The Day 11/19/05

1. For those who want to stay active as long as possible, there is some good surf casting going on now along the Rhode Island beaches, very active school bass in the lower Thames River and black fishing on all the local rockpiles when the weather moderates. While some anglers are still on the water a glance at the calendar lets us all know fishing season will soon end. Next week will be the last column published by The Day written by Tim Coleman.
2. Capt. Al Anderson fished the Thames three times since last report, his parties landing roughly 240 bass to tops of about 26 inches though most were 15 to 19 inches. All the fish were caught casting a pearl white Zoom Super Fluke on a 3/8-ounce head or flies on 8wt rods with a 350-grain, fast sinking line or trolling small tubes on mini umbrella rigs. On of one the mornings they had exceptionally good action right off the Amtrak Bridge at Shaw's Cove. Al saw some false albacore break water at the mouth of the river and they continue to lose a few schoolies each trip to large blues that grab the fish as they are reeled in. Stephanie Cramer fished with Capt. Al Anderson during the week, finding schoolies in most of the river coves and off Eastern Point Beach, all south of the bridges. She is looking for these fish to move upriver very soon. Water temperatures ranged from 49 to 51 depending on the tide.
3. Lou over at Hillyers Tackle in Waterford said people saw some big stripers breaking water at Ocean Beach in Wednesday's wind. Jack Balint at Fish Connection said you should be able to catch schoolies from Ocean Beach up to the I-95 Bridge over the Thames, concentrating on the west side of the river.
4. From time to time there have been a few large bunker in close at the old light at the mouth of the Thames and small bass caught from the beach at Harkness Park. Shore casters also caught some keeper blackfish from the stone jetty at Pleasure Beach. Instead of casting out, drop a green crab on minimal terminal tackle right by the rocks after chumming with a few cracked crabs. People on the beach also landed schoolie bass at Pleasure Beach at sunrise and also last Sunday at McCook's Point Beach.
5. Out in the boats, there are blackfish if the wind isn't howling. The biggest of the week was a 13-pounder caught on the hump about 50 yards west of Seaflower. On a windy morning a small boater fished in the lee of Three-Foot Rock for both keepers and throwbacks.
6. Black fishing is still very worthwhile if we get a window in the storms.
7. People casting small swimming plugs around Pine Island landed tiny stripers and black fishing is fair to excellent when the small boats can safely get out and back. Big blues are mixed in with the schoolies, often feeding on them instead of all the small bunkers in the lower river. The latest Jack ever saw a bluefish landed in the Thames was Dec. 21, that fish took a chunk on the bottom opposite buoy 27.
8. Capt. Joey Devine of the Mijoy is still black fishing, weekends only for two more weeks, catching a steady number of keepers along with a few sea bass and lots of throwback porgies. If you lack a boat, this may be a way to get in that last trip before the weather closes in for good.
9. Capt. Kyle Douton over at J&B said one of the kids who works in the shop had a nice catch of blackfish in Niantic Bay, fishing in the lee of the stiff southwest wind.
10. There should still be some bass in The Race on the downside of the full moon but after that, the season will likely end until spring.
11. Sherwood Lincoln of East Lyme hasn't been able to get out black fishing but still has a boat in the water ready to go. The water temperatures in the eastern Sound were around 51 to 52 last time he checked which means we should have another week of so of fishing left to us.
12. Pat Abate at River's End in Old Saybrook noted his customers are telling him about throwback blackfish or nothing or all on some of the shallower spots that were productive a few weeks back.
13. Blues and scattered bass are still being caught on the west end of the Sand Shoal. Schoolies can be caught around the bridge openings and at times from the Sound beaches.