No Fluke

Study highlights need for angler access, fishing quality and convenience

By Captain Dave Monti
Posted 11/18/15

Young anglers, female anglers and fishermen in urban areas are most likely to go years without fishing regardless of where in the country they live, a follow-up report commissioned by the American …

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No Fluke

Study highlights need for angler access, fishing quality and convenience

Posted

Young anglers, female anglers and fishermen in urban areas are most likely to go years without fishing regardless of where in the country they live, a follow-up report commissioned by the American Sportfishing Association (ASA) has revealed.

The report, developed from a study on angler churn rates performed by Southwick Associates of Fernandina Beach, FL, does however highlight some regional differences in today's anglers.

Fishing participation is growing in roughly one-third of all states. Between 2004 and 2013, 17 states saw angler numbers climb, while the rest experienced declines or remained steady. Anglers in the Northeast and Midwest are more likely to remain active, with more than 20 percent of anglers buying a license 5 out of 5 years.

"We know the primary reasons why people fish is to have fun with friends and family in an outdoor setting. Younger anglers, women and urbanites are more likely to find other ways to achieve these benefits besides fishing. If fishing participation is to grow, we need to ensure fishing provides these benefits conveniently and competitively." said Rob Southwick, president of Southwick Associates.

"I think the most important thing we've discovered is that our challenge may not be as much about getting people to take up fishing as it is keeping people fishing from year-to-year," said Mike Nussman, president and CEO of the American Sportfishing Association.

For study details visit http://asafishing.org/facts-figures/angler-participation/u.s.-angler-population-their-lifestyles-and-license-buying-habits.

The Hinckley Company hires new sales VP

The Hinckley Company or Portsmouth, RI has hired industry veteran Nick Bischoff to lead sales of its Hinckley sailboats, powerboats and Hunt Yachts. Bischoff brings twenty years of experience to the role having held similar positions at Sunseeker, Tiara and Allied Richard Bertram. In announcing the appointment, Hinckley President and CEO Jim McManus wrote "Nick will be responsible for the leadership of the Hinckley and Hunt sales organizations and expanding distribution opportunities."

DEM workshop

and public hearing

on commercial fishing regulations

This Monday DEM's Marine Fisheries Division held a commercial fishery workshop at 4:30 p.m. and a public hearing at 6:00 p.m. at the URI Bay Campus Coastal Institute Building in Narragansett. Stock status and regulation options on commercial summer flounder, bluefish, scup and black sea bass were reviewed. Here are some meeting highlights.

Summer flounder (fluke) is not overfished, however, overfishing is occurring. In 2015 there were no commercial fishery closures. The Rhode Island commercial quota for 2015 was 1,719,629 and in 2016 the commercial quota is 1,274,091 a decrease of 445,538 pounds which is a 30% decrease. Regulation options at the public hearing were presented to meet this decrease. At the meeting a new option was proposed by Town Dock of Narragansett which aims to leave the season open all year and if a closure has to occur, consider closing on Fridays only, allowing fish to be caught Saturday so they are available for the busiest market day on Sunday. Other options included a status quo option and one that reduced season starting possession limits to meet the 30% decrease in quota.

A bluefish stock estimate was done in 2015. Bluefish are not overfished and overfishing is not occurring relative to the biological reference points, however, the estimated biomass is below the biomass target. A 10% reduction in quota has been established for 2016 which is a decrease of 35,682 pounds. Recommendations include a status quo option which features two sub-periods splitting the year in half with 50% allocated in each six month period as well as a second option with an aggregate possession limit of 3,500 pounds/vessel/week. A third option was presented at the public workshop and hearing that included an 18" minimum size and split the year into three periods with 500 pounds/vessel/week shoulder periods from 1/1 to 4/30 and from 11/16 to 12/31 and with a 4,000 pounds/vessel/week primary season running from 5/1 to 11/15.

A scup benchmark study was done in 2015. The scup stock is not overfished and overfishing in not occurring relative to biological reference points. The scup spawning stock biomass (SSB) is above the SSB reference point and above the SSB threshold and to date no commercial fishing closures have occurred. However, a 4% reduction in quota is recommended for 2016 which is a 167,909 pound decrease. The DEM Marine Fisheries Division recommends a status quota regulation for 2016 with three sub-periods and a 9" commercial minimum size just as we had last year. No new proposals were brought fourth at the workshop. However, some fishermen asked that the Department consider economics when establishing quotas i.e. when quota levels increase dramatically market prices are driven down. Some fishermen said when this happens you have to catch three times the fish to make the same amount of money.

A black sea bass stock assessment is underway; however it will not be completed until the end of 2016 for potential use in 2017 the earliest. Due to a new procedure (from the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's Scientific and Statistical Committee) developed in 2015 to set quota for data poor stocks, our quota for 2016 has increased slightly. 2016 commercial quotas have increased by 20%, a 59,317 pound increase. This is good news as the fishery experienced multiple closures in 2015. DEM proposed two regulation options a status quo option based on a daily possession limit and weekly aggregate model with a variety of subperiods. A third option proposed by Town Dock of Narragansett aimed to avoid season closures by putting a 25 pound/vessel/day limit into play, with the caveat that if closure has to occur the fishery would close just one day a week, Friday, so that fish could be caught Saturday and be available on Sunday the busiest market day. This strategy was similar to the one proposed by Town Dock to manage summer flounder.

Stock status, meeting presentations, options proposed and full annotated regulations can be found at www.dem.ri.gov, the public comment period is still going on and will end at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 26.

Where's the bite

Tautog fishing continues to be robust with many anglers able to reach their limit all along the coastal shore. Rock piles and structured bottom off Narragansett, Scarborough Beach, Pt. Judith and all along the southern coastal shore have been good with rock piles from Newport to the Sakonnet River bearing fruit too. Mike Wade of Watch Hill Outfitters, Westerly said, "The tautog season has been great with customers catching fish in the 10 to 15 pound range fairly regularly. We haven't even started to fish the deeper water and outer reefs yet." Mike Kwok of Palisades Park, NJ landed a 14.8 pound tautog while fishing the Frances Fleet. Capt. Frank Blount said, "Fishing remained strong with many angler limits recorded and many others who came close." John Littlefield of Archie's Bait & Tackle, Riverside said, "Anglers were doing well from shore at the Wharf Tavern, the Warren Bridge and Colt State Park, however this weekend the bite was off." Capt. Charlie Donilon of Snappa Charters fished this weekend with good results, "Due to the strong winds we experienced Saturday, we fished one mile east of Narragansett town beach. Results couldn't have been better. Both groups just missed filling the quota of six fish/per angler by only a few fish. Largest fish were between six and seven pounds. Earlier in the week we fished three miles south of Newport with very good results. The largest fish caught in the deeper water was around ten pounds." Ken Ferrara of Ray's Bait & Tackle Warwick said, "Tautog fishing is still very strong." Early last week Capt. Rene Letourneau of On the Rocks Charters said, "Still plenty of tautog in the Bay. Fishing this week with great weather, the tog bite has been consistent along Jamestown. We had a solid bite in Newport also."

Cod fishing has been good. Capt. Frank Blount said, "A few bigger cod found their way aboard the Gail Frances on Sunday with a half dozen fish in the teens with two of them close to 20 pounds A decent amount of customers had two to four cod apiece to take home. Still all in all signs are encouraging and cod fish are being found on just about every rock pile sampled." Ken Ferrara of Ray's Bait & Tackle said, "I had four customers catch cod from 22" to 31", some in the Bay while tautog fishing at General Rock, North Kingstown and two off Newport."

Striped bass. "Customers fishing from shore at Fire District Beach have caught fish to 37" mixed in with school bass" said Mike Wade of Watch Hill Outfitters.

"Squid fishing is still very good off Newport and off Jamestown with Ft. Wetherill experience a particularly good bite." said Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle, Providence.

"Fresh water fishing has been good with a strong largemouth bass bite particularly at Lincoln Woods and Stump Pond." said Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle

Captain Dave Monti has been fishing and shell fishing for over 40 years. He holds a captain's master license and a charter fishing license. Visit Captain Dave's No Fluke website at www.noflukefishing.

com or e-mail him with your fishing news and photos at dmontifish@verizon.net.

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