The Salt Water Sportsman National Seminar Series will be held in Providence, Rhode Island on Saturday, February 2, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Roberts Hall Auditorium, Rhode Island College. George Poveromo, host of George Poveromo's World of Saltwater Fishing on the NBC Sports Network, and editor-at-large for Salt Water Sportsman, will headline the program, along with Tom Richardson, noted New England angler and a prominent fishing writer and editor.

Joining Poveromo and Richardson in Providence will be Dr. Mitchell Roffer, a leading authority on locating surface temperature breaks and ocean-circulation features that hold fish; Harry Vernon III, nationally recognized authority on offshore trolling and day-dropping for swordfish; Captain Corey Pietraszek, Buzzards Bay and Elizabeth Islands light-tackle striped bass, fluke and blackfish pro, with his Plug N Play Charters; Captain Zach Harvey, renowned authority on fishing the coastal and offshore waters, and fishing writer; Captain Brian Patterson - renowned Rhode Island and Cape Cod light-tackle striped bass, bluefish and bluefin tuna pro who operates Patterson Guide Service; Captain Dave Monti, veteran New England pro, charter captain and fishing columnist with 40 years of experience fishing Narragansett Bay; Captain Andy Dangelo, distinguished authority on catching tuna, and sharks, as well as trophy fluke, blackfish and cod with his charter boat, Maridee II; and Captain Alex Friedman, premier authority on big game fishing in New England waters, and also a noted trophy fluke and striped bass specialist with his Martha's Vineyard-based charter boat, Dazed and Confused.

Topics covered will include: striped bass fishing tactics… live-baiting for trophy bass, spinner-and-worm fishing, top water lures, diamond and flutter-jigging for striped bass and bluefish, chunking, inshore wire-line techniques, and secrets of fishing the rips. Bluefish tactics will include, how to keep track of and locate the largest bluefish in the Sound, surface lures and other artificials. Trophy fluke tactics include how to chum up big fluke and tactics on bottom-fishing for inshore table fare (flounder, black sea bass, blackfish). Blackfish or tautog jigging tactics and bucktailing for trophy black sea bass as well as tricks that take more offshore cod and Pollock. Tuna and shark tactics will also covered in the seminar.

New this year will be a special Kid's Seminar from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m., presented by Sperry Top-Sider. The kids will participate in a meet-and-greet with George Poveromo, have chances to win special door prizes, enjoy a free lunch courtesy of Sperry Top-Sider, and have their names entered into a Grand Prize drawing to win a Florida fishing trip with George Poveromo. One child, 15 years and younger, per paying adult, will be admitted for the full day at no charge.

Seminar Series tickets are $55.00 each. The ticket price covers six hours of instruction from the best pros in the business, and a gift bag that includes a course textbook, a one-year subscription or extension to Salt Water Sportsman and a host of other items. Participants receive chances to win thousands of dollars worth of door prizes. The Grand Prize is a Bahamas fishing trip for two to the prestigious Bimini Sands Resort & Marina. The Super Grand Prize, to be awarded two weeks after the conclusion of the 2013 series, is a new Mako Pro Skiff 17' center console.

Register by calling (800) 448-7360, or visit www.nationalseminarseries.com.

Roger Williams to hold shellfish farming course

The Roger Williams University Center for Economic and Environmental Development will is enrolling students to its non-credit course in Practical Shellfish Farming for the winter 2013 semester. The course provides the technical information needed to undertake a small shellfish farming enterprise in Rhode Island or nearby southern New England. All aspects of shellfish farming will be covered over the fourteen-week course. Students will learn the basic principles of hatchery, nursery and grow-out operations; as well as risk management, siting and permitting, and business management.

Associate Professor and Aquaculture Extension Specialist, Dr. Dale Leavitt, will instruct the course which will be held in The Marine and Natural Sciences Building (Room TBD) on the Bristol, R.I. campus of Roger Williams University. The course will be held on Tuesday evenings from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. starting January 8, 2013 and run through April 25, 2013. The fee for the entire course, including all handout materials, is $125 per student. Students may attend classes on a drop-in basis at a rate of $10 per evening session. Pre-registration is preferred by contacting Cheryl Francis at (401) 254-3110 or cfrancis@rwu.edu.

Providence Boat Show, January 18-20, 2012

The Providence Boat Show is being held Friday, January 18 from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; Saturday, January 19 from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; and Sunday, January 20 form 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Rhode Island Convention Center.

Contact Lisa Knowles, sales manager, Newport Exhibition Group for booth space or information at 401.846.1115 or at lknowles@newportexhibition.com.

RISAA seminar Monday, January 28

The January Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association (RISAA) seminar will be held Monday, January 28, 7:00 p.m. at the West Valley Inn, 4 Blossom Street, West Warwick, RI. Topics to include First Aid for Fishermen by Gary Johnson a 26 year veteran with the Coventry Fire Department and 29 years as an EMT/Cardiac.

Dennis Zambrotta will be the second speaker addressing Surfcasting Block Island. Dennis has been surfcasting for stripers for the past forty years and is author of "Surfcasting Around The Block". Public is invited to attend with a $10 donation to the scholarship fund, RISAA members no charge.

Get involved now…attend advisory panel meetings

DEM is having a series of RIMFC advisory panel meetings that impact fishing. The status of fisheries, policies and regulations that work their way into DEM species management plans are discussed at the meetings. So, now is the time to let your voice be heard by attending advisory panel meetings. Striped bass panel was scheduled for January 8; the ground fish advisory panel January 10; the whelk committee meeting January 15; and the Atlantic Menhaden panel set for February 11. Visit www.dem.ri.gov (Marine Fisheries page) for agendas.

RIMFC puts out call to scientists

The Rhode Island Marine Fisheries Council (RIMFC) is in need of two scientists on the Council. The Council meets about nine times a year making policy and regulation recommendations to the DEM director for both commercial and recreational fishing. Meetings are held at the URI Bay Campus, Narragansett. All types of scientist or people involved/interested in the science of fisheries and the ocean are welcome to apply. Robert Ballou, assistant to the DEM director said, "It is not necessary to be a marine biologist to be nominated for these council seats." The Council consists of three recreational and three commercial fishing representatives as well as two scientists. Contact Robert Ballou at robert.ballou@dem.ri.gov or 401.222.4700.

Captain Dave Monti has been fishing and shell fishing on Narragansett Bay for over 40 years. He holds a captain's master license, a charter fishing license, and is a member of the Rhode Island Marine Fisheries Council and the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association board. Visit Captain Dave's No Fluke Charters website at www.noflukefishing.com, his blog at www.noflukefishing.blogspot.com or e-mail him fishing news and photos at dmontifish@verizon.net.