Nor'east Saltwater 5/28/06

1. The fishing flashed in and out of high season form during the week in eastern Connecticut, with some days producing bountiful catches of all the major species. Although striped bass have certainly settled in on the major reefs and river mouths, and fluke can be found in their deep water haunts and even close to our shores, anglers experienced the highs of success and lows of disappointment with the inconsistent conditions.
2. Given time, the elements of bait such as squid and bunker and the target species in place should all come together to produce more predictable results, if that is possible in fishing! But in this time of transition, winter flounder fishing ended with a flurry in the Niantic area, porgies jumped the gun for their June 1st opener in the Niantic Bay and blackfish broke through the gate near the railroad bridge in Niantic, which still has two weeks to go until their season opener. Bluefish began to maraud anglers near the Millstone outflow, and also competed with bass for diamond jigs, tubes and umbrella jigs in the Race and the Sluiceway. Many bass enthusiasts competed in the Striped Bass Memorial Classic over the weekend and tackle shops were busy weighing fish. It's the time of year we have all been waiting for, with the fluke making an early start and the bass running maybe a week or so behind schedule. It certainly appears that everything arrived at the same time.
3. Peter of Dee's Bait and Tackle feels that the striped bass have returned to the rivers after the May monsoon, with lively action below the Derby Dam on the Housatonic River, where Kevin Schiff and his son kept their limit of bass up to 25 pounds on live eels. Bass also roamed the open water at the Branford Beacon, Townsend's Ledge and between the New Haven Breakwaters. Bass may still be working into the area as an absence of truly large fish could indicate that they are a week or so behind schedule. Peter recommended drifting the channels between the breakwaters for fluke. Fluke also hit the rigs of shore anglers near the lighthouse. Look for weakfish near Long Wharf on the West Haven Sandbar. "A few guys are doing really well for flatfish or winter flounder outside of Millstone; they're limiting out."
4. Pete of Hammonassett Tackle Company said there are, "Quite a few bass and a few bluefish on the reefs." Try Six Mile Reef. Hammonassett Tackle weighed a 50-pound striped bass the other day that fell for a live bunker. As for fluke, there are a few on this side.
5. Tate of J&B Tackle described the fishing for bass and blues at the Race as very good, with bluefish, "Really starting to show." Trolling tube and worm around Bartlett Reef was effective for big bass. Fluking near Greenport and Montauk was mostly a short story, with a few keepers ranging from 20 to 23 inches. The R.I. beaches offer the best shot at doormats.
6. Al of Mackey's Bait and Tackle was stuck on winter flounder in the Niantic River, away from the porgies out in the Niantic Bay. Expect an occasional legal fish fluking on this side. There are, "A few bass at the point and keepers up to 42 inches at Rocky Neck off the beach on bait." Harkness State Park also rewarded anglers with bass on bait.
7. Pat of River's End Tackle noted that the striped bass action slowed down at the Race yesterday after a tremendous Friday, but it picked up at the mouth of the Connecticut River in four feet of water away from the channels. This is the time of year stripers wait to ambush herring in the river mouths, making Sluggos an effective choice for the bass-blitz of herring. East Rip in Clinton and Southwest Reef were often mentioned in the same breath as big bass. Surprisingly, the south side of Fisher's Island upset Greenport and Montauk for doormat fluke up to 10 pounds. "They're moving through so get out there fast." Abundant bluefish could be subduing the fluke bite at Greenport.
8. Carl of Ted's Bait and Tackle summed up the fishing as, "Weird." On Friday captain Jimbo of the Ernit Charters found cow bass near the surface feasting on bunker near Long Sand Shoal in the fog. On Saturday, there was nothing there. The weak tides may have something to do with it. At Soundview, Carl's friend Paul caught a 21 inch fluke on a mackerel chunk. He then followed it up with a 43-pound, 49.75-inch striped bass! Schoolies continue to dodge logs and entertain anglers in the Connecticut River. Red and white diamond jigs triggered the bluefish and bass bite in the Gut and the Race. "But it's a long way to travel and in a week they'll be right here."
9. Jack of Jack's Shoreline Bait and Tackle applauded Tony Cerase's catch of a 32-inch, 9.5-pound fluke at Mattituck Inlet on Big Brother Amgri's boat. Brandon Genovese plucked an 8.5-pound fluke out of the numerous shorts on Saturday. Young Brian O'Keefe caught his first striper ever at East Rip in the middle of the day on a live eel, which weighed 26.5 pounds! Look for fluke at Grizzly Point in Niantic.
10. Lou of Hillyers Tackle Shop spoke of one fluke outing that included fish at 12.7 pounds, multiple five-pound fish and a couple in the four-pound range. Closer to home in Niantic between the bridges, a mish mash of flounder, bluefish and huge illegal blackfish devoured bait, sending anglers back for seconds of sandworms. The Millstone outflow teamed with bluefish and striped bass. At the Race, the bluefish were absent with only striped bass. Bartlett Reef rewarded the tube and worm crew with plenty of cows. [Nor'east Saltwater, Dixon Downey]