A full-day masterclass on tackle and tactics for striped bass, false albacore, and tautog

Join us at the Wyndham Hotel in Middletown, RI, for a full-day, hands-on inshore fishing expo designed for intermediate to advanced anglers. Learn directly from top New England captains and tackle experts. Tickets are just $100 and include a box lunch, bottled water, take-home guides, and raffle prizes.

Event Overview

The Saltwater Edge Inshore Expo is your chance to sharpen skills for New England’s most exciting inshore species: striped bass, false albacore, sea bass, and tautog. From reading the water to using electronics, rigging leaders, and lure strategies, this event brings together the knowledge and tools you need to become a more effective angler.

• Date: Saturday, January 10, 2026

• Location: Wyndham Hotel, Middletown, RI

• Time: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Registration at 8:30 AM)

• Cost: $100 (includes lunch, bottled water, and take-home materials)

What’s Included

• Welcome packet with tide charts, rigging diagrams, lure selection guide, and laminated bait calendar

• Vendor booths with exclusive gear access

• Hands-on rigging clinics and product demos

• Networking with local captains and fellow anglers

• Entry into raffle giveaways featuring tackle and apparel from leading brands

Full Schedule

8:30 – 9:00 AM | Registration & Coffee
Meet instructors, check vendor booths, and receive welcome materials.

9:00 – 9:45 AM | Reading The Water

• Structure: dynamic vs static

• Moon & tide cycles

• Clues from birds and bait

9:45 – 10:30 AM | Electronics & Navigation

• Sonar interpretation (rock piles vs sand, bait ID)

• Waypoints & drift planning for fluke & sea bass

• Navigation apps and tools (Navionics, tide/wind planning)

10:30 – 11:15 AM | Break

11:15 – 12:30 PM | Striped Bass: Tackle and Tactics

• Tackle selection

• Finding fish: Narragansett Bay and oceanfront structure

• Lure strategies: topwater, soft plastics, metal jigs, swimmers

• Seasonal migrations & environmental triggers

• Conservation practices & common mistakes

12:30 – 1:15 PM | Lunch & Q&A with Captains

1:15 – 2:30 PM | Speed Demons of the Inshore (False Albacore & Bonito)

• Tackle setups for speedsters

• Identifying blitzes and nervous water

• Retrieve speed, lure weight, and leaders

• Chasing vs intercepting fish

• Common mistakes

2:30 – 3:45 PM | Tog Curious: Tackle and Tactics

• Rig comparisons

• Structure and habitat breakdown

• Bait & rig strategies (crabs, tog jigs)

• Anchoring, positioning, and shore tactics

• Common mistakes

3:45 – 4:00 PM | Wrap-Up & Raffle
Key takeaways, sponsor giveaways.

4:00 – 5:00 PM | Rigging Clinics & Product Demos

• Knot tying (FG knot, loop knots)

• Rigging soft plastics

• Fluorocarbon leader setups

• Dockside sonar demo (weather permitting)

• Networking session

Take-Home Materials

• Laminated seasonal bait migration chart

• Knot and rigging quick-reference card

• Lure cheat sheet for bass, tuna, and albies

• List of recommended guides and online resources

Sponsors

Proudly supported by leading brands: Van Staal, Simms, Hogy, Yeti, Yo-Zuri, Daiwa, Tsunami, Jigging World, Humminbird, Simrad, Solid State, Bank Newport, Carey Richmond and Viking Insurance

Faculty

Learn from some of the Northeast’s most respected anglers and Captains:

• Captain Ray Jarvis 

• Jeff Sullivan

• Captain Mike Hogan

•  Captain Eric "Teezer" Thomas
  

• Dustin Stevens