2020 Sustainable Fishing Contest

This year’s Annual Sustainable Fishing Contest will be a little different due to COVID restrictions, but we’ve got a great virtual event planned in its place! Check out the information below for all the details:

You’ll have an entire week to fish! The fishing contest will officially start on Sunday, August 9^th at 11am and end on Sunday, August 16^th at 1pm (the traditional day of the contest).

Fish anywhere from the shoreline or T-wharf dock on Prudence Island (submissions from boat fishing are not allowed); to submit an entry (no limit on how many) into the contest, you must submit a photo showing the fish and its length, to ensure all state regulations are being followed. Each photo entry must also have a time/date stamp on it and have been caught during the official contest timeframe. Also include the name of the fisherman/fisherwoman, the location, and the species. All photo entries must be received by 2pm on Sunday, August 16^th and should be emailed to Maureen Dewire at Maureen.dewire@dem.ri.gov.

As usual, we will award the Prudence Island Scupmaster prize to the person who catches the most Scup of legal size (9” & max of 30/person/day). In addition, we will be awarding trophies in the following categories: Biggest Fish; Greatest Diversity of Fish Species; Most Unusual/Unique; Most Fish Caught in a Single Day; Best Overall Photo; Best T-shirt Design.

We will not be providing t-shirts this year, but we are encouraging anyone to design their own t-shirt and show it off in your photos. Think tie-dye, puffy paint, sparkles…anything goes! One of the six sought-after trophies will be awarded to the best t-shirt design, so be sure to submit a photo of your t-shirt to Maureen.dewire@dem.ri.gov with the artists’ name for consideration.

The NBNERR staff will hold a Facebook live event on Sunday, August 16^th at 3pm to announce the winners. Winners will also be notified via email and schedule a time to pick up their trophy. 

Please remember to follow all State of RI rules and regulations regarding catch and size limits and to have a current fishing license.

Fish on!

Fish On!

The day broke foggy and cool but quickly turned into a typical August day as the young and young-at-heart dropped their fishing lines into the waters off the T-wharf. The Reserve’s Sustainable Fishing Contest has become a beloved annual tradition, with many of the same faces returning to defend their ‘Scupmaster’ title or to land that elusive fish that could result in a coveted trophy. Always held on the third Sunday in August, the Contest has become a gathering place for friends and families where stories are told, fish are caught (hopefully!) and memories are made. The community support for this event is what makes Prudence Island so special. Generous sponsors make donations that allow us to provide t-shirts to the first 100 attendees, door prizes for all ages, trophies, and the one-and-only Scupmaster hat. We registered 139 kids and adults at this year’s event, with dozens more simply enjoying the day and lending their support to their fellow fisher-friends. It’s always fun to watch someone land their first fish, or to see a tiny 5” sea robin being pulled in by a tiny toddler. We thank the community for their ongoing support, and we look forward to the contest in 2020.

Oh, and if you’re wondering what it takes to become a Scupmaster…well, simply catch more legal-size scup than anyone else! Sounds easy, right? Some years the fish are really biting, other years not so much. This year was a little more challenging, but Dolores Baker managed to land three scup to re-claim her title of Scupmaster, previously won in 2016. Way to go, Dolores!