Conn Post 6/9/06

1. Saltwater anglers are reporting good to excellent action with striped bass being the mainstay of the Long Island Sound fisheries. Also, anglers are partaking of some limited early season bluefish and fluke. For the inland group, trout and largemouth bass are the top fish.
2. Striped bass continue to keep marine enthusiasts very happy. As expected, most of the fish being caught are below the 28-inch size minimum. The average bass is about 18 to 22 inches. Occasionally, a bass in the 35- to 40-inch range comes to shore as John Valentino Jr., 16, of Stratford, discovered last week when he caught a big 29.96- pound striped bass on a bucktail jig.
3. Reports around the Sound indicate the farther east you go the bigger the bass get. Some of the eastern "cow" spots are the mouth of the Pawcatuck River, Napatree Point, the lower Mystic River south of Mystic Seaport, Hatchett Reef, Long Sand Shoal off the Connecticut River mouth and the North and South Cove areas of the lower Connecticut River. Closer to home, the mouth of the Quinnipiac River, Pond Point, Milford Point, the lower Housatonic River between the Devon power plant and the river's mouth, Buoy 20 off Bridgeport Harbor, the channel between Fayerweather Island and Penfield Reef, and the eastern edge of the Norwalk Island chain are yielding keeper bass.
4. Fluke are still playing hard to get in the local area. Nearly all the keeper fluke are still hiding off Long Island. Black sea bass are making an early appearance off Fishers Island, Groton's Long Point, Black Point and Bartlett Reef. The black-sea bass season is open all year. But if you try for sea bass, you will likely catch a few porgy and blackfish. Anglers are reminded that blackfish season is closed until June 15 and porgy season will not open until July 1. Small harbor bluefish in the 12- to 15-inch range are starting to migrate into the western Sound. These fish are fun to catch on poppers and light tackle.
5. Thanks to the cooler weather, trout angling has been fair to good. The better action has been in the lakes and ponds because the rivers are swollen from the mid-week rains. Trouters using live minnows, streamer flies, marabou jigs and brightly-colored swimming spoons are catching trout at Lake Wononscopomuc, Bashan Lake, Squantz Pond, East Twin Lake, Black Pond, Candlewood Lake, Great Hollow Pond, West Hill Pond, West Side Pond, Highland Lake and Tyler Pond. Steve Dunn of Stratford landed an 8.01-pound Seeforellen brown trout at the Saugatuck Reservoir last week. He caught the fish on a live minnow and weighed it at Stratford Bait & Tackle.
6. Largemouth bass fishing is good to excellent on Scoville Reservoir, Lake Housatonic, Lake Lillinonah, Candlewood Lake, Lake Saltonstall, West Hill Pond, Dog Pond, Tyler Pond, Lees Pond, Ball Pond, Mamanasco Lake, Lake Zoar, Long Meadow Pond, Lake Chamberlain, Bantam Lake, West Twin Lake and Mudge Pond. Jerkbaits, crankbaits and small spinnerbaits are the hot lures when the sunny is shining. Switch to tube jigs, small soft-plastic worms, live minnows and nightcrawlers on cloudy days.
7. Elsewhere, smallmouth bass are biting at Candlewood Lake, Lake Lillinonah, Gardner Lake and Squantz Pond. Northern Pike fishing is good at Bantam Lake, Hopeville Pond, Ashland Pond and Pachaug Pond. Walleye action is red hot at Lake Saltonstall and Squantz Pond. Kokanee can be caught after dark in West Hill Pond. [FRANK MCKANE JR.]