There is still time to register and participant in the Block Island Inshore Fishing Tournament this Saturday, June 23 from 5:33 a.m. to Sunday, July 24, 2022, 12:00 p.m. Catch & release or keep your legal catch to eat. Photo entries with Tournament measuring device with no need to attend a weigh-in.

Shore, fly fishing, youth and boat divisions. Striped bass and bluefish for all divisions. Plus black sea bass and fluke for boat and youth divisions. Also a team prize with photo division prizes (BI Wind Farm in background) for best fish, scenic and team photos.

Block Island Fishworks is Tournament host with all Tournament fees being donated to the Block Island Fire & Rescue. $10,000 in cash prizes, tackle shop gift cards and swag. Tournament co-sponsors include Ørsted, owner of the Block Island Wind Farm, and land based tackle shops The Saltwater Edge, Middletown; Ocean State Tackle, Providence; Snug Harbor Marina, South Kingstown; and Watch Hill Outfitters, Westerly. 

“After Party” Sunday, July 24, 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., at Capt. Nick’s Bar & Grille, Block Island. Check with Old Harbor Harbormaster for availability of temporary dockage/mooring for the Party After. Over $2,000 in tackle shop gift cards as door prizes. 

It is not necessary to attend the After Party to claim Tourment prizes, they will be mailed to winners not in attendance. Register online at www.SandyPointCo.com/bi-inshore-tourney and pick-up your participant/captain’s bag at co-sponsor tackle shops.

Striped bass seminar … old salts & young guns

Old salts and young guns will take the stage to talk about striped bass strategies and tactics they employ to catch monster striped bass.

The Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association (RISAA) will hold a striped bass Seminar on Monday, July 25, 7 p.m. at the West Warwick Elks Lodge.

The panel of experts will include “Old Salts” including Peter Vican, the current State of RI record holder, and his partner and big bass expert Don Smith. Additionally, a pair of “Young Guns” will present too, charter captains Kurt Rivard and Brandon Hagopian, who are fast caving out reputations as the next generation of big bass experts.

Don Smith and Peter Vican will share their perspectives on what it was like years ago, how they settled on the techniques that worked for them, what others were doing at that time, and how they continue to approach striper fishing today. Then hear from the young guns, Kurt Rivard and Brandon Hagopian, on what techniques they gravitated towards, what new twists they have to add and how they have been able to distance themselves from many of their peers.

The seminar will be held at the Elks Lodge., 60 Clyde Street, West Warwick, RI, Monday, July 25 at 7 p.m. A $10 donation to the RISAA Scholarship Fund is requested for non-members, RISAA members attend free. The Elks Lodge kitchen will have food available starting at 5:30 p.m. For information contact Greg Vespe, RISAA Executive Director, at 401-826-2121.

Where’s the bite?

Striped bass and bluefish. Matt Conti of Snug Harbor Marina, South Kingstown, said, “The striped bass bite is still outstanding, particularly at Block Island with eels.”

Noah Ialongo of Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle, North Kingstown, said, “The striped bass bite off Newport and at Block Island continues to be very good.”

“Lots of school bass to slot size are being caught in Rhode Island salt ponds and off the breachways in South County. Much larger fish are out at local reefs and at Block Island. Fish are feeding on all sorts of bait including sand eels, sup, seabass, squid and shrimp. Live eels remains the top producer for large bass but they are also being caught trolling or casting lures,” said Declan O’Donnell of Breachway Bait & Tackle, Charlestown. 

Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle said, “This time of year with the warming water the striped bass bite has moved somewhat to a dawn and dusk/nighttime bite. The bite is strong out in front of Newport and customers continue to catch some 50-pound fish at Block Island. The bass are feeding on sand eels so anglers are using soft plastic, needle fish lures with a good bite off Narragansett Beach and Pt. Judith. And, both small and large bluefish are being caught just about everywhere. ”

Summer flounder (fluke), black sea bass and scup. Summer flounder fishing continues to improve but not booming. The Rhode Island regulation is four fish/person/day with a minimum size of 18 inches.  Capt. Tom Pelletier of Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle, said, “The bite off the Sakonnet River for fluke has been OK with a very strong black sea bass bite there. The black sea bass bite along our southern coastal beaches has been improving with customers catching fluke around the Newport and Jamestown Bridge, but overall fluke fishing is not great.” 

The fluke bite around Block Island remains spotty.  Conti of Snug Harbor Marina said, “The fluke bite along the southern coastal shore from Watch Hill to Pt. Judith is actually a bit better than Block Island if conditions are right (with wind & tide in line).” 

“Reports on fluke fishing have been mixed locally with some people doing well locally and others struggling to find the fish… you still need to work to find the fish.” said O’Donnell of Breachway Bait & Tackle. Some nice sized 20 plus black sea bass continue to be caught off the Sakonnet River and in front of Newport this week. The scup bite remains very story anywhere there is structure like ledges and jetties and water movement.

Offshore. “The school bluefin tuna bite has been very spotty, but giants are being caught. The yellow fin tuna bite was good this week at the Horns and the Dump,” said Conti of Snug Harbor Marina. Angler John Stavrakas said, “We were able to put three small yellowfin in the box trolling around the Dump today (Sunday).” 

Recreational fishing regulation measures for Georges Bank cod (cod caught south of Cape Cod) have changed. The minimum size is 22 inches with a maximum size of 28 inches so we now have a slot limit.  The possession limit is five fish/person/day with a closed season May 1 to July 31 with an open season August 1 to April 30. 

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.