Hartford Courant 5/6/06

FRESH WATER

1. TROUT:In-season trout stocking is well underway, and state trout parks are stocked every 7-10 days, including Baummer's Pond, Angus Park Pond, Bunnells Pond and trout parks at Stratton Brook, Black Rock, Wolfe Park, Horse Pond, Southford Falls, Wharton Brook, Chatfield Hollow, Kent Falls, Sleeping Giant and Natchaug River.
2. Rivers and streams: The recent rain has slowed fishing everywhere. Good reports were received from the Farmington (21-inch brown), Housatonic (browns to 20 inches), Willimantic, Natchaug, Aspetuck, Bantam, Blackberry, Scantic, Naugatuck, Hammonasset, Salmon, Mill, Ten Mile, Eightmile (Southington), Mianus, Coginchaug, Pequonnic, Pequabuck, Yantic, Little (23 inch, 5-pound brown), Pomperaug and Hockanum Rivers, and Leadmine, Latimer, Salmon, Sandy, Roaring (Somers) and Roaring (Glastonbury) Brooks. Bait anglers are having success with earthworms and a mealworm/corn combination. Successful fly anglers are using Winter/Summer Caddis (Nos. 18-22, early morning, minor hatch), Blue Wing Olive (Nos. 16-20, late morning, early afternoon), Blue Quills (Nos. 16-20, early afternoon) and Quill Gordons (Nos. 16-18, early, mid afternoon). Hendricksons (Nos. 12-14, early afternoon) are in full hatch on the Farmington River, and spinner fall occurs around 6:30 p.m. Blue Wing Olive, midges, Blue Quills, early caddis and stoneflies are suggested on the Housatonic River. White and yellow streamers and nymphs are producing some large fish, but the Hendrickson hatch is non-existent because of high water. Anglers can also expect good fishing in western Connecticut on the Farmington West Branch (above the TMA), Nonewaug, Pootatuck and Weekeepeemee Rivers, and the East and West Branch Salmon, and Pond and Hop Brooks. In eastern Connecticut, good fishing can be found at Hammonasset, Hockanum, Hop, Jeremy, Middle, Quinebaug, Shetucket, Skungamaug, Still (Eastford) and Tankerhoosen Rivers, and Broad (Preston), Bigelow, Choate, Crystal Lake, Indiantown, Kitt and Pattaconk Brooks.
3. Lakes and ponds: Good reports came from Colebrook Reservoir, Mashapuag (mixed results), Rogers (good), Wonoscopomuc (22-inch, 4.3-pound brown trout), Highland (22-inch brown), Crystal (Ellington), Candlewood (22-inch brown) and East Twin Lakes (20 fish for one angler), Squantz, Beach (some 12-15 inch browns), Great Hollow, Mount Tom and West Hill Ponds (52 trout for two anglers). Anglers can expect good fishing in western Connecticut at Black Rock Impoundment, Fountain Lake and Ball, Christensen's, Ender's, Mohawk, Tyler and West Side Ponds. In eastern Connecticut, the best reports came from Walkers Reservoir, Amos, Billings, Pattaconk, Bashan, Cedar, Gardner, Quonnipaug and Wyassup Lakes, Beach, Black (Meriden/Middlefield), Beaver Brook (Bibbins), Day, Schreeder and Valley Falls Park Ponds.
4. LARGEMOUTH BASS:Bass are moving into the spawning beds, and fishing is productive at Mansfield Hollow Reservoir, Saugatuck Reservoir, East Twin Lake, Saltonstall, Wonoscopomuc, Amos, Bashan, Quonnipaug (6.48-pound bass), Uncas, Ashland, Bantam, Congamond, Highland, Middle Bolton, Candlewood (6.5-pound bass) and Coventry Lakes and Pachaug, Mudge and Ball Ponds.
5. SMALLMOUTH BASS:Fish are reported at Mansfield Hollow Reservoir, Lake Housatonic, Candlewood Lake (4.75-pound smallmouth), Bashan and Gardner Lakes, and Squantz, West Hill and Ball Ponds.
6. CHAIN PICKEREL:Good reports came from Wonoscopomuc and Rogers Lakes (21-inch fish).
7. BLACK CRAPPIE:Fishing has been excellent at Lake Saltonstall, West Twin (30 fish) and East Twin (13.5-inch fish) Lakes, and Avery, Glasgo and Park Ponds.
8. NORTHERN PIKE:Fish are showing up at Bantam Lake (30 inches), Hopeville Pond, Ashland Pond and below the Pachaug dam.
9. CONNECTICUT RIVER:Striped bass are in the river up to Enfield, and legal-size fish (up to 40 inches are mixed in with schoolies). An inland fishing license is required to fish in the Connecticut River north of the Old Lyme/Old Saybrook railroad bridge. Sand and blood worms are working fell, along with soft plastics. Northern Pike are reported at Windsor, Haddam Meadows, Wethersfield Cove and White Oaks Cove. Catfish are in Wethersfield and White Oaks Cove, Middletown and Cromwell. Shad are reported in the river up to the Bissell Bridge.
10. WHOPPERS:Brown trout: Natchaug River (26 inches, 8.3 pounds, Jason Adams); Saugatuck Reservoir (6.5 pounds, Daniel Hripak of Bridgeport); Crystal Lake, Ellington (5 pounds, Ken Nyser).

SALT WATER

1. BLACKFISH:The season closed May 1 and opens June 15.
2. BLACK SEA BASS:The season is open year-round with a 12-inch minimum length and a daily creel limit of 25 per angler.
3. PORGY:Season opens June 1.
4. STRIPED BASS:Fishing in the tidal rivers and harbors remains good for 14-20-inch schoolies with some hickory shad mixed in. The usual spots include the Pawcatuck River, Mystic River, Thames River, Niantic River, Connecticut River (Great Island), New Haven Harbor (Sandy Point), Housatonic River (from Devon power plant to Derby Dam) and Norwalk Islands.
5. SUMMER FLOUNDER:The new minimum length is 18 inches with a daily creel limit of six. On the water, fillets must meet the minimum length or be accompanied by a legal-sized frame.
6. WINTER FLOUNDER:Fishing is fair at Bluff Point, Poquonock River, Pine Island, The Brothers, Niantic Bay and Norwalk Harbor.
7. CAPE COD:A number of striped bass exceeding 40 pounds have been taken off the Red River Jetties.
8. Bass River and some other estuaries have also produced some large fish. The south side of the Cape is loaded with fish as well with anglers in Pleasant Bay reporting schoolies up to 26 inches. Barnstable Harbor, Sesuit Harbor and Rock Harbor have all had a number of schoolies taken, mainly during high tide. There are no reports of bluefish yet, and flounder fishing is generally slow with a few flats taken off Sesuit Harbor.