Conn Post 7/6/06

1. Anglers wishing to catch their own largemouth bass can visit Lake Zoar, Lake Saltonstall, Winchester Lake, the Bolton Lake chain, Highland Lake, East Twin Lake, Mashapaug Lake, Tyler Pond, Wononscopomuc Lake, Quonnipaug Lake, Lake Waramaug, Pachaug Pond, Moosup Pond, Moodus Reservoir, Bashan Lake and Lake Kenosia. The fish have been hitting poppers, buzzbaits, spinnerbaits, soft-plastic worms, "Flipping" tube lures, Slug-gos and live minnows.
2. For smallmouth bass, travel to Gardner Lake, Highland Lake, Mashapaug Lake, Candlewood Lake, and the Housatonic River between Lake Lillinonah and Bulls Bridge. In-line spinners, topwater plugs and slow-moving crankbaits are the smallmouth bass hunters' mainstays.
3. Elsewhere on the freshwater scene, northern pike are cooperating at Bantam Lake, the Connecticut River and Pachaug Pond. Walleye fishing is fair to good at Lake Saltonstall and Gardner Lake. Only modest walleye reports have come from Squantz Pond. Chuck Saxonmeyer of Fairfield caught a 3.70-pound walleye in Lees Pond earlier this week. Lees Pond is not stocked with walleye, but Saxonmeyer's fish swam about seven miles downstream from the walleye-stocked Saugatuck Reservoir.
4. Trout fishing remains good in spite of the summer heat. Joe D'Lugos of Stratford caught a 5.92-pound natural brown trout at the Saugatuck Reservoir last week on a live minnow. The reservoir also gave Albert Tirnadi of Fairfield a 13.00-pound Seeforellen brown trout. This fish was caught on a Krocodile Spoon and verified at Ted's Bait & Tackle.

5. Long Island Sound is loading up with fish now that summer has taken hold. On Monday, I took a trip aboard the "Middlebank" Part Boat from Captain's Cove Seaport. The boat's 31 patrons caught 59 fluke and uncounted sea robins during the trip. Only six keeper-sized fluke came topside, including a five- pound fish. The Sound has plenty of fluke, but anglers must work hard to catch 18-inch legal fish.

6. Along with fluke, sea bass, porgy and blackfish abound on the rocks and reefs. Bob Barnes of Monroe weighed in a 5.22-pound black sea bass at Stratford Bait & Tackle. He caught the fish off Milford on a squid strip. Bob Kristoff of Oxford landed a 2.84-pound porgy off Clinton last week.

7. Bluefish are increasing in numbers and size throughout the Sound, especially in New Haven Harbor, off Milford, at the mouth of the Housatonic River and off the Norwalk Islands. Matt Silva, 15, of Stratford, caught a 10.08-pound bluefish last week behind Charles Island on a popper.

8. Striped bass action remains good to excellent on the offshore reefs and shoals. Live-lining eels, hickory shad, bunker or porgy has been the best tactic for catching big bass. The smaller fish are striking lures, small bunker chunks and tube-and-sandworm combination rigs. Some of the better offshore areas have been Buoy 28C, Buoy 20, Middleground, Stratford Point, the reefs off Branford and Southwest Reef. Look for inshore bass along Long Wharf, off Walnut Beach, Gulf Beach, in Milford Harbor, the Housatonic River between the Merritt Parkway Bridge to Short Beach, Bridgeport Harbor, Fayerweather Island and inside Black Rock Harbor. [FRANK MCKANE JR.]