The Narragansett Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club is looking for new members, and the group is offering plenty to do this summer.

“Join other families on Sunday July 13 for a walk on the Blackstone bike path in Cumberland,” writes Shannon Kelley, Appalachian Mountain Club reporter. “Shaded, short and longer distance walks will be provided as options for all ages. Scenic river and canal views and close-ups of dams are highlights of this trip. A short museum tour also will be available.

“Ice cream stop at the end. “Start at 3 p.m. to avoid hottest part of day; bring water. Information will be available regarding AMC’s upcoming hiking, paddling, conservation, trail building and other activities. Nonmembers are welcome with no obligation to join. There is no fee for this activity. Call for exact meeting location and directions: Chris Shafer 789-8331 or Debbie Mitchell 743-4192.”

The Narragansett chapter has a full schedule for July. Here’s the list of activities from Shannon Kelley:

July 2: Hike and social, 6 p.m. –– Goddard Park, East Greenwich. For information, call Bob Cilette at 529-1611.

July 8: Evening concert and sea kayaking in Wickford. Paddle in Wickford Cove and perhaps out to the Town Beach. Have supper on the beach then paddle into downtown Wickford. Meet 4:30 returning at dusk. Please call for mandatory registration: Anne Fusco at 884-3205 or Sandi Barber at 467-7881.

July 12: Ninigret flat-water paddle. Late afternoon to avoid the mid-day sun. Meanders across Ninigret Pond rather than down the middle for a different perspective. Please call for mandatory registration: Linda Pease at 351-2234. or Antoinette Breed at 751-5086.

July 12: Sandwich Dome hike. At 3,993 feet, Sandwich Dome doesn’t get the respect the 4,000 footers get. We’ll take a 9-mile hike with 2,600 feet of elevation gain. This will suitable for intermediate hikers. Please call for mandatory registration: Sue Warthman at 270-3363.

July 13: Sea kayaking from Conimicut Point to Oakland Beach. Weather may alter the route. Please call for mandatory registration: Mike Krabach at 333-5350, mkrabach@efortress.com.

July 19: Arcadia Management Area Hike. 8:30 a.m. start for an 8-mile loop hike at a moderate pace. J.B Hudson, Breakheart, Shelter trails. There’ll be inspecting the new bridge installed by the dedicated trail crew in our chapter. Hiking boots required. Please call for mandatory registration: Maria Earley at 789-8331 between 7 and 9 p.m., momearley@netzero.com.

July 22: Evening concert and sea kayaking in Wickford. Paddle in Wickford Cove and perhaps out to the Town Beach. Have supper on the beach then paddle into downtown Wickford. Meet at 4:30 p.m. returning at dusk. Please call for mandatory registration: Anne Fusco at 884-3205 or Sandi Barber at 467-7881.

July 23: 6 p.m. hike and social at Sachuest Point in Middletown. For information call Bob Cilette at 529-1611.

More information about the group is available at www.amcnarragansett.org.

Bass have arrived

Bass are biting throughout the Bay and off Block Island.

The key is to find the bait — menhaden in the Bay and sand eels at Block Island — and stick with it.

In the Bay, chances are good that bluefish are beneath the bunker, and bass are beneath the blues.

Bill “Eelman” Nolan doesn’t like the crowds that have been gathering on the upper Bay, so he headed south with Steve McKenna and they found plenty of bass between 18 and 41 pounds, Eelman’s largest fish this season.

“Striped bass fishing at Block Island has been red hot recently as massive schools of sand eels have moved in, and the bass have been feeding heavily on them,” writes Peter Beuth, first mate aboard the charter boat CDevil II. “The guys at Merrimack Building Supply came out on a corporate charter and were rewarded with an excellent day of striper fishing and superb weather. The fishing is great, and many more great days lie ahead.”Thursday, fly fisherman Ed Hughes called from Port Edgewood to say he was slamming stripers on flies.

“It didn’t matter where I went or what color I used,” he said. “There were fish everywhere. I think the key was the incoming tide.”

Hughes was wading. On his first cast, he caught a 30-inch bass.

“I was worried that it would be a jinx, but it wasn’t,” he said. “I think I caught a fish on every cast after that, and they were all bass, no bluefish.”

Friday morning on the same tide, I could not buy a fish on either a fly or plug in front of the Save The Bay building where Hughes had fished the day before.

Hughes fished the Bay islands with Jim White on Friday, and they caught bass. Eelman Nolan did, too.

Striper madness

Ounces and an inch separated the top anglers competing in the June Moon Madness Striper Tournament at Snug Harbor Marina and at the Kayak Fishing Rodeo at King Cove Outfitters last weekend.

Mike Lundholm of Plymouth, Mass. won the Snug Harbor event with a 43.9-pound fish. Mike Lanni of Narragansett was second with a 43.2-pounder.

Sue Blackburn of Wakefield caught a 27.7-pound bass to win the ladies division, and Sam Clark of Old Lyme won the junior division with a 36.6-pound bass.

Anglers in the Kayak Fishing Rodeo had “beautiful, perfect weather all Saturday night and Sunday morning,” said Nils Christensen of Ultimate Kayak Fishing, organizer of the event. One angler started fishing at 6 a.m., fished until 11 p.m., got a bite to eat, and was back on the water at midnight, said Nils.

Jack Hanecack of Connecticut won with a 40-inch bass.

tmeade@projo.com