TheDay Tim Coleman 5/27

1. Awful, depressing and downright yucky were some of the words used to describe the week's weather. At a time when marinas are normally busy, the boats were all in their slips, owners waiting for the end to another northeaster, compliments, as one tackle shop owner remarked, of a winter that will not end. Prior to the three-day storm that saw tress downed and winds in excess of 40 mph, people were out on the water and catching fish.
2. Al Golinski of Misquamicut said his neighbors headed to Montauk for large fluke before the winds came on. Shore anglers are getting smaller bass to about 13 pounds from the Watch Hill Lighthouse through Charlestown Breachway.
3. Jack at Ocean House Marina said the storm shut down most striper fishing in Ninigret Pond, at least for those in small boats. The worm hatches stopped and the only people he saw out were some die-hard shore anglers wading along Quonnie Pond even at the height of the storm. Better days are coming.
4. Capt. Al Anderson of Snug Harbor fished Tuesday in the Narrows of Point Judith Salt Pond with wind chills in the mid-30s and wind gusts over 35 mph. His client for that trip landed 26 bass to 34 inches in the one hour, 45 minutes they braved the cold on an eight-weight fly rod and silver and white Clouser. So far this year he and his charters have landed over 1,000 schoolie stripers, mostly from the upper Thames River, the rest from the Salt Pond.
5. Don over at King Cove in Stonington reported a couple of the steadies landed 35 schoolie bass at Charlestown Breachway on Thursday morning, fishing both the pond and ocean side. There are also schoolies up inside the Stonington Coves above the RR Bridges. Fluking was on hold until gale winds subside, hopefully in time for the long weekend.
6. They saw the first bluefish of 2005, said Cheryl at Shaffers Marina. The small blue was caught in the Mystic River on a popper tossed for stripers. That fishery was going on right through the storm at times around Six Penny Island. Some fluke were caught on the south side of Fishers and one over last weekend off the Monastery.
7. Jack at the Fish Connection cancelled charter trips like he usually does during the fall line storms. Before the wind cranked up to 40 mph on Wednesday night people had large fluke at Montauk and some on the south side of Fishers. You might hit that area on you way over to New York, give it an hour then continue on for the 14-mile trip across Block Island Sound. Jack tried the Watch Hill Reefs last Saturday but got nary a hit. He finished the day landing schoolies and small keepers at Bluff and Groton Long Points and back up in the Thames.
8. Steph Cramer sent in her e-mail about very poor conditions for wading and casting along the upper banks of the Thames. As you might expect, fishing suffered as a result. One of her co-workers though had a ball casting his spinning rod and poppers in a Rhode Island pond right through the worst of the storm.
9. Capt. Kevin Bentley of the Reelin also sent in an e-mail about some improving bass catches prior to the storm. On Friday the 20th the Sterling party had bass to 38 inches plus shorts in The Race and other local spots. That evening the group from Cristelli Enterprise fished a local reef for fine mess of fish that included a 50-pounder caught by Norm Nadeuea, age 72, the first such landed in our area this year. On Saturday the gang from the Daniels charter enjoyed a good trip with bass to 36 pounds and on Monday the 23rd the people from Tranmer Electric fished The Race for a nice take of stripers. When the tide picked up they moved to another reef enjoying “non-stop bass catching...all day.”
10. Hillyers Tackle reported large fluke at Montauk before the northeaster. Jim Mugavero of Quaker Hill came back with a 9.13-pounder plus others. Bass fishing in the Race started but stopped when the storm his us. There are some bass at the mouth of the Niantic River and here and there along the shore over to the mouth of the Thames River. A few small bluefish were plugged up in Niantic Bay on small poppers meant for schoolies. Squid jigs are selling well, many headed to Stonington Harbor after dark for squid up to 18 inches.
11. Capt. Danny Woods of J&B Tackle said nobody he talked with left the dock during the storm that was still blowing over 30 mph at New London Ledge Light yesterday morning. Charter boats had some good catches in The Race and local reefs prior to the unusual late-season northeaster. Private boats trolled some smaller bass around Hatchetts Reef during the day on a tube and worm.
12. Sherwood Lincoln of East Lyme fished Isabella Beach in the afternoon on Monday but caught little in the very slow drift. That morning however a friend caught nine fluke in the same area. That spot or Montauk is perhaps your best bet for summer flounder this weekend when seas finally subside.
13. Pat at River's End Tackle said people landed fewer but larger bass casting poppers and Slug-Gos in the lower Connecticut River from Calves Island to the breakwaters at the river mouth. Biggest of the lot was around 40 inches. Bait fishermen caught schoolies and bass into the mid-30-inch range from both the DEP Pier and shore locations around Haddam. Everybody else stayed inside, waiting for the skies to clear and the wind to calm.