Professional Hooker

This episode we have on Captain Coral aka professional hooker, and we talk about how she got into fishing and becoming a Captin, what it’s like fishing with her off Rhode Island coast and in the Northeast, as well as talk about the hot topic of striper fishing and how we should try to protect more of the northeast fishery. 

Look her up on IG @professional.hooker and go book your next northeast fishing adventure 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Welcome back to another episode of the Blue Hen Outdoors Podcast. I'm pleased and pleasured to have with us tonight Miss Captain Coral. How are you doing tonight, ma'am?

SPEAKER_02 0:14

Very good. How are you?

SPEAKER_00 0:15

Alright, you know, it's one of them days you gotta keep the lick and keep on ticking. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_02 0:20

Yeah, I'm ready to talk fishing.

SPEAKER_00 0:22

Oh yeah, so ready to talk some fishing. Getting ready to start heating up here soon.

SPEAKER_02 0:27

Yep, here, same here.

SPEAKER_00 0:29

Oh yeah. Let's get this started with how did you get your start into fishing in the first place?

SPEAKER_02 0:37

Um, well, my dad um was a commercial fisherman long before I was born. Um, and then in 1995, he started uh the charter business. He um stopped doing commercial and went over to the charter side. Uh, I was born a year later and I basically just grew up in it. Um, he never uh forced it on me. A lot of people always think that, you know, um uh he he kind of like not forced it, but you know, put it, put it into me and and you know, had me fishing with him and which he did as a kid, but it was never like it just came organically, naturally. And I ended up really liking it. Um and then at age 14, I started working for him on the boat, and that was kind of a learning curve because he wasn't sure how that was gonna work out. You know, I'm gonna I'm a girl, I was 14. He was used to having, you know, grown men work the deck, and he said, Oh, I don't know. But of course, you know, I'm his daughter, so he wanted to support me in any way that you know I wanted. And um, so yeah, I started working on the boat, and then gradually um I really took a liking to it and he saw that, and now here I am um 16 years later, still working on the boat, and now I'm captaining the boat when I have been for the last three years.

SPEAKER_00 1:46

Awesome, awesome.

SPEAKER_02 1:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:50

So what was it like getting in being in the process of like going to be a captain?

SPEAKER_02 1:56

Um, it it wasn't really too difficult just because I've had, you know, so much experience and I've been doing this for so long. Um, you know, I went and I took a course for a month and um I got my hundred-ton license because I had the C time uh to do so. So I decided to just go for the bigger license instead of the six-pack. And um, so yeah, I did that. I took the the tests, and uh the paperwork is probably the most difficult part because there's so much paperwork you had to fill out. And um, and yeah, so here I am.

SPEAKER_00 2:28

Awesome, awesome. So, what kind of charters do you do up there in Rhode Island, right? You're in Rhode Island.

SPEAKER_02 2:35

Yeah, Rhode Island. Um, so we do a lot of inshore stuff. Um, we have a really awesome fishery. We do a lot of striped bass fishing. Um, Tatog, um, also known as blackfish, is a very popular fish. A lot of people come from all over, uh, like especially New Jersey and New York, and they come down and they like to do that in the fall. Uh, we have a great, you know, bottom fishery for black sea bass. We do a lot of fluke fishing. Um, and then sometimes we dabble in the tuna um when they kind of come in within range. I mean, we don't have a fast boat, we're not in a center console, we're running a traditional downy style boat, which is uh, I guess you can kind of call it like a lobster yacht. So it only steams around 12 knots. So when the uh when the tuna come in within range, like the rec-sized bluefin within 30 miles, then we'll make that steam out there. Um takes us about three hours, and uh, we'll do some tuna fishing.

SPEAKER_00 3:26

Nice, nice. Which out of those is your favorite to go for?

SPEAKER_02 3:30

Uh, I think t'og would definitely be my favorite. Um, and then second would be striped bass, because of course striped bass is like a New England staple. It's we're known for our stripers, but we're also known for our Tatog fishery. So um, I think that Tatog are super fun. They're uh really hardy fish. You fish for them on the bottom using bait, using crabs. Um, and I like to use a lot of light tackle, and uh they put up a they put up a really good fight.

SPEAKER_00 3:57

Oh, yeah, for sure. Pardon me. The um so what's a typical charter look like going out with you?

SPEAKER_02 4:09

Um, so a lot of our clientele, uh, especially in the summertime, are a lot of tourists. So they're on vacation because of course um I'm out of Newport, Rhode Island, and Newport is a major tourist attraction. Um so we get a lot of tourists, we got a lot of families, um, and usually we'll do two trips a day, uh seven days a week, all the way from now until uh the end of November. And um, yeah, we'll go out most of the time, they're half day trips. So we'll go out for four hours. Um, sometimes we'll do full days, which are six hours, and then we'll come into the dock, have a quick lunch, and then go back out. Um, so it's pretty hectic during um during the summer, and uh, and then it gets real hectic again during the fall. In the fall, we get um a lot more avid fishermen. They bring their own gear. You know, we're out there for eight hours. Uh, they usually book two trips back to back. Um, so it's kind of a nice mix. Like, you know, when I'm kind of had it, not that I've had it with the tourists, but you know, after a while it's nice to get people after you've had um a lot of inexperienced people on the boat to get those avid people in the fall. And it kind of mixes it up a little bit.

SPEAKER_00 5:11

Oh, yeah, for sure. What's it like kind of juggling the people that aren't as experienced and like the quote unquote tourist in the summertime?

SPEAKER_02 5:19

Um, honestly, I enjoy it. I it's fun, and you know, quite frankly, to be honest, they're easy to wow. So, you know, their expectations are a lot lower than ours, and sometimes I have to remember that. Like a slow day for me, and we're on our way back in. They're like, that was great. And I'm like, really? I'm like, but I have to remember, you know, they don't they don't do this a lot, and um, so it's nice, it's nice to to put people on fish, it create memories, and uh, you know, they're on vacation and they're you know, something that they'll talk about, you know, for years. So it's it's a good feeling.

SPEAKER_00 5:53

Awesome, awesome. What was it like when you first started out as a female captain, quote unquote, trying to earn your stripes with people?

SPEAKER_02 6:03

Oh man, um, I get this question all the time, and um, you know, it's um it was hard. It was nice no way to really go around it. It it's hard, it still is. You know, the industry is male dominated, and it probably always will be. Um, but I've noticed over the years that there's a lot more women in this industry, and I think, or hopefully, I I think I've helped uh some women get into it. And um, you know, I always like to be that support for them. And um, I get a lot of questions from women are how how did you get into it? How do you navigate, you know, being in like a dominated field like that when you're like the minority? And you know, it's I think the special thing is that we as women kind of make it special, you know, like there's always gonna be someone who doubts you, or someone who you might look at you and think, oh, well, you know, she's a girl, she can't catch as nearly as many fish as a guy could, and then they'll come out fishing with me, and then you know, I I can prove them wrong. And I at first, when I first started doing it, I was extremely shy and I wasn't as confident and I really felt like I had to prove myself. And now here I am, you know, 16 years later and you know, been running the boat for three years, I don't really feel that anymore. Um, you know, if I if I have a good uh a bad trip, um I don't like blame it on myself, like oh, or some, you know, it's just fishing. You know, everyone, every even the best captains, you know, struggle sometimes. And I think in the beginning I used to think, you know, oh, they're gonna think it was because I'm a girl and that's why the trip wasn't as good or or something. But I've kind of gotten past that and um, you know, just felt more confident in what I do.

SPEAKER_00 7:39

Oh, yeah, for sure. Definitely it being a male-dominated kind of industry, like it is kind of hard to make a name for yourself, but you definitely have. I mean, I've seen some of your stuff on social media and been following you for a little bit on social media. I'm like, huh, okay, she knows what she's doing. Not saying that you did that before, but I'm just like, oh, like that just kind of like it's like it's it's cool to see the chick doing that because you don't see it every day.

SPEAKER_02 8:04

Yeah, no, and it's it's um, you know, I think some women, you know, I don't like to say this, but because I'm supportive of all women doing it, but I think a lot of women sometimes will post just for the the fact of posting on Instagram and say coming like a fad to be in the fishing fishing world. And um, you know, sometimes I think they might see me and you know, they're not really sure how uh, you know, if I really know what I'm doing or not, you know, because it's like there's social media can be deceiving sometimes. Um, you know, and so I like to just, you know, put on a show when they're on the boat and um they, you know, they they backs it up, you know.

SPEAKER_00 8:44

Oh, yeah, for sure. I also love how your Instagram's kind of like a play on words, the professional hooker. That's yeah, that made me chuckle the first time I've seen that.

SPEAKER_02 8:53

Yeah, no, I and the people always ask me, like, oh, that's a great name. Like, why'd you pick that? I'm like, well, I wanted something different because I've seen so many people, it's like fishing with blank, you know, or like hooked on blank. I'm like, I want something that stands out. So I decided when I had my artist, we came up with that logo together. I had the vision in my mind, and I told him, I said, you know what, play on the hooker part as much as you want, because I'm someone who doesn't really post um, you know, fish bra pics or you know, bikini pictures out there or doing things like that. So I was like, play up on as much as you want. I think it would make it a lot more funnier because I'm like fully clothed in my bibs and uh you know, just out there dirty and you know, just doing my thing.

SPEAKER_00 9:34

So oh yeah, for sure. Was there any um kind of pushback at first when you first started being a captain, like from people or if were any people giving you a hard time? I mean, I assume they were, but from like your kind of point of view.

SPEAKER_02 9:51

Yeah, I mean, at that point, I had already been in the industry for so long that although I didn't have the license uh leading up to I got I've had my license now for uh gosh, I guess it is going on four years, um, four years now. Uh I was in the industry for so long prior to that that people already knew kind of who I was, and I think I kind of, you know, um made a name for myself by that point. Um, so I think I think the most of the majority of any kind of hate I get is from outside people, meaning people online um that don't know who I am. Um, but for the most part of the circle of being in Rhode Island, um, you know, it's all it's all good, it's all love.

SPEAKER_00 10:30

Oh yeah, for sure. I mean, we kind of touched on a little bit, but how do you see yourself as like a female captain being an inspiration to others or like trying to spread, hey, it's not just the the man's industry. Like, how do you like try to spread that and advertise that?

SPEAKER_02 10:50

Um, well, I I do a lot of podcasts. I've been on quite a few, and um, I like to bring this topic up um if they ask me, and then I like to make sure that if any woman is watching it, they know um, you know, it's it's okay it's okay to go after something that wasn't originally made for you. And um, you know, I think to me, I I didn't have any really female um captains or women in the industry to look up to besides one that I can think of that is um out of Little Compton, Rhode Island. And her name is Corey Wheeler, and she was uh she's very salty and she is a huge inspiration to me. Um, but other than that, I didn't really have too many people to look up to. And um I kind of just led my own path and hoping that, you know, maybe someone might see me and think, oh, you know, I can get into this too. And um, because I didn't have that. So it it might be nice for someone else to see that and um you know, also to add that I am girly, like I still like all the girly things that normal girls like, um, but I also just like to fish. And it's okay to be both, you know, you don't have to like be a certain way or or look a certain way to be able to catch fish.

SPEAKER_00 12:00

Oh, yeah, for sure. And I also love how like not just women in general, but like the fishing and also on the hunting side of things, it's like they're being more accepting. There's more women coming into the industries, like it's kind of being a bigger thing now, especially with the quote unquote resurgence of fishing and hunting after uh well, I say it's after COVID, like the big boom happened.

SPEAKER_02 12:26

Yep, yep, definitely, yeah, definitely a surge after COVID for sure. Everyone all of a sudden everyone was out on the water. Um, but yeah, it's it's a good thing. And um, you know, I think sometimes to me, although I try to keep in mind that other people are watching me, like women and uh, you know, maybe younger people, and to me, it's like just my this is just my life, you know. I just I grew up doing this, I love it, and sometimes I forget that, you know, it's you know, I I try to stay, you know, down to earth. And but some people they'll come up to me and and I'll and they'll be like, I've had young girls come up to me if I go to a fishing show or something, and they're like, hey, like we want to take a picture. And I'm like, why do they want a picture with me? But then I have to remember, you know, they don't see that, they're seeing men out there. So for as a young girl to come up to another uh for to come up to me, it's it it's nice and it makes me feel like you know, I'm kind of set in a path there because that would have been really awesome if when I was younger I saw that, but I didn't.

SPEAKER_00 13:25

Oh yeah, for sure. What's it I'm glad you kind of touched on that. What's it like when you guys go when well you guys when you go to shows and try to like interact with people and like what's that kind of uh interaction slash reciprocation like?

SPEAKER_02 13:38

Yeah, so um sometimes, you know, I I've built, you know, the Instagram thing. I started that a while ago and um I didn't expect it to take off like it did. And it got me a lot of deals. I got sponsorship at Dio. Um I was you know sponsored by Grundens. Um, and um I wasn't really expecting it to take off like that. So I sometimes don't, you know, see it as anything special, but like social media is just a wild place. And um, you know, you can really, you know, people, your name gets out there, you know, so much faster. And you know, people come up to me like, hey, I follow you. It's like sometimes it's like weird to me. I'm like, you do? I'm like, do you know who I am? They're like, yeah. I'm like, wow, that's cool. You know, it's like I don't, you know, I'm just a regular person. I just like to fish. I just show what I do. And um, I think people, you know, kind of connect to me in a way because I'm not, I try and I hate when people call me an influencer. I hate that word. I hate when people say it and I I'm not influencer. I just post my stuff, I just post what I do. Um, and that's why I'm super picky with, you know, if anyone reaches out and is like, hey, if you make a video, I'll give you a free product. And it's like I have to actually like the product, I have to use it in my day-to-day basis for me to even promote it. As if I I don't want to be labeled as that, you know. I'm just doing my thing here and wherever it takes me, it's it takes me. And um, so yeah, yeah, the social media thing's been pretty wild. And uh even getting charter guests, we'll get chartered guests, and they're from gosh, all over the world, Texas, Ohio, anywhere, and they're like, you know, how'd you find out about us? And they'll be like well, I follow you on social media, and I'm like, wow, really? You know, they're like, Yeah, we want to come fish with you. I think that is just so cool. It's just it's still cool hearing it. I I it does it doesn't get old, it's just it amazes me.

SPEAKER_00 15:24

Oh, yeah, for sure. That's awesome that you have like such that presence on social media that you have people wanting to come from here, there, and everywhere to come fish with you and like come experience the greatest, in my opinion, the East Coast in general, like because I'm down in Delaware, so like from where I'm at uh the Chesapeake and Delaware bays up to New England, it's like one of the greatest fisheries, in my opinion.

SPEAKER_02 15:47

Oh, yeah, definitely. We have an awesome fishery, and you know, I think we're in the best place.

SPEAKER_00 15:52

Oh, yeah, for sure. So you said you've mentioned you kind of go out in the fall a little bit. What's that kind of like gauging the conditions sometimes? Because I know like around here it can be hit or miss with like it'll be cold and then it'll be hot and then it'll be cold.

SPEAKER_02 16:10

Yeah, we um the temperature is pretty steady. Um, it's more so the wind. Like last fall we had an awful fall and it was like windy every day. And I don't I don't just mean like you know, 20 mile an hour knots. It was like gale force winds every day, and that was really a struggle. Um, you know, luckily we have lots of places to fish where I'm out of, and we can tuck in if we need to go up the bay um to get out of the sea conditions, or there's a lot of different little nooks and crannies you can kind of tuck into and uh to tog fish. And um, luckily we have a spot lock on our boat. So we're able to, you know, fish, fish really tight. Uh, we're able to fish wrecks, um, you know, places that we normally wouldn't be able to fish if you just had an anchor. So that's definitely helped us. But the weather has definitely been a little challenging, and especially even this year, the weather has been crazy. We have 30 mile an hour winds right now. Uh, I was supposed to go fishing today, but we couldn't go. So hopefully this isn't gonna be a trend. Um, but we'll see. I don't know. I don't want to jinx it.

SPEAKER_00 17:14

Oh, yeah, for sure. What um? So you're in New England and uh, you know, kinda I'm kind of like the more southern part of that area. Bread and butter in our area is striped bass. What's your opinion on everything that's been kind of popping off with striped bass recently?

SPEAKER_02 17:41

You mean the spawns, is that what you're asking? Like the the the decline there, they the the question of decline in the fish.

SPEAKER_00 17:48

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 17:50

Yeah. Oh man. Um, this is like a sensitive topic for a lot of people. And um, you know, I'm actually on the Rhode Island Fisheries Council, so I help make the regulations and help pass things. Um, and it's uh it means a lot to me. And I that I actually went to school for that. I have a degree in marine fisheries science. Um, so I think a lot of people don't realize that that I'm kind of on both sides of the spectrum there. But as far as the stripers go, I don't know. I uh I can't say that I've seen a decrease in the population personally, um, just from being out there all the time. Uh it seems like we're getting more and more every year. Um, but I will say that there's definitely um less smaller fish. So we're definitely seeing a lot of big fish. And I don't know if that's, you know, uh because of our slot limit that we've had for the last, I think it's been five years now. Don't I'm not, I'm not, I'm not sure. At the time, just I don't even know what what day it is right now. But um we've had a slot limit of 28 to 35. Uh that was the first one, and now the one we have now is 28 to 31, which is pretty much the whole East Coast has that. Um, so I'm not sure if that slot limit has um is the reason why we're seeing bigger fish because they're not being taken as much, because the only people that can take them is commercial. Um, but I don't know. I it's hard, it's hard to say, and I think, you know, I think in the next couple of years we'll really be able to, you know, see what's going on. I just I don't know. I I'm like sometimes I'm for the argument of that, you know, the it's declining, and then sometimes I'm like, I don't know, I don't see it. So I don't know, everyone has a different opinion on it. Um as of right now, I think there's plenty of them. Um, and we'll just have to hope and see, you know.

SPEAKER_00 19:35

Oh yeah. I mean, I'm kind of like on both sides of the spectrum. Like you are it's like, you know, some days it's like, oh yeah, I can see like it's a decline, or it's like, oh well, you know, it's like like you said, there's bigger fish, there's more bigger fish now than in my opinion, kind of ever that I've seen being caught recently within the past couple years. So it's like, you know, it uh is the slot limit really kind of doing its thing. And then I've also heard from a couple guys, especially some people that I know up in New Jersey, they're like Well, the migrations have been kind of not what they used to be. It's like, you know, you'll be seeing people catch 'em 30 miles offshore where you're going to catch tuna, or it's like, you know, they're going way more north than they have before. It's more south than they have before.

SPEAKER_01 20:24

Right.

SPEAKER_00 20:24

And it's like, do they kind of get stuck and lost when they do that, or do they kind of like it's kind of like a big whole toss-up thing?

SPEAKER_02 20:32

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I I think it's I think it's it's valid and it's uh a point to just remember that, you know, they have tails, they can do what they want, things change, you know. They a place that they may have gone to, they're going somewhere else now, you know. Um, climate is different, and um, as much as people want to say it's not, it is. I mean, we get we every year we're getting more and more tropical fish um up here in the summertime. So everything plays a role. You know, the stripers could be going more more north, you know, and um I don't know. I we'll just have to see. I I for for now I think that it's okay. I just I I have I can say that um there are less smaller fish. And I don't know if that's because we're just they're not coming to us or or if the spawn is off like they they think it is, um, you know, but I also think that you know they they change patterns, and I think that maybe it it is possible that they're spawning somewhere else, um, you know, and and doing different things, you know, anything's really possible. They can do whatever they want, you know.

SPEAKER_00 21:36

So oh yeah, for sure. Now, when you say you guys have more tropical fish come on up, you're right. Do you mean like Mahi and like Wahoo and stuff like that?

SPEAKER_02 21:44

No, we have no that we have those. You just have to go out um a little further for those for that that thermocline that they're in. But um, I mean like um we get trigger fish, you know. Those are those are you know mainly a tropical fish. We get those. We also have been getting Um oh god, the name is escaping me. Um, cobia.

unknown 22:05

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 22:07

Someone, I think someone did caught a cobia not long ago. It's like you know, happens a few times. And um, the craziest thing that happened last year, which is not the first time it's happened, it doesn't happen a lot, but we got um someone was surf casting for straight bass around, I believe it was in the spring. I'm not sure. Um, but they caught a tarpon.

SPEAKER_00 22:25

Really?

SPEAKER_02 22:26

A tarpon from the surf, yes. And then he had it was real. He had a picture of it, um, and and it was crazy. I mean, it just makes you wonder like why that fish was up here. You know, the water had to been warm enough for it to come up here. I mean, I don't usually you hear of those in, you know, Bahamas, Florida. Yeah, you know, not to say that they're all there's a population up here, but you know, it's just interesting, you know, things that that that happen.

SPEAKER_00 22:51

Oh, yeah. I mean, I've definitely like on the Kobe side of things, because I I remember growing up like kind of like down by uh Cape Charles and um like Virginia Beach area was like really big for Kobe as far as like them coming up as far north up here. But now you kind of see more guys catching them off of like Jersey, Delaware.

SPEAKER_02 23:15

Yeah, I was gonna say I think I've seen guys pictures of people catching them in Jersey. Yeah, but wow, tarpon.

SPEAKER_00 23:22

That's kind of like that's wild. Yeah, that is really wild to have them come that this that far north as far as you guys.

SPEAKER_02 23:30

I I can't imagine what the the I think it was a young kid caught at uh surf casting for stripers and he hooks into that. I would have been in disbelief. Yeah, but it was a good size one too.

SPEAKER_00 23:41

Oh wow, that's wow. Um that just kind of threw me off for a second.

SPEAKER_02 23:46

Wow, yeah. No, it is. It's crazy. I remember when I told my dad, I was like, Did you know there was a tarpin caught at so and so? And he was like, What? And I had to show him the picture, it was going around, and everyone was talking about it. Yeah, it's pretty cool.

SPEAKER_00 24:00

Well, I mean, I I don't even know about you guys up there, but like that's kind of like been a thing like around here. Like people are catching uh thresher sharks kind of more inland than they have in years.

SPEAKER_02 24:12

Yeah, we're a lot of sharks lately. Uh the last couple years, definitely an increase. Um, I mean, we're even getting Mako sharks right in right in, you know, in the inshore grounds. A lot of duskies, um, you know, obviously blue sharks, but we've always had those um thresher sharks. Um occasionally we see great whites. Um, you know, we have the seal population, it's definitely increasing. Um, and uh hopefully it doesn't end up like Cape Cod, but you know, you never know. They protect the seals are protected, so yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:46

Oh yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_02 24:47

That would that would scare a lot of people.

SPEAKER_00 24:49

Yeah, that's another thing that kind of also was like when I first kind of started hunting and fishing in New Jersey, it's like you see the signs for the seals. I'm like, what? I'm like, I've never seen a seal before.

SPEAKER_02 25:02

I still haven't seen one yet, but it's like no, you'll now that we talked about it, you're probably gonna see one this year.

SPEAKER_00 25:08

It it's just wild to me. I'm like, wow, seals are this far south? Like, I know that they've been up north on like Cape Cod and around Maine and like kind of like a little bit more north of your area, but I was like, wow, seals come down that far, or like they're down this far.

SPEAKER_02 25:22

Yeah, no, the last few years I've seen a lot of seals. It's like normal, like before it'd be like, Oh, look, a seal. Now it's like, oh, it's a seal, you know, it's like a normal thing now. And same thing with the sharks. It used to be kind of like a random thing when you we'd uh you know be striper fishing and we'd hook into a shark, you'd be like, Oh my gosh, we have a shark on, you know, just not that we don't have them, but not they don't really come in that that you know close to shore. I mean, I'm talking like a half a mile off the beach. Um, but you know, they're coming in, there's bait, they're gonna come in, you know.

SPEAKER_00 25:51

Oh, yeah, for sure. They're they definitely follow the bait schools.

SPEAKER_02 25:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:56

What um if you have any cool or interesting stories to share, do you have any funny, wild, interesting stories of being a captain?

SPEAKER_02 26:07

Gosh, I do. I have so many, but it's hard to think sometimes because there's so many of them. Um interesting. Well, one time, uh, this was a few years ago, uh, we were reeling in a stripe bass. We were probably a half a mile off the beach in 30 feet of water. Um, guys reeling in the striper, uh, no problem. It was probably like, I don't know, 35 inches or so. He has it close to the boat, and all of a sudden the line starts going out the other way. And my dad's like yelling at him, like, come on, get that fish in. Like, what are you doing? He's like, I can't, it's going, the line's going the other way. I'm like, what are you talking about? Sure enough, his line's peeling off, and we just see this dark mass uh like dart across the stern of the boat. It was so close, and then it it went away, and then the few started reeling the fish in, and it was there. And um, the whole fish was like descaled. There was not a single, it wasn't a shark, there was a giant tuna. So a giant tuna had grabbed it um right off the stern of the boat, had the whole striper, a 35-inch striper in its mouth, and the striper came back almost completely descaled. Um, and that it was pretty cool. And um, I have I have a couple tuna stories. And one time we were anchored, and um, you know, we get giant tuna, they come in really close um to shore. And uh we were on anchor, and you know, I'm seeing like these little like the skip jack baits kind of come out of the water because sometimes they come in and they're like flying out of the water, and I'm watching it, and I see birds, and I'm just kind of like, you know, keeping an eye on it. Next thing I know, but gosh, it had to have been probably 800-pound tuna came right up on the side of the boat chasing the bait. It it came down so hard it waked the boat because we were on anchor, the boat started going back and forth. It was like it waked us from coming out of the water chasing the bait, and I was the only one who saw it. Um, everyone else like was just not turned in the right direction. I was like, Did anyone just see that? Like, no, what happened? I'm like, 800 pound tuna, just I literally could have touched it if my hand was out. It was pretty cool.

SPEAKER_00 28:07

That's that's cool. Yeah, that was pretty cool, especially how you're saying like you're anchored up and like before, like with the striped bass one, it was like 30 feet of water. So he never like, I mean, me personally, I would never think of tuna coming in that close.

SPEAKER_02 28:21

Yeah, you know, they they they can come in pretty close. I mean, if there's bait there, they're gonna chase it, you know, as long as they have enough water. Um, but yeah, that was a pretty cool, uh cool uh thing that happened. Um, and this another's another thing is last year talking uh going back to the the striped bass and how big they've gotten, and um definitely seeing a lot of big ones. And the last few years we've caught a lot of fish that are in you know solid in the 50-pound range. Um and last year we ended up catching two that were 62 pounds, uh, which was wild. And um that was that was cool. The first one that we caught, um, you know, we were happy with that. We were like, you know what, this might be the biggest one we see. And you know, because that that's a trophy fish, a sick a fish that's in the 60-pound range, you know, a real 60-pound fish um is a trophy fish. And my dad and I are both happy with that and thinking you know, if we don't catch one this big again, I'm okay with that. And then uh a week later, uh, we caught another one that was almost identical uh to the first one we caught the week prior, and we were just like, oh my gosh. Um, but that was pretty awesome. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 29:25

Oh yeah, that's wow, the 60-pound stripe bass. I I've only seen them get up to 45, maybe 50 pounds.

SPEAKER_02 29:35

Yeah, yeah, no, it looked fake. Like we I had I had to get onto the swim platform to net it. Um, so I'm I jump over the stern, I'm on the swim platform, I'm trying to net it. It's a barely like doesn't really fit in the net. I'm just trying to maneuver, it's the biggest net that we have, and um, yeah, it looked fake. And uh, we were my dad and I were just like, what the heck? It looked like a cartoon, like it was just so big and like goofy looking almost. It was just it was crazy.

SPEAKER_00 30:01

Oh yeah. If you could change any fishing regulations or anything in the fishing like rules rolled up there, would would you change anything or would you just kind of leave it how it is?

SPEAKER_02 30:15

Oh, I've definitely changed. Um, well, first of all, I think um, well, we're on the right track with the sea bass. Um, the sea bass was kind of shut off for us um up until uh I don't know, I think it was like the second week of June. And um recreational fishermen could keep them in May. Um, so we're on the right track there. We are allowed to keep them now earlier. Um I think there's plenty of sea bass. And quite frankly, I think they eat up a lot of you know, little lobsters and things like that because they're just kind of like a vacuum down there. Um, so that's that is a good thing that we're on the right path. But another thing that I really passionate about is the Tatog fishery. And um we have a good fishery, but it's not gonna last because you know, you I'm sure you've fished for Tatog, right?

SPEAKER_01 31:01

You you know, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 31:02

And um, you know, they are slow growing. They don't, they they live a long time and they just don't grow very much. It takes them, you know, a long time to even get to, you know, if you caught a double digit, that fish is, gosh, could be anywhere from 20 to 30 years old. And um, I think what's happening over the last, I don't know, five or six years, it's become this um this big thing. Tatog has been this big thing and to tag's been around forever. I mean, my dad was catching them, you know, in the 90s, you know, it was a thing, but people weren't into them like they are now. And, you know, we get a lot of clientele that come up, you know, from even your area of New Jersey, New York, and they want to fish for them, and that's fine and all. But the problem is that a lot of out-of-state boats have been coming in to Rhode Island waters and they're allowed to come here, I think, for a small fee of $200. And they fish here, and you know, some of them are headboats, so they can pack on like 30 people on a boat. And since the fishery is so good, you know, it's very easy for them to get daily limits. And, you know, if you do the math on that, you know, that's a lot of fish to be taken day after day from October to the end of November, you know. And I just I'm nervous that that's not gonna sustain itself in the long run. And I hope that we can be more proactive instead of reactive, because a lot of times fishing regulations are reacting to what's happening. And I think that it's important to recognize that and um try to come together and make a change before it's too late because it would be really unfortunate because uh the fishery we have here for it to talk is unbelievable, but uh, it won't be like that forever if uh you know something doesn't change.

SPEAKER_00 32:43

Oh, yeah, for sure. And I I can definitely concur with you on that. That I mean shit. I remember hearing stories of my pop-up catching talk in the um like down by the beaches in the lower Delaware Bay area back in like 60s, 70s. And it's and it's like now all of a sudden they're popular. It's like it's it's like really popular.

SPEAKER_02 33:09

Oh, yeah. You know, then all of a sudden people people just discovered it or something, you know. Um and I don't blame them. It's it's my favorite. I I get it. I get I get the obsession because I am obsessed with them too. But I just, you know, I would just like to see some some kind of change there. And we did we did try to as collectively, uh, as charter, you know, Rhode Island Charter captains, we did come together a few years ago um and proposed some some things to the regulation to uh you know the the DEM and hoping that there would be some kind of change. Um and it was kind of going in the right direction, but it didn't really get to where we wanted it to get. And um hopefully people haven't given up because I don't want that that fishery to go down the drain.

SPEAKER_00 33:50

Oh yeah, no, for sure. I mean to we guys call them ta talk. We down here we call them just tog, but no, we call them that too, yeah. Um, but no, they definitely are special, cool, unique kind of fish, especially in our fishery. And it's like you don't want to see anything like that go away because like they they are their own special right.

SPEAKER_02 34:10

And I I think what's different about them too is you know, for many other fish is that they don't migrate, you know, like strapers, you know. Yeah, the tog that are here are here, you know, with the they live here. Um, you know, I've tagged a few of them and I've had people catch my tagged fish and they catch them in the same place I put them back. Um, so they're not like you know, this is this is our stock here, you know. So if these get depleted, and it would take a long time for it to to regrow itself, especially since they grow so slow.

SPEAKER_00 34:40

Oh yeah, for sure. And like I'm not too sure the size limit down here, but I I can concur with you on that if anything, they should for like the limit that you keep, the shot the size should be a little bit bigger.

SPEAKER_02 34:55

Yeah, we're at 16, which I think 16 is an appropriate size. Um, but we have uh 16 uh minimum, and then you can keep three per person um in the early fall, and then once you hit October 15th, it switches to five per person. And quite frankly, I'd like to see it stay at the three per person. I think that's plenty of fish, and you know, I just don't think it's necessary. And and another thing is a lot of a lot of guys though, I will say, um, in Rhode Island are they all they all want to keep the fishery. I mean, especially the guys here from Rhode Island. You know, we we all see how special it is, and a lot of us um put back double digits. So it's a rule on our boat. If you come fishing on our boat, you catch a double digit, it goes back in the water. Unless for some reason, you know, you hooked it weird or it's bleeding out or something, it's not gonna make it. But um double digits go back um unless you might have a state record, then you know, we put it in the live well, bring it in and then bring it back. Because you know, people people do do that because they are pretty hardy fish. They can they can sit in the live well and and uh get weight and come back to the water, and usually they're pretty good.

SPEAKER_00 36:01

Oh, yeah, for sure.

unknown 36:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 36:04

Well, I have one final question for you as we get ready to wrap up. And my favorite question I love asking all my guests when they come on. And it is what is your why that keeps bringing you back for more?

SPEAKER_02 36:19

Um, well, I guess the why would be, you know, people who fish can relate to this. Uh, when you have one of those spectacular days, and no matter what you do, it doesn't matter. And you you're catching fish from the time you get out there to the time you, you know, you get back to the dock. And um, it's just like one of those, one of those fishing trips that's just like, wow, this is why I fish. And I feel like um every fishman can relate to that. And we're always chasing that day, you know, hoping that it's gonna happen again. And um that's that's one of my reasons. Another reason would be is uh fishing is almost like meditation to me. And it's it's an escape from the world. And I'm sure people who hunt or even people who golf, any kind of thing that you are into a hobby, um, it takes you away for a minute, you know, or the time you're on the boat. And like when I'm fishing, I'm only thinking about the fish, you know, every everything else, all the other problems kind of go away. And um, it allows me to escape and just be out there in the blue and see things that you know people only see on TV. And it's just it's special.

SPEAKER_00 37:20

Oh, yeah, for sure, for sure. I love it. Well, do you have any last shout outs, plugs, anywhere that people could find you at for a charter that you want to throw out before we head out?

SPEAKER_02 37:31

Sure. Yeah. So um I do have a website, it's www.sarastarcharters.com. Um, all our information is on there, details, um, pricing, pictures, things like that. Um, all charters are done over the phone. So the number is on the website, and you just give us a call and uh we book you over the phone. We like to talk to people, we don't do anything online. Um, and then we also have Sarastar Charters uh Instagram, which I post all of our catches on there, and then of course my Instagram, which is professional.hooker, where I post uh a lot of my catches and a lot of behind-the-scenes content of what's happening on the boat.

SPEAKER_00 38:07

Awesome. Well, thank you again, Catherine Coral, for coming on.

SPEAKER_02 38:12

Yeah, thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_00 38:14

Um, I always like to give the invite if you're around the area, hit me up. We can get on some fish or for sure. Get it get into some as I call shenanigans around here.

unknown 38:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 38:27

I I'll definitely have to hit you up because I'm planning on going up uh your way sometime this summer eventually.

SPEAKER_02 38:33

Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_00 38:35

Be around the Lower Rhode Island, Massachusetts area. Are you guys above or below Massachusetts?

SPEAKER_02 38:42

Um well I guess it depends on below, because we're you know, we're on the water. Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_00 38:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 38:51

I I'm not good with with maps. Don't ask me questions. Maps and math, don't ask me because I might look stupid.

SPEAKER_00 38:59

Oh yeah, but I'm definitely well, I'm definitely planning to get up around like the Mass Rhode Island area the summer at some point.

SPEAKER_02 39:05

You're right on the line. Mass is on the line of us. It just depends on where where you're talking, where you're going.

SPEAKER_00 39:10

Yeah, so I'll definitely have to hit you up if I'm up that way or when I'm up that way.

SPEAKER_02 39:14

Yeah, you know where to find me.

SPEAKER_00 39:16

Oh, yeah, for sure. Well, thank you again for coming on, and thank you all for another episode of the Blue Hen Outdoors Podcast.