SPORTS

Whales, anglers and boaters on collision course?

Posted 8/23/22

Climate change impacts, including warming water, have 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 …

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SPORTS

Whales, anglers and boaters on collision course?

Posted

Climate change impacts, including warming water, have 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 maceral, herring, sand eels, etc. have all been here in abundance.

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

Last week angler Brian Moore related 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.”

“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 its possible,” said former RI Saltwater Angler Associaton board member Tom Fetherston who is the former chair of the areas right whale recovery team. “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, 3500 tons of ship, damage all around.”

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


Get ready for bonito
and false albacore

It’s the end of August and time to fish for bonito and false albacore. Both of these species are hard to catch, but have thrilled local fishermen with their furious runs stripping line from light tackle giving anglers a memorable fight. Anglers report catching small bonito this week so the false albacore should follow right behind.

Bonito and false albacore are often mixed in with striped bass and bluefish. They can be caught from boat and shore with lures and even on the troll. They generally range in the two foot range, weigh four to five pounds but have been caught as large as twelve to fifteen pounds.

Atlantic bonito are part of the same mackerel family (Scombridae) as tuna. Their meat has a darkish color and a firm texture, with a moderate fat content. The meat of young or small bonito can be of lighter color, close to that of skipjack tuna. They are often grilled or baked. However, false albacore are usually not eaten.

Harrison Gatch of Watch Hill Outfitters, Westerly, said, “A customer caught a nice bonito, about four to five pounds, this weekend. We have had no reports yet of false albacore being around.”

Local bonito and false albacore expert Susan Lema said, “Use as little hardware has possible. We tie directly to a 25-pound fluorocarbon leader with a uni knot and no swivel. This keeps things simple with no hardware flashing in the water to spook the fish.”

Roger Lema (Susan’s husband) said, “Fish the outgoing tide in front of rivers, coves and ponds as the water and bait have to be moving. When we go out we have five rods ready to go. Some prepared to cast silver lures like Deadly Dicks and Kastmaster lures.  But, we are also ready to troll (at four knots) with broken back lures, shallow swimming and deep swimming lures to use depending on where the fish are in the water column.” 


Where’s the bite?

Striped bass, bluefish, bonito. Harrison Gatch of Watch Hill Outfitters, Westerly, said, “The striped bass bite from shore is still good with a great bite along the coastal shore and an outstanding bite at Block Island with large bluefish being caught. Angeles are catching bass using all types of methods. And, just a reminder, if you catch a large bass bring them in as quickly as you can and when brought to the boat keep them in the water as much as you can with a quick release. A prolonged fight combined with this warm water exhaust fish quickly making it difficult for them to revive.” 

Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle, Providence, said, “Slot size bass are being caught at Sprague Bridge on Narrow River. They are feeding on sand ells. No bass to speak of are being caught north of the Jamestown and Newport bridges. Customers caught small bonito in Newport Harbor this weekend and a Lands End, but they were small. There are plenty of mackerel of all types around on the surface too.”

Summer flounder (fluke), black sea bass and scup. We fished south of the Jamestown Bridge this weekend in 45 to 50 feet of water and caught keeper fluke but they were in the 18 to 19-inch range with shorts caught in-between. We caught three keeper fluke in about 50 minutes. Conditions were good with an incoming tide and south southeast wind. 

Gatch of Watch Hill Outfitters, said, “Fluke fishing for customers this weekend was pretty good right inshore in about 40 feet of water.” 

Henault said, “Some fluke of size are being caught in deep water with smaller keeper fish being caught in the lower Bay and out in front of Newport. The black sea bass bite is only fair with keepers being caught in the lower Bay and out in front of Newport.”

The squid are in.  Henault said, “The squid bite is very good in Jamestown, Tiverton, Galilee and Newport.”

Bluefin and yellowfin tuna, mahi. The tuna bite is still pretty good, with mahi being caught too fairly close to shore.

“Freshwater fishing for largemouth bass picked up this week with customers catching some nice fishing nice fish both at Stump Pond in Smithfield and at Olney Pond, Lincoln Woods,” said Henault of Ocean State.

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

 

No Fluke, fishing column

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