No Fluke

Fishing show simply the best 

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The New England Saltwater Fishing Show is the largest and best fishing show of its type in the Northeast.  There are over 340 booths with 18 seminars of interest that will have you catching fish all season. There will be exhibitor show specials and raffles of all types that you won’t want to miss and a charter for six show door prize.  

The show is Friday, Mar. 7 to Sunday, Mar. 9, 2025, at the Rhode Island Convention Center, The show features tackle, rods, reels, lures, electronics, charter guides, boats, motors, accessories, clothes and much more.  

Scott Travers, show director and executive director of the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association said, “We are two months out and have sold about 80 percent of the booths, and since the New Year the phone has not stopped ringing with requests.”  

All the large spaces for boats against the back wall of the exhibition hall are taken. However, there is still booth space available, so give Scott Travers a call at 401-826-2121, and he will try to accommodate your request.  

“Seminars will key in on strategies and tactics to target species we as anglers love to catch, eat or release – striped bass, summer flounder, tautog, false albacore and tuna,” said Travers. “Tuna has been closer to shore than ever before so many anglers are targeting them for the first time. We will have the seminars and gear to get them started.”  

Seminar topics will include everything from offshore canyon tactics to inshore tips and tricks for black sea bass.  Speakers will cover locations from Boston Harbor to the Connecticut River and everything in between.  Accomplished charter captains, authors and local sharpies will all be pitching in to cover topics of interest.    

 Plan your show visit  

Visit www.nesaltwatershow.com for updates on exhibitors at the show. Planning your visit to the show will save time and lead to success, just like planning a fishing trip in advance.  By taking a little time to plan your show visit you can make sure you are at the show for the presentations you want to see and visit the booths that have products you want to check out and buy. My strategy is prior to the show or once I arrive and get a program in hand, I take ten minutes to plan the booths I want to visit. I do the same with the seminar schedule once it is published.    

The New England Saltwater Fishing Show is being held at the Rhode Island Convention Center Friday, Mar. 7, 1 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday, Mar. 8, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Sunday, Mar. 9, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.     

Children eleven and under are admitted free and on Sunday, Mar. 9, family day, all women are admitted free. Visit the kid's casting area on Saturday and Sunday.    

All adults who enter the show can register to win a free fishing charter trip with Capt. Connor MacLeod of Tall Tailz Charters for up to six people. You can purchase raffle tickets for three custom rods donated by Ralph Craft of Crafty One Customs, with the rods displayed at the RISAA membership booths.    

Tickets at the door are $15.   

  

My Fishing Cape Cod – fishing for giant bluefin tuna when its 24 degrees  

Carson Schemenaur has written a great winter adventure and is sharing it on the fishing blog ‘My Fishing Cape Cod.’ Carson relates how he targeted giant bluefin tuna off Stellwagen Bank last month in 24-degree weather on his 21-foot center console. The story Chasing December Giants - My Fishing Cape Cod relates how he landed a 91”, 487-pound gutted giant bluefin tuna in December.  

If you have not visited My Fishing Cape Cod - your source for Cape Cod fishing reports & more you should pay it a visit, great fishing news, reports, and stories about fishing on and around the Cape.  

  

Where’s the bite?  

Bad weather has prevented vessels from fishing, but boats will continue to fish for cod this month once things calm down. So, if you are interested in getting out a boat to fish, cod is a good option, visit party/charter boat social media sites, website or call them and ask if they are sailing. Vessels generally sail between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. and return in the afternoon. Visit www.islandcurrent.com and www.francesfleet.com. Full day rates for vessels are generally $130 to $135 per adult and around $80 for those under 12 years old.   

Freshwater fishing. With this recent cold spell, ice fishing will likely continue. AJ Coots of Red Top Sporting Goods, Buzzards Bay, said, “Last weekend we had fishable ice with anglers successfully targeting bass and pickerel. So, the hope is that cold weather this week will continue to freeze things over.”  Beech Pond in Exeter, RI and Voluntown, RI continues to have fishable ice with anglers putting their time in and catching fish there.  Check on local safe ice conditions with local police or city/town halls. For a complete list of trout stocked ponds in Massachusetts visit Mass Wildlife at Trout stocking report | Mass.gov , both Whiting and Falls Ponds in North Attleboro were stocked this fall. And, in Rhode Island visit www.dem.ri.gov/fishing, or call 401-789-0281 or 401-539-0019 for more information on trout stocking. 

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.

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Jim McGaw

A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.