Warm water impacting fish, bass bite outstanding

Last week we had a fish kill in the upper portions of the East Passage of Narragansett Bay and Providence Rivers. Barrington Beach, Bullocks Cove/Allen’s Cove and areas of Warwick experienced fish kills. 
 
John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait & Tackle, Riverside said, “We had dead fish, primarily peanut bunker (immature Atlantic menhaden), and a lot of blue shelled crabs all the way up to Sabin’s Point and Haines Park.  Fishing just about shut down for the weekend as anglers feared what might be killing the fish.”
 
Mike Healey of the Department of Environmental Management said the Division of Marine Fisheries was investing the cause but more than likely the cause is warm water and low levels of dissolved oxygen. This time of year coves and sanctuaries in the mid and upper reaches of the bay, particularly those coves and areas that do not flush regularly, are prone to low levels of dissolved oxygen and fish kills.
 
Yellowfin and bluefin tuna bite good
 
Warm water offshore has created an abundance of bait and bait movement along our coastal shore. And, offshore the yellow fin and bluefin tuna bite has been outstanding. Water at Block Island this week was 73.4 degrees F, the average August temperature is 70.9 degrees F, and offshore fishermen report surface water temperatures at 78 degrees F.
 
The yellowfin and bluefin tuna seem to like these warm water conditions and the bait and prey it brings. Matt Conti of Snug Harbor Marina said, “Offshore fishing has been great as customers are catching yellowfin tuna in the Shipping Lanes trolling and jigging. Bluefin tuna are close too at the Mud Hole and at Tuna Ridge. And, we weighed in a 364 pound thresher shark this weekend.”
 
Black sea bass and summer flounder
 
Black sea bass and summer flounder are warm water fish. Time lapsed computer imagery shows as coastal water temperatures rise, the bio bass of black sea bass and summer flounder have moved up the east coast.
 
This summer and for the past few years the black sea bass bite has been outstanding. Anglers have been limiting out on fish above the 15” minimum size, in Rhode Island the limit is three fish/person/day, in Massachusetts the limit is five fish/person/day.
 
This week angler Mark Jacobs said, “Generally we’ve been catching two keeper fluke (minimum size 19” in RI) a trip but limiting on sea bass.  Earlier this week we were off Matunuck in fog and a steady 10 mph SW breeze, making for a really nice drift and caught seven keeper fluke.  I used the old standby squid-sparring sandwich with green feathers teaser. The fish were tight to 62-65 feet of water and we short drifted. Only fluke caught in this area. Sea bass limits have been caught from Hooter to off the center wall of the Harbor of Refuge.”
 
You might say cold water fish such as Atlantic lobster and winter flounder are climate change losers and in low abundance, and warm water fish like black sea bass and scup are winners and more abundant in our area.
 
Commission initiates striped bass amendment

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (ASMFC) Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board initiated the development of an Amendment to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP).
 
As the first step in the development of a new FMP or amendment, the Public Information Document (PID) will focus on fishery goals and objectives; stock rebuilding/timeframe; management triggers; biological reference points; and conservation equivalency to name some of the key management issues.
 
The purpose of the PID is to solicit stakeholder input on prioritizing the importance of each topic for continued development and inclusion in the Draft Amendment. 
 
The Board will review the first draft of the PID at the Commission’s Annual Meeting in October. At that meeting, the Board will determine if the PID is ready to be sent out for public comment or if further modifications to the document are needed.
 
Expert angler Vespe talks night fishing

If you ever wanted to night fish, but you just weren’t sure about how to be safe, what to target, where and when to fish, this RI Saltwater Anglers Association seminar is for you. Expert angler Greg Vespe former president of the Aquidneck Island Striper Team and RISAA board member will be the guest speaker at a Zoom webinar Monday, Aug. 27, at 7 p.m.

But you need to be a RISAA member to participant. Twelve such meetings on various topics are held throughout the year, and now with Zoom seminar capability, additional one of a kind seminars will be offered too. RISAA membership is $55/year. Visit www.risaa.org for information.

Where’s the bite

Striped bass fishing at Block Island and off Newport is outstanding.  Ken Ferrara of Ray’s Bait & Tackle, Warwick, said, “Customers are catching 40 pound bass right off Brenton Reef Newport.  Three customers fishing there this weekend caught eight nice bass.  All were released. Just about any method is working… trolling umbrella rigs, tube & work and using live eels.”  Angler Mark Tracy said, “I fished with my children Kate and Jonah with Block Island Fish Works on their charter boat the Harley last week and we caught and released a number of fish casting a Slug-Go lure at the North Rip. The bite there was very good.” The southwest ledge off Block Island continues to yield big fish too. This week a massive school of striped bass in the 24 to 26” range surfaced in a feeding off Black Point and Sticky Beach, Narragansett. East End Eddy Doherty of Mattapoisett said, “Canal fishing has been very good. At sunrise on Sunday I landed a 21 pound striper that attached my Hurley Canal Killer lure. There were no breaks at all when the fish hit off the bottom as the dropping west tide was bringing a school in from Cape Cod Bay. Even though my drag was set tight, the energetic linesider fought above his weight and took three good runs before being landed.”
 
Summer flounder (fluke) and black sea bass bite continues to improve. Anglers off Newport and Matunuck are limiting out with keeper fluke with some very large fist to 13 pounds taken last week at the Block Island Wind Farm.  However, some anglers are finding fishing for fluke a very slow pick. Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle said, “Fluke fishing continues to be work. Those successfully targeting fluke are putting their time in, it’s a lot of work but those working at it are catching fish.” “Anglers are catching black sea bass, scup and some keeper fluke off Warwick Neck,” said Ken Ferrara of Ray’s Bait. The black sea bass bite continues to be good off Pt. Judith and outstanding off the Sakonnet River.

Freshwater fishing continues to be good in area ponds particularly at night as the water is quite warm during the day. Dave Henault of Ocean State tackle said, “Ponds producing for customers particularly at night with shiners for largemouth include Olney Pond, Lincoln Woods; Stump Pond, Smithfield; Barney Pond, Lincoln; and Tuner Reservoir, Rumford.” 

Dave Monti holds a captain’s master license and a charter fishing license. He is a RISAA board member, a member of the RI Party & Charter Boat Association, the American Saltwater Guides Association and the RI Marine Fisheries Council. Forward fishing news and photos to Capt. Dave at dmontifish@verizon.net or visit www.noflukefishing.com and his blog at www.noflukefishing.blogspot.com.