FISHING REPORT: Block Island fishing tournament beckons adventurous anglers

There is still time to register for the Block Island Inshore Fishing Tournament, which takes place within the 3-mile limit around Block Island.

“We made online registration easy and there is still time to register," said Capt. Chris Willi of Block Island Fish Works, the tournament host. "The tournament starts Saturday, July 27, 5:30 a.m., and ends Sunday, July 28, 12 noon." An After-Party will be held at Capt. Nick’s Rock & Roll Bar on Block Island from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday.

“This is a length-only tournament," Willi said. "When anglers want to make a tournament entry, they take a photo of their catch with the tournament smartphone app against the tournament-supplied ruler and send their entry in electronically. So, it is not necessary to attend the After-Party to receive your tournament prize. However, those attending the After-Party will get a chance to win one of 25 $100 tackle shop gift cards.

“Thanks to the Block Island Wind Farm/Ørsted and six tackle shop cosponsors, we can donate 100% of tournament entry fees to the Block Island Fire Department and Rescue. And we have over $10,000 in gift cards, swag and prizes with fluke, black sea bass, striped bass and bluefish categories with shore, fly fishing, youth, team and photo divisions.

Anglers can pick up participant bags at one of seven locations — Block Island Fish Works, Block Island; Ocean State Tackle, Providence; Lucky Bait & Tackle, Warren; The Tackle Box, Warwick; Snug Harbor Marina, South Kingstown; Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle, North Kingstown; and Watch Hill Outfitters, Westerly.

Registration may be made online at BI Inshore Tourney | bi-FishWorks (sandualypointco.com) or call (401) 742-3992.

Topwater light-tackle fishing seminar

There is nothing like a large striped bass crashing your surface lure and the fight that follows when using light tackle. If you want to get in on the action and learn about light-tackle techniques to target striped bass, bluefish, false albacore and bonito, you are in luck. Capt. Eric Thomas of Teezer Charters will talk about top-water light-tackle fishing on Monday, July 29, at 7 p.m. in the West Warwick Elks Lodge at 60 Clyde St. in West Warwick during a Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association seminar.

Thomas has been a charter captain for 25 years and is on the pro staff for Shimano, Yo-Zuri, PowerPro, Hummingbird, and Minn Kota. In addition to being a light-tackle specialist, he is an expert fly-fisher and fly-tier.

RISAA members are admitted free; nonmembers are asked to make a $10 donation to the RISAA scholarship fund.  Food will be served from the Elks Lodge kitchen starting at 5:30 p.m. For information, contact RISAA executive director Scott Travers at (401) 826-2121.

Where's the bite?

Striped bass, bluefish, bonito. Mike Wade of Watch Hill Outfitters, Westerly, says: “Bass fishing has been exceptionally good this year.  Customers that normally do not catch fish were listening to our advice, going out and catching nice-sized keepers.  Things have slowed, ,but the shore bite at the Breachway and places like Napatree Point are still good.” Matt Conti of Snug Harbor Marina, South Kingstown, says: “We went from every method working to catch striped bass (trolling tub & worm, umbrella rigs, surface and swimming lures, eels and bunker)  to a dead stop all around Block Island.  School-sized bass and slot fish are being caught early a.m. around Point Judith Light.”  Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle, Providence says: “The striped bass bite in the Bay is off with some fish being caught at night off Newport.”  Jeff Sullivan of Lucky Bait & Tackle, Warren, says: “We finally found some bluefish off Newport and the Sakonnet.  However, the big surprise is we now have bonito being caught off Newport and I understand they are pretty good size, too.”

Fluke (summer flounder), black sea bass and scup. I finished in the West Passage of Narragansett Bay south of the Jamestown Bridge on Tuesday and caught one fish over 19 inches, six short fluke and some exceptionally large scup off the northern tip of Dutch Island.  Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle, says: “One customer caught two nice keeper fluke fishing off the URI Bay Campus dock.”  Matt Conti of Snug Harbor says: “Fluke fishing has been off, mixed at best, with some anglers catching fish some days with squeteague caught at the North Rip, Block Island." Mike Wade of Watchill Outfitters says: We have been suggesting that customers focus on black sea bass fishing wrecks off Westerly and Charlestown.  And, they have been successful catching some nice fish for the dinner table.”

Bluefin and yellow fin tuna. Matt Conti of Snug Harbor, says: “The bluefin bite has been good at the Gully and at Tuna Ridge in the early a.m.  Anglers are hooking up with jigs as well as trolling. However, with the overcast skies and hot weather, we have dirty-water conditions, and an algae bloom all the way out to the Canyon.  But when the sun comes out, it seems to disappear.”  Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle says: “Anglers are catching Big eye, yellow fin and giant bluefin tuna, but are having to travel far off shore to catch them.

“Freshwater fishing has been pretty good if you fish before sunrise or at night as the water is warm.  Earlier this week, fishing at night, I caught a 6.5-pound largemouth,” says Jeff Sullivan of Lucky Bait.

Dave Monti holds a master captain’s license and charter fishing license. He serves on a variety of boards and commissions and has a consulting business that focuses on clean oceans, habitat preservation, conservation, renewable energy and fisheries-related issues and clients. Forward fishing news and photos to dmontifish@verizon.net or visit noflukefishing.com .

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: FISHING REPORT: Block Island fishing tournament beckons adventurous anglers