Date: 5/11/17 and 5/13/17
Location: Newport, RI
Viz: 15-25’
Temp: 54
Temp: 54
Report Contributor: Dave Gleeson
Notable Gear - Rob Allen 80cm Roller Speargun
5/11: My first dive of the year couldn’t have been much better. Viz was great despite heavy wind and a decent swell, and fish were plentiful. I probably saw close to 800 schoolies during this trip, and even managed to pick a keeper from the group with a 30” bass taken for dinner.
Tog were around as well, and I was able to get my limit without issue.
5/13: Conditions remained great out front for my second dive of the year. Alex Zygmunt, Baley Rochefort and myself dove slack low tide and the beginning of the incoming, and had great visibility ranging from 15-25’. Tog were schooled up and in good numbers, with lots of fish in the 18” range. I managed to take one male ~22” in addition to a couple smaller fish, and the three of us got out of the water with 6 nice tog.
Fluke are around, as I saw a few shorts and my dive buddy Alex Zygmunt shot a keeper @ ~21.” I also saw a few scup, but surprisingly no large schools.
There seems to be a lot of life around, with plenty of small skates, dogfish, and the largest clearnose skate I’ve ever seen.
The season is definitely upon us- finally! With only two weeks left before tog is closed for the summer, get out there and grab a few. Just try to remember to leave the big females alone, we need them to spawn if we want to keep tog around for years to come.
Happy hunting, DIVE SAFE
Dave
Props to new diver Alex Zigmunt for getting his first fish (s) this week and very nice fluke ! Way to Do It ZIG ! Nothing makes us happier at NEF Spearfishing then to see new divers getting stoked !
Be sure to check out Dave's breathtaking photography and videography at www.davegleeson.com
