Conn Post, McKane 6/16/05

1. The summer heat has been altering the fisheries both in Long Island Sound and the inland waterways. Fish have two options to avoid the heat and sun. They can migrate to deeper water or wait to feed in the evening and right at dawn. Anglers must alter their tactics accordingly to intercept the summer striped bass, largemouth bass and trout.
2. Striped bass fishing has separated into two classes — nearshore and offshore. The nearshore anglers are catching plenty of sub-legal bass. These schoolies are fun to catch on light tackle, but remember the size minimum is 28 -inches. The Fort Hale fishing pier, West Haven Sandbar, Gulf Beach, the state boat launching ramp on the Housatonic River, the fishing pier at the Dock Shopping Center, Bonds Dock, Short Beach, the western end of Seaside Park, the St. Mary's Seawall, Penfield Reef and Sherwood Island are giving up good numbers of short stripers, along with an occasional keeper.
3. Bigger bass are more offshore near Long Sand Shoal, Southwest Reef, Six Mile Reef, Duck Island, the mouth of Branford Harbor, the reefs off Branford, New Haven Harbor, south of Charles Island, the perimeter of the Stratford Shoal, Buoy 28C, around Sheffield Island and the Cows off Stamford. Al Rosenthal of Shelton stopped by Ted's Bait & Tackle last week with a 39-inch, 20-pound, 8-ounce striped bass. He caught the fish on a fresh bunker chunk off the Port 5 dock in Bridgeport.
4. The state Department of Environmental Protection reported that anglers and boaters are seeing many dead striped bass in the Connecticut River. These fish appeared to have died from the stress brought on by rising water temperatures and lengthy angling battles. To minimize stress to any catch-and-release release fish, shorten the amount of time you spend playing and handling fish. Also, use circle or barbless hooks.
5. Fluke action is still slow, but improving in New Haven Harbor, off Penfield Reef and around the Norwalk islands. Ian Smith, 11 of Stratford, caught his first fluke last week. While fishing in New Haven harbor with a squid/spearing combination, the youngster landed a 1.98-pound fluke.
6. Blackfish season opened Wednesday with modest reports off the New Haven Harbor breakwaters and Townshend Ledge. Bluefish are becoming plentiful in all the western Sound harbors. Weakfish apparently have vanished with the summer heat.
7. Largemouth and smallmouth bass angling is fair to good. Look for largemouth bass in Ball Pond, Lake Chamberlain, both the Upper and Lower Moodus Reservoirs, Gardner Lake, Bantam Lake, Hatch Pond, Long Meadow Pond, Hop Brook Flood Control Impoundment and Wood Creek Pond. Smallmouth bass are found in Gardner Lake, Bantam Lake, Coventry Lake, Candlewood Lake and Highland Lake.
8. Charlie Tesla of Stratford scored a double at the Saugatuck Reservoir last week. He caught a 3.18-pound walleye and a 3.25-pound smallmouth bass on live minnows. The fish were weighed at Stratford Bait & Tackle.
9. Trout action has dropped off with the summer heat, but fair numbers of fish can still be caught in the evening in the West Branch and mainstem of the Farmington River, the Housatonic River Trout Management Areas, Naugatuck River, Pootatuck River, Candlewood Lake, West Hill Pond, Black Pond, Highland Lake, Wononscopomuc Lake and East Twin Lake.
10. Also, chain pickerel are biting in Long Meadow Pond, Upper Moodus Reservoir and Wood Creek Pond. Crappie fishing is good in Upper Moodus Reservoir, West Thompson Lake, Wood Creek Pond and Lake Zoar. Kokanee salmon are ripe in West Hill Pond.