set up and fish and then progressively move to locations closer to the boat ramp.”  Once you select a location you settle in and fish that spot.

If the squid are running in the spring, he prefers to fish the lower Bay with squid rather than chasing menhaden and bass up the East Passage and Rivers.  The transit fish come into the Bay in July and August at night to feed in the lower Bay, they are aggressive fish but do not tend to hold long.  The “resident grubbers” are the fish that target lobsters and crabs, they tend to be loners and are often beat up from feeding off the bottom.

Here are some night time fishing tips from Greg.

Anchor so your bait is on top of the structure, not necessarily the boat.  He usually fishing in 6 to 20 feet of water, but if the bottom looks broken (with a lot of structure) in 40 feet of water he will fish there too.  Often times he uses two anchors so he can position the boat and be able to move it to take advantage of the structure as the tide and current change.

One of his favorite spots to fish in the eastern third of the Newport Bridge

Be quite and stealth when fishing for bass.

His favorite bait is squid in the spring and early summer May, June and July and uses a whole squid, fished two feet off the bottom, changing weight as the current changes.

As the water heats up he usually switched to eels, however, once the rods (he fishes three) are set he often throws plugs with his spinning rod and reel.

Fisheries council meeting, Monday, September 10

Now is the time to express your thoughts about the Rhode Island fishery.  Attend the Rhode Island Marine Fisheries Council meeting Monday, September 10, 6:00 p.m. at the Corless Auditorium, URI Bay Campus, and South Ferry Road Narragansett, RI.  Agenda items will include a review of 2012-2013 recommendations for winter shellfish management area schedules, and 2013 commercial fishing licensing.  Also agendas for the new day long advisory panel meetings DEM and the council are experimenting with will be reviewed including summer flounder, scup/black sea bass and the Atlantic herring ad hoc committee panel.

Where’s the bite

Striped bass are still plentiful at Block Island with the southwest ledge area still hot. Anglers fishing the lower Bay and off southern coastal shores are not experiencing a good bite.  George Allen of Portsmouth said, “Fishing off Newport trolling wire with tube and worm was not productive last week.  The bluefish are prominent, they kept biting off the tips of the worms.”

Fluke and black sea bass fishing in the Bay was challenging this week with few fish now being caught under and around the Newport and Jamestown Bridges. Bite for fluke and black sea bass still good off the center wall at the Harbor of Refuge up to the 3 mile limit. Snug Harbor Marina reports a good fluke bite off Scarborough Beach in 70 to 80 feet of water and on the south and east sides of Block Island.  Black sea bass are still thick at the south west ledge. Ralph Battista (executive chef at Luigi’s Restaurant & Gourmet Express in Johnston, RI) landed a monster 6 pound black sea bass last week on the Southwest Ledge.  Ralph said, “This monster took an eel (when striped bass fishing)… We also took a 4.5 lb on an eel as well.”

 Offshore. Snug Harbor Marina reports yellowfin tuna at the SE corner of the Dump on the troll.  David Appolonia catches his second giant bluefin tuna in three weeks.  This one was 764 pounds.  Details next week on the fight.  Ken Landry of Ray’s Bait & Tackle, Warwick, RI has been tearing it up offshore.  He had three successful trips last week fishing between the Mud Hole and Cox’s Ledge.  “His trips netted school blue fin tuna, two hammerhead sharks, two Mako sharks, 35 or so cod fish and 8 to 10 Mahi Mahi each day.” said Ken Ferrara of Ray’s Bait. (Sorry about not referencing your shop correcting last week Ken and Ray).s

David Appolonia and crew land 730 pound giant bluefin

This 730 pound giant bluefin tuna was caught by David Appolonia, South Kingstown, RI (right) on his 26’ Regulator center console boat. Seasoned tuna fisherman Bill Catauro (center) of Narragansett, RI harpooned the fish. Mario Fernandes of Exeter, RI (left) was the final crew member that landed this 115 inch long giant that towed the boat six miles.

Alan Gammons, Sr. of East Greenwich, RI caught this monster striped bass while fishing Block Island at sunset last week. He was fishing with eels with his son Alan Gammons, Jr. (also of East Greenwich) on a friend’s boat.

Nathan Bettencourt (10 years old) with his dad Kevin (both of East Providence, RI) with the 34 pound striped bass Nathan caught off Block Island with Capt. Billy Silvia of Can’t Imagine Charters (Bristol, RI).

David Appolonia and crew land 730 pound giant bluefin

David Appolonia of South Kingstown, RI landed a 730 pound giant bluefin tuna last Thursday. He caught an 878 lb. giant bluefin three years ago. Both fish were caught on his 26’ Regulator center console boat. This is remarkable as thousands of fishermen vie for this prized catch but few have ever taken even one home. And, very few giants have been caught in the Northeast this year.

The sport requires extreme dedication… preparing gear in winter months, putting in hours, days and months of time on the water fishing, the heartache of countless break-offs… and a personal focus that few have. Never mind the cost… bait runs $400 to $500 per trip and fuel costs can run into the thousands per season or per trip depending on the type of vessel you have.

Last winter, I had coffee with David at Brewed Awakenings in South County Commons. He said, “This year I am going for it… I have the boat, the vehicle to tow it if I have to (many anglers fish the Cape Cod waters) and I have my health.” Sport fishing for giants takes a lot of physical strength and stamina just to make it through the fishing day, which can be 20 hours or longer. Keep in mind that fighting a fish can take two to six hours to land.

So, hats off to David Appolonia and the team that caught this fish. Once again, David set his mind to it and caught a giant bluefin tuna.

Here are some specifics about the fish and the fight. In addition to David, there were two other crew team members on the boat, seasoned tuna fisherman Bill Catauro of Narragansett, RI and Mario Fernandes of Exeter, RI. Dave said, “The team takes credit for the fish as we switch off several times… at the helm and on the fish… The fish towed us for six miles, coming up and trying to circle the boat several times. We had everything we could do to keep the boat in position. Finally, after three hours, it came up and Bill Catauro was able to harpoon it. It carried the harpoon for another hour”. The fish was caught south of Block Island. It was a long fish measuring 115 inches.

Registration opens for Galilee fishing tournament

The Town of Narragansett, the Department of Environmental Management, and the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association (RISAA) announced that registration is open for anglers who want to participate in the Galilee “Fishing for a Cause” Tournament on September 7, 8, and 9.

The entry fee is $15 for adults and $5 for juniors (14 and under). Proceeds from the tournament will be donated to Hasbro Children’s Hospital, Narragansett Parks and Recreation Financial Aid Program, and the Johnnycake Center of Peacedale.

The tournament will include a boat and shore division. Species for ADULTS include bluefish, fluke and striped bass with prizes such as fishing charters, fishing tackle, Sea Tow memberships, golfing and other certificates donated by local businesses. Fish species for JUNIORS include bluefish, fluke, striped bass, black sea bass, scup and tautog with trophies for prizes.

Registration is available at: Breachway Bait & Tackle, Bucko’s Tackle Service, Cardinal Bait & Tackle, Erickson’s Bait & Tackle, Frances Fleet, Galilee Bait & Tackle, Narragansett Parks & Recreation, Narragansett Town Hall, Pete’s Bait & Tackle, Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle, Quonny Bait & Tackle, RIDEM Coastal Resources Office, Sam’s Bait & Tackle, Snug Harbor Marina, The Tackle Box, Watch Hill Outfitters and Zeek’s Creek Bait Shop.

The Galilee “Fishing for a Cause” Tournament and Seafood Festival aims to celebrate and promote Rhode Island’s recreational and commercial fishing industries. For more information about the tournament and festival, visit www.galileetourney.com or call RISAA at 401-826-2121.

Fishing regulations for 2013
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) announced in a media statement the commercial quotas and recreational harvest limit recommendations for summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, and bluefish for the 2013 fishing season. The Commission’s actions are final and apply to state waters (0-3 miles from shore). The Council will forward its recommendations to NOAA's Northeast Regional Administrator for final approval.

Highlights

Summer flounder: the Commission approved and Council recommended a commercial quota of 11.44 million pounds and the recreational harvest limit of 7.63 million pounds for the 2013 fishing year, a decrease from 2012 levels due to the drop in the spawning stock biomass estimate.

Scup: The Commission approved and Council recommended a 2013 commercial quota of 23.53 million pounds and a recreational harvest limit of 7.55 million pounds, a decrease of 3.97 and 0.76 million pounds respectively.

Black sea bass: The Commission approved and Council recommended a commercial quota of 1.78 million pounds and 1.85 million pounds for the recreational fishery, slightly higher than the 2012 quota.

Bluefish: The Commission approved and the Council recommended a commercial quota of 9.08 million pounds and 8.67 million pounds, respectively for 2013 and 2014.

For all four species, the approved and recommended actions are consistent with the recommendations of the Scientific and Statistical Committee regarding acceptable biological catch, which is the level of total removals that cannot be exceeded based on the best available scientific information.

For information about summer flounder, scup, or black sea bass, contact Toni Kerns, Acting ISFMP Director, at tkerns@asmfc.org for bluefish information contact Mike Waine, FMP Coordinator, at mwaine@asmfc.org.

Where’s the bite

Striped bass fishing in Narragansett Bay and off southern coastal shores is very slow, with some fish being caught at night, at sunset or at sunrise. Fishing at Block Island was good last week for Kevin Bettencourt, his father Albert and sons Shane and Nathan. Kevin said, “Shortly after arriving on the fishing grounds Nathan (10 yrs. old) hooked into the largest bass of his life..... A beautiful 34 pounder which beat his previous record by 3 pounds!!! ... His older brother Shane managed to land a 32 pounder before the day ended… We had a great time with a great Captain (Billy Silvia of Can’t Imagine Charters) who knows how load the boat!!!”

Tautog fishing is slow as not many anglers are targeting this species yet.

Scup fishing remains very good with large fish being taken in Narragansett Bay and off coaster shores. RISAA angler Ron Nalbandian said, “Trekked up to Neb Shoal and spent a couple of hours catching what had to be the largest scup I’ve ever seen. I swear, if I live-lined one of them, it would have kicked any striper’s butt that tried to nail it!”

Fluke (summer flounder) fishing continues to be hit or miss. Fishing the Newport area was mixed this week with some fish being caught under the Newport Bridge when wind and tide were in line. Angler Rick Sustello said,”… I decided to check out the East Grounds for BSB... It was dead calm with next to no drift. I started checking out the edges in 50 to 60 feet by throwing some jigs tipped with squid around. Not much happening, so I decided to power drift around to try to find where the fish were. Started picking up a few small BSB on the edges then went over the top with nothing then down the East side then BAM, four straight fluke from 20 to 24" in 55 to 60'.”

Cod fishing is good. Snug Harbor Marina reports, “SE Corner of Cox's good cod fishing. Snug Harbor Express had over 20 fish (last week with) clams and jigs…”

No oxygen, no fish

Buoys like this one in front of the Mt. View section of North Kingstown, RI measure temperature, oxygen and salinity in Narragansett Bay.

Pat Crabtree and Chris Catucci of Bishop Hendricken High School, Warwick are getting ready for the fresh water fishing High School Eastern Conference Championship in Virginia on September 15.  Pat and Chris shown here as they finished first in the State of Rhode Island representing Bishop Hendricken with a largemouth bass five fish limit weight of 14.5 pounds.

Brett Santo caught a 14 lb. 10 oz. fluke (summer flounder) off Block Island last week while fishing aboard the charter boat Maridee II captained by Andy Dangelo.  The fluke was caught on a rig made by Mary Dangelo of Maridee Bait, Tackle and Canvass shop in Narragansett, RI.

No oxygen, no fish

Narragansett Bay anglers say there are no fish in the Bay.  Many believe it is warm water.  They say “We don’t like the heat so why would the fish.” The water has been warm, in the mid-seventy degree range off ocean coastal shores and as high as the mid-eighties in Bay coves and harbors.

So this week I thought it appropriate to check in with Chris Deacutis, PhD and chief scientist for the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program (NBEP) at the URI Bay Campus.  Dr. Deacutis has been working on the issue of excess nutrients (nitrogen) and the low oxygen issue in the upper half of Narragansett Bay for over ten years.  Chris said, “It’s no wonder fishermen are complaining about no fish in the upper
Bay.  The upper Bay in the Bullocks Reach/Gaspee Point area, Greenwich Bay and surrounding coves are experiencing low oxygen levels in the water.”

High water temperatures are a contributing factor to low oxygen in the water (and few fish). The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) Bay Assessment and Response Team’s (BART) website says, “Warmer waters are more vulnerable to water quality problems because they hold less dissolved oxygen, stratify more readily, and encourage phytoplankton (microscopic algae) growth. Hence, as the summer progresses and the Bay becomes warmer, it is more vulnerable to water quality problems.” 

Anglers are correct, warm water contributes to algae blooms, low water oxygen and fewer fish

The NBEP blog states “Marine animals breathe oxygen too and when oxygen levels drop below 3 mg/L there is not enough oxygen to go around. Creatures that live on the bottom of the bay such as oysters, littlenecks, and marine worms are at a greater risk during hypoxic events because they cannot move to a different area. Schooling fish such as menhaden are also affected by hypoxia because they are often chased into coves by predators such as striped bass and the school will use up the oxygen faster than it can be produced by photosynthesis…”

If fish need 3 mg/L of oxygen, what levels are we experiencing ?

The Bullock Point Reach/Gaspee Point area last week had an oxygen level of 2 mg/L.  So when anglers fishing in this area say there are few fish, it is because there is little oxygen in the water to support them.  In the upper reaches of Warwick Cove the oxygen was a low .5 mg/L.  (Incidentally, Dr. Deacutis said the red algae bloom in Warwick Cove this summer was tested and it was determined to be non-toxic.)

The oxygen level in Western Greenwich Bay (Chepiwanoxet Point) was 1.6 mg/L and Greenwich Cove was at 1.3 mg/L.  With a prevailing southwest summer wind in Narragansett Bay, Greenwich Bay (particularly Greenwich Cove), does not get flushed and low oxygen levels are more prominent there.

We often see bait fish in these areas on the surface where oxygen levels are higher as oxygen in the air mixes with the water, and often predators such as blue fish ae chasing them, however, fish (particularly bottom fish) cannot live where oxygen levels are this low.

Where are the fish in the upper Bay when oxygen levels are low

As long as I can remember, fishing in the upper Bay has been good around Warwick Light and in areas around the East Passage.  There is good reason.  Water at Warwick Neck moves fast, tossing around bait and mixes oxygen well throughout the water column.  The oxygen level in front of Warwick Light last week was close to 5 mg/l.

Fishing in the East passage is often good too … at Ohio Ledge, Providence Point, Prudence Island and areas around Conimicut Point… bait fish and menhaden running up the East Passage shipping channel helps, but one has to wonder if the shipping channel that provides a path for bait also provides flushing, mixing and a better oxygen supply contributing to better fishing in these areas.

For more information visit the NBEP website at www.nbep.org  and an associated blog at http://nbep.wordpress.com/  or http://www.geo.brown.edu/georesearch/insomniacs/index.html  for  the dissolved oxygen (DO) website (called Insomniacs) which has oxygen level maps of various Bay areas.  For weekly assessments and reports on water temperature and conditions visit www.dem.ri.gov/bart . 

Thank you and congratulations to DEM, URI, Brown University and the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program for doing such a good job monitoring water quality in Rhode Island.

Learn how to fish NY salmon and striped bass at night in the Bay Monday, August 27

The Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association (RISAA) will hold a seminar Monday, August 27, 7:00 p.m. at the West Valley Inn, 4 Blossom Street, West Warwick, RI. Learn about salmon fishing in upstate New York with Don Smith.  Don is a famous local striper angler who also has been fishing the Salmon River for 25 years.  Another topic will be fishing for striped bass in Narragansett Bay with Greg Vespe.  Greg has logged 350 night trips on Narragansett Bay.  He finished 16^th out of 1,500 anglers in the 2009 Striper Cup Angler of Year. $10 donation for non-members, RISAA members free.

Where’s the bite

Fluke (summer flounder).  The fluke fishing has been fair offshore.  Some days are good, other days are not good depending on alignment of tide and wind and the appetite of the fish. Angler Mike Swain of North Kingstown said, “We fished under the Newport Bridge Monday and caught three nice keepers to seven pounds and one nice black sea bass.”  Kevin Brothers said he fished, “Friday from Elbow Reef, mouth of Sakonnet, to various spots outside Brenton reef at 60-70 foot depths with a slow bite of mostly short sea bass & fluke (only a couple keepers of each).”  I fished the same area Monday and had a similar experience.

Striped bass fishing at Block Island has been mixed.  I fished Tuesday with Eric Appolonia and his son Alex of North Kingstown on the southwest side and had mixed results.  The bluefish were thick, catching them every time we put out a tube and worm in the water.  We caught a nice black sea bass working an eel off the bottom and one nice striped bass on amber colored tube and worm (300 feet of wire line out in 35 to 45 feet of water).  Eels still seem to be the bait of choice at night or early morning with tube and worm working in the day.

Scup fishing is still good too. With large and small fish being caught throughout the Bay.

Black sea bass bite is very good off Block Island on and around the southwest ledge.  Ken Robinson fished with two friends on the southwest side of BI last week and reports “… we stopped keeping them (black sea bass) when we hit about 30 fish.  As expected the black sea bass were near the top of rock piles in 32 to 45 feet of water and they liked fluke rigs with some green in them tipped with squid.”

Block Island bass still very large

Ed Nobolowski of Great Barrington, Massachusetts caught this 58 pound striped bass on the southwest side of Block Island last week as his family looked on aboard Maridee II Charters out of Point Judith, RI.

Jen, Dave and Riley Eike from Rochester, NY enjoyed a day of charter fishing Sunday under the Newport Bridge landing fluke (summer flounder), scup and black sea bass.

Block Island striped bass still very large

Captain Andy Dangelo of Maridee Charters, Pont Judith, RI said, “We landed a 58 pound striped bass on the southwest side of Block Island Sunday using a buck tail jig, actually a Poly Jig.  Angler Ed Nobolowfki of Great Barrington, Massachusetts caught the fish during the day.  It was a great fish and wonderful for Ed to land the bass as his family looked on.”

Vendor space available at the Galilee Fishing Tournament and Food Festival
“Although the September 7th to 9th event will feature the best of seafood and other treats, there will be 40 booths available for other types of vendors.”, said Steve Medeiros, president of the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association (RISAA) and one of the event organizers.  Mr. Medeiros said the event is expected to draw families to the food and entertainment, recreational anglers as well as tourists visiting Galilee. The theme of the Festival is “Fishing for a cause” and will be held at the Port of Galilee in Narragansett, RI.  Striped bass, summer flounder (fluke) and blue fish are part of the Tournament which is sponsored by the RI Department of Environmental Management, Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association and the Narragansett Parks & Recreation Department.   All proceeds from the Tournament and Festival will be donated to Hasbro Children’s Hospital, the Johnnycake Center Food Bank and the Narragansett Parks & Recreation financial aid program.  For more information about the fishing tournament, festival and vendor information visit www.galileetourney.com .

Tautog season opened

If you are a tautog fisherman you likely know that the second season started August 1 and will run until October 19 with a three fish/per person/per day limit.  The third phase of the season will run from October 20 to December 15 with a six fish/ per person/day limit.  A maximum of ten fish per vessel is in effect for all periods (does not apply to charter and party boats).

BOEM makes Block Island wind farm announcement

Last week the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced the determination of no competitive interest for the construction of a transmission system between the Rhode Island coastline and Block Island.  The determination of no competitive interest is another important step in evaluating the transmission project proposed by Deepwater Wind that would deliver electrical power from its proposed 30 megawatt Block Island Wind Farm in state waters.

 BOEM received an application from Deepwater Wind requesting a right-of-way grant for an eight nautical mile-long, 200-foot wide corridor in federal waters on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) to connect their proposed offshore wind farm, located in Rhode Island state waters approximately 2.5 nautical miles southeast of Block Island, to the Rhode Island mainland. The proposed offshore transmission connection would also transmit power from the existing onshore transmission grid to Block Island. Deepwater Wind estimates the proposed wind farm will generate over 100,000 megawatt hours annually, supplying the majority of Block Island’s electricity needs.  Visit BOEM’s web site at www.boem.gov for more information.

Brown University scup survey

Tim Rovinelli, a Brown University student, is conducting a study on the characteristics of the Rhode recreational scup fishery. If you are interested in taking the survey is in three parts as noted below and takes about ten minutes to complete.  Tim relates, “The scup fishery makes up an important part of Rhode Island’s saltwater fishing opportunities.  Yet there is little work that has been done to understand what fishermen value about the fishery and what the resource offers to the public.  I am interviewing fishermen at three sites around the bay but would also like to increase the project’s reach by offering online surveys as well.  If you are scup fisherman or woman, I would love to hear from you.  There is an electronic survey linked below, a creel survey to estimate catch and a supplement of attitudinal questions, which is split into two portions.  It is completely anonymous, and you can free to skip any questions.  All responses are highly appreciated.  Please let me know if you have any feedback, questions, or comments at timothy_rovinelli@brown.edu (put scup in the subject line).  Thanks for your time.”

Each part of the survey must be completed separately.  Here are the links:

 Creel Survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QHCWYCS .

Attitudes pt 1: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Q6KQ7W5

Attitudes pt 2: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QZBDTFT 

Where’s the bite

Fishing in Narragansett Bay is slow with many anglers claiming that warm water is the cause of the slow bite.  Hope to explore this with a few scientists as the possible cause of a slow bite in the next couple of weeks.

Striped bass fishing on Block Island is still very good most days. “Some days the blue fish are pretty thick.” said Captain Andy Dangelo of Maridee Charters, Point Judith, RI.  Ken Landry of Erickson’s Bait & Tackle, Warwick said he fished Block Island this week with eels and did very well at the southwest ledge.  Al Conti of Snug Harbor Marina, South Kingstown, RI said, “The larger fish have thinned out on the Southwest Ledge, however, the fishing is still good there with plenty of fish being taken at the North Rip on tube and worm.”  John Wunner of John’s Bait & Tackle, North Kingstown said, “A customer fishing for fluke off Narragansett hooked and landed a 38 pound striped bass last week.  It took a couple of trips to the boat on light tackle before the fish tired enough to land.”

 Eel shortage.  Make sure you reserve your eels at your local bait shop as there is a supply shortage as reported by several bait and tackle shorts.  Gary Leatherberry of Erickson’s Bait & Tackle, Warwick said “The shortage is in part caused by the Japanese market buying juvenile eels and shipping them to Japan where they grow them and then sell them in fish markets for human consumption.”  Al Conti of Snug Harbor Marina said, “The warm weather is not good for eels.  Even Canadian suppliers are having trouble.  When the water is this warm eels tend to stay in the mud and not move around much, if they are not moving around you can’t catch them.”

Fluke (summer flounder) fishing has slowed with wind and tide in line being a must to catch fish.  “The fluke fishing has been finicky… they may turn on for a while and then shut right down. Maybe it is the warm water, fluke are just not behaving as they usually do.”, said Al Conti of Snug Harbor Marina.  I fished for fluke under the Newport Bridge Sunday.  The fish turned on for a few minutes, we landed three fish and then it was slim pickings for the rest of the day.

Sea bass/Scup.  Sea bass fishing is good with nice sized fish being taken off Newport and Pt. Judith and other rocky bottom areas. Scup fishing is still good all around the Bay.  Riley Eike of Rochester, New York landed a 14 inch scup Sunday under the Newport Bridge.  Reports of scup in the 18” range have been common this summer.

Offshore.  The vessel Nighthawk run by Mike Harrington caught 29 yellow fin tuna in the 50 to 80 pound range at the Oceanographer Canyon (located on the southern flank of George’s Bank) last week, said Al Conti of Snug Harbor Marina.  There are plenty off mahi-mahi at the Mud hole as well as cod fish at Cox’s Ledge with dog fish mixed in.

Humps and bumps off Newport yield big bass

George Allen with a striped bass he caught when trolling over the humps and bumps off Newport, RI. George caught the bass with Monel wire line with tube and worm in about 35 feet of water.

Captain Dave Monti celebrated his 60^th Birthday with a party Saturday at Easton’s Beach Rotunda. This striped bass cake (complete with hook in mouth) baked by Wrights Dairy Farm, North Smithfield was enjoyed by a hundred friends and family members.

Humps and bumps off Newport yield big bass

Angler George Allen of Portsmouth, RI gave a presentation last week on trolling with wire for striped bass off Newport at the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association (RISAA) monthly seminar. About 200 people attended the event that was held at the West Valley Inn, West Warwick, RI. Paul Perra the Northeast Recreational Fisheries Coordinator for the National Marine Fisheries Service in Gloucester MA was also a speaker.

George Allen is a vice president and member of the RISAA board of directors. He is a retired Commander of the Unites States Navy and keeps his boat at the Newport Navel Base Marina. George has in-depth knowledge of the waters around Newport where he fishes regularly for striped bass. The method he uses most often is trolling with wire using rubber tubes tipped with clam worms as his bait of choice.

“I make my own tubes and dye them red and orange. The idea is to get your bait low just off the bottom when trolling over structure.” said Allen. He fishes the humps and bumps off Newport that are in 35 to 45 feet of water from Brenton Point to Sachuest Point.

George pays particular attention to the tide. Normally, he likes to fish when the water is moving at its fastest rate which is generally 1 to 1 ½ hours before low or high tide. “One would think the tide moves fastest between high and low. That is not the case. So I consult the Tide Log for the tide sequence… and fish at maximum ebb and maximum flood currents.” Bait in the water moves at its fastest rate when the water is moving at its fastest rate, so more bait is presented to bass on the bottom. The fish sense this and feed as it is the easiest time for them to catch food (bait).

Here are some tips for fishing for bass off Newport from George Allen. These methods have yielded bass to 42 pounds from mid June to the mid August.

• Troll no faster than three knots
• Get your bait low, just off the bottom if possible, if trolling in 35 feet of water on a ledge I generally have about 250 feet of wire out.
• Always troll with the current or on an angle to the current as the bass stage on or near structure facing the current so you want to drag your bait over the front of them first so they see it
• If you spot fish on your fish finder keep a steady course so you drag your bait over them. Turning to port or starboard could make you miss the fish
• George uses 40 lb. Monel trolling wire. Monel Trolling Wire is more expensive but it is exceptionally kink resistant and has excellent ductility and high strength. This nickel-copper alloy provides maximum corrosion resistance in saltwater and due to its greater density, sinks more rapidly and stays deeper than stainless steel trolling lines. A fifteen foot, 50 lb. fluorocarbon leader is used with a two once egg sinker
• When you get a hit, raise your rod and always keep pressure on the fish, point toward the fish to save wear and tear on your tip guide
• When big bass first hit they nudge of slap their tail at the bait. When this happens don’t slow down, in fact, if you move a bit faster it may trigger the bass into a strike

Our fish resources are for everyone to share

Recreational anglers have been commenting on fishing blogs about the high number of commercial vessels fishing close to costal shores and in Narragansett Bay compared to past years. Temperature changes (abnormally warm water this year) have fish behaving differently. Warm water brings warm water fish closer to shore and drives away cold water fish. So if you see an abnormally greater number of commercial fishing vessels closer to shore than usual, it is likely that this is where the fish are. Our fish resources are for everyone. So both commercial fishermen and recreational anglers need to be respectful of each other and recognize that the resource is for all of us.

Where’s the bite

Fresh water fishing has been good. Mike Gill of Quaker Lane Outfitters, North Kingstown, RI said fishing for largemouth bass at Indian Lake and Worden Pond with top water frogs and sink worms is very good. The water level on the Wood River is low, however, trout fishing is still pretty good as they are holding in deeper holes.

Fluke fishing continues to be OK when tide and wind are going in the same direction off the southern coastal shores (which has not been too often for the past couple of weeks). However, most anglers are finding it difficult to take home keeper fluke when fishing in the Bay. Angler Robert Swain said, “I caught four keeper fluke in the 19 to 20” range off Quonset Pont last week fishing the channel break.” Ken Ferrara of Ray’s Bait & Tackle, Warwick said his son Kenny did well fishing for fluke under the bridges last week. Captain George Cioe said doormat size fluke have been hitting on the south side of Block Island. John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait & Tackle, East Providence said, “Customers are finding it hard to hook keeper fluke in the upper Bay, when fish are caught they tend to be undersized. Some keepers are being caught in the Jamestown and Newport Bridge area.”

Striped bass fishing in the upper Bay is not good. The water is very warm and not holding striped bass as they have gone to cooler waters. Some small fish being caught on the Barrington and Warren River bridges using clam tongues said John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait & Tackle. Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle, Providence said fishing off Block Island is still hot with bass being caught off Newport in the Brenton Reef area using eels. Henault said, “Captain Billy Silvia of Can’t Imagine Sport Fishing Charters, Bristol, RI continues to land striped bass with eels off Brenton Reef and Blane Toebt, of South Kingstown, has been catching keeper sized bass fishing the shore in Narragansett and off other southern coastal beaches.”

Scup fishing continues to be good for anglers in a number of places… Mt. Hope Bridge, Warren River, Colt State Park, Ohio Ledge and many other places.

Offshore. Dick Pastore said his son Matt fished south of the shipping lanes Saturday in 73 degree water and scored two mahi-mahi in the 20 lb range on bonito busters trolling past hi flyers south of the horns. Henry Fisette of Coventry, RI said, “We fished Atlantis Canyon Sunday and landed five yellowfin tuna in the 80 pound range and 20 mahi-mahi.”