No Fluke

The trout bite is on

Posted

The Department of Environmental Management (DEM) stocked numerous ponds across Rhode Island with brook, rainbow and brown trout and landlocked (Sebago) Atlantic salmon in advance of Memorial Day weekend. Visit www.dem.ri.gov/programs/fish-wildlife/freshwater-fisheries/troutwaters.php for a location map and list of stocked ponds.

Safe boating saves lives

Environmental Police Officers from the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) teamed up this week with boating safety advocates to promote safe and responsible boating and consistent life jacket wearing during National Safe Boating Week.
"The key to safe boating is the life jacket,” said Lieutenant Michael Schipritt, boating safety coordinator for DEM’s Division of Law Enforcement. “A person who suffers swimming failure or loss of consciousness will stay afloat wearing a life jacket but will drown without one. There is no time to put a life jacket on before a boating accident – it’s no different than attempting to buckle your seat belt before a car crash."

National Safe Boating Week also is the official launch of the 2021 North American safe boating campaign. This year-long effort promotes safe and responsible boating and the value of voluntary life jacket wear by recreational boaters through the national theme, Wear It! The campaign reminds boaters of the importance of boating safely, boating sober, knowing navigational rules, and having a proper lookout.

Spring Surf Fishing Club Challenge

The Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association invites your fishing club to participate in the 18th annual Spring Surf Fishing Club Challenge from Friday, June 18 at 6 p.m. to Sunday, June 20 at 7 a.m. Registration is $75 per Surf Fishing club; check should be made payable to Amos House and mailed to Ron Barnes, chairman at RISAA Surfcasters, 85 Boylston Drive. Cranston, RI 02921. Visit www.risaa.org for tournament regulations, categories and prizes.

Where’s the bite?

Striped bass/bluefish. Mike Hallowell of the Tackle Box, Warwick said, “Customers are catching some keepers but mostly school bass the reel big fish have not arrived but they are slamming with good sized bluefish.” “Keeper size bass (28” to less than 35”) are being caught off Prudence Island to Conimicut with top water and swimming lures. Others are using Atlantic menhaden (pogies),” said Manny Macedo of Lucky Bait & Tackle, Warren. John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait & Tackle, Riverside, said, “Keeper bass are being caught off Kettle Point, East Providence with bluefish in the 6 to 8 pond range being taken trolling tube and worm.” East End Eddy Doherty, Cape Cod Canal fishing expert and fishing author, said, “Last Wednesday on the last hour of the west tide between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. many nice fish were caught in the west end of the Cape Cod Canal including a 25 and 34 pound striped bass on small white shads. The stripers are in!”

Tautog. Jeff Barker, past president of the West Bay Anglers said from his boat Tuesday morning, “We started our tautog tournament this week and the fishing has been very good. We caught an eight pound tautog yesterday in low water. Today we are fishing in about 6.5 feet of water.” Angler Jeff Sullivan of Lucky Bait & Tackle, Warren said, “The tautog bite has been outstanding. Many are finding success using jigs tipped with crab in fairly low water 10 to 30 feet. I caught a 10 pound tautog out in front of Bristol Harbor last week. Most of the action has been inside the bay, the mid-Bay area.” “A customer caught a 27” tautog fishing off of India Point Park, Providence. The fish looked to be about seven or eight pounds.” said John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait & Tackle. Mike Hallowell of the Tackle Box said, “Customers are easily catching their limit of three fish and they are nice size in he 20” range.” Minimum size for tautog is 16”.
Scup fishing in the bay continues to be good. “Scup fishing in the lower bay and all the way up to Colt State Park, Bristol and Barrington has been good. The scup bite north of those spots is not good yet,” said John Littlefield of Archie’s.

Weakfish (squeteague). The squeteague bite has been surprisingly good for anglers this past week. Angler Dave Gordon said, “I was into the weakfish like nothing I've seen in a long, long time inside East Greenwich Bay. Pink and white jigs just along bottom. I caught a fish almost every drift. My best was 26" to 5 lbs.” John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait said, “A customer caught a 22” squeteague off the white church bridge in Barrington.” The Rhode Island regulation for squeteague is 18” minimum size and one fish/person/day.

Fluke (summer flounder) bite is mixed. Some anglers are catching a keeper or two with a lot of shorts mixed in. Keeper fish this week were caught at the mouth of the Sakonnet River.

Freshwater. The freshwater bite for trout should be good this week in Rhode Island as DEM is restocking trout. Visit www.dem.ri.gov/programs/fish-wildlife/freshwater-fisheries/troutwaters.php for a location map and list of stocked ponds. John Littlefield said, “Shane Bettencourt of Riverside has been fishing the Slater’s Mil Pond and dong pretty good with largemouth bass and this week he caught a 27 pound carp.” Mike Hallowell of the Tackle Box said, “Customers are experiencing a good largemouth bass a Barbers Pond, South Kingstown and Carbuncle Pond, Coventry.”

Dave Monti holds a captain’s master license and charter fishing license. He serves on a variety of boards and commissions and has a consulting business focusing on clean oceans, habitat preservation, conservation, renewable energy, and fisheries related issues and clients. Forward fishing news and photos to dmontifish@verison.net or visit www.noflukefishing.com.

Dave Monti

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Jim McGaw

A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.