Warm water fish in Bay and global warming

Warm water fish:  Mason Sherman of North Kingstown with the 32 pound, 46” cobia he caught while fluke fishing just south of the Jamestown Bridge.  Several of the warm water fish have been caught in Narragansett Bay and along coastal shores this year.

Priscilla Bogdan of Lincoln, RI landed this cobia off Point Judith, Narragansett last month.  One of several cobia caught this year off coastal shores and in the Bay.

Warm water fish in Bay and global warming

“There is no longer any credible scientific debate about the basic facts: our world continues to warm, with the last decade the hottest in modern records, and the deep ocean warming faster than the earth’s atmosphere. Sea level is rising. Arctic Sea ice is melting years faster than projected.”

This quote is not from liberal environmentalist but rather from four Republican E.P.A. administrators that served under Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, George Bush and George W. Bush.  It came from an opinion letter they published in the August 1, 2013 issue of the New York Times.

The letter goes on to urge we support initiatives such as “reductions in the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by the nation’s power plants and spur increased investment in clean energy technology, which is inarguably the path we must follow to ensure a strong economy along with a livable climate.” 

The dialogue on global warming has changed from a bipartisan issue on whether or not it is occurring to what should be done about it now as a nation, and I might add as fishermen.

Local evidence of climate change includes Narragansett Bay and near coastal water temperatures heating up for nearly forty years.  How warm you ask? Well it used to be very cold.  The crew of the Brenton Reef lightship measured water temperature at the mouth of Narragansett Bay every day from July 1878 through January 1942.

 In the coldest winter recorded (1917-18) the water temperature from December through February was 33.2 F. The average for the whole period of their record (64 years) is 39.1 F. This temperature is far from the warmer water temperatures recorded in February, 2012… Conimicut Point, 45 F; Newport, 42 F; and Block Island, 46 F.

OK, so we have a warming Bay (URI Bay temperature studies confirm this too, the Bay has warmed 2 to 3 degrees depending on time of year in past 45 years), and evidence of a rising ocean in New England (and Rhode Island) with beach erosion occurring all along our coastal shore.

Now what about the fish?  What seems to be happening is that the cold water fish (like cod) are moving out of the area, away from coastal shores and out into deeper waters. Last year my brother-in-law and I traveled to Cox’s Ledge (over 18 miles offshore) to catch them.  And, for the past few years we have had warm water fish (and manuals) being sited or caught in the area.  Dolphin sightings in Narragansett Bay in the fall for the past couple of years, blue fin tuna at the mouth of the Bay in January and cobia being caught in the Bay this summer are some examples.

Last week Mason Sherman, a URI engineering student from North Kingstown, RI, caught a 32 pound, 46 inch cobia when he was bottom fishing for fluke (summer flounder) just south of the Jamestown Bridge.  Mason said, “I was using very light tackle... 20 lb test monofilament line and a plastic squid rig tipped with a fresh piece of squid.  Every time I would get the fish close to the boat it would dive.  I mean dive deep below the boat… it took about 25 minutes to land the fish.”

Last month Greg Vespe of Tiverton landed a 17 pound cobia fishing north of the Newport Bridge when fishing with Atlantic Menhaden chunks for striped bass. Bait shop owners have reported an additional three to four cobia being caught in the Bay this year.

Cobia (a warm water fish) migrate along the Atlantic coast on a seasonal basis. In spring, they move from southern Florida, to the Carolinas as water temperatures rise. That’s right, I said the Carolinas… not Rhode Island.

As fishermen, we know the water is warming and we need to do everything we can to curb climate change.  Don’t get me wrong, nothing wrong with catching warm water fish here, I would love to catch a cobia, but it would be nice if some fish were left for my great grand children.  And I don’t mean fried fish.

Where’s the bite

Striped bass fishing at Block Island is still good with smaller fish (28”-32” keeper size) being taken at the North Rip and larger fish on the South West Ledge. Umbrella rigs still seem to be the bait of choice during the day. Last week striped bass were between Gould Island and the Newport Bridge and all along southern coastal shores, this week that action slowed down a bit.

Fluke (summer flounder) fishing remained good but spotty this week with fish being taken (for the first time in years) in the upper Bay.  Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle, Providence, said, “Customers are catching fluke at Fields Point and in other places in the upper Bay… in eight to fourteen feet of water if you can believe that.  The fluke are feeding on skipjacks (baby blue fish) in coves and along shoreline areas.” John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait & Tackle said, “Customers are catching fluke in places where they have not been for years.  Last week anglers caught keeper sized fluke at Sabin Point.” The fluke bite off Newport and Jamestown remained good but spotty with fish being taken in good numbers depending on the day under the Newport and Jamestown bridges, at Austin Hollow, Dutch Island,  Hull and Mackerel Coves off Jamestown.  Some days anglers have found fluke in numbers off Newport beyond Seal Ledge and the Brenton Reef areas.  John Wunner of John’s Bait & Tackle, North Kingstown said, “Customers have been catching fluke everywhere including the entrance of Allen’s Harbor, in Wickford Harbor.”  The fluke bite in Greenwich Bay continued to be slow as the western portion of the Bay is recovering from hypoxia (oxygen deprivation) at the lower levels of the water column.

Scup fishing remains strong throughout the Bay at the usually place… Colt State , Bristol, the bridges, Providence Point, Ohio Ledge, etc

.

Blue crabs have been plentiful in coves and estuaries.

Skipjacks (or baby blue fish) have invaded coves, ponds and inlets.  Anglers have been catching them in volume.

RI Fish for the Future… first cooperative of its type in the nation

Fluke fishing:  Lorna Russell of Providence with the fluke she caught off the Beavertail area of Jamestown.  Her son Liam (right) and friend Mathew look on.

Researcher even when off duty:  Jon Hare (center), Narragansett Laboratory Director and Oceanography Branch Chief for NOAA Fisheries Service, fished with Capt. Dave Monti on Angel Light, a RI Fish for the Future cooperative member this Saturday.  Jon lives in East Greenwich and by chance his wife booked the charter on the cooperative vessel for him, his son John (far right) and friend Elliot Emperor of Orleans, France.

RI Fish for the Future… first cooperative of its type in the nation

There is a new fishing cooperative in Rhode Island… the first of its type in the nation, it is called Rhode Island Fish for the Future and I am one of its founding members.  It is a charter captains’ summer founder (fluke) cooperative consisting of nine vessels.  The captains are voluntarily testing an innovative fishing approach to improve accountability and conservation of the summer flounder (fluke) population while increasing business flexibility and stability for the Rhode Island charter boat industry.

The cooperative is also testing innovative new software they developed that records catch in real time.  Each of the captains in the program has a computer tablet on board loaded with the software.  The software (called Fish Net) allows captains to record species type and fish length (the software converts length to approximate weight).  All of this is recorded in real time in the location that they catch/record the fish through a GPS capability.  It is hoped that software like this will provide a rich data source for fish mangers in the future as charter boats and recreational fishers are presently not required to report their catch the way that commercial fishermen do. 

The cooperative received a grant to develop the software and is operating under proposed guidelines as they fish off a Research Set Aside (RSA) fish allocation they purchased at a federal auction.

The mission of the pilot project includes reducing discards (and mortality rate… or the number of fish that die after release) and increased flexibility and predictability so charter captains can better serve customers.  Captains have been able to improve customer experience by allowing them to take more fish and smaller sizes than normally allowed.  This sounds great… more fish for customers, smaller sizes allowed, however, there is a catch.

Captains participating in the program agree to live within a rigid set of rules.  Rules such as counting all fish caught toward their quota or allowable catch for the season… even the ones too small to keep.  Their cumulative total of allowable catch is smaller than they would be able to take under normal recreational fishing regulations, however, the program gives them the flexibility to catch the fish and use them with customers when it is best from a business perspective.

For example they can fish for striped bass or tautog when they are in season and available and save the fluke fishing for when other species are not available.  Captain Joe Pagano of Stuff-It Charters (a program participant) said “The pilot program will allow my customers to keep more fish and plan their vacations ahead of time which will ultimately provide more stability for my business.”

Capt. Rick Bellavance of Priority Too Charters, one of the organizers of Rhode Island Fish for the Future said, “The catch cooperative program is the best option I've seen to date, one that with the appropriate implementation, will let our industry continue to thrive for years to come.”

For information about Rhode Island Fish for the Future visit www.rifishforthefutue.org. 

Where’s the bite

Striped bass fishing has been fair this past week at Block Island and in the Bay.  John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait Tackle, East Providence said, “Sunday small bass in the 22” to 24” range were caught at Sabin Point.”  Matt Conti of Snug Harbor Marine, South Kingstown said, “The Bass bite at Block Island has been with eels at night and customer are catching them during the day trolling umbrella rigs.”  Ken Landry of Ray’s Bait & Tackle, Warwick said, “Some nice bass were caught at the Newport Bridge this week with Atlantic Menhaden which have been plentiful in that area and around Gould Island.  Some customers have been doing well with bass in the Breton Reef, Newport area.”

Summer flounder (fluke) fishing has been spotty with warm water in Narragansett Bay and rough water off shore.  John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait said, “I had a customer catch a small keeper sized fluke off Our Lady of Providence Seminary in Warwick and then he landed a nice squeteague.”  I fished in the Beavertail, Jamestown area with Jon Hare and his son John and friend Elliott this Saturday and landed about a dozen fish including six nice keeper fluke but they were hard to come by.  “Ken Landry of Ray’s Bait said, “Fluke are from Warwick Neck to the bridges and beyond but they were very spotty and hard to catch this week.  Some days anglers were hitting them and some days they were not.”  Matt Conti of Snug Harbor Marine said, “Fluke fishing was slow this week for customers both at Block Island and along southern coastal shores.”

Black sea bass fishing has been OK with anglers catching them while fluke fishing.  Some nice sized black sea bass were taken off the wall at the Harbor of Refuge and off Narragansett Beach.

Scup fishing continues to be strong all over Narragansett Bay, off coastal shores and in the Newport and Jamestown bridge areas.  Angler Mike Swain of Coventry said, “I saw a number of boats at Warwick Light landing scup while fluke fishing this Sunday.”  John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait & Tackle said, “Scup fishing continues to be very strong with large scup common.  Anglers continue to experience a good scup bite at Colt Sate Park, Bristol.”

Offshore fishing had been pretty good this week at the Dump with blue fin tuna, mahi-mahi, and  yellow fin  being taken by a number of customers said Matt Conti of Snug Harbor.

Fish need to breathe too

Fluke (summer flounder) fishing good. Peter and Holly Sousa landed summer fluke to 21” while fishing off Dutch Island and Jamestown, RI Sunday night.

Fish need to breathe too

Dr. Chris Deacutis of the University of Rhode Island sent me an email this week.  Dr. Deacutis and his team have measured temperature, nutrient and oxygen levels in Narragansett Bay for years. Oxygen levels in the lower part of the water column in the west passage of Narragansett Bay are very low.  These low levels of oxygen may explain why fluke fishing in Greenwich Bay slowed this week.  

Dr. Deacutis said, “Just wanted to give you a heads up. We (URI and Brown University) ran an oxygen survey today and there is extreme low DO (dissolved oxygen), 0.1- 0.6 mg/L in western Greenwich Bay below 10' , and very low DO, 1 - 2mg/L= no fish, in the upper Bay and ~ 2 mg/L in upper West Passage below ~ 15-20' all the way down to Quonset Point. Probably explains why the Bay fishing is so dead. Fish leave when DO is < 2-3 mg/L . I wouldn't bother going for any flatfish (summer flounder) above Quonset.

 The decrease in nutrients at the sewer plants does seem to be helping since we used to see DO < 1 all the way to Quonset a few years back during these nasty spells. The rainstorms and hot weather has stratified the Bay and is keeping the bottom water from getting new oxygen. We'll need a good storm w/ heavy winds to get things right again on the bottom.”

DEM to host events in conjunction with Bay Day

The Department of Environmental Management (DEM) will host the third event of the 2013 Rhode Island Great Outdoors Pursuit on Sunday, July 28 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in conjunction with Governor Lincoln Chafee’s Bay Day at Colt State Park in Bristol.  Additionally, there will be free parking at all State beaches on July 28 in celebration of Bay Day.

The Pursuit event is open to the public and will feature a host of activities such as a tide pool touch tank, healthy cooking demonstration and farmers' market, electronics recycling drop-off, and hula-hooping. There is no cost to register and all activities are either free or low-cost. The general public who do not wish to register are also invited to participate in all activities. More information is available online at www.riparks.com.

Where’s the bite

Striped bass fishing remained very strong in the lower Bay, along coastal shores and around Block Island.  Angler Steve Jucknick reports a good bass bite at the east fishing grounds off Block Island last week with six keepers bass taken on top water plugs at night.  Mary Dangelo of Maridee Bait &
Canvas, Narragansett said, “Gus Ludietti (eight years old) of Killingworth, CT caugth a 32 pound striped Bass (fishing with his mother) off the wall in Narragansett this weekend while fishing with squid for scup.” Dangelo said, “ I told Gus when he was in the shop that he had light gear so he would have to play the fish and not pull hard on the line or it would break… he followed instructions well and landed the 40” fish.”  Captain Rick Bellavance of the charter vessel Priority Too our of Pt. Judith, Narragansett said, “The bass bite around Block Island has been strong but the seas have been rough this week and have prohibited fishing some days.”  Noted local angler Don Smith reports on fishing Block Island last week at night.  Don said, “The water temps were unusually warm, ranging anywhere from 76.4 to 78.5.  Capt. Matt King told me he's marked water temps during the day of 80 so the bass will be moving further north if this keeps up. The bass are moving up in the water column feeding on the surface early in the morning and at the tide changes. Using Lemiere wooden surface plugs and spinning gear we had bass on the surface to 40 lbs. early Wednesday morning. Lots of blues mixed in with them.”  Craig Castro of Erickson’s Bait & Tackle Warwick said, “The striped bass bite around the Newport Bridge (and Jamestown Bridge) was very strong this weekend.  Several customers caught nice sized bass while using chucks of Atlantic Menhaden.” Schools of Atlantic Menhaden were reported in the lower East Passage of the Bay between the Newport Bridge and north to Prudence Island.

Offshore.  Captain Rick Bellavance of Priority Too charters said, “We landed our first albacore tuna (west of the horns) this week.  Three nice fish in the 25 pound range.”

Fluke (summer flounder) fishing remained strong in the lower Bay, along coastal shores and out at Block Island. Mike Swain of Coventry, RI landed a 24.5 inch fluke while fishing off Jamestown. Holly and Peter Sousa fished the west passage off Dutch Island and landed keeper fluke this Sunday fishing the incoming tide.  Craig Castro of Erickson’s Bait & Tackle, Warwick, said, “The water in the Bay has warmed up a lot this past week and consequently fishing for fluke in the West Passage and in Greenwich Bay has slowed down a lot.  Fishing in the lower Bay for fluke remains strong.” Captain Rick Bellavance reports, ”We had a fluke trip last week and fished the East side of Block Island with success landing 35 keepers.” 

How to catch bonito and albacore… and take great photos of your catch

 First fluke… first fish:  Durjoy Maitra of Brookline, MA caught his first fish ever on his very first cast off the DEM pier on Salt Pond.  The fluke was twenty inches and weighted two pounds.

 Fluke fishing is good:  Josh Olczak of Maryland, Marchello and Tony Carulli of Pennsylvania enjoyed a mourning of summer flounder fishing (fluke) in Greenwich Bay last week.  Fluke fishing has been good in  Narragansett Bay, along coastal shores and Block Island.

How to catch bonito and albacore… and take great photos of your catch

Learn how to fish for bonito and false albacore and how to take better fishing photos at the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association’s (RISAA) monthly meeting Monday, July 29, 7:00 p.m. at the West Valley Inn, West Warwick, RI.   Captain Eric Thomas will speak about how to catch bonito and false albacore.  Thomas specializes in fly fishing… light tackle and often fishes the Aquidneck Island coastline for striped bass, false albacore, bonito, fluke and many other species.  Steve Medeiros, editor of RISAA’s newsletter has had many photos published in the RISAA newsletter.   "I can't tell you how many times someone has sent in a photo of their prized catch, only to reject it because the angler's head was cut off, or the photo is out of focus, or too dark and unrecognizable," he said. His mini-seminar will provide you with a few simple tips to make your photos more impressive, and will show examples of good and bad photos and how to easily correct them.  Non-members invited to attend and are requested to make a $10 donation to the RISAA Marine Fisheries College Scholarship Fund.  The West Valley Inn will be serving dinner starting at 5:30 p.m.

Rhody Fly Rodders summer fishing meeting, Thursday, July 18th

The Rhody Fly Rodders will hold their summer fishing meeting Thursday, July 18 at Seapowet Marsh, Tiverton, RI.  High tide on July 18 is at approximately 4:30 p.m. and the group will fish the out-going tide, from whenever anglers arrive until dark.  A small grill for anglers to cook their own hot dogs, burgers, etc. will be available but participants are asked to bring their own beverages. Water and chips are provided. Directions: Take RI. Rt. 77 South from Rt. 24 (Sakonnet Bridge), take right on Seapowet Avenue, and follow to you get to a small bridge. Parking lot on right at bridge.   For information contact Peter Nilsen at pdfish@fullchannel.net.

New England Fishery Management Council seeks fishermen for Electronic Monitoring (EM) Group

The New England Fishery Management Council is forming an ad hoc Electronic Monitoring (EM) Working Group. Its members will be asked to identify any existing barriers or necessary steps that would enhance groundfish sector operations plan(s), in particular those plans that rely on electronic monitoring as a primary mechanism to achieve their stated compliance and catch attribution goals. 

The Council will appoint two fishermen, who participate in the Northeast Multispecies Sector Management Program and who are not currently on Council advisory panels, to serve on the working group. The working group also will include representatives of the Council and its staff, NOAA Fisheries Northeast Regional Office and Northeast Fisheries Science Center staff and fishermen.

Please indicate your interest in participating on the Working Group by mail, email or fax and include information about the gear type you use, the areas you currently fish and any other information you think may be relevant. If you have questions or need additional information about the EM Working Group, please contact Chris Kellogg at 978.465.0492, ext. 112 or ckellogg@nefmc.org.

Where’s the bite

Off-Shore.  Matt Conti of Snug Harbor Marina said, “This weekend we had customers landing tuna.  Four yellowfin tuna, albacore and even some mahi-mahi were caught Saturday and Sunday just on the south side of the Dump.

Striped bass fishing remains strong around Block Island.  Ken Landry of Ray’s Bait & Tackle landed striped bass to 41 pounds fishing with eels on the southwest side of the Block Island this past weekend said Patti Ferrara.  Matt Conti of Sung Harbor said, “Customers are landing bass with eels during the day and night on the southwest side of the Island.  Some are using umbrella rigs with success too.”  Mike Gill of Quaker Lane Outfitters, North Kingstown said bass fishing for customers is good at Block Island with customers using eels and umbrella rigs with success.

Summer flounder (fluke) fishing has been very good with fluke being caught in Greenwich Bay in numbers that haven’t been seen in ten years.  Fluke have been caught at the mouth of the Sakonnet River, around Newport and Jamestown, along the southern coastal shores, and out to Block Island. Wednesday I had three anglers on board and we had good luck fishing the Greenwich Bay area from the can at Round Rock to the Warwick County Club.  Many anglers fished the edges of the trough that runs between Warwick Light and the Country Club. “Fluke fishing has been great.  People are catching them everywhere.” said Matt Conti of Snug Harbor.

Black sea bass fishing is good.  Anglers are often catching their limit… three fish/angler/day with a minimums size of 13” until August 31.  The catch limit increases to seven fish per anglers from September 1 to December 31.

Local angler catches a cobia… an exotic fish

 Warm water fish:  Greg Vespe of Tiverton, RI caught this cobia, an exotic warm water fish, off Gould Island when fishing for striped bass with a bunker (Atlantic Menhaden) head as bait.

Fluke (summer flounder) fishing remains good off shore and in the lower Bay.  Pete Sousa of Warwick caught two fluke under the Newport Bridge an hour before high tide and then the bite was off.

Local angler catches a cobia… an exotic fish

“What a fight… the fish cleared the water by three feet and then dug under the boat and ran... boy they are tough fish.”, said Greg Vespe of Tiverton, RI as he recounted his fight with a cobia he caught off the south side of Gould Island in the East Passage of Narragansett Bay.  The fish was caught this past Sunday at 10:30 a.m. with a bunker (Atlantic Menhaden) head when Vespe was fishing for striped bass.  “The fish weighted 17 pounds, not really big for a cobia but what a fight.” said Vespe.

Cobia  are a great sport (and eating) fish and commonly weigh between 20 and 50 pounds with lengths of 20 to 47 inches.  According to the Florida Museum of Natural History a record cobia weighed in at 135 pounds.

Cobia migrate along the Atlantic coast on a seasonal basis. In spring, they move from southern Florida, to the Carolinas as water temperatures rise. I checked online and some have been caught in Rhode Island but usually later in the summer when the water has a chance to warm.  This Sunday surface water temperatures in the middle of the Narragansett Bay were in the 80 degree range so perhaps this is what enticed the cobia to come into the Bay.  In fall, Cobia reverse  their migration pattern and head south as water temperatures fall.

 A favorite food of cobia are crabs and they are commonly called "crabeater". They often cruise in packs of 3-100 fish, hunting for food during migration in shallow water along the shoreline. They will follow rays, turtles, and sharks, sneaking in to scavenge whatever is left behind.

This cobia is a real prize to be caught in Rhode Island, so congratulations Greg Vespe, and thanks for sharing your story about the fight.

Where’s the bite

Fluke fishing is good but is on and off some days.  Mike Swain of Coventry fished the Newport Bridge area with his fishing partner Darryl and boated ten keepers last week and then went back to the same spot the next day and caught two fish.”, said John Wunner of John’s Bait & Tackle, North Kingstown.  I fished the west side of the  Newport Bridge with two lines in the water Friday just before the tide turned and landed three keepers in about an hour and then the fishing shut down.  “A customer landed four keeper fluke fishing the Quonset Point and Wickford areas this Saturday.”, said John Wunner.   Mary Dangelo of Maridee Canvas-Bait & Tackle, Narragansett said, “Customers are catching some fluke from shore.”  Capt. Dangelo of the charter boat Maridee II said, “Saturday we fished Block Island and had 41 keepers with six people on board.  The fishing has been good but we haven’t been catching large fish in numbers.  The largest so far this year has been in the seven plus pound range.”  Brian   Beltraimi on the RISAA blog said, “Fished the Newport Bridge area yesterday (Saturday), started with an outgoing tide and S wind, not the best drift conditions, this produced a few shorts. As the tide slowed we went into Potters Cove, dropped the hook and had lunch while waiting for the tide to change. We then went back and fished in about 80' with an incoming tide and S wind. We soon started to hit them, all keepers 20-22". Used pink and glow "Spintrami" spin rigs tipped with variations of squid, fluke belly, mackerel, and spearing.”

Striped bass.  “Fishing around Block Island has been good.”, said Capt. Andy Dangelo of the charter boat Maridee II. “Last week we landed a 51 pound fish and today our largest fish was 49.8 pounds.  Tolling umbrella rigs and jigs are working well.”  Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle, Providence said, striped bass fishing had been good, but then the water warmed in the Bay (the surface temperature at Poppasquash Point, Sunday was 82 degrees) and things slowed a bit.  Capt. Billy Silvia of Can’t Imagine Charters landed eight bass in the morning while hardly any other boats in the area even hooked up.” John Wunner of John’s Bait & Tackle said, “Our pogy sales have slowed a bit.  We may have seen the best of the day time bass fishing in the Bay, however, we are now starting to sell a lot of eels and customers are starting to do more night fishing due to the water warming.”

Scup fishing remains strong with anglers catching fish off bridges, from shore and from boats in the upper, middle and lower parts of the Bay.  Mary Dangelo of Maridee Canvas-Bait &Tackle said, “Customers are catching scup at State Pier number 5 in Narragansett.”

Fluke… easy to cook and easier to catch this year

Thresher shark: Ian O’Hara (left) of Cranston, RI hooked into this 309 pound thresher shark off Block Island last week fishing with this brother Carlin and father Dan.  The shark took about two hours to land with help from Jay and Jim Noon and was weighed in at Snug Harbor Marina, South Kingstown, RI. 

 Fresh fried flounder makes a great sandwich (or fish entrée).  It’s fast and easy to make.  Flounder lunch plate garnished with chips, pickle and olives in Captain Dave’s kitchen.  Photo by Virginia Magnan-Monti.

Fresh summer flounder is fun to catch and it’s a great eating fish.  Peter Magnan of Cranston, RI with a fluke he caught off Jamestown, RI.

Fluke… easy to cook and easier to catch this year

Fluke (or summer flounder) is plentiful this year and it’s easier to catch keeper size fluke as the minimum size has been reduced to 18” with a bag (or catch) limit of eight fish per angler per day.  Fishing in the mid-Bay area in Warwick, East Greenwich and North Kingstown in the West Passage and  off the shores of Barrington and Bristol in the East Passage has been as good as it has been in ten years.  Fishing around the Newport and Jamestown bridges has been good too with a strong fluke bite all along the southern coastal shore from Newport to Westerly and out to Block Island. 

So if you have been lucky enough to catch this delicate, delightful, white meat fish here are two simple recipes.  But first prepare flounder fillets for cooking by rinsing in cold water to clean.  Carefully feel fish flesh one last time to remove any bones left from the filleting board.  Pat fish dry with paper towel and set aside.

Fresh Fried Flounder Sandwiches

Ingredients

·         1 to 1 ½ lbs. of fresh flounder fillets

·         Two fresh lemons or lemon juice

·         ½ cup flavored Italian bread crumbs

·         ¼ cup all purpose flour

·         Olive oil, 1/3 to ½ cup

·         One sliced large tomato

·         Three to four leaves of lettuce

·         Tartar sauce (or your favorite mayonnaise and relish to make your own*)

·         Sandwich bread

Preparation

·         Combine and mix flavored Italian bread crumbs and flour

·         Put olive oil in pan and heat prior to cooking fish

·         Lightly moisten filets with lemon juice on both sides so fish coating sticks

·         Lightly bread fillets with coating on both sides and place in frying pan

·         Cook 4 to 6 minutes on each side depending on the thickness of the fillet.  Once cooked (fish is flaking, do not overcook) place on your choice of lightly toasted bread (we like light rye or wheat at the Monti house). 

·         Spread tartar sauce on second slice of bread and top with lettuces and tomato slices. Cut sandwich in half and garnish plate with olives, pickles and chips.

*Making your own tartar sauce is easy.  Start with ½ cup of your favorite mayonnaise and add green relish to taste (two to three tablespoons), mix together and then place in refrigerator to cool. 

Baked Fluke Recipe

by Robb Roach from Kettlebottom Outfitters, Jamestown, RI.

Ingredients

• 1 to 2 lbs. fluke fillets (or any white fish fillet)
• 1/2 to 3/4 stick of butter
• 1 or 2 sleeves of Ritz crackers
• one Lemon, sliced thin
• Large Ziploc baggie, in which to crush the crackers

Preparation

• Lightly butter the bottom of a glass baking dish and cover with the fillets, arranged in a single layer.
• Place Ritz crackers into large Ziploc, remove all air, and crush into medium-fine crumbs.
• Cover the fillets completely with the crumbs.
• Melt butter in the microwave and drizzle evenly over entire dish.
• Place thinly sliced lemons on top, for color and flavor.
• Bake in a preheated 450 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes, removing from oven when crumbs begin to brown.
• Squeeze lemon juice over dish, as desired, and serve.

Where’s the Bite

Striped bass.  “Today was the best striped bass fishing day I have ever had.” said angler Mike Swain of Coventry. He and fishing partner Darryl fished the Prudence Island/Poppasquash Point, Bristol area last Sunday fishing with chucks of Atlantic Menhaden.  “We could have caught bass all day… over twenty fish, the largest ones we kept were over 20 pounds.” said Swain.  Manny Macedo of Lucky Bait, Warren, RI said, “The bass fishing remains strong in the Bay all the way down to Newport.” Al Conti of Snug Harbor Marina reports a good bass bite on the north and southwest sides of Block Island with good sized fish being caught off Newport and Point Judith along the rocky coastline. Craig Castro of Erickson’s Bait & Tackle, Warwick, said “We weighed in two bass in the 29 pound range for the Striper Cup Tournament yesterday caught between Providence Point and Poppasquash Point, Bristol.”

Fluke (or summer flounder) fishing continues to be strong with fluke being caught in 40 to 50 feet of water along the southern coastal shore from Watch Hill to Pt. Judith. “Water off Matunuck and the Nebraska Shoals has been particularly good for fluke.” said Al Conti of Snug Harbor Marina.  Manny Macedo of Lucky Bait said “Fluke fishing has been good even in the East Passage of the Bay with keeper fluke being caught from land at Colt State Park, Bristol, RI.” Catching keeper sized fluke from shore hasn’t been easy for the past several years as they have not been that plentiful. Fishing around Warwick Neck has also been good as I caught three nice keepers in the 19 to 22” range there this weekend near the red bell  on the channel bank off Warwick Neck Light. Craig Castro of Erickson’s Bait & Tackle, Warwick, said, “Customers have been catching fluke at both the Newport and Jamestown bridges.”

Scup fishing has been good a Colt State Park, Bristol said Manny Macedo of Lucky Bait.  Al Conti of Snug Harbor Marina said, “The scup bite is starting to improve off coastal shores as the water is warming up.”

Shark fishing is picking up to said Al Conti of Snug Harbor Marina.  We weighed in a 338 Mako and a 309 pound thresher shark this week caught by the O’Hara family of Cranston, RI.

Research to identify mercury levels in scup

Scup fishing outstanding.  Scup is a small, l mild tasting fish that is a culinary delight. Our scup fishery has been rebuilt for four years.  Anglers of all ages are caching large scup for fun and food. 

Mid-Bay hot with striped bass action like these two 16 pound striped bass caught by Kevin Pellegrino off Poppasquash Point, Bristol.

Research to identify mercury levels in scup

The Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Foundation has awarded a $12,166 grant to Roger Williams University to drive new research that will measure mercury levels in scup, a native fish frequently fished and consumed by Rhode Island recreational fishermen. The research will assist the Rhode Island Department of Health in establishing new guidelines for safely eating scup, which account for 23 percent of the total recreational catch in Rhode Island.

Over the next year, Roger Williams University Associate Professor of Biology David Taylor and marine biology student Sean Maiorano ’ 14 (from Briarcliff Manor, N.Y.) will analyze mercury levels of scup to enable the Department of Health to update fish consumption advisories, should a change in mercury risk be identified. The effort is aimed at encouraging safe, healthy consumption of scup, a fish that Taylor anticipates will measure low in mercury levels. 

Dr. Taylor has conducted a lot of research in this area. To determine how much fish and what species area residents are consuming, Taylor surveyed eating habits of 280 local fisherman and their families and found that they eat 80 percent more fish relative to the national average.  Further, approximately 29 percent of those surveyed reported eating scup on a regular basis. Taylor has performed comprehensive research on mercury contamination in striped bass, bluefish, tautog, black sea bass, summer flounder and winter flounder from Narragansett Bay. When the analysis on mercury in scup and other species concludes, consumption advisories will be updated.

Steve Medeiros, president of the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Foundation said, “We are very pleased to offer this grant in support of Taylor’s  important research into mercury levels in our local scup. This is an important fish caught by local anglers and consumed by thousands of people.  Our Foundation believes that this research will aid everyone to determine if consumption of scup could lead to exposure to mercury. We are sure that this work will help improve the overall recreational fishing experience and we are pleased that such fine research will be conducted at a local University.”

For additional information about research and news from the University’s marine and natural sciences programs, visit http://departments.rwu.edu/mns/.

The scoop on scup

Scup (or porgy) are plentiful in local waters as the stock was officially declared rebuilt in 2009 as it increased 30-fold from 1997 to 2008 largely due to conservation measures. 

Scup are a small, mild tasting fish. Locally, they are fished for by anglers for food and not just sport.  Scup has been cited as an underutilized fish species. NOAA says on their website in taste tests participants discovered the lesser known scup has a subtle, delicious flavor and is an excellent alternative to more popular white fish.

Scup facts

·         Scup can grow as large as 18” and three pounds and can live for over twenty years 

·         Scup migrate north and inshore to spawn in the spring, then migrate south and offshore in autumn as the water cools/

·         The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council jointly develop management measures for the scup, however, individual states may set different regulations for the scup

·         In Rhode Island the scup shore and private angler minimum size is 10”, 30 fish/person/day from May 1 to August 31 and from November 1 to December 31; and 45 fish/person/day from September 1 to October 31.  However, Rhode Island has a special area provision… while fishing from shore at India Point Park, Providence; Conimicut Park, Warwick; or at Stone Bridge, Tiverton, RI anglers may poses up to 30 scup nine inches or greater in length from May 1 through  December 31. Party and charter boat regulations are slightly different.

Operation dry water

Safe boating patrols will be stepped up June 28 to June 30 in a joint operation conducted by the Department of Environmental Management’s Division of Law Enforcement and US Coast Guard Units from Castle Hill and Point Judith.  The effort is part of Operation Dry Water, a coordinated national weekend of Boating Under the Influence (BUI) detection and enforcement. It is aimed at reducing the number of alcohol-related and drug-related accidents and fatalities, and making recreational boaters aware of the dangers of alcohol and drug use on the water. 

Recreational fishing guide

The Department of Environmental Management announces the publication of the first annual Rhode Island Recreational Saltwater Fishing Guide, which is now available at bait and tackle shops, marine supply stores, town halls, chambers of commerce, and other locations throughout the state. The guide is also available online at www.eregulations.com. The guide features boat ramp locations RI saltwater fishing regulations (minimum sizes, fishing season, catch limits) features written by area experts on how and where to catch certain species and a host of other information. The guide is funded entirely through excise taxes that fishermen pay on tackle, fishing equipment and fuel through the federal Sportfish Restoration Program, and licensing fees through the RI Recreational Saltwater License Program.

Where’s the bite

Fluke (summer flounder) fishing is good in the lower Bay around both the Newport and Jamestown Bridges with anglers fishing these areas talking their limit (eight fish/angler, 18” or larger). Larry Norin launched at Wilson Park, North Kingstown this Friday at 4:30 p.m. and was done by 8:30 p.m.  He fished south of the Jamestown Bridge.  Norin said, “We were drifting north at over 2 knots.  I needed 12 ounces to hold bottom…we started to catch fish.  As we made shorter drifts we found the fish concentrated in one area so we just kept making shorts drifts over and over again… all fish kept were in the 20” to 22” range.”  John Owens reports on the RISAA blog that he limited out in just four hours fishing north of Dutch Island to just north of the Jamestown Bridge this past Friday with fluke to 24”.  He also landed two nice keeper sized black sea bass. Fluke fishing is still good off Warwick Neck said John Wunner of John’s Bait & Tackle, North Kingstown.  Wunner said, “We have guys catching their limit frequently.  So it has been a good year for fluke so far.”

Striped bass fishing is still good in the upper Bay in the Providence River.  Capt. Fred’s Charters reported “I had James Elkins charter, his father and son on leave from his Sub based in Pearl Harbor out Friday morning for stripers.”  They landed two keeper striped bass 29” and 37” using orange Hogy tubes with worms when trolling the Providence River.  John Wunner of John’s Bait & Tackle, North Kingstown said, “Fishing hasn’t been this good in ten years.  The bass have sea lice which would indicate they have just arrived in the Bay from the ocean. It seems like the middle of the Bay is getting a lot of actions now with anglers catching bass all around Prudence Island and Hope Island.”  John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait & Tackle , East Providence said the bass bite has been very good between Nayatt Point, Barrington Beach and Rumstick Point.  I weighted in a 29 pound bass this week caught off Rumstick Point.  They seem to be going for chucked Menhaden.”  Action out at Block Island has been consistently good with smaller fish, larger fish are now becoming more prevalent.

Squeteague (weak fish) continue to make their presence know with fish landings in the 23” range both at Warwick Neck and off the Southern tip of Prudence Island.

Scup fishing continues to explode with large fish being caught at Colt State Park and at the Mt. Hope, Jamestown and Newport Bridges.  “I weighed in several scup in the one pound twelve once range.” said John Wunner of John’s Bait & Tackle.