Conn Post 4/7/06

• The spring fishing season got its first push last weekend with the onset of Daylight Savings Time. With the time change, anglers have good fishing light through 8 p.m. This lighting allows fishers to pursue flounder, striped bass and freshwater gamefish in the evening after work or school.
• Winter flounder action has been spotty since the season opened last weekend. Some of the better reports have come from Norwalk Harbor off Veteran's Memorial Park, around the oyster stakes off Calf Pasture Beach, along the flats off Cockenoe Island, between the mouth of the Housatonic River and Milford Harbor, and in Branford Harbor. "Better" is a relative term. Don't expect to catch a limit of 10 fish. Two or three 12-inch keepers can be considered a good outing.
• Patrons on the Hel Cat II party boat caught a few flounder last weekend in the deeper water. Along with the flounder, Capt. Brad Glas reported good catches of hake and a fair amount of cod. The biggest cod caught last weekend weighed 36-pounds, a rare beauty considering the poor state of this fishery.
• Herring numbers are starting to increase in the coastal rivers. Striped bass are following these baitfish into the Bryam River, Mianus River, Norwalk River, Southport Harbor, Ash Creek, the Pequonnock River, Housatonic River, Quinnipiac River and Farm River. Most of the bass are well below the 28-inch size minimum, but on light tackle these schoolie bass will provide plenty of fishing fun. About the only problem striped bass enthusiasts encountered last week was an oil spill near the Derby Dam that caused a temporary river closure.
• Freshwater anglers looking for activities between now and the start of trout season on April 15 should look into yellow perch, white perch and crappie. All three panfish are biting well in the Connecticut River, Lake Lillinonah, Lake Zoarand parts of the lower Housatonic River. Small marabou jigs, jigging spoons and tiny live pinhead minnows are all taking panfish.
• Yellow perch are also available in Lake Housatonic, Lake Kenosia, Mamanasco Lake, Congamond Lake, Beseck Lake, Pataganset Lake, Bantam Lake, Dog Pond and Winchester Lake. Crappie are not as widely distributed as their perch cousin. Anglers should be able to catch these panfish in the Bantam River within the White Memorial Foundation, Mamanasco Lake, Silver Lake and Beseck Lake.
• All the trout management areas are now stocked with trout for catch-and-release fishing. While the fish-catching potential is high, the fishing conditions are difficult because of the flooding from the early-week rain run-off. The best TMA fishing conditions can be found in the Mill River north of Lake Mohegan in Fairfield and the Saugatuck River in Westport north of the Merritt Parkway. Because of the questionable water conditions, fly anglers will fare better with sinking lines, strike indicators and brightly colored nymphs.