Conn Post 11/18/05

1. Anglers got a bonus this week with warm weather and great fishing, especially for striped bass and Atlantic salmon. Many saltwater enthusiasts are reporting double- digit catches on stripers in western Long Island Sound. Atlantic salmon are attracting plenty of attention now that the Naugatuck River has returned to normal flows and water levels.
2. The state Department of Environmental Protection stocked 280 salmon into the Naugatuck River and 283 salmon into the Shetucket River last week. These stockings bring the total number of salmon released this fall to 1,650 fish. While most of the salmon weigh between 3 and 20 pounds, hatchery personnel released one fish weighing nearly 26 pounds.
3. Because of the stockings and good water conditions, salmon enthusiasts are reporting excellent fishing. The Litchfield portion of the river north of the Thomaston Dam has been producing very well. Anglers are also finding fish in the river between Naugatuck State Forest along the railroad tracks and the Route 67 bridge in Seymour. Another good bet for salmon is the tailrace of the Derby Dam at high tide when the water levels are deeper.
4. Striped bass fishing seems to get better and better as the autumn progresses. Most of the fish are below the 28-inch size minimum. But on standard freshwater bass tackle or light saltwater tackle, these fish will test your wits. The smaller bass are taking soft plastic shad, imitation herring, small crankbaits, bucktail jigs, tube-n-worms and small herring chunks. If you are looking for larger bass, in the 28- to 40-inch class, switch to bunker heads, diamond jigs and deep diving crankbaits.
5. Shoreline bassers are finding fish off Lighthouse Point, the West Haven sandbar, Bradley Point, Andersons Landing leading into Milford Harbor, the state boat launching ramp in Devon, Caswell Cove off Bic Drive in Milford, Bonds Dock behind the former Shakespeare Theater in Stratford, both the east and west ends of Seaside Park, and the various shore points along the Saugatuck and Norwalk rivers.
6. Offshore bass hunters will fare well off Southwest Reef, Six Mile Reef, the mouth of Branford Harbor, the channels leading into New Haven Harbor, around Charles Island, off the Stratford Shoal, Buoy 20, in Bridgeport Harbor, off the end of Fayerweather Island, at the mouth of Southport Harbor, throughout the entire Norwalk Island Chain and in Greenwich Harbor. When fishing around any island, look for the bass on the island tips where the tides run strongest.
7. Yellow perch continue to thrill anglers in Bantam Lake, Winchester Lake, East Twin Lake, Tyler Pond, Gardner Lake, Lake Zoar, Lake Lillinonah, Lake Housatonic and Rogers Lake. The perch seem to prefer weedbeds, gravel points or mudflats for their autumn feeding activities. While you can catch yellow perch in deep water, you will fare better in depths of three to 10 feet. Natural colored marabou jigs, small jigging spoons and tiny tube lures are the best perch lures. Live pinhead minnows and bite-size pieces of nightcrawler are the top baits.
8. Boaters should note that the winter drawdowns of Gardner Lake, Pachaug Pond, Lower Bolton Lake, Middle Bolton Lake, Glasgo Pond and Bashan Lake are currently underway. Launching large bass boats may be difficult. [FRANK MCKANE JR.]