What matters most to anglers?

No Fluke

Captain Dave Monti
Posted 11/13/13

What matters most to saltwater recreational anglers was identified in a recent NOAA survey. More than 9,000 state and federally-permitted saltwater anglers from 22 coastal states in the continental …

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What matters most to anglers?

No Fluke

Posted

What matters most to saltwater recreational anglers was identified in a recent NOAA survey. More than 9,000 state and federally-permitted saltwater anglers from 22 coastal states in the continental United States and Alaska responded to the survey.

Here are some highlights: 81% of anglers plan to take the same number of trips next year; 87% enjoy fishing with friends and family and 95% believe that ensuring high quality fishing opportunities for future generations is important. Additional analysis is forthcoming and will provide more detail with regional breakdowns of the results.

DEM/fly fishing

volunteers holding

classes

DEM and fly fishing volunteers will hold classes for beginners and intermediate fly tiers on Thursdays until December 19th from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the North Kingstown Community Center. The cost is $6.00 per night. For more information and registration call RI DEM / Div. of Fish & Wildlife's Aquatic Resource Education Program at 410-539-0037 or e-mail kimberly.sullivan.dem.ri.gov.

Striped bass spawning stock not healthy

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) announced that the 2013 Atlantic striped bass benchmark assessment indicates the resource is not overfished or experiencing overfishing. However, the female spawning stock biomass (SSB) has continued to decline since 2004 and is estimated at 128 million pounds below the SSB target of 159 million pounds.

Additionally, total fishing mortality is estimated at 0.20, a value that is between the proposed new fishing mortality threshold (0.219) and fishing mortality target (0.18).

The Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board approved the benchmark stock assessment for management use. This means the ASMFC technical committee will now consider measures to reach these new SSB and fishing mortality targets which could translate into new (more restrictive) recreational and commercial striped bass regulations.

Meet the Experts

at Rhody Fly Rodders

The Rhody Fly Rodders will hold a Meet the Experts round table discussion Tuesday, November 19, 6:30 p.m. at the Riverside Sportsman's Club, East Providence. Expert members will give brief presentations on fly fishing for various species. Members Keld Olsson will talk on Atlantic salmon; Gene Matterson, Ray Stachelek and Geno Rapa will talk about striped bass; Armand Corchaine will speak about fresh water bass; Dave Pollack about kayak fishing and Bahama bonefishing; Dave Loren will talk about his Montana trout fishing trip; and Peter Nilsen will tell about trout opportunities on the Delaware River system. For information contact Peter Nilsen at pdfish@fullchannel.net .

Tautog survey trip big success

Five boats from the RI Party & Charter Boat Association (RIPCBA) took families from the Narragansett Department of Recreation fishing Monday on a Department of Environmental Management (DEM) tautog survey trip. The trip was initiated by DEM and Dan Costa, port manager at Galilee. DEM received the tautog racks needed for research, the families experienced recreational fishing on a charter boat (and went home with the fillets) and the RIPCBA gave back to the Narragansett community.

DEM seeks public

comment on

management plan

proposals

The Division of Fish and Wildlife of the Department of Environmental Management (DEM) will solicit public comment on a variety of management plan proposals on Tuesday, November 19, 6:00 p.m. at the University of Rhode Island Bay Campus, Corless Auditorium, South Ferry Road, Narragansett. Written comments concerning the regulations proposed by DEM may be submitted to the Division of Fish and Wildlife, 3 Fort Wetherill Road, Jamestown, RI 02835 no later than 12:00 PM on November 19, 2013.

Public comment will be solicited on RI Marine Fisheries amendment and regulation proposals that concern the American Eel, the removal of the October closure for Atlantic Herring, commercial quotas for summer flounder and the summer flounder exemption certificate program, the commercial quota for scup and black sea bass, coastal sharks, the RI lobster trap transferability program. Visit www.dem.ri.gov for details on the proposals.

Where's the bite

Fresh water. David Pickering carp expert and local author said, "The air temperature was in the thirties and there was ice on my car when I went out in the yard... Still, the carp were hitting… two new members (of RI Carp Anglers Group) ended up with two mirrors and a common, not bad for this time of year. They were using lots different baits... sweet corn, maize and chick peas, all fished ahead of a method ball. Put in your time, even in the cold, and you will be rewarded." John Littlefield of Archie's Bait & Tackle, East Providence said, "A customer caught an eight pound largemouth bass this week at Johnson's Pond as well as a three foot eel."

Striped bass, particularly small school size bass with some keepers mixed in, are still in Narragansett and Mt. Hope Bays and along the coastal shore from the Sakonnet River to Westerly often feeding on the surface. "Customers continue to catch striped bass near Hemenway's Restaurant and at the Hurricane Barrier from shore in Providence using clam tongue and squid." said John Littlefield of Archie's Bait. David Pickering noted shore angler and author said, "There are schoolies around in the daytime in good numbers. Keepers can be had but it's a matter of putting in your time after dark…The schoolies I landed today (Saturday) were all taken on Cocahoes. After dark I slugged it out in the cold for a couple of hours and was rewarded with two keepers in the 28-30 inch range. These fish hit a large black Hogy… I have seen and heard of very few larger keepers above 36 inches from shore this fall."

Tautog fishing remains good with a strong bite off Newport to the Sakonnet River area. Capt. Charlie Donilon of Snapper Charters, Point Judith said, "Tautog fishing is good. Anglers are limiting out but it is taking a bit longer." I fished off Scarborough Beach on the C-Devil II Monday with Capt. Kelly Smith. We landed over 60 tautog, he is a great captain. Ken Ferrara of Ray's Bait & Tackle, Warwick, said, "Fish are being caught at Coddington Cover, Hope Island and Plum Light House (North Kingstown) and other places that produce tautog this time of year." Roger Simpson of the Frances Fleet said, "Easily the best and most consistent tautog fishing in a couple years. There were full boat limits recorded on several trips this past week…(top) fish were in the nine to eleven pound range… More chilly water dropping temperatures are in store for the coming week so this should keep the tog fishing going strong for some time…" John Littlefield of Archie's Bait said, "The tautog bite is good at the day marker in the Warren River with anglers catching undersized fish to keepers at a five to one ratio. Fishing just so-so at Conimicut Light, at the white church bridge in Barrington and at the Wharf Tavern. One day a customer caught an 18" and a 22" fish at the Wharf Tavern… the next day they caught no keepers."

Cod fishing has been good. Roger Simpson of the Francis Fleet said, "Jumbo sea bass and cod in the 20 pound range were caught Saturday with an addition of a fine green bonito.

Captain Dave Monti has been fishing and shell fishing on Narragansett Bay for over 40 years. He holds a captain's master license and a charter fishing license. Contact or forward fishing news and photos to Capt. Dave at dmontifish@verizon.net or visit his website at www.noflukefishing.com.

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