The Block Island Inshore Fishing Tournament ended Sunday with a winning striped bass measuring 51 inches caught by the “Frayed Knot” team led by Captain Richard Lipsitz of North Kingstown.
More than 90 anglers participated in the two-day event. “We doubled the number of anglers we had last year, and with a matching grant for Capt. Nick’s Rock & Roll Bar, we were able to contribute $4,350 to the Block Island Volunteer Fire & Rescue Department. “said Capt. Chris Willy. of Block Island Fishworks, the host of the tournament.
Over $10,000 in prizes, gift cards and tournament gifts were awarded at the “Afterparty”, which was held at Capt. Nick’s Rock & Roll Bar on Block Island.
There was a three-way tie for the first place team among the Frayed Knot, Green Mountain Boys and Grateful 5 teams.
The tournament included shore, fly fishing, youth and boat divisions. Striped bass and bluefish for all divisions as well as black bass and fluke for boat and youth divisions. There was also a team prize, with prizes from the Photo Division taken with the Block Island Wind Farm in the background awarded for best fish shots, best scenic shots and best team shots.
Here are the results of the tournament.
Boat Division Winners: Striped Bass – Frayed Knot – 51 inches; Bluefish – Frayed Knot – 37 inches; Fluke – Green Mountain Boys – 24.5 inches; and BSB – Green Mountain Boys – 23 inches.
Youth Division winners: Bluefish – Ashley Kalus – 23 inches; Fluke – Grateful 5 – Hayes Jansen – 18 inch; and Black Sea Bass Violet Snow – 20 inches.
Shore Division Winners: Striped Bass – Max Eicoff – 26″; Bluefish – Sean Hughes – 32 inches.
There was a fly fishing division winner: Striped Bass – Arek Zenel Walasek – 26.5 inches.
The Team category had a three-way tie between Grateful 5, Green Mountain Boys and Frayed Knot. Each team won two categories.
The winners of the photo competition: best panoramic photo, Dariusz Kolodziejczak; Best Team Photo, Grateful 5; and best fish picture, Wendy Northup.
Where’s the bite?
Striped bass and bluefish: Elisa Cahill of Snug Harbor Marina in South Kingstown said: “The bite of striped bass on Block Island and along the south coast is very good. Anglers catch large bass above slot size (28 to under 35 inches). Eels, jigging with line on the trolling, and trolling rigs with tube, worm and umbrella all work. Mike Wade of Watch Hill Outfitters said: “The reefs off Westerly are loaded with big bass. using eels. “Customers continue to catch big bass on Block Island with eels, especially at night,” said Tom Giddings of the Tackle Box in Warwick. East End Eddie Doherty said: “Blue fish have invaded the Cape Channel Cod and was caught everywhere for a few months. days (this week) from the railroad bridge to the herring trail and out to the east end… Some striped bass slot-sized and larger are periodically caught dipping pogies and other lures at the old fashioned way, as some anglers have more success in pieces than casting lures.
Summer flounder (fluke), black bass and scup: The fluke sting off Block Island wasn’t great this weekend as anglers in the Block Island Inshore Tournament struggled to connect with summer flounder. The tournament’s lucky shot for first place was a 24.5-inch summer flounder caught by the Green Mountain Boys team who also won the first-place team award, tied with two others . “The scup bite in the bay for 13 to 18 inch fish is outstanding,” Giddings said. “Fishermen hook up at Conimicut Point and Rocky Point Fishing Pier. Summer plaice are caught at the Newport and Jamestown bridges and off Newport, where a 14-pound fish and a 16-pound fish were caught last week. Cahill noted, “The punch fishing is actually much better along the coast than on Block Island. For now, I would suggest fishing closer to shore. Giddings said, “Freshwater largemouth bass fishing is now deep due to warm water with angles using the drop shot to descend. If I had the time, I would surface fish at night because these fish have surface area to eat.
