Climate-change impacts on species create winners and losers in the fishing world.
One major climate-related impact we have experienced in Rhode Island and Massachusetts for the past three years is an excellent inshore tuna bite. The bait or forage tuna like to eat, i.e., mackerel, herring, Atlantic menhaden, squid and a host of others, have been in our area in great abundance due in part to warming water. So the bluefin and yellowfin tuna are here dining on these robust bait profiles along with large pods (hundreds) of porpoise and dolphin.
This week, the giant bluefin tuna bite was strong and close to shore.
“I fished the giant bluefin bite off Scarborough Beach in Rhode Island Sunday in 100 feet of water,” said expert tuna fisherman Richard Pastore. “Set up north of fleet and live-lined squid and mackerel with no luck. Boat just south of me pulls in and immediately hooks up. Twenty-four tuna were caught to the point a hold was put on buying them because there were so many.”
On Monday, Jeff Sullivan, an associate at Lucky Bait and Tackle in Warren, fished for giant bluefin off the Sakonnet River with fishing partners and friend Capt. Rob Taylor of Newport Sportfishing Charters. The foursome caught a 100-inch, 600-pound giant bluefin tuna just five miles off the Sakonnet. “We caught the giant bluefin on a live chub mackerel caught earlier,” Sullivan said.
Anglers fishing for bluefin tuna need a federal Highly Migratory Species (HMS) permit and are required to report their catches. Bluefin tuna fishing is highly regulated. Catch bag limits and regulations often change to prevent overfishing so anglers are urged to check regulations before fishing trips. For information on regulations and how to apply for an HMS permit, visit https://hmspermits.noaa.gov.
International Fly Fishing Film Festival
The Rhode Island chapter of Trout Unlimited will host a screening of the 2022 International Fly Fishing Film Festival (IF4™) on Friday, Oct. 14, beginnning at 7 p.m. at the Varnum Armory, 6 Main St., East Greenwich..
IF4™ consists of eight short and feature-length films produced by professional filmmakers from all corners of the globe, showcasing the passion, lifestyle and culture of fly-fishing.
Doors will open at 6 p.m., so you can tour the Varnum Armory, which houses the largest collection of Rhode Island military history on display in the world spanning from the Revolutionary War to the present day.
Food and a cash bar will be available. Tickets are $20 and may be purchased at https://www.flyfilmfest.com/2022schedule.
Where’s the bite?
Striped bass and bluefish. Bluefish continue to be caught in our bays, estuaries and along the coastal shore. We found bluefish on the surface in the West Passage of Narragansett Bay most of the week when transiting the area. “Top-water lures worked well out in front of Newport last week, where I caught a 53-pound striped bass,” Sullivan said. Tom Giddings of the Tackle Box in Warwick reported: “Large bass to 30 pounds are now in the Providence River all the way up to the Hurricane Barrier with large bluefish popping up everywhere. Snapper blues are in most coves and harbors.” John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait & Tackle in Riverside said: “The bass bite exploded this weekend in the Providence River. One customer caught 17striped bass, two were slot fish and two above the slot size. The bite was good at Sabin Point, Kettle Point and at Barrington Beach.” Declan O’Donnell of Breachway Bait and Tackle in Charlestown reported: “The salt pond and Breachway continuing to produce some nice-sized fish. Surfcasters have been doing well on Yo-Zuri Mag-Darters and Super Strike Bullets. Fishing live eels in the pond has been producing bass up to around 15 pounds.”
Fluke, black sea bass and scup. The summer flounder bite continues to be OK with keeper fish being caught in the lower Bay, out in front from Point Judith to Watch Hill and in the Block Island Wind Farm area. Scup fishing continues to be good, particularly in areas with structure and water movement, i.e., ledges, bridge abutments, jetties, etc. Fluke fishing was a slow pick in the lower Bay south of the bridges but angler Jake Howard of Minnesota caught a 22-inch fluke drifting down the edge at Austin Hollow in Jamestown. “Customers are catching fluke to 22 inches at Conimicut Light with a strong scup bite, too,” Giddings said. “The scup bite remains very strong along the East Providence and Barrington shoreline,” Littlefield said.
Tautog fishing is starting to come alive as anglers begin targeting them. The water is still very warm but anglers are hooking up with some nice keepers off Newport and in the lower Bay. “Those who have been targeting tautog are doing well with fish in relatively shallow water right now,” O’Donnell said.
False albacore and tuna. School and giant bluefin tuna have been close to shore. “Fished the giant bluefin bite off Scarborough,” tuna expert Richard Pastore said. “The yellow fin bite is still on at the Gully and at Tuna Ridge, which has been joined by some bluefin.” O’Donnell reported: “False albacore have been pretty thick with some really nice-sized fish being caught from shore at the wall. Tuna fishing continues to produce well for yellowfin and bluefin tuna from areas south of Block Island.”
Freshwater fishing has improved greatly now that the water is cooling a bit. “Lake Tiogue and Carbuncle Pond in Coventry are producing for customers,” Giddings said. “And in Warwick, Gorton’s Pond and Warwick Lake have been producing with 3.5- to 5-pound largemouth bass taken by customers from Warwick Lake.”
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 that focuses on clean oceans, habitat preservation, conservation, renewable energy and fisheries-related issues and clients. Forward fishing news and photos to dmontifish@verizon.net or visit noflukefishing.com.
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