Lighten up to catch bonito and false albacore

It was great to hear Thursday that bonito had arrived.  Jeff Sullivan of Lucky Bait & Tackle, Warren, said, “We now have bonito being caught off Newport, and I understand they are pretty good size, too.” Bonito and soon to follow false albacore will be running along our coastal shore from Cape Cod to the Sakonnet River, Newport, Narragansett and Westerly, Rhode Island.

The name of the game is to lighten up to catch bonito and false albacore.

Bonito and false albacore are sensitive to line and tackle in the water. These fish have large eyes like most species in the tuna family and can see very well. They rely on their sight to feed, so in regard to line, leader thickness, and hardware in the water, if the fish see it they are not likely going to bite.

Many targeting bonito and false albacore use 10- to 20-pound braid, with 10- to 20-pound fluorocarbon leaders with direct tie offs and no swivels.

Set your drag properly, not too tight and not too loose to avoid breakoffs.

Many times false albacore and bonito are mixed in with striped bass and bluefish. They can be caught from boat and shore with lures and even on the troll. They generally can range in the two-foot range, weigh four to five pounds, but have been caught as large as 12 to 15 pounds.

Atlantic bonito are part of the same mackerel family (Scombridae) as tuna. Their meat has a darkish color and a firm texture, with a moderate fat content. The meat of young or small bonito can be of lighter color, close to that of skipjack tuna. They are often grilled or baked. However, false albacore are usually not eaten.

Light tackle top water fishing seminar

There is nothing like a large striped bass crashing your surface lure and the fight that follows when using light tackle. If you want to get in on the action and learn about light tackle techniques to target striped bass, bluefish, false albacore and bonito, you are in luck. Capt. Eric Thomas of Teezer Charters will talk about topwater light tackle fishing Monday, July 29, at 7 p.m. at the West Warwick Elks Lodge, 60 Clyde St., West Warwick, during a Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association (RISAA) seminar.

Captain Thomas has been a charter captain for 25 years, and is on the pro staff for Shimano, Yo-Zuri, PowerPro, Hummingbird, and Minn Kota. In addition to being a light tackle specialist, he is an expert fly fisher and tyer.

RISAA members free, non-members are asked to make a $10 donation to the RISAA scholarship fund. Food served from the Elks Lodge kitchen starting at 5:30 p.m. For information, contact Scott Travers, RISAA Executive Director, at 401-826-2121.

Where is the bite?

Striped bass, bluefish, bonito: Declan O’Donnell of Breachway Bait & Tackle, Charlestown, said, “The water is heating up in the back of South County ponds. Bait can be seen spread out and is continuing to grow, hiding in eel grass up on top of the sand flats, getting pushed into deeper water with the ebb and flow. The Pond is still producing more on the incoming, and the Charlestown Breachway has fished very well this week. Most good-size fish are being caught at night on a variety of plugs and live eels.”

Mike Wade of Watch Hill Outfitters, Westerly, said, “Bass fishing has been exceptionally good this year.  Customers that normally do not catch fish were listening to our advice, going out and catching nice sized keepers. Things have slowed, but the shore bite at the Breachway and places like Napatree Point is still good.”

“We went from every method working to catch striped bass (trolling tub & worm, umbrella rigs, surface and swimming lures, eels and bunker) to a dead stop all around Block Island. School-sized bass and slot fish are being caught early morning around Pt. Judith Light,” said Matt Conti of Snug Harbor Marina, South Kingstown.

Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle, Providence said, “The striped bass bite in the Bay is off, with some fish being caught at night off Newport.”

Jeff Sullivan of Lucky Bait & Tackle, Warren, said, “We finally found some bluefish off Newport and the Sakonnet.”

Fluke (summer flounder), black sea bass and scup

I fished in the West Passage of Narragansett Bay last week, south of the Jamestown Bridge, and caught one fish over 19”, six short fluke and some exceptionally large scup off the northern tip of Dutch Island.

Declan O’Donnell of Breachway Bait & Tackle, said, “Fluke fishing has slowed down this past week, with still some of the better reports coming from local grounds. A lot of shorts being caught. Seabass bite continues to be good, with a healthy number of jumbos around the coastal shore.”

Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle, said, “One customer caught two nice keeper fluke fishing off the URI Bay Campus dock.”

“Fluke fishing has been off, mixed at best, with some anglers catching fish some days, with squeteague caught at the North Rip, Block Island,” said Matt Conti of Snug Harbor “We have been suggesting that customers focus on black sea bass fishing wrecks off Westerly and Charlestown. And they have been successful catching some nice fish for the dinner table,” said Mike Wade of Watchill Outfitters.

Bluefin and yellow fin tuna

Matt Conti of Snug Harbor, said, “The bluefin bite has been good at the Gully and at Tuna Ridge in the early morning. Anglers are hooking up with jigs as well as trolling.”

“Anglers are catching Big Eye, yellow fin and giant bluefin tuna, but are having to travel far off shore to catch them,” said Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle.

Angler Greg Spier reports on the R.I. Saltwater Anglers Association blog: “Fished the Gully on Friday and caught two bluefin tuna fast jigging and one caught on a RonZ soft plastic lure. Big one — 48”! First BFT on spinning rod. All done by 10 a.m.”

“Freshwater fishing has been pretty good, if you fish before sunrise or at night as the water is warm. Earlier this week fishing at night I caught a 6.5-pound largemouth,” said Jeff Sullivan of Lucky Bait.

Dave Monti holds a master captain’s 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 and clients. Forward fishing news and photos to dmontifish@verison.net or visit www.noflukefishing.com