Close To Home, A World Away
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the best fishing in New
England. Offshore fishing
opportunities for tuna and
shark are close by. The
Island hosts the Tri-state
canyon shootout, a pre-
mier offshore invitational
fishing tournament held
out of New Harbor each
august.
Record-sized striped
bass are caught in the
surrounding waters every
year. The rhode Island
state record striped bass
of 75 pounds, 4 ounces
was caught one mile off
the Island just this past
year. The previous record
of 70 pounds was also
caught from our beaches.
of course, even those that
don't set a record return
to the docks with record-
sized smiles on their faces.
For those looking for
firmer ground, shore
access is unrestricted
around the entire Island,
thus offering unlimited lo-
cations for surfcasters. It's
easy to find a spot without
the shoulder-to-shoulder
crowds that invade most
popular fishing destina-
tions.
during the spring and
fall the public shores
become essentially private
fishing outposts where
you can catch striped bass,
bluefish, fluke and bonito.
also on the Island are
clam flats in New Harbor
offering acres of clamming
for visitors and residents
alike. The inner ponds
provide great sheltered
kayaking waters as well
as areas for kiteboarding,
swimming, windsurfing,
wakeboarding, waterskiing
and sailing.
As winter arrives and
boating and fishing draw
to a close for the season,
our visiting boaters head
to warmer waters and lo-
cal boats are pulled from
the water. The harbor-
master's office closes up
and the fishing poles are
stored as we bid farewell
to yet another fantastic
season.
This is a bittersweet
time, but I know the boats
will be returning in the
spring, there will be more
people to meet, more fish
to be caught, and more
fun to be had.
Capt. Christopher Willi
Harbormaster