P.O. Box 1465, Coventry, RI 02816 www.RISAA.org 401-826-2121 APRIL, 2011 Representing Over 6,500 Recreational Anglers ASMFC requires Black sea bass reductions in 2011 Arlington, VA – The Commission's Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Board approved state-by-state shares for the 2011 black sea bass recreational season in order to mitigate potential disproportionate Striped bass stock is down impacts to an individual state(s) that coastwide measures may cause. Reductions in 2012 may be necessary The 2010 regulations resulted he ASMFC’s Striped Bass Management in a preliminary estimated harvest TBoard has initiated the development of a of 2.98 million pounds, draft addendum with the goals of reducing the approximately 1.15 million pounds striped bass mortality (F) up to 40% and further above the 2010 target. Given that protecting the spawning stock when it is the 2010 regulations were not concentrated and vulnerable. This addendum was initiated in effective in staying within the order to allow fisheries managers to promptly respond to the target, coastwide harvest will need results of the stock assessment update in the fall (if necessary). to be reduced by 37% to achieve, Provissions of this addendum, if passed, could be but not exceed, the 2011 target of implemented prior to the start of the 2012 fishing season. 1.78 million pounds. The Board’s action responds to recent trends in the fishery Under state-by-state shares the following states will need and resource, including a 66% to reduce harvest by the identified amount: DECLINE in estimated Massachusetts (43%) • Rhode Island (37%), recreational catch from 2006- Connecticut (37%) • New York (39%), 2009; a 25% decline in estimated New Jersey (40%) • North Carolina (37%). striped bass abundance from Over the next two months, states will need to submit their 2004-2008; and lowered recruitment in recent years. proposed recreational measures to meet the required reduction Additionally, states in the northern extent of the fishery have for technical review and Board approval. expressed concern over decreased availability of striped bass as These required reductions apply to state waters for the 2011 a result of diminished water quality in the Chesapeake Bay during fishing season only. Recreational measures for the 2012 fishing the summer months that may also contribute to increased season will be coastwide unless the Board decides to change prevalence of mycobacteriosis in striped bass. (to page 34) that through future management action. R.I.S.A.A. / April, 2011 Now we have to cut lack sea bass Hopefully you read the brief article on mean all those fish get thrown back, and April 5 • 6:30 PM the front cover of this issue stating that some would die. That's a waste of a Entertainment Committee Meeting ASMFC has found that the 2010 regs valuable food fish. resulted in overfishing of black sea bass. I The last option is to increase size. April 12 • 6:30 PM can believe it. There were a lot of reports Going from 12.5" to 13" only achieves Legislative Committee Meeting last year of members having great days approximately 24%, so if we went with 13" at East Greenwich Yacht Club catching these fish. A lot we would still have to cut of sea bass were caught the season. April 16 by anglers out fluke or I believe that going Annual Spring Shore Clean-Up tautog fishing. up to 13.5" achieves the So, Rhode Island is whole 37%. I think most April 18 • 6:0 PM required to make an anglers catch/keep sea RIDEM Public Hearing immediate cut of 37%. bass that's 13.5" anyway. Corless Auditorium, URI Bay Campus That's a lot, and the As I'm writing this we are proposals on how to waiting for the DEM April 19 • 6:30 PM achieve that cut will come biologists to find out if Board of Directors Meeting up at the next DEM public going to 13.5 inches will hearing on April 18. achieve the needed cut. Junior Member Lucas Salem April 25 • 7:00 PM Our current regs are An interesting side with a nice black sea bass that RISAA April seminar 12.5" minimum, 25 fish a note is that of all the he landed last summer day and a season of May coastal states, Rhode May 2 • 6:00 PM 22-Oct 11, then open Nov Island has the largest RI Marine Fisheries Council 1-Dec 31. "per fish" average size on the coast. Corless Auditorium, URI Bay Campus The largest amount of fish are taken in the fall. In order to achieve a 37% cut, we FISHING SHOW THANKS May 5 • 7:30 AM need to make some drastic changes. Kayak Committee Event Thank you to the 126 MEMBERS who Changes are achieve in three ways: fishing at Wallum Pond volunteered their time to help at our big • Reduce the number of fish (bag) Fishing Show last month. They staffed May 10 • Time TBA • Reduce the number of days (season) our booths, worked in the office, assisted Fly Fishing Committee Outing • Increase the minimum size vendors, ran the Kid’s Zone, stood by the fishing the worm hatch -Ninigret Pond entrance handing out door prize slips, and OUR OPTIONS many other jobs. RISAA members are May 17 • 6:30 PM Dropping the bag limit to achieve 37% terrific! Board of Directors Meeting would put us down to 5 fish a day. That's And the show was a success. Even because very few anglers actually catch though we suffer a bad economy, we May 18 • 7:30 AM even close to 25 fish. I think 5 fish is increased attendance this year by 1,400 Kayak Committee Event unacceptable. people. That's impressive. fishing the worm hatch -Potter Pond Doing it by season would probably Work has already begun on the 2012 require closing all of July and the whole May 23 • 7:00 PM Show. I've been typing contracts for month of October. The bait shops and RISAA Monthly Seminar dealers who have already been signing up charter boats would suffer, and I think most to secure their spaces. rec anglers catch sea bass while out tautog Mark your calendar: March 9-11, 2012. fishing in the fall. Closing in October would Ed Cook Charters Fly and Light Tackle Fishing Member on Narragansett Bay - South Shore SEATOW.COM 1-800-4SEATOW Capt. Kevin Scott (401) 294-2360 Member Cell: 401-524-5294 Net: edcookcharters.com - 2 - R.I.S.A.A. / April, 2011 Rhody’s South Shore oceanfront, inlets & salt ponds can provide a wide array of light tackle challenges throughout the upcoming season. Fishing along the many faces of Rhode Island’s South Shore apparent, but can often have lethal consequences later. These doesn’t always involve 10 and 11-foot surf sticks in the crashing bass are the future of the fishery and should be handled waves at Newport, Pt. Judith, Watch Hill or the Charlestown accordingly. and Quonny Breachways. Neither is it exclusively defined for BLUEFISH boaters by stout gear, outsized lures or extended boat rides. As Southwest winds become more prevalent they deliver The strapping tackle required in trolling wire line for Mega- rising water temperatures while also ushering in some bigger Bass and Moby-Blues or to pry eel-duped stripers from the rocky bass and, often, a slug of bluefish to this same area as well as reefs aren’t the only ways an angler can attain a stimulating Deep Hole a little to the west. These mostly, but not always, 2 adrenaline rush. to 4 pound Harbor Blues will give you all the grief you want on Fluke fishing buffs aren’t bound to 30-80 foot depths and the light wands, and the occasional 7 to 10 pounder can make sea worthy fishing machines to pursue their quarry. In fact, the things even more interesting. area has a whole lot more to offer, particularly to nearshore, Blues appear most often some light tackle advocates. School bass, barbor blues, skipjack blues, time in May and provide the most hickory shad, weakfish, bonito, false albacore and even shallow accessible target and the easiest to water fluke are but a few of the target species that can offer coerce into action. While the West sometimes spectacular action to fans of the slender sticks. Wall again is usually where the first of the spring is landed, as SCHOOLIE BASS the season progresses, they can be found, at one time or another Starting in the spring, migrating schoolies arrive at the West just about anywhere there’s saltwater from the Narrow River to Wall of Pt. Judith’s Harbor of Refuge sometimes as early as Watch Hill. They are also prone to forays into the salt ponds mid-April. These early birds rarely reach keeper proportions pursuing various baitfish. allowing for light gear and demanding small presentations. From a purely exhilarating visual prospective, topwater lures Bucktails and small metals like Kastmasters and Hopkins are always the baits of choice for bluefish. This thinking likewise were for years the preferred lures and are still potent offerings. pertains to the light tackle applications. The vicious strikes of Over the last several seasons however, soft plastics have even the “Harbor Blues” are enough incentive to make surface generated a huge following. Some, like Slug-gos and Fin-S- plugs the first option. Small poppers from Hab’s, Creek Chub, Fish, have been around for a while and in recent years have Gags and Gibbs, among many others, will all produce some been joined by effective softies from Storm, Cocahoe and savage hits.