Fishing Report: Blackstone River paddle was a big success

“We’re making a second shuttle trip to pick up paddlers. We have about 50 participating. That’s a lot more than expected,” said Stephanie Covino, program manager for the Blackstone Watershed Collaborative.

The four-mile paddle Sunday started at Festival Pier, Pawtucket and ended at the Gano Street boat ramp in Providence.  It was the final leg, of a 60-mile paddle, with a smaller group, that started in Worcester, Massachusetts.  The public was invited to join this last four-mile leg.

“The aim of the paddle (and events that took place during the four-day paddle) was to bring attention to the work that has been done to improve the Blackstone River (called the Seekonk River as it passes through Pawtucket and Providence) and the work that still needs to be done,” said Covino.

Greg Vespe, executive director of the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association, and I volunteered our vessels to escort the group of kayakers and canoeists on the last leg of the trip.

My boat radio crackled with Vespe’s enthusiastic voice. “I’m not sure what kind of bait I am seeing (on the sonar), but there is a lot of it, along with fish. This is a treasure, I am amazed at how few residential communities are on the river.”

I totally agree… a lot of bait, a lot of fish and a river that is a treasure, ready to be reclaimed by the community from past industrial uses.

Hats off to the Blackstone Watershed Collaborative and Covino for a job well done.

Whales, anglers, boaters on collision course?

Climate change impacts including warming water has created bait and fish movement up and down the East Coast.  For the past few years, bait profiles have been changing in our region. Atlantic menhaden, peanut bunker (immature Atlantic menhaden), squid, a variety of mackerel, herring, sand eels, etc. have all been here in abundance.

Whales are feeding in our region more than ever before because we have bait in the water they like to eat. This means anglers and boaters are having greater interactions with whales. The encounters could have negative consequences for both the whales and humans.

Last week angler Brian Moore said he was hit by a whale fin when fishing for tuna. “I get to the fishing grounds and slow down to get things set up. A humpback or finback whale comes up directly in front of me, within 30 feet. I throw it in neutral but know I am going to hit it.  I am heading at it broadside. I think the whale realized I was there and went down quickly.  My boat went to the side as I barely caught his back,” said Moore.

“He dove, and his tail came straight up out of the water. It is going to come at me and I am probably three feet from it. It starts to come down, I duck as quickly as I can.  The tail fin slams into my canopy with just a bit of it hitting my right shoulder.   Without the canopy, I was a dead man. No damage to the boat.”

Former R.I. Saltwater Anglers Association board member Tom Fetherston, the former chairman of the right whale recovery team, said, “I witnessed this species do this to people who were trying to untangle them. Killed some too. Fin whales typically don’t “fluke up” when diving as humpbacks do but, if stressed, it's possible.”

“As a young Navy LT, I had a fin whale dive under our destroyer in the Norwegian Sea. Hit the keel and went through the starboard screw. Seventy tons of whale, 3,500 tons of ship, damage all around.

Best advice? See whales, "go the other way,” said Fetherston.

Where’s the bite?

Striped bass and bluefish. Jeff Sullivan of Lucky Bait & Tackle in Warren said, “The bass bite has been really good all-around Newport with anglers catching fish up to 40 pounds on eels. Frigate mackerel, small bonito and bluefish are chasing small peanut bunker (immature Atlantic menhaden) around Newport too.” Tom Giddings of the Tackle Box, Warwick, said, “The bluefish bite is good and some are still catching striped bass in the Bay at night with eels.”  John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait & Tackle, Riverside, said, “The bass bite is in the lower Bay and out in front, but the bluefish are plentiful with anglers catching them in deep water (40 to 60 feet) rather than on the surface.”

Summer flounder (fluke), black sea bass and scup. “Anglers are catching fluke but they are working for them picking through ten or so shorts to catch a keeper (18” minimum size),” said Sullivan.  The fluke bite remains very spotty with anglers catching them off the coastal shore from the Sakonnet River to Watch Hill but the bite is OK one day and way off other days. The Block Island bite is much the same with the East Fishing Grounds hot one day and not the next. “Scup are not as large as they were but the bite is still very good,” said Giddings.

The squid are in.  “The squid bite this week was very good around Newport,” said Vespe. Littlefield said, “Customers spotted large bait balls off Jamestown and dropped jigs down to identify them. They were squid in large school.  All were good size.”

Bluefin and yellowfin tuna, mahi. “The bluefin bite has slowed a bit because of the full moon but should kick right back up in a week,” said Sullivan. “Offshore reports continue to improve with yellowfin, bluefin, mahi and even a few wahoo caught recently.  Trick is getting out early and finding life,” said Declan O’Donnell, of Breachway Bait & Tackle in Charlestown.

Freshwater fishing remains spotty with an enhanced bite this weekend. “In Warwick, Gorton’s Pond is producing some nice largemouth bass for customers,” Giddings said.

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.   

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Fishing Report: Blackstone River paddle was a big success