Nor'east West CT 5/29-6/4

1. All season long, the waters along western Connecticut have been teeming with striped bass, with the fish getting bigger and bigger as the weather improves. But the action over the past few days has just been phenomenal with not only a prize-winning bass being taken, but trophy-sized bass as well.
2. Paul Austin of Fish Tales B&T in Stamford just couldn’t wait to tell about the performance of Brogan Burns who caught a two-fish total of 35.71 pounds of striped bass, which held up to take second place in Noreast’s Striped Bass Memorial Classic that was held over the Memorial Day weekend. Austin was not the only angler to catch big bass, with Phil Vincoli hauling in a 42-inch, 29-pound fish that he caught at Sound Reef while using fresh bunker chunks. Adrian Griffith also had a banner day with the catch of a 35-inch, 20-pound striper that he took in 40 feet of water at mid Sound while using just 12-pound test that was rigged with bunker. Frank DePetra and Mike Marinaccio were into the large bass too while trolling bunker spoons behind Captain’s Island where they caught a pudgy, squad bass that was 35 pounds and only 25 inches long. Wayne Johnson did not catch any bass but he did manage to bring home 11 keeper fluke to 6.5 pounds while fishing the Golf Course with squid stripes. Vincoli also did well with fluke, catching four fish to 6 pounds at Todds Point with squid strips.
3. At Pete’s Place in Stamford, it was all bass, all the time with Pete Miller telling of Joe Horvach catching five stripers to 41 inches at the Cows while fishing with bunker chunks. Sal Caruso was also at the Cows using live bunker for a catch of a 21, 22 and 23-inch bass, while Randy Sala had non-stop schoolie bass action at Holly Pond, including a huge striper that latched onto a smaller fish that was on the line. Mike Black had a monster day where he and his party caught 12 keeper bass to 23 pounds, 10 bluefish and a 22-inch sea bass while fishing with clams at Buoy 32A. John Crimmon was the exception to the bass clan, catching a 28-inch, 8.5-pound fluke at Todds Point with a bucktail tipped with a mackerel strip.
4. Nick Massaro of Fisherman’s World in Norwalk said that Jose Zecura caught a 40-inch striper at Penfield Reef using a bunker chunk, and that Eric Louvis hit the big time with his catch of a 39.6-pound bass that was taken on a bunker chunk at Norwalk Island. But nothing beats the outing of Don Connolly who found himself in the middle of a bunker school, where he caught three bass that were 42, 44 and 45 inches, and 10 blues to 10 pounds. Bruce Scalafani topped that with his catch of a 12-pound fluke, which gobbled down a bunker chunk at Greens Ledge.
5. At Hillers Hunting and Fishing of Norwalk, Paul Hiller told of Ronnie Corville getting a huge 32-pound bass on a bunker chunk at Middle Passage and Kevin Bova’s catch of a 40-inch bass at Stamford Reef, which was taken on a bunker chunk. Paul Lovis closed out the winter flounder season strong with 10 keepers that were taken at Cockenoe Island on sandworms, while Mark Hiller had equal success with the flatties, limiting out at the same location. Mike Buzzeo hit Peck’s Ledge where he did not get any flounder and settled for his limit of fluke, including a 3-pound fish that was taken on a rig of spearing and squid.
   Kevin Karchman of Ted’s Bait in Bridgeport had a diversified report of activity starting with Steve Collins’ catch of a 20.1-pound bass that was taken at Sunken Island on a bunker chunk. Dave Redford Jr. and Dave Redford Sr. did well at the same location, catching a 6.5 and 7.0-pound fluke respectively while fishing with squid and spearing.
6. At Bobby J’s in Milford, Jason Jadach had news on both fluke and bass catches and told of Carl Schneider and Frank Darmus teaming up to limit out on the flatties to 4.5 pounds in New Haven Harbor. Al Day caught a 4.5-pound fluke in Milford, while Jadach and Chris Leandres had luck with one keeper fluke and a sea bass. John Klaus caught a 32-inch, 19.1-pound striper on a mackerel chunk and Jason Jadach took a 40 and 36-inch bass while drifting sandworms in the Housatonic River.
7. Mike Sheehy of Salty Dog B&T in West Haven said that the sandbar is still holding weakfish, while bluefish to 4 pounds are present at the piers and along the beach, while stripers are strong at the breakwall. Skippy Muntz did well with the bass, catching two on eels that were 34 and 38 inches.
8. At Some Things Fishy in West Haven, Mike D’Errico raved of the bass catch by Ernie Holcomb who caught a 33.43-pound fish that gave him a seventh place finished in the Noreast tournament. Michael Deskin finished in 11th place with a 32.23-pound bass. Holly Bloxam and her husband, Curtis, fished together at Townsend Ledge with eels where she caught a 38.5-inch, 20-pound bass, while hubby was skunked. Pat Couden was at Southwest Ledge with his fiancée Shannon, and he caught a 28.5-pound bass that was 43 inches and taken on an eel. Johnny Sanchez caught his first-ever striper with an eel. The fish, which was caught at Long Sand Shoals, measured 37 inches and was 20 pounds.
9. Jimmy Orefice of Jimmy O’s in Stratford said that the fluke fishing in that area is a bit slow, but that some fish are being caught, while bass have been hot and heavy. Captain Tim Fazeas was proof of that with his catch of a 25-pound striper that he caught with a live bunker in Greenwich. Dave Hochman caught his limit of fluke at Can 7 with squid strips. Jimmy Izzo fished Goose Island for three fluke and several blues and bass. Bob Turly headed over to Bartletts Reef where he used a diamond jig to catch his limit of bass to 28 pounds, while Orefice did some surfcasting with swimming plugs at Fairfield Beach for schoolie stripers.