The Block Island Inshore Fishing Tournament ended Sunday, July 28 with a winning striped bass measuring 47.5-inch caught by Chris Benin of team “Vamoose.” For the second year in a row, the largest striped bass caught from shore was by angler Colin Mansfield, a 46-inch fish, he also caught the largest bluefish from shore at 27.5 inches.
Colin from Medford, MA said, “I took the winning shore bass with a needle fish lure from the beach.” Chris Benin’s winning bass from a boat was taken on a 9-inch soft plastic lure fished off the bottom
The First Place Team this year went to team “Grateful 5” of Narragansett led by Rick Black and his son-in-law Dustin Janson, and his three boys Flynn (13), Hayes (11) and Tucker (8). The team took the largest fluke and black sea bass categories in the Youth Boat Spin division plus scored high with other fish they caught Their grandfather Rick Black, a RI Saltwater Anglers Association member, said “I am so proud of the boys they are great anglers and a joy to watch fishing.”
Capt. Chris Willi of Block Island Fishworks, tournament host, said, “What made this Tournament special is that it was held in loving memory of Wendy Northup, a longtime supporter of fishing and conservation on the Island. We were able to make a $6,200 contribution to the Block Island Volunteer Fire & Rescue Department. We raised about $3,100 in tournament fees and as in the past Capt. Nick’s Rock & Roll Bar matched the gift. Thanks to Ørsted (owners of the Block Island Wind Farm) and our co-sponsorship tackle shops we were able to donate 100 percent of Tournament fees to the Fire & Rescue Department.”
The Tournament included 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.
Tournament co-sponsors were Lucky Bait & Tackle, Warren; Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle, North Kingstown; The Tackle Box, Warwick; Ocean State Tackle, Providence; Snug Harbor Marina, South Kingstown; and Watch Hill Outfitters, Westerly.
Visit www.SandyPointCo.com/bi-inshore-tourney for full Tournament results once they become available.
Bringing home the bluefin tuna
Ralph Battista, Executive Chef at Luigi’s Restaurant & Gourmet Express, Johnston, and his son Matt took a charter trip last week with Capt. Rob Taylor of Newport Sport Fishing Charters to learn the finer points of how to fish for bluefin tuna. The duo did quite well.
They then applied their learnings this past Monday on a tuna fishing trip they took on their own boat. The results were outstanding.
“My son Matt and I went out with Captain Rob Taylor of Newport Sport Fishing to learn some of the finer points of finding school bluefin tuna and light tackle speed jigging.
Thursday was quite a day. We left Fort Adams at 4:00 a.m. and were one of four to five boats out there and had a great day landing seven of nine small bluefin tuna up to 60 lbs.
Monday Matt and I left the Harbor of Refuge in Narragansett in our 30 foot Grady Freedom at 4:30 a.m. and were lines in at the Gully (about 12 miles Southeast of Block Island) working the outside edges of a huge fleet of boats fishing that area.
We tried to put to use what we learned and were successful. By 7:20 a.m. we had two bluefin tuna at 60 and 65 lbs. One Matt got jigging and one Rodney (dead stick) got while we were dealing with the first fish.
No more bites for us after that. We met my wife for lunch. We were pretty happy with our first real success at the bluefin tuna game.”
Where’s is the bite?
Striped bass, bluefish, bonito. Declan O’Donnell of Breachway Bait & Tackle, Charlestown, said, “Fishing from shore and around the breachways this week seemed to pick up quite a bit. With stripers being caught on chunk bait, live eels, and lures. There hasn’t been a lot of bluefish around lately, a few are being caught every once and awhile. Small bait continue to spread out around the pond. Some good size schools of peanut bunker are starting to form.”
Capt. Chris Willi of Block Island Fish Works, said, “Striped bass has slowed the past two weeks. We have 73 degree water in some areas around the Island and we have a lot of sharks in the water which may be impacting striped bass fishing. (See above article on Block Island tournament fishing this weekend).” East End Eddie Doherty Cape Cod Canal fishing experts and author, said, “The breaking fish turned up their noses to many plugs including mine, but as the current took my Striper Gear white Rocket away from the boiling salt water, a 10-pound bluefish on the edge swallowed the tail hook. After fighting the fish through a couple of tarpon like surface dances and an aerial performance, it measured out to 36 inches and was great on the grill!”
Fluke (summer flounder), black sea bass and scup. I finished in the West Passage of Narragansett Bay once again this week and had customers hook up with a nice fluke or two as well as a variety of scup, squeteague, sea robins, sand sharks and black sea bass South of the Jamestown Bridge.
“Anglers continue to catch summer founder off Warwick Light with fish in the 20 plus inch range being taken. Rocky Point Fishing Pier continues to yield a variety of ground fish for anglers,” said Tom Gidding of the Tackle Box, Warwick.
O’Donnell of Breachway Bait & Tackle, said, “Fluke and seabass bite has been decent. A lot of short fluke best bite still seems to be in front of east beach and Misquamicut.”
Bluefin and yellow fin tuna. The bluefin tuna bite remains very story for anglers fishing the Gully, southeast of Block Island. With most anglers hooking up and landing school bluefin tuna daily (see above story).
Dave Monti holds a master captain’s 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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