2005 ARCHIVED FISHING REPORTS
October 6, 2005
Went to Fishtails on Monday with Capt. Snow and our friend Joe on his 26
Regulator - a 75 mile journey South that wasn't all that smooth. Arrived
shortly after 7am and started trolling and had two knock downs... one dorado and
one tuna which I dropped after ten minutes (never heard the end of it!).
Trolled around the east finger and landed a couple more dorado. Around
10am we get a good look at a giant pushing 400lbs, come clear out of the water
right in front of another boat trolling 40 yds from us... no knock downs
still. Head to Coxes at around 11 to find a fleet of draggers working the
area. A few fish around but no hits when we started chunking.
Trolled a long weed line before we headed back to the dock. Find out the
reports at Atlantis were good - a mere 15 miles away from where we were...
so it goes. But got back to the dock at 4:30 and took some clients to the
rip for a sunset light tackle trip. Landed a nice bass and bluefish galore
- all on soft plastics. Needless to say after 14 hours on the water I
slept well. The Mahi tasted great too!
September 29, 2005
Fished Montauk yesterday with Capt. Greg
Snow... not many Albies and too many boats... Landed two in six hours,
almost died twice, flipped three boats off, and got flipped off a dozen times...
charming place... whole different game in the big city I guess - certainly
worth the ride though. Came back and fished the North Light with my
daughter. She lands a keeper on her second cast and proceeds to outfish me
for the following hour. All bass taken on sluggo's and spooks. South
side has been good as well... lots o bass.
September 22, 2005
Albies have been around for a week now - mostly concentrated at the
channel. Bass fishing is still good - the Rip, SW ledge and SW to SE
corners... Fishing the tide and time of day.
September 20, 2005
2005 TOURNAMENT
RESULTS
The 5th Block
Island Inshore Fishing Tournament kicked off as scheduled despite the 'threat'
of Hurricane Ophelia. Those who made it out to fish were rewarded with
fantastic weather and good fishing. This ended up to be the best weekend
weather we have had for this event in its five years. 40 anglers
participated and filled more categories than any previous year. Two
anglers even filled out the 'Grand Slam' category, again a first for the
tourney. Close to $700 for the National Children's Cancer Society once
again! Thank you to all our participants!
We would like to thank the sponsors of this event that provided our food and prizes - some of which have supported the tourney from the beginning. They are; Linesider Charters Inc., B.I. Fishworks, Hula Charters, Twin Maples, Smugglers Cove, Paynes Dock Takeout, The Beachead Restaurant, Edward’s Marine, J & B Tackle in Niantic and renowned angler George Gilbert, National Hotel, Block Island Boat Basin, The Princeton Group, Phillips Real Estate, Tattoo's Tackle, The Lonely Angler, Pt Jude Lures, Aldo's Pizza, Block Island Grocery, and Sandy Point Fly Leader Company.
We will have the tourney next year - same time and place... hope to see you there!
WINNERS
Shore Division
Bass / Bait Ted Loughlin 20lb
Blue / Bait Ted Loughlin 7.6lb
Bass / Artif. Jamie Pappas 16.3lb
Al Pellini 16.3lb
Albie / Artif. Ted Loughlin 8lb
Albie / Fly Pete Ferrell 7.6lbBoat Division
Bass / Bait Don Smith 38lb
Bass / Artif. Greg Snow 18.3lb
Blue / Artif. Greg Snow 6.6lb
Albie / Fly Greg Snow 8.7lbGrand Slam Winner - Ted Loughlin
August 29, 2005
With the BFT gone we have focused our
efforts on Stripers. The past few days have been SLOW but fish have been
around. Those of use that did have success were fishing the early AM hours
coinciding with a good tide. Bubblegum, rainbow, and chartreuse sluggos
have worked. Black Rock, Dories Cove, and North Light
produced. An impromptu offshore trip last week resulted in two small
mako's that were released. Plenty of bait around.... loads of
it.
Capt. Eric on the Rooster reports great Sea Bass action on the wrecks.
Hula Charters largest of the week was 41lbs. Spotty reports of Bonito.
August 14, 2005
We have had the bonus of solid
Bluefin action around the Island for the past two weeks. These fish are
truly awesome on light tackle and have been hitting poppers, sluggo's, metal,
etc... Bluefin on the fly is a crazy experience - as well as
addicting. Clients and guides have been chasing these fish religiously for
10 days with great success and many laughs and smiles. Mushmouths and Rays
angels - both big flashy flies, have brought several fish to the boat. The
bass bite has not slowed either with sinking lines and pink half and halves
working very well. Hula Girl has kept customers very happy with several 30
and 40 lb fish that have been stacked up from the SE to SW corners of the
Island. FV Rooster reports good fluke and sea bass fishing on wrecks
around BI with a 6lbers topping off the week for him. Hopefully the BFT
will stick around - this is good to see and may be signs of a comeback for the
species... try to release these fish as fast as possible, if you choose to keep
one make sure to get your permit at www.nmfspermits.com
- one fish allowed per vessel.
July 31, 2005
Great light tackle action this week with fish in
the rip and south of the Island. Fished Black Rock Wed - Fri with great
success, Soft plastics and yellow bombers worked all morning. Pearl storm
wild eyes also were working for some. Landed several over 20lbs on 16lb
leaders. Fly fished using sinking lines and 'Rays Angels' tied
5"-6" long. Saturday was real quiet - alot of boats on the South
side of the Island... Landed one 23#er before we left (rainbow sluggo).
Capt Greg Snow was able to raise some bonito Sat. and Sun. off West beach...
lots of bait reported. The BI Volunteer Fire Dept finished up their first
annual fishing tourney today... 38.7 lb bass won as did a 5lb fluke.
Tri State Canyon Shootout starts tomorrow AM....
July 23, 2005
Great fishing for the past week... light tackle and
fly guys have been having a ball from the boat at the North Rip, West and South
sides. The past couple days had bass sipping small shrimp and wouldn't
look at anything in the box... Guide Greg Snow threw a tandem rig with small
bonefish flies in white and hooked up time after time. One of FV Roosters
customers landed a 6.5lb fluke this week - fluking has turned around and is
pretty good. Hula landed a 5lb sea bass while testing some new rigs he
tied - guess they worked. Plugs working this week have been Bombers in
Yellow or pearl, Jumpin minnows, and spooks. Fishing's good! Next
weekend is the BI Volunteer Fire Departments first annual fishing tournament -
bass, bluefish and fluke - lots of prizes.
July 14, 2005
Action has picked up for stripers... Hula
Girl and Rooster have reported big fish (38lbs) taken trolling tubes and also
eeling. Top water action was hot the past couple days - South side in the
AM and the rip in the PM. My daughter Julia soloed her first couple bass
and bluefish at the rip Tuesday at sunset using a yellow bomber - flat
calm and the fish were on top. Bluefin were reported between SW ledge and
Montauk - two schools working bunker. Spearfishermen have reported large
schools of 30lb+ fish on the East and S.East sides. A 58lber was shot at
the rip yesterday. Fly fishing from the boat is the best way to get to
fish now. Sinking lines and the right attractor (not imitation)
work. Again we had luck with yellows, pinks, and lavenders - 1/2 &
1/2's, deceivers, clousers - all 3/0 and up.
July 7, 2005
Overall, June was slow... water temps are
still low and bait is not in abundance. But there are some large fish
around - it's just getting them to eat. Tube and worm has finally started
to work for guys trolling - colors are amber or red. Hula Girl reported
several 30#ers and a couple that went 40+. Fly fishing was tricky with
sinking lines doing the trick at Black Rock, Vail, and the Rip. Pink over
white and Chrt. over white half and halfs worked. Purple flies were
successful as well getting fish up to 36". Yellow plugs and rainbow
sluggos were working for surf casters. The North Light and the New Harbor
Channel being most productive. With the new moon a few days ago and an
incoming tide in the early morning we anticipated good fishing. We found
it best around midnight to 3 am on the outgoing... who knew. We had
reports of Bluefin within a mile or two Southeast last week and we should have a
shark report early next week with a few trips planned.
June 23, 2005
The North light has been hot this past week with several
reports of nice fish taken on surface plugs and flies from the beach and the
boat - 25 to 30lbs were the largest reported. Pink/white pencil poppers,
yellow Bombers, silver poppers, and sandeel and bunker patterns were the
ticket this week. Most of the time you just looked for the birds. Sight
fishing on the East beach has been good when the weather cooperated. Small
bluefish are inside New Harbor providing plenty of entertainment for the
youngsters. Water temps are still cool, but surface temps are 70. No
offshore news yet.
June 12, 2005
The fishing has been good this week with
stripers from the shore and boats in the twenty pound range. Shore anglers
are getting larger fish on the south side on needlefish and surface plugs.
West shore and the channel are producing fish in the teens - soft plastics are
doing the trick. Capt. Matt King on the Hula Girl had a couple 30 fish
mornings trolling and casting. Fly fisherman are having success in the
early part of the day with action close to the top. Schools of bunker have
been spotted on the east side and squid and silversides in the New Harbor
area. Blues are also around with alot of 'racers' reported.
June 4, 2005
The past two weeks have been pretty good with
the 'season' kicking off with a worm hatch that lasted three nights in the inner
ponds of New Harbor. Schoolies inundated the inner ponds gorging
themselves on worms offering the first tastes of the summer migration.
Larger fish have shown themselves West and Southwest of the Island. Our
boats would report a 25 fish day then drop to four the next. The
consistency is just coming around now. Matt King on the Hula Girl reports
parachute jigs worked well earlier but tube and worm seems to do the trick
now. Squid are everywhere... jigged a few dozen last night in less than an
hour. Pink is the color of the moment... with surface plugs working at
dusk. Size is still only in the high teens but his should change
soon.
Fluking is still good close to Charleston and South of BI. FV Rooster
reported 4 and 5 lbers regularly the past two weeks. Pink and white rigs
are working well.
May 11, 2005
Patience is a virtue.... we
keep hearing of Stripers up in Narragansett Bay and at Point Judith but they
have yet to show up on Block Island. Fluke are around however, SW Point to
Charleston beach are producing in 30-40 feet of water.