“I’ve been catching striped bass to 38 inches from my kayak in South County, Rhode Island ponds since December. The fish were covered in lice, so they just came in from the ocean. It would lead you to believe that the water temperature was plenty warm for them to stay rather than migrate south. And, the bait was here for them to eat. They have been hammering silversides, peanut bunker and some larger Atlantic menhaden too,” said Todd Corayer a kayak light tackle and fly fishing expert and noted FishWrap writer and blog owner.
“We do not have enough research on some stocks like false albacore and bonito. They are impotent to recreational fishing, but they are not commercially harvested and have taken a back seat to species that are commercially harvest,” said Willi Goldsmith, Executive Director of the American Saltwater Guides Association.
Both Corayer and Goldsmith were panelists Wednesday night at the 2022 Braid Symposium which was held virtually at the RI Sea Grant Program at the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography. They were joined by Greg Vespe, Executive Director of the RI Saltwater Anglers Associaton; Mike Wade, owner of Watch Hill Outfitters in Westerly; Abbie Schuster, a charter captain and owner of Kismet Outfitters in Martha’s Vineyard; and Joe Mariani, Regional Vice President of Safe Harbor Marinas. Jon Hare, Director of NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center and Pam Rubinoff, Coastal Management and Climate Extension Specialist from the Coastal Resources Center and RI Sea Grant program rounded out the panels.
The consensus of panelists was that climate change is impacting recreational fishing and boating in a number of ways, and anglers are adapting new strategies and tactics to catch them. Fish here or there in greater abundance include black sea bass, sea robins and scup. Exotic warm-water fish and pelagic fish are here in greater abundance too. These species would include mahi mahi, bluefin tuna, Wahoo and cobia, and all are being targeted and caught in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut.
Input on climate impacts will be included in a report and a video that will highlight some of the key learnings of the series.
The second session of the virtual 2022 Baird Symposium series will be held Wednesday, April 13 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. This webinar, “Climate Change Opportunities for Anglers and Boaters,” will engage Northeast recreational anglers and boaters and climate experts in discussions about how climate change is affecting these traditional uses.
Strategies and actions that individuals, governments, and industry are taking to respond to these changes will also be discussed as well as some of the tactics that anglers are using to catch new or newly abundant species.
Event participants include University of Rhode Island (URI) Graduate School of Oceanography, Coastal Resources Center, Rhode Island Sea Grant, Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association, NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center, Ørsted, American Saltwater Guides Association, Ocean Conservancy, Rhode Island Marine Trades Association, and Safe Harbor Marinas.
To register for the April 13 event, visit Effects of Climate Change on Recreational Fishing and Boating — Session II Tickets, Wed., Apr. 13, 2022 at 6:30 PM | Eventbrite.
Creating rigs and jigs seminar Monday
Who hasn’t been out fishing and thought, “If my jig just had a bit more flash, a slightly different color or a longer skirt, it would be perfect.” If you want to make or enhance old jigs to catch fish, you should attend the “Creating Rigs and Jigs” online RI Saltwater Anglers Association seminar Monday, March 28, at 7 p.m.
Now is your chance to see how long-time “Do-it-yourselfers” Captain Rich Hittinger and Bob Murray both tie rigs and make jigs. Rich and Bob have put together a seminar that includes rig-tying and also takes you through the process, selecting paint color, tying skirts, and pouring the lead to create and tweak jigs to your own specifications and fishing style.
RISAA members attend free. Non-members are welcome with a $10 donation to the RISAA Scholarship Fund. Membership is $50/person/year. For information, contact Greg Vespe, Executive Director, at 401-826-2121 or vespe@risaa.org.
Where’s the bite?
“Freshwater fishing for largemouth bass is picking up. With a couple of warm days last week, anglers were hooking up with largemouth with shiners. And, Monday morning with the nice weather, we had anglers giving it a try too,” said John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait & Tackle in Riverside, RI. “The supply chain for gear and tackle does seem to be a bit better this year. We just ordered combination rod and reel rigs, PoweBait in multiple colors, and hooks for opening day and everything came in.” Opening Day of trout season is the second Saturday of April; this year that’s April 9.
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 and clients. Forward fishing news and photos to dmontifish@verison.net or visit www.noflukefishing.com.
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