Danbury Post 5/12/06

1. Heavy rains will affect fishing.
2. Trout fishing is holding up well in moving water at least until the next round of heavy rains that will likely muddy things up a lot. The best reports have come from the Norwalk, Farmington, Mianus and Housatonic Rivers, and the best results have come to those anglers willing to use bait in the form of night crawlers or mealworms.
3. Farmington River water temperatures are in the low 50s, while the Housy is nearly 10 degrees warmer. Expect flows to increase this weekend due to the predicted heavy rains arriving today.
4. As of last night, Lake Lillinonah was scheduled to be drawn down 6-8 feet below the normal operating range as a flood control measure, and it's likely that the water level will stay down until late next week. That doesn't bode well for the bass in that waterbody, which have just gotten serious about spawning. Nests fanned out this week will likely be high and dry by tonight.
5. Largemouth bass fishing is picking up, though, especially in the smaller waters, as temperatures are beginning to reach the low 60s. Springtime shore fishing at small ponds like the one at the old Kazan property off Rte 34 in Newtown, which is now part of the Paugusett State Forest, is a great way to experience some of the best fishing of the year. The largemouth are close to the shoreline and within reach of everyone. And they are willing to bite whatever artificial you enjoy throwing.
6. Fishing for smallmouth bass is hot right now in the bigger waters, with Candlewood and Squantz Pond leading the way for both size and numbers. For smallies, the action�s been best on pearl white soft jerkbaits and on dull colored (smoke or olive green) plastic grubs fished on lead head jigs. Largemouth in the bigger waters have been hitting best on soft plastic. [Danbury Post by Rich Zaleski]