Striped bass has been overfished and is under a stock rebuilding plan that is not working. So, to rebuild the stock by 2029, both recreational and commercial measures must be taken.

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) that regulates striped bass in State waters is seeking public comment on Draft Addendum III to Amendment 7 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Striped Bass, which considers management measures to support rebuilding the stock by 2029. A 12 percent reduction in harvest is needed for 2026 to meet rebuilding timeline.

The Draft Addendum also addresses commercial tagging programs, a coastwide definition of total length for size limit regulations, and changes to the Maryland recreational season baseline. 

The Atlantic coastal states from Maine through Virginia have scheduled public hearings on Draft Addendum III throughout the month of September. The full schedule is available on the ASMFC website at Atlantic Striped Bass Action Tracker. 

The Rhode Island meeting hosted by RI DEM will be both in-person and online Tuesday, September 16 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the University of Rhode Island Bay Campus, Coress Auditorium, 215 South Ferry Road, Narragansett. 

Register for the webinar online at Meeting Registration - Zoom or https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/jnV1cCLmSni8XPagRnBFLQ#/registration. For information and questions contact Jason McNamee at jason.mcnamee@dem.ri.gov or 401-222-4700.

The Draft Addendum proposes a commercial quota reduction. For the recreational fishery, the Draft Addendum considers season closures and/or size limit changes. 

Newport Boat Show this week

The Newport International Boat Show, the best and largest show of its kind in the Northeast, is being held this week September 11 -14 spanning seventeen acres in downtown Newport, Rhode Island.

Walk the docks to see power and sail boats and hundreds of marine products, services and accessories with many educational seminars and boating courses. 

Each ticket is valid for one day only, rain or shine. Children under ten are free when accompanied by an adult. Tickets on Thursday, preview day, are $42 each per adult, and Friday through Sunday adult general admission tickets are $32.

Show hours September 11, 12 and 13 are 10 a.m. to 6p.m.; and Sunday, September 14, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

For special events, tickets, parking and list of exhibitors visit  https://www.newportboatshow.com/en/home.html 

RI Shellfish Advisory Panel

Please be advised that the next two meetings of the RI Marine Fisheries Council Shellfish Advisory Panel will be held Wednesday, October 1, 2025, and Wednesday, October 15, 2025, 4:30 p.m. Both meetings take place at the URI Bay Campus, Coastal Institute Building, Large Conference Room, 210 South Ferry Road, Narragansett.

The meetings will be in-person for the Panel and in-person or online for the public. Agendas for both meetings are being developed, and they will be posted along with directions on how to join online. Stay tuned.

To subscribe or manage your current subscription to DEM’s listserv, an email mailing list, go to https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/0p8YJQy.

These meetings will be in-person for Panel members and those wishing to attend in-person, and virtual (zoom). Agendas are being developed and will be posted in advance of the meetings. Please stay tuned for additional notices via DEM’s listserv email list.

Where’s the bite?

Striped bass, bluefish, bonito, and false albacore. Bruce Miller of Canal Bait & Tackle, Sagamore, said, “A few fish have been caught on the Cape Cod Canal at the Skating Rink. Anglers are using soft plastic lures and silver lures with success.” 

Tom Giddings of the Tackle Box, Warwick, said, “Customers are catching striped bass here and there all over the Bay and in our rivers. Trolling umbrella rigs and using chucked up Atlantic menhaden are working well for customers. 

Declan O’Donnell of Breachway Bait & Tackle, Charlestown, said, “Stripers, bluefish, bonito, and false albacore have been observed crashing bait along the south shore, in the inlets, and around Block Island. The striped bass bite has been excellent in the salt ponds with fish present everywhere. Snapper bluefish have been actively blitzing peanut bunker in the pond, while cocktail bluefish are being caught offshore. Gator bluefish are found around Block Island, with occasional catches from the rocks.”  

Ryan Collins of My Fishing Cape Cod fly fished at night last week for striped bass. Collins said, “After a few more bites that I missed, I received a really powerful hit around 11:45 p.m. This bass absolutely crushed the fly, thrashed violently on the surface, and put up an amazing fight. 

Tautog. O’Donnell said, “The tautog bite has been very good; the water has cleared up in the shallows, which seems to be improving the bite.”  

Paul Boutiette, who fished Sunday in the rain for tautog along the southern coastal shore of Rhode Island, said, “My second rockpile in 22 ft. water saw plenty of action on the screen. Dropped the hook to hold position and it was lock and load for an hour and a half. Lots of short tog, a few scup and one dogfish. The fish were biting and I boarded two decent togs in the cooler and a big fat trigger fish.”  

Giddings of the Tackle Box, said, “Tautog keepers and sea bass are being caught at Hope Island with customers catching keeper tautog at Rocky Point Pier in Warwick.”  

Summer flounder (Fluke) are still being caught by anglers, said Giddings. “We had a 22” fluke caught at Warwick Light last week with a good bite reported at the Jamestown Bridge too.”  

O’Donnell, said, “Bait has moved closer to the beaches over the past couple of days due to the south wind, which may draw some fluke back into approximately 30 feet of water.”

“Freshwater fishing continues to be good with a customer catching a 22” rainbow trout at Carolina Trout Pond in South Kingstown. My customer related that the pond had been recently restocked,” said Giddings of the Tackle Box Bait & Tackle. “Local ponds in the area producing largemouth bass for anglers include Gorton, Sand and Little Ponds in Warwick.”

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. Forward fishing news and photos to dmontifish@verizon.net, visit www.noflukefishing.blogspot.com or www.noflukefishing.com .