Meeting Information and Future Speakers

Stellwagen Bank Charter Boat Association Meets for One Night Each Month from September Through May.  Times and Locations Are Published On The Home Page.

SCHEDULED SPEAKERS

 

PAST SPEAKERS

Tuesday, May 11th at 7:00PM 

Meeting Presenters From NOAA

Adrienne Lohe

Adrienne is a biologist in NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Protected Resources. She works in the Endangered Species Conservation division and her responsibilities include evaluating and responding to petitions to list species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), conducting species status reviews, developing recovery plans, and monitoring the status of listed species. She collaborates with various stakeholders and scientists to ensure that decisions to list species under the ESA are based on the best available scientific and commercial information. Adrienne will be discussing the ESA listing process in light of the recent positive 90-day finding on the shortfin mako shark, and how SBCBA members can provide comments or information to be considered in the status review of the species.

Karyl Brewster-Geisz

Karyl is a fishery manager in NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Sustainable Fisheries. She works in the Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Management Division where, for over 20 years, she has focused on managing the Atlantic domestic shark fisheries and, more generally, HMS regulations. Karyl will be discussing the current domestic shark regulations, focusing on the shortfin mako shark and the charter/headboat fishery. She will also summarize the recent international stock assessment and how the results led to the current regulations.

April 13th, 2021 7:00 PM

Dr. James Sulikowski


Fako’s, PorkChops, Phantom Sharks….. habitat use and connectivity of Porbeagle Sharks in New England waters

Porbeagle Presentation by Dr.James.Sulikowski

March 9th, 2021 7:00 PM

Dr. Jeff Kneebone

Chasing Tails: How tagging data support the management of highly migratory pelagic species in the Atlantic Ocean

It’s well known that New England is the summer home for many highly migratory pelagic fish species (think tunas, sharks, marlin), but have you ever wondered how these fishes move between your favorite fishing grounds or where they go once they leave the region? Understanding fish movement patterns and depth or temperature preferences is not only key to being a good fisherman, but is also essential for the effective management of species that can move hundreds to thousands of miles in just a few weeks or months. Over the past 5 years, Dr. Jeff Kneebone, a research scientist from the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium, has worked collaboratively with fishermen and other scientists to deploy electronic tags on several pelagic fishes to better understand their movements, migrations, and behaviors off New England and throughout the greater Atlantic Ocean. His presentation will focus on his ongoing work on common thresher sharks and yellowfin tuna, as well as a new study on the presence and movements of large pelagic fishes in the southern New England wind energy area.

 

March 10th, 2020
Micah Dean
Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries

Catching Haddock While Avoiding Cod

 

Catching Haddock While Avoiding Cod

Micah Dean has been a research biologist for the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries for the past 17 years.  In addition to contributing to the stock assessments of small pelagic species such as herring and menhaden, he conducts a variety of research on groundfish species, with a particular focus on Atlantic cod. Through collaborations with both the commercial and recreational fishing industries, he and his team of scientists have published numerous scientific articles on the spawning behavior, discard mortality, and stock structure of cod. His research is primarily focused on solving the problems that confront the management and assessment of groundfish in the Gulf of Maine. Micah is also an avid angler and wood turner who sells handmade fishing lures in his part  time.

 

April 14th,  2020

Dan McKiernan, Acting Director
Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries

Melanie Griffin, Fishery Policy Analyst
Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
 

 

February 11th, 2020

Ben Gahagan
Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries

“They have tails; incorporating Striped Bass migration
ecology into management”

 

Ben Gahagan is a Diadromous Fish Biologist for Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, working out of the Annisquam Marine Fisheries Station in Gloucester. His primary focus at DMF is on monitoring and restoring diadromous fish populations in Massachusetts. He currently serves on the diadromous fish Technical Committees for the Merrimack and Connecticut rivers and has participated in stock assessments and ESA listing determinations for river herring. Ben’s research interests are broad but largely focus on the mechanisms and ecology of fish migrations and how this information can be applied to improve management and conservation. He has used a variety of tools, including age structures, otoliths microchemistry, and acoustic telemetry to work on a suite of migratory species that includes river herring, American shad, striped bass, and bluefin tuna.

Mike Batta
Alliance Sports Group

 

Mike Batta, a lifelong angler and veteran fishing tackle industry Manufacturer’s rep for the last 35 years, is a partner with Alliance Sports group, sales reps for many recognized brands, including Savage Gear and Nomad Design Lures.  Mike will highlight some of the latest inshore and offshore lures for our New England waters.

January 14th, 2020

Dan Orchard
Vice President, Fishing Partnership

What Fishing Partnership Can Do For You

Dan will be explaining to the membership all of the programs Fishing Partnership can offer.  Some of these are the required Survival Training, Drill Instructor, CPR/First Aid and others which are not mandatory. These include health screenings, financial and legal assistance, professional counseling on family issues and substance abuse and much more.  Attend and learn more about the opportunities for fishermen.

Dan Orchard is Vice President for Fishing Partnership Support Services. He started his professional career as a commercial fisherman on a Rhode Island dragger, fishing for groundfish and squid. For several years, he published “The Fishermen’s Call” a trade paper for the commercial fishing communities of Southern New England. He is also in the Coast Guard reserves and has been called to active duty to serve in Iraq and respond to the BP oil spill. He has a BS from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, a Master of Marine Affairs degree from the University of Rhode Island, and a JD from Roger Williams University. Dan will tell us about the many services Fishing Partnership Offers from survival training, first aid, CPR, financial planning and others.  

 

 

December, 2019  Meeting Notice
Stellwagen Bank Charter Boat Association
Thursday, December 12, 2019

Dr. Molly Lutcavage
Director, Large Pelagic Research Center

Tangled Up In Bluefin

Dr. Molly Lutcavage earned her PhD in biological oceanography from Univ. of Miami’s Rosenstiel School for Marine and Atmospheric Science). She is a biological  oceanographer who has been studying Atlantic bluefin tuna ecology and population biology since 1993, with over 95 peer reviewed scientific publications.  She is founder and Director of the Large Pelagics Research Center (LPRC), in Gloucester, MA., and a Research Professor at UMass Boston’s School for the Environment.

Lutcavage’s lab is an internationally recognized for research on Atlantic bluefin as well as bigeye, yellowfin, and billfish.   Her research has been featured in TV shows and documentaries, including Scientific American Frontiers, Chasing Monsters, Wicked Tuna, National Geographic, and Guy Harvey productions.   Since 1997, Molly’s team has partnered with fishermen partners in New England, North Carolina, and  Southwest Nova Scotia to conduct electronic and conventional tagging of bluefin tuna, and collaborates with international partners in Spain, Italy, France, Israel, Canada, Norway, and the UK.  Together, her fishermen-scientist team spearheaded a new understanding of migration routes, behavior, maturity, and spawning grounds of bluefin tuna in the NW Atlantic that challenged conventional views.   This field-based scientific work with fishermen partners, including the Tag a Tiny program for juveniles,  contributes to the  bluefin’s sustainable future, and now remains entirely supported by grants, contracts, and philanthropic donations.  Her lab now partners with fishermen in Hawaii to study tunas and billfish in the Central North Pacific.

April Meeting Notice
Stellwagen Bank Charter Boat Association
Tuesday, April 9th

Location:
Cask n’ Flagon Restaurant
840 Plain Street (Route 139)
Marshfield, MA
  at 7:00 PM
Doors Open at 6:30

Mr. Jeffrey Ray
Deputy Special Agent In Charge
Northeast Division of NOAA Fisheries
Office of Law Enforcement

Jeffrey Ray is a veteran of marine fisheries enforcement.  He has investigated criminal organizations that engaged in trafficking marine species as varied as oysters from New Jersey, Patagonian tooth fish from Antarctica, and sperm whale teeth from the Ukraine.  He joined with the Republic of South Africa in U.S. v. Bengis, which serves as the preeminent Lacey Act case involving a foreign fishery law.  He received invitations from the governments of Mozambique and Tanzania to advise on some of the most globally significant marine fishery prosecutions in sub-Saharan Africa.He started his career in 1989 as a New Jersey Conservation Officer where he was assigned to the Marine Enforcement Unit.  In New Jersey he worked cases from monkfish to menhaden and engaged with industry sectors from pound nets to party boats.  He is currently the Deputy Special Agent in Charge of the Northeast Division of NOAA Fisheries, Office of Law Enforcement, where he is responsible for operations from Maine to Virginia.  Jeffrey views his role in government as value added service delivery. His duties include goal setting through stakeholder engagement and strategic objective execution through federal and state partnerships.He regularly represents the Northeast Division at the Mid-Atlantic and New England Fishery Management Councils, the Atlantic States Marine FisheryCommission’s Law Enforcement Committee; and has appeared before the President’s Advisory Council on Wildlife Trafficking to discuss Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing. He is a member of the United States Coast Guard Reserve where he has served proudly for more than 20 years.


March Meeting Notice
Stellwagen Bank Charter Boat Association
Tuesday, March 12th

Location:
Cask n’ Flagon Restaurant
840 Plain Street (Route 139)
Marshfield, MA
  at 7:00 PM
Doors Open at 6:30

Guest Speaker Connor Capizzano

Identifying recommended terminal tackle types and best fishing practices to promote long-term sustainability in the Gulf of Maine recreational groundfish fishery

Connor Capizzano is a PhD student at the University of Massachusetts Boston and researcher with the New England Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life. With the growing need to address the uncertainty surrounding the fate of fish intentionally released from fishing events, Connor’s current dissertation research investigates the discard mortality of various gadoids in the Gulf of Maine recreational groundfish fishery. Results of such field-based studies will aid regional stock assessments and management bodies with the future sustainability of such marine fish resources. Recent projects include deriving discard mortality rate estimates of Atlantic cod, haddock, and cusk in the Gulf of Maine recreational fishery and identifying recommended best practices to reduce the incidental mortality of such species.

PAST SPEAKERS

Meeting Notice
The next meeting of the Stellwagen Bank Charter Boat Association Will be Held on Tuesday, February 12th

Location:
Cask n’ Flagon Restaurant
840 Plain Street (Route 139)
Marshfield, MA
  at 7:00 PM
Doors Open at 6:30

Guest Speakers, USCG Air Station Cape Cod

LT Katelyn Dacimo

Kate grew up on the eastern end of Long Island, NY in Orient Point. She graduated from the United States Coast Guard Academy in 2012 and was stationed on a ship in Cordova, AK for her first tour. After two years in Alaska, she received orders to flight school in Pensacola, FL where she learned to fly planes and helicopters. She is currently an MH-60T pilot stationed at Air Station Cape Cod, MA.

 

Meeting Notice
The next meeting of the Stellwagen Bank Charter Boat Association Will be Held on Tuesday, Jan 9th

Location:
Cask n’ Flagon Restaurant
840 Plain Street (Route 139)
Marshfield, MA
at 7:00 PM
Doors Open at 6:30

Captain John Bunar
John Bunar

Captain John Bunar has been fishing the offshore waters of the northeast for over 35 years. At the age of 9, John cut his teeth as a mate on a local charter boat in Sesuit Harbor. He has since earned a reputation as being one of Stellwagon Bank’s most proficient bluefin tuna highliners. From June to November, John spends most of his time chasing fish from Maine to Cape Cod. Owning and operating a sportfishing charter company based in Plymouth Massachusetts, John has successfully connected his clients to hundreds of giant bluefin tuna. John is also one of the local highliners in the striped bass fishery landing thousands of fish in the local waters.  John will be providing us with both “Tuna Notes” and how and where to fish Duxbury and Plymouth Bays saving your trip when you can’t cross the bay.

New Shark Fishing Regulations Go Into Effect 2018
DJ Stenson and Captain Frank Pitten of the North Atlantic Monster Shark tournement will explain the new shark fishing regulations which go into affect in 2018.  Some of these are hook requirements and mandatory shark identification on line course and quiz.

Meeting Notice
The next meeting of the Stellwagen Bank Charter Boat Association Will be Held on Monday, December 11th  at 7:00 PM
Doors Open at 6:30

Meeting Location – Haddad’s Ocean Cafe 
293 Ocean Street  
Marshfield, MA, 02050 

 

Guest Speaker
Mr. Brad McHale
Northeast Branch Chief
Fishery Management Specialist,
NMFS, HMS Management Division

bmchale

Mr. Brad McHale is responsible for running the Northeast office that manages Highly Migratory Species (Tunas, Sharks, Swordfish, and Billfish).  He wears many different hats on a daily basis, from drafting rules and regulations that dictate when/where fishermen can pursue fish, to how many/how big those fish can be, we keep track of how many fish are being caught and how many fishermen are out there.  His office works with both domestically and internationally with scientists, fishermen, enforcement personnel and policy makers to ensure they are making informed decisions that are good for not only the fish but those that enjoy catching/releasing, selling, and eating those fish as well.  He received his BA Marine Affairs Degree from the University of Rhode Island and started working full time in 2000 after working in a contract position for a few years.

Brad will be providing a presentation oh what the HMS Branch’s responsibilities are and also answer questions you may have.  If you would like to ask a question or two, please send those questions in advance to info@stellwagenbank.org  to be properly prepared to answer your questions. 

MEETING NOTICE
May 8th 7:00 PM

Doors Open at 6:00 and a Buffet with dessert, Donation $10.00 Per Person

This Meeting Will be Held at Haddad’s Ocean Cafe, Brant Rock, Marshfield, MA

Guest Speaker

Nicholas Calabrese 

School for Marine Science and Technology of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

A Video Trawl Survey for Atlantic Cod in New England

NICKCALABRESE

Nick Calabrese grew up recreational fishing in New England targeting  cod, groundfish and other species in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank on both party and charter boats. As he got older his fishing interested expanded, and had the opportunity to fish across the east coast for a variety species. In the spring of 2015 he graduated magna cum laude from Roger Williams University with a B.S. in Marine Biology and minors in Chemistry and Psychology.  At Roger Williams he studied mercury contamination in blue crabs and gamefish in Narragansett Bay. After graduating from Roger Williams he was accepted to the M.S. program at the School for Marine Science and Technology of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.  Here his Masters work focuses the use of video trawl technology in surveying Gulf of Maine cod. This project means a lot to him personally as the recreational cod fishery was his introduction into saltwater fishing and his marine science career path.

Meeting Information

MEETING NOTICE
April 11th 7:00 PM

Doors Open at 6:00 and a Buffet Meal Served, Donation $10.00 Per Person

This Meeting Will be Held at Haddad’s Ocean Cafe, Brant Rock, Marshfield, MA

Willy Goldsmith, PhD Student, Virginia Institute of Marine Science

Will-NCTuna bobby-rice-tuna-fishing-dads-birthday3 (2)

Willy Goldsmith is a PhD student and fisheries scientist at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), College of William & Mary. A Boston native and lifelong recreational fisherman, Willy grew up plying the banks of the Charles River for largemouth bass and carp, while spending time offshore aboard party boats and charter boats fishing for cod and other Gulf-of-Maine species. For those who knew him well, it came as no surprise that he eventually decided to turn his passion into a vocation, and following completion of his degree he plans to pursue a career in fisheries policy that aims to balance sustainable fisheries with the needs of recreational fishermen, commercial fishermen, and other stakeholders. Willy’s research at VIMS over the past several years has focused on the recreational fishery for Atlantic bluefin tuna along the east coast from Maine to North Carolina. Using surveys of fishermen, along with satellite tagging of recreationally-caught bluefin, his work endeavors to help managers better assess the value of the fishery to anglers while also better understanding the impact of the fishery on the bluefin tuna resource.

Join Willy and the SBCBA at Haddad’s Ocean Cafe, Marshfield on Tuesday, April 11th, 7:00 PM to hear him discuss his survey research that aimed to tease out the motivations, preferences and values of bluefin tuna anglers, as well as his tagging study that assessed post-release mortality of bluefin tuna in the light-tackle recreational fishery. He’ll describe the possible implications of this work, while also providing an overview of the current status of bluefin tuna stocks.

 

MEETING NOTICE
January 10th 7:00 PM

This Meeting Will be Held at Haddad’s Ocean Cafe, Brant Rock, Marshfield, MA

Captain Damon Sacco
Castafari Fishing Charters Inc

captd2

 

Captain Damon Sacco is a U.S.C.G captain and the founder of Castafari Inc. After earning a bachelor degree at Hobart College in 1991, his propensity for the sea eventually developed into a full time career on the water. In the Spring of 1997, Damon established his own private sport fishing charter operation, which later evolved into one of the many facets to Castafari Inc.

Over the past 20 years, Damon has garnered continued success with tournament fishing results, including 14 top three tournament wins and 3 top place finishes, including the 2015 Block Island Tri-State. Two Massachusetts big game state records and a pending world record have been caught on the Castafari.(182.5 lb wahoo) The Castafari crew’s fishing exploits have been featured on national television several times from Nat Geo to the Today Show.

Damon has successfully guided his clients to some amazing catches…including a 138 inch blue marlin. Damon is currently on the pro-staff at Simrad, Sufix, Alutecnos, Costa Del Mar, Aftco, Starbrite, Pompanette, and Deep Ocean Apparel, which all manufacturer products the crew of the Castafari relies on.

In 2011 Captain Damon launched two offshore big-game Cape Cod based sport fishing competitions, The Hyannis Tunafest and Oak Bluffs Bluewater Classic. Both events have successfully raised over $100,000 for local charities helping young people in need. Castafari also co-launched the fishing seminar series Big Game Bash in 2009, and went on to create it’s own seminar series in 2015. Captain Damon is an active sport fishing writing and photography enthusiast, and has had several of his fishing related photos and stories published in just about all of the major fishing publications like Marlin, Saltwater Sportsman, Big Game Journal, and On The Water.

Damon has been offshore fishing the northeast for over 25 years, and has logged over five thousand offshore hours at sea in waters from Maine to Florida. Damon has logged well over 250 trips to the northeast canyons, and has released over 75 northeast blue marlin, 2 estimated at 800 to 1000 lbs). He has also fished alongside many great captains at different world wide destinations, including Panama, The Galapagos, Bora Bora, The British Virgin Islands, Cabo San Lucas, Belize, The Bahamas, Venezuala, and right here in America! In 2009, Damon launched his “FISH LICK’n FILMS” Instructional DVD series. Volumes 1 and 2 mackerel and ballyhoo rigging)are for sale now on the Castafari website and in a variety  catalogs and stores.

 

December 13th 7:00 PM

Meetings are held at the Tavern Restaurant

Captain Eric Stewart, Trolling Tips For Bluefin Tuna

 capteric-head-shot

Captain Eric Stewart has been in the sportfishing/charterboat industry for the past 40 years and has been a USCG licensed Captain for over 34 years. He holds a 100-ton Masters license. He started the Tammy Rose Sportfishing Charter business in 1988. He has fished the waters of Cape Cod his entire life and for the last 8 years he has spent much of his winter time fishing up and down the eastern seaboard from Cape Cod to Florida out to the Turks and Caicos. He was also involved in starting a fishing lodge in Mozambique, Africa where he made three expeditions there to document the sport fishing potential of the area. He has also fished Midway Islands, Hawaii, and Costa Rica.

In 2001 he opened The Hook-Up! Bait and Tackle shop with his business partner Cliff Hampton. For the last 15 seasons he has specialized in the pursuit of bluefin tuna on rod and reel. He has over 40 giants to his credit as a captain and he has landed over 1900 bluefin on the troll. He has placed in several tuna tournaments including winning the Hyannis Tunafest back to back in 2014 & 2015, 1st Place in the Nantucket Big Game Battle 2015, 3rd Place Oak Bluffs Offshore Classic 2015, and took 3rd Place and the Daily prize THE 2016 Nantucket Bluefin Blast.

MEETING NOTICE
Tuesday, November 15th 7:00 PM

Meetings are held at the Tavern Restaurant
1 Proprietors Drive
Marshfield, MA 
Located Behind Roche Brothers Supermarket
Route 139 

Oct 11th, 2016 Guest Speaker

 Moira Kelly, GARFO Recreational Fisheries Coordinator

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Moira Kelly is the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office’s Recreational Fisheries Coordinator.  Moira has been with NMFS for over 10 years, but has recently become the Recreational Coordinator.  She is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and Boston University.  Moira is also a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer from the Philippines, where she worked as a Coastal Resources Management Volunteer in the City of Puerto Princesa, Palawan.  Most recently, Moira worked on the New England Council’s Whiting, Red Crab, and Habitat Plan Development Teams, as well as the Mid-Atlantic Council’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass plan.  In her new role as fishery program specialist, Moira is responsible for the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) and a number of other special projects.

May 10th, Meeting Guest Speaker

Captain Taylor Sears, Slick Fish Lures

tSears

Capt. Taylor Sears is one of the original founders of the highly accomplished Mass Bay Guides outfit based in Scituate, MA. Taylor has been working as a mate and captain for the passed 13 years. Taylor has earned a reputation as being one of the most successful bluefin tuna fisherman in the northeast. He has developed and adapted many techniques to target even the most finicky bluefin tuna.

Taylor has his 100 Ton USCG License, and continues to fish part time as a Captain and Mate for Mass Bay Guides. Taylor also successfully launched his own tackle corporation in 2003, Squid Bars Inc. Taylor further developed his business incorporating dredge fishing applications and products over the past couple of years, and launched Slick Fish Products  in 2015. Slick Fish Products builds teaser dredges, spreader bars, machines, and single lures. The Slick Fish Dredges are gaining regular popularity in the northeast canyons as the dredge market evolves. They are an excellent lure for tuna and striped bass fishing and are now being used world wide. Taylor will be explain how to properly rig and fish Slick Fish Lures for striped bass and tuna increasing your opportunity at landing more fish this coming season.

April 12th, 2015

John Houghton of Daddy Mac Lures
Vertical Jigging For Striped Bass

 houghton_jack

Jack Houghton is a commercial fisherman, charter captain and co-owner of Daddy Mac Lures. His seminar will teach his methods of vertical jigging for striped bass off of Chatham. Using this method, there are those that are able to out fish others consistently. “Learn some tips and techniques to even the playing field,” says Jack. “It’s the little things that make the biggest difference.”

 

 March 8th, Meeting Guest Speaker 

Dr. David Pierce, Director MA Marine Fisheries

Dr. Dave Pierce

Will-NCTunaDr. David Pierce oversees the Massachusetts’ Division of Marine Fisheries bureau for inter-jurisdictional commercial and recreational fisheries policy and management, as well as fisheries research in support of fisheries management and habitat protection. He is an adjunct professor at the School for Marine Science and Technology (SMAST) at the University of Massachusetts in Dartmouth. Dr. Pierce earned both a B.S. and M.S. in marine biology from that institution and received his Ph.D. in environmental sciences from the University of Massachusetts, Boston. He is the Massachusetts representative to both the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils.

February 9th, 2016 Meeting Guest Speaker

Mr. Richard Ruais, Executive Director
American Bluefin Tuna Association

 RichRuis

Rich Ruais is the Executive Director of the American Bluefin Tuna Association (ABTA). ABTA has a dual mission of supporting and providing for independent scientific research on Atlantic bluefin tuna stocks and protecting the traditional “artisanal” hand gear rod and reel and harpoon fisheries.

Rich has served on the NOAA/NMFS Highly Migratory Species Advisory Panel Panel (HMS AP) since its inception in the 1990’s. The HMS AP assists NMFS with domestic management by reviewing draft management plans and making recommendations for strategies most compatible with U.S. traditional commercial and recreational fisheries. The 2006 Final Consolidated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan requires routine amendments to insure that the objective of the Magnuson Act and Atlantic Tunas Convention Act to provide U.S. fishermen a “Reasonable Opportunity” to catch ICCAT quotas is being achieved. He is also a member of the U.S. ICCAT Advisory Committee to NOAA and responsible for development of specific scientific and management objectives such as quotas, closed areas, size limits, gear restrictions and more. Rich has received numerous appointments to the U.S. Delegation to ICCAT annual plenary meetings since 1992.