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Thursday, January 7, 2021

Fishing Report: Proposed recreational rules await feedback - The Providence Journal

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Editor's note: Today's Fishing Report is the last one of the season. Capt. Dave Monti's weekly column will return in March.

Anglers had their chance to express their thoughts on proposed 2021 recreational fishing regulations for Rhode Island during an online public workshop on Jan. 5. The event, sponsored by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management Division of Marine Fisheries, allowed the anglers to express their thoughts on special area provisions that would allow them to take smaller scup and summer flounder from special shore areas.

The purpose of the workshop was to allow the division to present to anglers, members of the recreational and commercial fishing industry and the general public those regulatory proposals currently under consideration. The workshop provided the opportunity for all to submit feedback to the division on each of the proposals.

All proposals that were not presented were to be placed in the division’s regulatory queue for further consideration.

Agenda items important to anglers included proposed regulation options for recreational black sea bass, tautog, scup, summer flounder, striped bass, bluefish and Atlantic menhaden.

Rich Hittinger, legislative committee chairman and first vice president of the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association said before the workshop: “We have two proposals into DEM in regard to the Jan. 5 workshop. First, as we have stated in past years, early season black sea bass retention is very important to recreational anglers, especially those who fish in Narragansett Bay because it is in May, June and early July when larger [black sea bass] come into shallow water and are caught by recreational anglers. We propose that recreational [black sea bass] open at three fish per day on May 28, 2021, even if that requires shortening the fall 'bonus' season or lowering the number of fish allowed during the fall 'bonus' season to 5 fish per angler per day.

“We would also like to propose," he said, "a modification to the 2021 tautog regulations. We believe that tautog are one of the best success stories for recreational fishing in Rhod Island and we want to do whatever we can to help keep the stock of tautog healthy well into the future. Along these lines, we want to propose a limit on the number of large tautog that fishers are allowed to possess.

"Without changing any current minimum size or bag limit requirements, we would like to propose that there be a limit of no more than one tautog per angler per day over 21-inch total length no matter what the mode [private or party or charter].”

Where’s the bite?

Freshwater fishing in ponds stocked by the Department of Environmental Management has been very good. “Fishing for trout has been good in stocked ponds," said Joe Castaldi of Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle in North Kingstown. "Customers are doing well at Barber Pond, North Kingstown. Power Baits are working, particularly in the rainbow color.” John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait & Tackle in Riverside reported: “Willet Avenue Pond in Riverside has a decent trout bite. It was stocked by DEM and a number of customers have been fishing there. A lot of them are using those very small Kastmaster lures. Stump Pond in Smithfield is performing for anglers, too.”

Cod fishing boats continued to have trouble leaving the dock recently due to bad weather, but conditions have improved. Most vessels are taking online reservations. Cod fishing off Rhode Island and Massachusetts south of Cape Cod is a good bet in January. Party boats fishing for cod this winter include the Frances Fleet at www.francesfleet.com, the Seven B’s at www.sevenbs.com and the Island Current at www.islandcurrent.com

Dave Monti holds a captain’s master license and a charter fishing license. He is an RISAA board member, a member of the R.I. Party & Charter Boat Association, the American Saltwater Guides Association and the R.I. Marine Fisheries Council. Forward fishing news and photos to Capt. Dave at dmontifish@verizon.net or visit www.noflukefishing.com.

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January 08, 2021 at 02:55AM
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Fishing Report: Proposed recreational rules await feedback - The Providence Journal

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