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Angler's Profiles
by Mike Lanni
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| A series of articles introducing RISAA members to the rest of the club. |
| (From the December, 1998 Newsletter) WILLIAM SOSNICKI |
One of the many benefits of being a RISAA member is the people you get to
know. As I look back on the past year, I'm grateful for the aquaintences
that I have made, especially with members like Billy Sosnicki.Getting to know Bill has not been a particularly difficult thing to do - the guy seems to be everywhere you look. You will always see him at the monthly meetings, helping out with whatever function that the club is engaged in that night. If you are a member of the Legislative, Education or of the Fishing Committee, you will also recognize him as a key member of all three groups. Show up at a monthly Rhode Island Marine Fisheries Council meeting - Bill's there. Who was one of the first members to volunteer his time and the use of his boat for our annual Take-A-City-Kid-Fishing Day - you guessed it. If you are getting the feeling that Mr. Sosnicki is a guy you can really rely on, you're absolutely correct. Bill came to the RISAA as part of an original cast of members from Coventry, RI - "The Coventry Connection" - who were interested in forming a saltwater fishing club that would grow increasingly in its membership and would take an active role in legislative and environmental issues. Having fished Narragansett Bay for 40 years, Bill has personally witnessed the demise of many species of fish that used to be found in abundance in those waters. He liked the idea of joining a group of anglers that were finally going to stand up to the commercial draggers, trawlers and purse seiners that continually rape the Bay and its resources, with little regard for the recreational angler. Bill remembers how, many years ago, he and his uncle Al would fill a bushel basket with flatfish in just a few hours of fishing in their 16 foot skiff. Likewise, he remembers when tautog were "everywhere" and were not much of a challenge to catch. He also can recall, as most of us do, schools of menhaden so thick you could walk across them, with bass and bluefish in hot pursuit. Bill is working hard with us in an effort to restore those glory days of fishing the Bay. Bill still fishes the Bay one or two times a week during peak season in his 19 foot center console "Pol-Ark" (he's of Polish descent). He likes trolling for bass, and loves bottom fishing for fluke, flounder, tautog and scup. He's caught many prized fish - blues into the high teens, fluke to 8-9 lbs and tautog over 10 lbs. He's looking for that big striper though, and if he continues to fish with guys like Dave Fewster, he's going to get one. Most guys who know Bill rate him as an excellent all-around angler. As good an angler he is, there is a time when Bill's navigational skills were not on par with his fishing expertise'. Like the time he got lost in the fog coming in from Brenton Reef. Thinking he was in Newport harbor, he pulled up along side of a fishing vessel, just to be sure, and shouted to the operator, "Is this Newport harbor?" "No, Point Judith," was the response! Better bring your hand-held GPS if you go fishing with Bill! Then there was the day Bill spent on the water - or rather, IN the water. He was teaching his friend Charlie to drive the boat and Charlie hammered the throttle, sending him backwards over the transom and into the drink. The boat didn't have a swim platform, and it took all kinds of rope, flotation devices and effort to hoist a laughing Billy back into the boat. I love hearing these stories! On a personal note, Bill grew up in West Warwick, graduating from West Warwick High in 1969. He then attended the Dedry Institute of Technology in Union, NJ where he was trained as an electronics technician. Over the years he's worked as a machine operator, operated his own vinyl siding and roofing business, and has worked for Providence Gas Company since 1981. He lives in Coventry with his wife Ginny, daughter Ginny-Lee and son, Rene. In the past he has raised chickens, rabbits and turkeys on his 1.3 acre farm as a hobby, and does a limited amount of hunting. Bill is also an active member of the P.N.A. (Polish National Alliance). Bill Sosnicki has proven to be an outstanding member of our club in it's first year. He's been nominated for a board member position in the upcoming December election, and is deserving of everyone's consideration for this important role. Based on past performance, I think he would be a welcome addition to our Board of Directors, and I look forward to working with him in the upcoming year. |
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