By CAPT. DAVE MONTI

“This year we added a fly fishing division to the Block Island Inshore Fishing Tournament,” said Capt. Chris Willi of Block Island Fish Works, a bait & tackle shop and charter fishing business located on Block Island, Rhode Island. The Tournament will include summer flounder (fluke), black sea bass, striped bass and bluefish with boat, shore, fly fishing, youth, team and photo divisions.

The tournament starts at 5:30 a.m., Saturday, July 23 and ends Sunday, July 24, 12 noon. There will be an After Party’ at Capt. Nick’s Rock & Roll Bar, Block Island on Sunday, July 24 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. with a brief Tournament awards ceremony.

“It is not necessary to attend the After Party to receive your Tournament prize. Winners will be posted online. Entries will be make electronically through use of the tournament smartphone app. Limited dockage may be available after the tournament for four to five hours in Old Harbor at the Town Dock. Contact the Dockmaster on Ch12. Those attending the After Party will get a chance to win one of twenty $100 tackle shop gift cards.”

Tournament entry fees are $100 per boat for up to four anglers, $25/person for additional anglers; and $25/shore angler. Capt. Willi said, “Thanks to the Block Island Wind Farm and Ørsted Tournament sponsorship 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 and 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.

Anglers can pick up participant bags at one of five locations including Block Island Fish Works, Block Island; Ocean State Tackle, Providence; The Saltwater Edge, Middletown; Snug Harbor Marina, South Kingstown; and Watch Hill Outfitters, Westerly.

Register online at https://www.sandypointco.com/bi-inshore-tourney. For additional information contact Block Island Fish Works at bifishworks@msn.com or 401.742.3992.

Fluke bite improving

The inshore summer flounder (fluke) bite is improving off the Sakonnet River, in mid Narragansett Bay at Warwick Light, along the coastal shore and at Block Island if you can stay away from the dog fish.

We picked up several fluke at Warwick Light Saturday.  Angler Eric Duda and underwater recreational fish videographer Eric Duda said Sunday, “Headed out fishing for fluke at the end of the Sakonnet River. Our first drop, nice 20-inch fluke on! Fishing was hot or cold. Some spots really good, other drifts were not. A bunch of smaller size black sea bass caught, and one huge blue. We caught 12 keeper size fish and released about 15 short fluke.  Bucktail jigs with squid seemed to work the best.”

See a short video that Eric took Sunday of a bucktail dragging with fluke after it at https://youtu.be/ruMlvG0daZ0.

Where’s the bite?

Striped bass and bluefish.  Mark Tracey of Barrington caught a 34-inch bass with a 9-inch Saltwater Doc surface plug last Friday on the outgoing tide in the Providence River in front of the wind mills. 

Tracey, said, “We made five or six drifts with lots of action and near misses until this one got a good hold of it. I remove the front hook on the lure and fish it only with one at the back for easier release.” 

Mike Curran hooked up with bass in the Providence River this weekend using chucks and live lining Atlantic menhaden.  Mike said, “I fished upper bay on Friday and  caught four keeper stripers to 35 inches, two on live pogies and two on fresh chunks drifting with 20 boats around me. A good number of fish caught by other boats also around the pogies. My friend went back to the same area on Saturday morning and got three fish.”

East End Eddie Doherty, said, “Last week Cape Cod Canal Rat Bill Prodouz landed a 40-inch linesider that fell for a white buck tail bounced along the bottom on an early east tide and the weekend west tide gave up more than one 40 pounder at first light.”

Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle, Providence said, “Monday Capt. Mike Littlefield of Archangel Charters, Newport, caught a 55-pound striped bass.” Declan O’Donnell of Misquamicut Bait & Tackle, Charlestown, said, “Nice striped bass being caught in the salt ponds and out in front on the reefs. There seems to be more bait moving into the ponds and there are still a few worm hatches going off. Some bigger bass, including fish into the 30-pound class, were reported out front and at Block Island this past week. Bluefish remain thick in the area and are taking many variations of lures.”

Jeff Sullivan of Lucky Bait & Tackle, Warren said, “We caught some huge bluefish (their largest looked to be in the mid 30-inch range) Monday in front of Narragansett Beach.”

Summer flounder/black sea bass. Declan O’Donnell of Misquamicut Bait & Tackle, said, “Fluke fishing has been pretty good at Block Island and decent along the beaches. Most people who are trying for fluke are at least getting a few fish for their effort. Still a lot of shorts along the south shore beaches with a few decent sized mixed in. Black sea bass fishing is improving with more keeper sized fish around.” Anglers are reminded that the minimum size for black sea bass is now 16 inches. The bite continues to be good in Buzzards Bay, Narragansett Bay and off the coastal shore with anglers catching good sized keepers mixed in with a lot of undersized fish. Reports of fluke now being caught off the Sakonnet River, at Warwick Light in Rhode Island and in lower and mid-Narragansett Bay areas. Angler Peter Johnson said, “We cancelled our Block Island fluke trip last week as the fluke grounds south of the Island were loaded with dog fish.”

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 .