CAPTAIN ART BURTON

MAKO BOUND CHARTERS
(from the May, 2003 RISAA Newsletter)

This time we're talking to a Captain that plies the waters off the southern portion of the state, Captain Art Burton.

Art started his fishing with his dad at the age of six, in the small streams and waters of Chepachet. Art cut his teeth by fly fishing for brook trout (his father was an avid fly fisherman) with his own home tied flies.

His dad bought an 18' Hawkline when Art was 12.  Leaving Charlestown with his brother and dad, they often took trips to Block Island.  This was the days before GPS and LORAN.  On one memorable trip, they missed Block Island entirely and ended up in Montauk.  This experience led Art's dad to the purchase of a radio directional unit.  

As usually happens, Art got away from fishing during his teenage years, as his interests changed to girls, cars and baseball - LOTS of baseball.  Still, he did a few charter trips, but what his heart desired most was to catch a shark.

In 1989, Art bought a Penn Yan with an outboard and fished with his sons off Westerly, learning the Watch Hill Reef the hard way.   He discovered lots of rocks, lots of lobster traps and lots of fish.  The waters from Watch Hill to Fisher's Island became his home grounds.  

His next boat was a 23' Bertram that he named Mako Bound.  On his first trip he landed a Mako!   He took lots of bass trips with friends and family on Mako Bound, enjoying watching them catching big fish.  The most sharks he ever caught on a single trip was 14.

Four years ago, Art earned his captain's license.  The license allowed him to do several of the things he likes most - fish, watch people catch fish and educate people about the ocean.

The present Mako Bound, a 27' JC, is berthed at the Thames Port Marina, New London, located only 5 miles from The Race, allowing quick access to blues and bass.
 
Art often goes to the fisheries meetings and what he finds most disappointing is that regulators use bad data for their regulations.  What he finds most promising is the resurgence of some species, especially fluke.  

Art was asked to describe his worst day of fishing.  He was fishing for tuna at night in 200' of water off Jenny's Horns, and he hooked up to a good one.  There were blue sharks all around the boat and one of them eventually bit the line.  Although he was worn out with no rest from the constant tension on the line, Art  did not want to give up the rod, even though there were several other people on board.  When the giant was 30' off the boat, the fish parted the line.  

Then they dropped a fresh caught squid to the bottom.  Another guy in the boat hooked a large thresher shark.  When they got the fish to the boat, it turned and it's tail smacked the outboard and broke the line.  Second fish gone.   

Still tired from the tuna, Art fought another fish from the rod holder.  It was a Mako.  They hit it with a flying gaff  and tied it off to a cleat.  It turned around and came up the line.  They watched it swim away with the gaff in it's back.  Number three fish gone.  

The deep baited squid finally caught a blue shark.  Not the best night of fishing.

Captain Burton still fishes with his dad, and his dad is still flyfishing.  He has successfully caught sharks on a fly rod.

Because Capt. Burton is participating in the RISAA Charter Trips program, several fortunate members will be going on a May 25 trip with him.  They will be fishing for bass in the Race, and there is usually lots of bass moving through there at that time of year.

For more information, you can call Art at (401) 742-0438 or visit his web site at makoboundcharters.com.