Norwich Bulletin, 10/1/05

• It's hard to believe it's already October and water temperatures in area lakes are still in the mid-70s, near summer time levels. Streams are too hot and have evaporated down to a trickle. Even the waters of Long Island Sound are well above what's usual for this time of year. Surface temps are in the mid- to high 60s, depending on the depth. Despite very warm ocean temperatures, it appears that some larger striped bass were on the move during all the windy weather last weekend and earlier this week.
• There was a report of a 51-pound, 51-inch monster brought into King Cove Marina in Stonington Sunday. Supposedly, the huge bass was caught off Watch Hill Reef on a tube and worm rig. Shaffer's Marina in Mystic also reported seeing a 49 incher that probably weighed at least 50 pounds caught on a shad umbrella rig in an undisclosed location. My guess would be it was caught somewhere in the Watch Hill Reef complex. In addition, friends of mine caught a few decent bass in the 40-inch range last Friday before the winds began to howl. And Captain Morgan, from his namesake shop in Madison, said he suddenly began weighing in some 30-pound class fish since the weekend, including a 47-pounder.
• Prior to this influx of large bass, only a few spots along the Rhode Island coast, including Block Island, were consistently reporting large stripers. This could be evidence that the migration has apparently begun.
• Bluefish are abundant and, according to Capt. Balint of the Fish Connection in Preston, there are also some false albacore in the mix to catch.
• Capt. Balint is out fishing for albis every day with his clients. He said that the fish will be in one place one day and in a totally different place the next morning. So as always, catching up to these fast-moving fish is a search-and-destroy mission that isn't always successful, for me anyway.
• Montauk Point is perhaps the best area to catch a false albacore with the Sluiceway and Plum Gut being a distant second. There have been verified reports of them off the West Wall at Point Judith, in breachways along the south shore beaches, and occasionally along the Watch Hill Reef complex. Schools are occasionally popping up in the Sound as far west as Pleasure Beach, Waterford too. As I've said a number of times through the years, false albacore are whereever you find them and every report is old news. To find them is always a hunt.
• This summer, the greatest toll on fish populations has been taken in small ponds and streams where they have been killed off by drought and high water temperatures. Trout populations have taken it in the face and even bass and sunfish have died in exposed, shallow ponds. The Housatonic River which usually holds some very large trout year-round, experienced a significant reduction this summer.
• Stocking schedules: A recent DEP press release indicated that unless stream levels rise and temperatures drop considerably during the next couple of weeks in key areas, stocking schedules may have to be modified so the fish aren't literally thrown to their deaths. Between now and October 14, 45,000 rainbow trout are scheduled to be released into 24 lakes and ponds, 10 trout parks, and 21 rivers and streams.
• Most of the state's trout parks have a pond, so the fish that would be placed in the stream sections may be diverted to the ponds. In cases where stream sections or Trout Management Areas (TMAs) are affected, the fish will be diverted to nearby lakes, which will make for improved ice fishing during winter months.

Trout parks: 1. Horse Pond in Salem 2. Natchaug River in Chaplin 3. Salmon River in Colchester
TMA: 1. Moosup 2. Salmon 3. Yantic 4. Willimantic 5. Pachaug 6. Quinebaug 7. Salmon
8.Shetucket 9. Yantic
Lakes and ponds: 1. Amos Lake 2. Beach Pond 3. Coventry Lake 4. Long Pond 5. Moosup Pond
6. Rogers Lake 7. Wauregan Reservoir 8. Wyassup Pond