No Fluke

Charter association thanks vets; bluefin fishing exploding

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Last Tuesday, July 26 twelve charter fishing vessels from the Rhode Island Party & Charter Boat Association took veterans fishing aboard their vessels out of the Port of Galilee. It was the third year in a row that veterans, many of them with disabilities, family members, friends and care givers (about fifty of them) where out on the water with charter fishing association members in Rhode Island.

Everyone on the trip caught fish. Capt. Rick Bellavance, president of the RIPCBA, said, “The 3rd annual event was a tremendous success with huge smiles and laughs all morning. The veterans caught black sea bass, scup, fluke, striped bass and sea robins. We thank them all from the bottom of our hearts for their service and tremendous sacrifices.”

The Providence and Boston Veterans Administration is helping wounded veterans and veterans with disabilities learn how far they can go enjoying outdoor activities. Outdoor activities they might think they can no longer do like kayaking, flying kites and fishing.

Jenny McLaughlin, adaptive sports case manager from the VA Boston Healthcare System said, “I continue to be humbled by the number of captains that continue to come out each year and volunteer/donate their time and boats for our Veterans to fish. This year was absolutely amazing. All of the Veterans enjoyed their time… the captains and their mates did great accommodating each Veteran and their ability.”

Tautog season opens

The recreational tautog season opened August 1 and will run through October 14 with a three fish/person/day catch limit. In the next period of the season, from October 15 to December 15 the catch limit will jump to six fish/person/day. A maximum of ten fish per vessel applies during all periods.

Where’s the bite

Freshwater fishing has slowed with warming water. Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle, Providence said, “Largemouth bass are still being caught at Turner Reservoir in Rumford and at Ten Mile River. Pickerel perch, bass, trout and carp (on the north side) are being caught a Lincoln Woods.”

Summer flounder and black sea bass. Matt Conti of Snug Harbor Marina, South Kingstown, said, “The windmill area at Block Island was pretty good Sunday for fluke and there are plenty of black sea bass being caught too.” Ken Ferrara of Ray’s Bait & Tackle, Warwick said, “It seems that the fluke and black sea bass action has moved south of the Jamestown and Newport Bridges and out in front.” This weekend I fished with Kevin Fetzer and Steve Brustein at the Block Island windmills and did well with black sea bass and fluke to 24 inches. “The fluke bite is now off Block Island or along the coastal shore with few fish being caught in the Bay,” said Henault.

“Bluefish in the Bay at Ohio Ledge and Barrington Beach have been big in the 12 and 13 pound range,” said Ferrara. Henault said, “Hugh blue fish in the 40” range are being caught in the Seekonk River and other parts of the Bay.”

“The Scup bite has been very strong at Warwick Light, Sabin Point, Colt State Park, the Mt. Hope Bridge and the fish have been big… some topping 20 inches,” said Henault. Anglers continue to catch scup around any structure in the bay. Add water movement that pushes around the bait and the bite improves tremendously.

“Striped bass fishing remained strong at night at Block Island and is better during the day than it was with anglers successfully using eels as bait,” said Conti. “Anglers are catching striped bass off Newport in the Brenton Reef area,” said Ferrara. Neil Hayes of Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle, North Kingstown said, “Customers are catching striped bass off Newport and Jamestown using both eels and Atlantic menhaden. Block Island has been good for bass too.”

Bonito are here. No reports of big numbers being caught yet but anglers at Block Island and along the coastal shore have hooked up. Angler Eric Appolonia reported catching a bonito when trolling with an umbrella rig at the southwest ledge area of Block Island two weeks ago. Henault reported a customer caught one in the Pt. Judith area this weekend.

Offshore. Bluefin tuna fishing exploded this week. “I spoke with my brother Doug Thursday at 9 a.m. and they had boated their fist bluefin,” said Mike Wade of Watch Hill Outfitters, Westerly. Conti said, “All the bait and food is at the Dump not further out at the Canyons. Whales were at the southwest and southeast sections of the dump with some large fish being caught and they are catching 40” to 60” bluefin tuna with yellowfin tuna mixed in at the northern side of the Dump. Most guys have switched to tuna fishing from shark fishing but there are still plenty of sharks around.”

Alex Appolonia of North Kingstown caught an 80 pound bluefin at the Dump Thursday. He was fishing with his father Eric on his uncle David Appolonia’s boat. “We started fishing at the Fingers which is just above the center of the Dump at about 7:30 a.m. on Saturday with whales, birds, dolphin and a one degree temperature break. Schools of medium size bluefin tuna were breaking on the surface… at 8 a.m. a fish hit and almost spooled me until I finally turned it. A few minutes later we gaffed a 51” BFT which weighed about 100 pounds. An hour later the black bar hooks up again with another identical fish. Their bellies were jammed with sand eels to the point where I don’t know how they expected to swallow the 14” squid that they hit on my spreader bar.” Capt. Rick Bellavance said, “The charter boat Maridee II got into some 40 inch Bluefin tuna on Sunday within 50 miles from Point Judith.

Captain Dave Monti has been fishing and shellfishing for over 40 years. He 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 and a member of the RI Marine Fisheries Council. Contact or forward fishing news and photos to Capt. Dave at dmontifish@verizon.net or visit his website at noflukefishing.com.

Dave Monti, No Fluke

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