Projo Fishing: HotBytes

Tim Yvon, the owner of Quonny Bait & Tackle, died of cancer Tuesday. He opened the store last spring following the death of Don Cameron who had owned Captain Don's Bait & Tackle at the same location at the intersection of Rte. 1 and Rte. 216 in Charlestown.

His obituary, from the Springfield Union News website in Western Massachusetts:

Timothy A. Yvon, 50, of Westerly, RI and formerly of West Springfield passed away Tuesday after a courageous battle with cancer. Timmy grew up in West Springfield and graduated from West Springfield High School in 1976. After High School he joined the United States Navy where he discovered his love for the ocean. As a young man, Timmy worked for 12 years as a commercial fisherman off the coast of Martha's Vineyard. One of his many talents was carpentry and he spent the past ten years building houses in Connecticut and Rhode Island. Timmy's passion was fishing and he did it in any free moment he had. He fulfilled a dream of his this past summer by opening his own bait and tackle shop in Charlestown, RI, Quonny Bait and Tackle. Timmy was loved by everyone who met him. No matter where Timmy was, Enfield, CT, Westerly, RI or Holly Tree Campground he surrounded himself with good loving people. People were attracted to Timmy's sense of humor and ability to tell a great story. He was a member of several local fishing clubs throughout Connecticut and Rhode Island and made many great friends over the years. Timmy leaves behind his parents, Richard and Beatrice Yvon, his three sisters and their husbands, Robin and Jeffrey Nash, Michelle and Paul Serafino and Riki-Anne and Tom Landers. Timmy was the proud uncle of seven beautiful nephews, Matthew and Jeremy Nash, Owen and Quinn Serafino and Finnian, Aidan and Miles Landers. He also leaves behind many loving aunts, uncles and cousins. Timmy's family would like to thank his close friends who supported him through tough times and always let him know they were there for him. They would also like to wholeheartedly thank the Rhode Island Veteran's Administration for all the care and comfort they provided to Timmy during his illness. The funeral will be held at the West Springfield Curran-Jones Funeral Home Monday at 1:00pm followed by burial in the Massachusetts Veteran's Memorial Cemetery in Agawam. Visiting hours will be held Sunday from 4:00 - 7:00pm. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Fausey Elementary School PTO, 784 Amostown Road, West Springfield, MA 01089.

A string of fridgid nights has left a thin skin of ice on several ponds in the northern reaches of Rhode Island. There's more ice in Maine, but it's still not safe, according to the Maine Warden Service.

Safe ice fishing guideline apply everywhere. Here' some advice from the Maine Wardens:

- Never guess the thickness of the ice - Check it! Check the ice in several different places using an auger or some other means to make a test hole and determine the thickness. Make several, beginning at the shore, and continuing as you go out.

- Check the ice with a partner, so if something does happen, someone is there to help you. If you are doing it alone, wear a lifejacket.

- If ice at the shoreline is cracked or squishy, stay off! Watch out for thin, clear or honeycombed ice. Dark snow and dark ice are other signs of weak spots.

- Avoid areas with currents, around bridges and pressure ridges. Wind and currents can break ice.

- Parents should alert children of unsafe ice in their area, and make sure that they stay off the ice. If they insist on using their new skates, suggest an indoor skating rink.

If you break through the ice, remember:

- Don't panic.

- Don't try to climb out immediately - you will probably break the ice again. Reach for solid ice.

- Lay both arms on the unbroken ice and kick hard. This will help lift your body onto the ice. Once on the ice, roll, DON'T WALK, to safety.

- To help someone who has fallen through the ice, lie down flat and reach with a branch, plank or rope or form a human chain. Don't stand. After securing the victim, wiggle backwards to the solid ice.

A school of herring, with gannets above and bass beneath them, was spotted off Point Judith Judith Friday, reports Pat Abate of Rivers End Tackle. "They don't seem too close to the beach," he writes. "but there's always hope."

Anglers who braved yesterday's frigid weather caught plenty of tautog aboard the Frances Fleet's party boats, according to Frank Blount, owner and skipper of the fleet. The Phang Kim group caught several big blackfish including five 10-pounders.

Another group also caught big blackfish as well as a red hake yesterday.

The last couple of days have produced some 20- to 26-inch schoolie stripers at Misquamicut, reports George Forsberg of Quonny Bait & Tackle. Thanksgiving Day, when it's sunny, is often a good time to fish the waters just east of Quonny Breachway.

Anglers who braved the cold Wednesday experienced an excellent day of tautog fishing with the captains of the Frances Fleet. The action was steady throughout the day, says Capt. Frank Blount, and all but a couple of anglers caught their limits.

Chris Willi of Block Island Fishworks says several draggers have been working the waters east of the island, but the sport-fishing scene has been quiet. Very quiet.

"We've been fishing the Narrow River, and for the last two weeks, it's been very, very good," said Ed Lombardo this morning.

"There are days when there are a lot of shad, but it's been mostly schoolies, and some decent size ones at that."

The fly fisherman's most recent trip to the river was on Monday when he and some buddies caught fish on the ebb tide. "That's unusual for this time of year," he said. "Typically, we find fish on the incoming tide at this time."

They have been fishing from Middlebridge to the mouth.

The bass they have caught took shrimp imitations or four- to five-inch, pink hi-tie style streamers with a bit of Crystal Flash, Ed said.

He has heard that trout on the Wood River have been feeding on a white-midge hatch, but he has been concentrating on the Narrow River and its autumn stripers.

"The blackfish season continues at a top-notch level with good to outstanding fishing each time out," says Frank Blount captain and owner of the Frances Fleet.

"Limits are commonplace on most outings, although they were a bit less frequent towards the end of the week. Pool-winning blackfish have been between 9 and 12 pounds on every trip, and on some trips, there are a half dozen to a dozen fish in the 10-pound range. Also, there has been a tremendous number of shorts, so the action has been fast paced, keeping anglers busy throughout the day.

"Still a few keeper sea bass have been mixed in and cod fish have been making a bit of an appearance on some trips with a couple of teen-size fish recorded last week. Even a handful of red hake on a couple days.

"With the forecast of much colder temps for this week, look for a continuation of the good tautog fishing for weeks to come. There seem to be excellent numbers of 'tog in various water depths with the shallows to deep water all producing well. The blackfish boat sails daily at 6 a.m."

The fleet's cod boats have been catching fish, too, but the number of dogfish has been rising.

A few anglers caught some schoolies on leadheads at Weekapaug yesterday, says Pat Abate of Rivers End Tackle, but fishing, in general, has been pretty slow.

"The only bright spot is Long Sand Shoal and reports of some bass trolled up on Hatchetts Reef," he wrote this morning. "Some schoolies are still in the mouth of the Connecticut River and more by the Thames.

"The bunker have been gone for a week and it doesn't seem like too much other bait remains.

"No word on any herring run forming along the Rhode Island beaches yet.

"There were a few reports of bluefish at Long Sand Shoal and Plum Gut earlier this week.The last holdout historically has been at Rocky Point in Connecticut, but there's been no confirmation of that yet this year."

The blackfish bite is still good in about 30 feet of water, he said, but the fish have been smaller than usual.