Conn Post 4/21/06

• Warm weather and calm winds greeted anglers as the trout season officially opened Saturday. The spring climate continued all week to further delight fishers. As expected, the trout cooperated for some and completely fooled others. But catching fish is only a small part of the opening week atmosphere.
• Part of the trout-fishing spirit is the chance for parents to spend time outdoors with their children. This week it seemed that many families did not miss this special opportunity. Surveys around the state showed numerous adult/child fishing partnerships working the stocked lakes, especially the trout parks.
  
• The fishing outings paid big dividends for several youngsters, like Sam Emanuel, 8, of Stratford. The young caster caught a 5.92-pound brown trout from Candlewood Lake. He also reeled in two more brown trout weighing 2.46 and 2.38 pounds. Nick Vanfleet, 12, of Milford, hooked a rare 18-inch tiger trout from the Wepawaug River. Nick Rossi, 9, of Trumbull, picked up a tagged 14-inch rainbow from Gould Manor Pond. Brennan Cunningham, 4, of North Haven, caught a 20-inch, 3-pound rainbow trout on Berkley Powerbait in Maltby Lake #3. Conner Peterson, 11 of Fairfield, tried catching trout at Lake Mohegan, but ended up with a bunch of nice crappie.
• Adults also had good opening week luck. Ken Richie of Stratford weighed in a 5.96-pound Seeforellen brown trout at Stratford Bait & Tackle. He caught the fish at the Saugatuck Reservoir on a Krocodile spoon with green prism tape. Pablo Padillo of Bridgeport hooked a 4.22- pound rainbow trout at Unity Park on a nightcrawler. Ron Merly of Fairfield weighed in a 6.75-pound rainbow trout at Jimmy O's Bait & Tackle. According to the report, he caught the big trout on a yellow "coachdog" colored Rooster Tail. Bridgeport school teacher Eli Dyson of West Haven picked up a 3-pound brown trout in the Trumbull section of the Pequonnock River on Berkley Powerbait. Don Drake of Bridgeport opted for a mealworm to entice a 4.75-pound rainbow trout at the Norwalk River. Those who didn't catch many fish on opening day can take heart as there are eight more weeks of trout stocking. This week the state Department of Environmental Protection stocked both the Cornwall and Bulls Bridge trout management areas on the Housatonic River, the Farmington River TMA, Kent Falls Brook, the Mill River in Hamden, the Pequabuck River and Scoville Reservoir.
• Saltwater angling has taken a backseat to freshwater with the onset of trout season. But those working Long Island Sound are enjoying striped bass. Also, a report from Tom's Marine indicated plenty of schoolie striped bass in the Housatonic River below the Derby Dam. Hector Martinez of Bridgeport scored at Seaside Park last week with a 37-inch, 17.45 pound and a 38.75-inch, 21.05 pound striped bass. Both fish were weighed at Ted's Bait & Tackle. Meanwhile, Harry Sheffield of Bridgeport caught a 36-inch, 17-pound striper off the east end of Seaside Park. All the above bass were taken on bunker chunks.
• Blackfish are keeping anglers entertained as Joe Lucibella of Fairfield discovered when he boated an 8.42-pound blackfish. The fish struck a sandworm off the New Haven Harbor breakwaters. [org pub CT Post, written by FRANK MCKANE JR.