tlaw7

We've been back and forth across Rhode Island Sound many times and I have always avoided the "Fish Trap Areas" marked east and west of Sakonnet Point. Would appreciate a little "local knowledge". Are these areas to be avoided, crossed with caution, or ignored? Seems like they might be pretty troublesome if there are nets in the water.

Thanks.

Agreene

They will stop you dead in your tracks if you go over them. The top cable is what will mess you up, I think it's 1 1/4" cable. There are ways to go through them, but it's really not worth it unless someone shows you and even at that it doesn't take that long to go around them and play it safe.

-andy

BACKTOTHESEA

Avoid them. They are what sank a well kown wreck out there quite a few years back. cable got caught in the gear and pulled the floating drum under the boat busting it up.

I have drifted over them after pulling the hook from the wreck I am talking about. The line is shallow enough to get caought in an outdrive. We had to stand on it to clear the outdrive.

tlaw7

Thanks for the direct replies. I will continue to go around. And, I will show your responses to my co-pilot who always asks why we're giving these areas a wide berth!

rogerstg

No need to give them too wide a berth - just don't go over them. It might help to understand how they are marked.

All fish traps in RI have 4 radar reflective bouys (hi fliers). There is one at the shoreward end of the leader and 3 at the head of the trap. Some also have flashing lights. The leader is the "net wall" that is usually also marked with floating barrels.

So just stay seaward of the group of three and shoreward of the single hi flyer.

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Best regards,
Roger

Sleeper

I fish around these things near daily. Roger gives some good advice, unfortunately the marking with hi-flyers and lights is hit or miss at best and there is nothing to mark the net wall that forces the fish to the funnel which can be quite long and in rough water the barrels can be difficult to see until you are right on them.

1. The inside trap wall that is closest to Sheep Pt can safely be passed on the North (land side) as it's mooring is still in deep water near the point.

2. The outside trap line in that same area too me is the most dangerous as the barrels are very difficult to see in rough water and it is a very common transit path. I keep the southern end of that one marked on both boat's plotters. That one was gone two days ago went I went by enroute to Block.

3. The trap outside Sakonnet Pt is spring seasonal (squid trap) and was not there all summer.

4. The trap off Sachuest Point has also been gone for quite some time, but for many years was also very dangerous.

5. The trap coming out near Sakonnet Harbor is pretty much out of the way of normal boating traffic unless of course you are trying to enter the harbor from the north.

I have never seen a light on any of these traps (should be an enforced law) and there is often times no hi flyer on the inland side of the one at Sheep Point. I have seen many a boater go right between the barrels with no problems but that is totally dependent on current and wind as sometimes the connecting cables are not very far under the surface. On a calm day you can motor up between the barrels and see the cable, sometimes it's drooping enough to safely cross, sometimes not. I would ALWAYS recommend going around them.

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Yanmar 315's
1971 SeaCraft 20
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tlaw7

Sleeper,

Just reading your post makes me want to go around them! Why bother worrying about whether or not there's a high-flyer or the barrels are dragged under. I'm a conservative boater: in other words, looking at the precious $$$$ and the precious time it would take to get repaired and back on the water, how is it worth it to take a chance that I'll get through there with no problem?

Our boating season is short enough.

Thanks much for the detailed response!