Continuing my quest for striped bass along the New England coast, I was very lucky to find Greg Snow (www.snowflycharters.com), who combines light tackle and quality fish, not to mention catch-and-release. Greg also only fishes by casting artificial lures, which was different from the live bait and trolling techniques I had used elsewhere.
The striped bass did not cooperate, but the famous Block Island bluefish most certainly did. While considered an annoyance to live-bait fishermen and a disappointment to many would-be striper fishermen, sizable bluefish are very fun to catch. They are aggressive and make many runs when hooked. The bluefish I catch in the Chesapeake can be exciting, but are not particularly big. However, the Block Island bluefish have size to them, which makes the fight even more enjoyable. I caught 10 bluefish, with the biggest being a 33-inch, 10-pounder, easily my personal best bluefish and an inch longer than the catch and release minimum for a Rhode Island Game Fish Award.
