Block Island Tournament grows with partner tackle shops

“The Block Island Inshore Fishing Tournament doubled the number of participants with tackle shop partners last year and added a fly fishing shore and boat division,” said Capt. Chris Willi of Block Island Fish Works, a bait & tackle shop/charter fishing business on Block Island.

This year the Tournament starts Saturday, July 22, 5:30 a.m. and ends Sunday, July 23, 12 noon. There will be an “After Party” at Capt. Nick’s Rock & Roll Bar, Block Island on Sunday, July 23 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. with a brief Tournament awards ceremony.

“This is a length only (catch & release optional) Tournament. When registering online participants download our Tournament app on their smartphone. When they want to make a Tournament entry, they take a photo of their catch up against the Tournament supplied ruler and send their entry into the Tournament electronically,” said Capt. Willi. “So, it is not necessary to attend the ‘After Party’ to receive your Tournament prize. However, those attending the ‘after party’ will get a chance to win one of twenty-five $100 tackle shop gift cards.”

Capt. Willi said, “Thanks to the Block Island Wind Farm and Whalers Brewing Company of Rhode Island, we are able to donate 100 percent of Tournament entry fees to the Block Island Fire Department and Rescue.”

Tournament highlights include: cash cards/swag/and sponsor prizes totally $10,000; fluke, black sea bass, striped bass and bluefish with boat, shore, fly fishing, youth, team and photo divisions; take a photo with the Block Island Wind Farm shown and you can enter three photo categories each with $200 prize … most scenic, best fish photo and best team photo; pick up participant bags at one of six locations including Block Island Fish Works, Block Island; Ocean State Tackle, Providence; The Saltwater Edge, Middletown; Snug Harbor Marina, South Kingstown; Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle, North Kingstown; and Watch Hill Outfitters, Westerly.

Register online at BI Inshore Tourney | bi-fishworks (sandualypointco.com) . For additional information contact Block Island Fish Works at bifishworks@gmail.com or 401.742.3992.

Where’s the bite?

Striped bass and bluefish. “Everyone is catching striped bass. Fishing is hot in the East Passage in Bristol, Barrington and all the way up the Providence River. Customers are still catching monster bluefish with larger bass being caught off Newport out in front,” said Tom Giddings of the Tackle Box, Warwick.

Last week we caught keeper bass (28 to less than 31 inches) and large bluefish north of Conimicut Point using light tackle with tube & worm with Bob Donald of North Kingstown catching bass to thirty-three inches Thursday. 

Dave Henault of Ocean State Bait & Tackle said, “The striped bass and bluefish bite continues to be great north of Conimicut light all the way up to Providence as this past week there has been an influx of pogies.”

Mike Swain of Coventry, a large bass fishing expert, said, “We caught our largest bass of the season this weekend live lining a pogie in the upper reaches of the Providence River. The striped bass was 30 pounds.”

East End Eddie Doherty Cape Cod Canal fishing expert and author said, “There was a four-hour bite west of the Bourne Bridge that produced eight striped bass last week for Blackstone’s Mike Deryck, two in the mid 20-pound range and one that was well over 30, all on a large Green Mac Savage.” 

Declan O’Donnell of Breachway Bait & Tackle, Charlestown, said, “The bass bite out in front and around the island and up in the bay has been great this past week with some aggressive surface feeding going on at times. The bass are chasing sand eels, bunker, and squid. There has also been good action for bass back in the salt ponds and there has been a few small hatches this week. Bass in the salt ponds have been finicky but customers are still able to get some by switching to smaller profile baits or throwing eels in the evening. There are still some big bluefish around, especially around Point Judith and the Breachways.”

Scup, black sea bass and summer flounder. Angler Dariusz Kolodziejczak said, “Last week outside the center wall of Point Judith I caught a 10.17-pound summer flounder (fluke). The big fluke hit my buck tail tipped with gulp.” 

“Fluke fishing is hit or miss but picking up. Some anglers doing very well and others still struggling to find the fish. The best reports for fluke seem to be coming from 40-plus feet of water. Scup are starting to show up in better numbers and there were reports of a few black sea bass caught last week,” said O’Donnell. 

Neil Hayes of Quaker Lane said, “Anglers are starting to catch scup, keeper black sea bass and the fluke bite continues to improve both in the Bay particularly around the bridges, in front of Wickford and off our coastal shores.” 

“The scup, and sea robin bite has been good at Conimicut Point, Rocky Point and in Greenwich Bay with commercial fisherman saying they are catching fluke in the Bay,” said Giddings.

Freshwater fishing remains strong for both largemouth bass and trout in ponds that have been stocked.  Giddings said, “Customers are catching great largemouth using shiners but are now using drop shot with success. The water is still not real warm so the trout are still biting too.”

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.