FISHING REPORT More you fish, the better your mental health
“I like to spend time outdoors” apparently is the No.1 reason why anglers like to fish, selected by 88% of anglers polled.
“Many people love to spend their free time on the water with friends and family,” said Rob Southwick, president of Southwick Associates, a research firm that specializes in recreational outdoor research at Southwick Associates — Hunting Shooting Fishing Market Research.
The desire to be outdoors was followed by “I like to spend time on or near the water,” which was noted by 84%. The challenge experienced when fishing, selected by 80% of respondents even paled to simple “fun,” which was selected by 83%.
Knowing why anglers fish is important to both the industry and fish managers, but what a pleasant surprise to me when this summer a study was released that concluded the more you fish, the better your mental health.
Last week, a Fox News report cited the study published in the July issue of Epidemiologia that showed men who enjoy fishing as a hobby might have better mental health. The study, Mental Health and Recreational Angling in UK Adult Males: A Cross-Sectional Study, was conducted by Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, Ulster University and Queen’s University in Belfast.
The study found that fishing on a regular basis contributed to a lower risk of depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts and other mental health conditions. Researchers polled 1,752 males about their fishing activities, as well as other factors, including previous mental illness, exercise and overall well-being. The participants who said they fished on a regular basis were nearly 17% less likely to have experienced mental health conditions compared to men who did not fish frequently.
“We were expecting to find that angling in general has positive effects on mental health,” said Dr. Michael Trott, one of the study researchers from the Centre for Mental Health Research at the University of Queensland. “However, we did not expect that the more often you fish, the better the benefits are.”
Dave Hanuschak caught multiple striped bass, up to 29 inches, that were feeding Sunday on the surface in Greenwich Bay.
Unfortunately, the study included men only, so the findings cannot be generalized across genders.
The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management has conducted fall trout stocking in advance of the Columbus Day holiday weekend, in selected areas in Rhode Island from Thursday, Sept. 28, and continuing through Friday, Oct. 6.
DEM planned to stock brook and rainbow trout in the following waterways: Barber Pond, South Kingstown;
Barberville to Wyoming Pond, Richmond, Hopkinton; Blackstone River, Lincoln; Bradford Fishing Area, Westerly; Breakheart Pond, Exeter; Browning Mill Pond, Exeter; Carbuncle Pond, Coventry; Carolina Trout Pond, Richmond; Cronan Landing, Richmond; Eight Rod Farm Pond, Tiverton; Grantville to Rt. 95, Hopkinton; Hope Valley Fishing Area, Hopkinton; Kings Factory Bridge, Charlestown; Lower Shannock, Charlestown; Meadow Brook Pond, Richmond; Olney Pond, Lincoln State Park, Lincoln; Route 165 to Barberville, Exeter, Hopkinton; Round Top Ponds, Burrillville; Shippee Sawmill Pond, Foster; Silver Spring Lake, North Kingstown; Spring Grove Pond, Glocester; Stafford Pond, Tiverton; Upper Pawtuxet, (Hope), Scituate; Willet Pond, East Providence; and Woodville, Richmond, Hopkinton.
Visit DEM’s Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Facebook Page, dem.ri.gov/ fishing, or call (401) 789-0281 or (401) 539-0019 for more information on stocking.
Striped bass, bluefish, false albacore and bonito. Angler Dave Hanuschak caught multiple bass to 29 inches using a white SP Minnow and Yo-Zuri crystal minnow fishing Sunday morning in Greenwich Bay. “The bass were on the surface just about everywhere feeding on peanut bunker.” Declan O’Donnell of Breachway Bait & Tackle in Charlestown reported: “Striped bass have mainly been targeting mullet and peanut bunker in our area. Last week, the Albie bite was great and there are still some bonito around.” Angler John Lombardi said: “On Tuesday at 10:20 a.m., we headed toward Point Judith. About 1 to 2 miles southeast of the lighthouse, birds were working over no less than four separate schools of bait getting intermittently beat up by slot and larger stripers. Non stop action as long as we kept moving with the more active birds.” said angler John Lombardi. Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle, Providence, said, “Bass of all sizes are being caught in the Providence and Seekonk Rivers with Capt. Rene Letourneau of On The Rocks Charters reporting a great false albacore bite off Newport after the storm on Sunday.”
“Tautog fishing has been good with anglers catching keepers throughout the Bay; however, not many have had a chance to fish with high winds and turbid water last week,” Henault said. “Fishing has been improving,” O’Connell said. “Most boats have been able to catch their limit but had to work to find bigger fish.”
Tuna. “The offshore bite was good this past week with some nice size bluefin and yellowfin being caught,” O’Donnell said. Tuna fishing opened for giants once again this week. Henault reported on Monday morning at 7:00 a.m.: “We just got a report that Capt. Rob Taylor of Newport Sportfishing Charters. They hooked and landed a giant bluefin tuna off Narragansett. So no doubt the bluefin bite for giants is still good.”
Freshwater. Largemouth bass fishing is good but if you are interested in fishing with the family, DEM stocked 25 waterways with brook and rainbow trout this week. See the item above.
Dave Monti holds a captain’s master license and charter fishing license. He serves on a variety of boards and commissions and has a consulting business that focuses on clean oceans, habitat preservation, conservation, renewable energy and fisheries-related issues and clients. Forward fishing news and photos to dmontifish@verizon.net or visit www.noflukefishing.com.