2011 prices for 2012 trips ends soon!

For those contemplating getting a great deal on a charter for 2012 now is the time!  I am offering 2011 prices on all 2012 charters if they are booked now through January 31st! Only deposits are required either by check or by gift certificates in the amount of a deposit.  I have done what not many other captains have done and that was not to raise prices over the past 3 years.  This was all done to keep people fishing and get on the water without making cost an issue.  While prices will not go up that much, they do need to keep  with the inflation of fuel, bait and tackle costs.  I apologize for this and to keep it fair, I will continue to offer discounts on multiple day trips and catch and release trips.
Thank you to all of my 2011 customers for your support and a great fishing year!  I look forward to seeing most of you again as we already have days filled for 2012.
Have a wonderful Christmas and a safe and happy New Year!

Sincerely,
Captain Brian Patterson
Patterson Guide Service

Blackfish (Tautog) is insane right now!

If you are craving a bent rod with a hard fighting fish now is the time!  Blackfishing is in full effect as we have limited out the past two times (in two consecutive days).  Close to shore and consistency: can't beat that in the cooler November months!  Half day trips are still available and the best part is you don't have to be there in the dark!  Blackfish Chowder, fish sticks, stews... you can't go wrong with this species.

Updates

Well we have been chasing tuna and blackfish for the past couple of weeks now (when the winds died down at least) and have found them in close.  Giants are in full right now but they are for the more experienced anglers and definitely not the ones you want on light tackle.  There is still a solid month left of quality fishing between Tuna and Tautog so don't think for a moment that the season is over.  This is historically a great month for both species and the limit goes up for Tautog per person so it is well worth the time.

On a side note, I am offering 2011 prices for trips booked for next year by December 31, 2011! Without knowing the gas prices and the fact that I am one of the few charter captains that did not change rates this year this is a great bargain on any trip! Also, I am now offering Japanese fish prints from the various species we catch on our charters for 2012.  The costs have not been determined yet as I may offer just the prints or the prints framed.  A rough guess would be between $50 and $75.  The photo above is an example of one that was done this year for a Bluefin Tuna.

Tuna at the Cape!

We have found numerous fish over the past few days but they have been real picky on what they eat.  We managed to figure it out and got into some great light tackle tuna in the mid 50 to 60 pound range!  While giants are also around, these smaller tuna are great to go after if you choose to use your lighter spin gear.  Chris and Dan did an awesome job getting their lures in front of the fish and had outstanding timing. Now is the time!  Call or email me if you would like further information or just have questions on the tuna fishery.

Sincerely,
Capt. Brian Patterson

Made great use of your Hogy Lures for this Tuna Season

While Hogy Lures are extremely effective right out of the package, they can only imitate so much without a little artistic help.  Here are some examples I had learned from a good friend of On the Water Magazine.  I just took some ideas and expanded them to mimic the halfbeaks and Macs.  The cool part about it is that as you use the markers to design your baitfish, the colors naturally bleed to give a fluid color design.

With the Bone color, you can pretty much produce any bait you choose with various permanent markers!
 Steps:
1.  lay out cardboard or multiple sheets of paper.
2. starting on the back of the bait, lay down your base (usually a green or a blue).  I then used a paper towel and wiped off the excess marker eliminating streaks or excess bleeding.
3. Flip the lure on its side and continue the base color, again wiping off the excess marker.
4. Flip to the opposite side and do the same.
5. Let it sit for 5 minutes or so (as you work on your next one)
6. Go back over the the back of the lure with your darker color (I find black does the best to give a good contrast unless you are doing a mackerel pattern)
7. Wipe dry, then proceed to do your final designs.
8. With a red marker, make the gill plates and again wipe dry.
9. Simple, affordable and best of all, you have a tuna lure with a single hook for easy removal.

This is the time of the year for the tuna to be feeding on larger baits such as Halfbeaks and Mackerel.  Don't go for these guys unless you have plenty of lures to imitate the baitfish and there are few out there that have produced more fish than the soft plastics!

Catch'em up!

Capt. Brian Patterson

Patterson Guide Service

New Thumbtack.com listing!

Check out my new listing for fly fishing and light tackle charters in Bristol Rhode Island and Cape Cod on Thumbtack! Here you will find updated FAQ's, fishing photos, testimonials, and possible discounts.  Tuna fishing is just getting hot and the Albacore and Bonito have been around a while now.  Striped Bass is still going steady at Block Island.  There are only a few more months left before all we have left are photos and memories!

http://www.thumbtack.com/ri/bristol/fishing-guides/charter-fishing

Blue Fin Tuna Report

Sunday was a fun day with a few fishing buddies that have not been on the boat in a while.  With the day free from charters, we decided to go for the powerful Blue Fin Tuna in Cape Cod.  While there was not tons of activity, there was enough for us to do a full search and find some interesting bird activity.  After a few blind casts, the ocean lure was the one that caused a huge side swipe from a cruising tuna! 15 minutes later, we celebrated the catch and enjoyed what turned out to be just a great day on the water with a good group of guys.