On The Water Magazine

• Good fishing extends to the west and into Connecticut, where Seth at The Fish Connection in Preston said that the Thames River is still full of striped bass, though the bigger fish are coming out of the Norwich Harbor region. School bass predominate throughout the length of the river, though bigger fish are mixed in. Seth did not have any good reports of fluke in the general area of the Thames River just yet, and said that the best fluke fishing reports are coming from the south side of Fishers Island and from just off the beaches around Misquamicut. Inland, an angler can hardly go wrong. Largemouth bass coming off the spawning beds are showing more interest in lures and baits. All the major trout waters were stocked for the holiday weekend, so there is no lack of trout. The Shetucket River has been fishing well, and Amos Lake has been very productive in the evenings.
• A bit farther to the north, Charlie at Colonial Sports said that now is the time to be out on the trout streams. He did note, however, that the Yantic River is a bit on the low side, but it’s still fishing well and is full of trout. One decent rainfall will help. The Shetucket is fishing excellently, and the Salmon River is beyond a doubt the place to be. According to Charlie, the reports are that there are so many trout in the Salmon River, it is almost sinful. And if that isn’t enough, the Salmon is due for yet another stocking of trout. Hatches are a real mish-mash at the moment, according to Charlie, though the Light Cahills are predominant now on most of the local waters. Expect to see the bugs get smaller, and the fish to get pickier, as time progresses.
• Lou at Hillyer’s Bait & Tackle in Waterford reported a 29-pound monkfish landed by some anglers fishing for fluke on the south side of Fishers Island over the holiday weekend. I can only imagine the horrified look on the face of the fluke angler as that ugly behemoth was winched up! I suspect therapy will be in order. Catching giant monkfish aside, the fluke fishing is great on the south side of Fishers Island, with good numbers of 9-plus-pound fish being landed. The warm water discharge area near Millstone also is seeing some big fluke come to hook. Stripers are getting active on Bartlett Reef, particularly if you are tossing eels at them, and bluefish are piling into the area looking for bait to tear up and lures to devastate. For some odd reason, anglers have been catching stripers in The Race without their offerings being molested. Winter flounder continue to be caught, but it is slow going now that the water is warming quickly.
• There have been no ugly fish taken in the eastern portion of Long Island Sound, according to Capt. Morgan at Capt. Morgan’s Bait & Tackle in Madison, but there have been plenty of fluke, stripers and blues. Big fluke are turning up along the shoreline in the eastern sound, provided you find some structure such as the many local shoals dotting the coastline. Striped bass and bluefish are all over the place, and bunker, both big and small, are providing lots to feed upon. Bigger bass are hanging around the reefs already, and school bass can be taken from shore, at the river mouths and in the many coves and inlets. All the major Trout Management Areas were stocked for the weekend, and all are producing good catches of trout. The Hammonasset River in particular has been producing a good number of trout in the 7- to 8-pound range. Largemouth bass are hungry coming off the spawning beds, so this is a prime time to seek them out in any of the many local ponds and lakes.
• Farther west and inland, John at Valley Angler in Danbury has continuing good reports for Squantz Pond, which continues to give up good numbers of walleye from shore in the 6-pound range. The alewives are moving out, so don’t expect this to last much longer. Lake Candlewood is producing incredible smallmouth bass, with Finesse Minnow lures being the most enticing thing to toss at the moment. White is the preferred color, so be prepared. Largemouth bass are also active, and the action for that species is improving with time. Fishing in the Farmington River continues to be good, but is a bit slower going as the hatches are not as prolific this season, for whatever reason. The caddis hatch has been meager, and currently it is a mixed bag of species coming off the water.
• Scott at Fisherman’s World in Norwalk reports that the fishing has been a bit slower than expected for this time of year, especially for the bigger fish. None of the regular heavy-producing areas, like Buoy 11B, have been yielding good fish. Any bigger fish in the region seem to be hanging around with the schools of bunker, so find bunker and you have a chance at a bigger fish. School bass fishing continues to be excellent, and mostly smaller bluefish have turned up in the area, keeping the action steady. Sand eels are turning up, which can get fish in the feeding mood quickly. Fluke fishing is just beginning to get going in the western end of the sound, so stay tuned.
• At Westport Outfitters in Norwalk, Chris said that the fishing is good, but rather unpredictable at the moment. The initial run of big fish has moved on, and he expects the infiltration of big fish that summer over in the area to occur in the coming week or so. In the meantime, the fluke fishing is good, though mainly in New York waters. Bluefish are prevalent, though they tend to be on the small side now. The good news is that there is lots of bait around, so when the big fish show, expect some heavy feeding to occur. As with most of the rest of the state, all the major trout waters were stocked for the holiday weekend, so there is no lack of trout in any of the major streams and rivers. The Norwalk, Saugatuck and Housatonic Rivers have all been notably productive.

Best Bets for Connecticut and Rhode Island: My advice for the weekend is to head east and get into upper Narragansett Bay before the water warms to the point of driving the big fish out. It will only be a matter of another week or two at best, so don’t delay. Lots of big fluke are being taken throughout Rhode Island waters, so again I say head east while the getting is good. The ratio of keepers to shorts is bound to worsen as time goes on. Bigger stripers are moving into Long Island Sound, so go hunting for them if you feel adventurous. You also may want to consider a bit of trout fishing before the water levels drop and stream temperatures rise. Conditions are excellent and the rivers are filled nearly to the brim with trout. Pick your favorite spot and head out for a bit of freshwater action. (by Alan Desbonnet)

ConnPost.com Fisherman need to adjust as temps climb

• For some, Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of the fishing season on Long Island Sound. In-shore anglers, the kind who don chest waders to ply the shallow water off the beaches, sandbars and backwater estuaries for striped bass with spinning gear and fly rods, have been at it for two months. But from now on as increasing water temperatures drive the bass into deeper, cooler waters, boaters will dominate the fishing scene on the Sound. Watch out for the wake! So this is probably as good a time as any to cast an eye on the health of the fish stocks in New England waters.
• STRIPED BASS — Despite the large number of undersized striper area fishers see, the striper population in Long Island Sound and all along the East Coast is considered healthy, writes Blinkoff. Thanks to tight management, the vast over fishing of the past has not been repeated, and efforts to open commercial fishing in federal "exclusive economic zone or EEZ, have so far fizzled. In Connecticut, (also Massachusetts and Rhode Island) stripers must be longer than 28 inches to be kept and there is a two-fish limit for each angler.
• BLUEFISH — Again, smaller specimens of this razor-toothed recreational fish (4 to 6 pounds) dominate local catches. But biologists say the bluefish stocks, which dropped in the early 1990s, are rebuilding and should reach a healthy size in 2008. Connecticut maintains a 10 -fish per angler limit no matter what the size (even if they are tiny "snappers")
• FLUKE — Called fluke for their odd looks, and summer flounder for the preference for warmer water, these flatsfish became what Blinkoff describes as "the poster child" for the need for strict governmental management of a fish stock considered depleted. While fluke populations are rebuilding, it has been a slow process. In Connecticut minimum length for a fluke stayed at 18 inches with a limit of 5 fish per angler. In addition the season was shortened to April30 through September 5 to reduce pressure of spawning fish.
• WINTER FLOUNDER — While the stocks of winter flounder in Southern New England remain depressingly low (although some areas like Norwalk seem to hold fair numbers), the stocks north of Cape Cod are in great shape. Biologists don't think the southern stocks of these flatfish will be back to pre-1995 population until at least 2018. In Connecticut angler can take 10 winter flounder per outing (a limit that many think is too high), but they have to be more than 12 inches from tail to nose. The season extends only from April 28 to May 30, so better hurry.
• PORGY — Called scup from Rhode Island north, porgies are one of the most important recreational catches, once accounting for the vast majority of fishing trips. At the moment scientists know little about the health of their stocks. While fish-counting trolls in Long Island Sound yield huge numbers of baby porgy, only a small percentage reach adulthood. It is hoped stocks will be fully rebuilt by 2010. In Connecticut and Rhone Island porgy must be a minimum of 10.5 inches with a daily limit of 15 fish per angler. Limit for party boats are much higher (60 fish per angler). Season open June 1 to Oct. 1.
• BLACKFISH — Faced with low and declining stocks of blackfish, a bottom-dwelling fish prized for it quality on a plate, the Atlantic State Marine Fisheries Commission has ordered states to cut their mortality rate by 28 percent. Connecticut has a strict four -fish limit with a 14-inch minimum length, but look for tighter regulations later this year or next.
• WEAKFISH — Another species at a very low-level of abundance, the outlook for this sleek beauty is not good. Overfishing is not to blame for this sad situation, however. Biologists think natural mortality from lack of forage may be the cause. In Connecticut and Massachusetts angler can take 10 weakfish of 16 inches of larger.
• AMERICAN SHAD — A large-scale study of shad stocks is underway with results expected by the end of this year. Meanwhile, shad numbers are far below peak years. The fabled run in the Connecticut River are today mere shadows of their past glory. Now that we have delivered the bad news about Long Island Sound fish stocks, here where to some of the above-mentioned fish.

Westport Outfitters (Norwalk) Fishing Report

• Memorial Day brought with it some fantastic weather and the fishing was pretty decent as well despite hoards of boats out on the water. To that point, like you, our schedules are extremely busy, but we would cash in two weekend days in a heart beat for one good day during the week to get out. This holds true especially around the islands when on the weekends the boat traffic can be pretty thick. Although the fish will not get scared and swim away, they will shut down feeding when these types of conditions exist, so if you can, (and we know it’s difficult), attempt getting out before work and/or after for a sunset excursion. Using the same techniques and tactics you would apply on the weekends, you could greatly increase your catch ratio solely due to the absence of heavy boat traffic.
• The week began a bit slow but by Wednesday the action did heat up. Across the way in LI seemed to slow down a bit after reports previously of some cows being caught over near Hempstead. The fool moon upon us will most likley move these fish out shortrly. The bunker is still in thick with a heavier concentration to our East. If you can afford the gas, making a journey to some of the deeper holes out towards Middle Ground, south of Penfield and outside the mouth of the Housatonic are your best bets for larger fish. We had reports of some 40+ inch fish taken in and amongst all these areas early in the week.
• Our scouts from shore reported Sand Eeels in abundance off of Compo and the Mill Pond all week with plenty of schoolie action on light tackle and flies with fish up to 30 inches. A green or pink hue epoxy sand eel imitation is your best bet or the new go to soft plastic Berkely Gulp. Before the harbor erupted over the weekend with boat traffic, we sent two boats out on Friday. One stayed close with the fly rods and the other ventured into deeper water. The inshore crew ruled the day with numerous fish in the high 20s all on flies inside of Copps Rocks, Wilson Cove and outside of our favorite little lagoon. One larger fish just shy of 30 inches was taken in deeper water.
• Reports and shop sightings between Compo and the Mill have Sand Eeels EVERYWHERE!! Our trusty shore scout Matt armed with his fly rod has been fishing these areas all week in the A.M. with consistent fish in the 30 inch range on multiple sand eel patterns. Sunday we sent another boat out with two newbies and they were not disappointed. After drifting some worms with solid action inside of the islands, they were surprised to hook into a 19 inch Fluke on artificial baits.
• Reports just in this A.M. from another one of our shore scouts Bill said plenty of fish to be had on soft plastics around the vicinity of Burial Hill beach on the incoming tide. After stopping by Compo at first light, the Sand Eels he reports were in so think they were reminiscent of bunker schools.
• I myself was out on the beach first thing Thursday A.M. prepping two new fly fisherman for thier first excursion this wekend and while practicing, viewed pods of small baitfish and sand eels getting pushed up onto Calf Pasture Beach. Too bad we only had 5 WTs with no hooks :)!
  

TheDay, Reserve Your Spot For A Warm Weekend

• The fluke picture is improving along with nice weather predicted for the long weekend, was the report from Bob's Rod & Tackle in Quaker Hill. He had news about keepers caught at Montauk, the south side of Fishers Island and Greenport. Biggest of the week was a 9-pounder from Greenport.
• Closer to home, there were some 30-35-inch bass landed off Montville on live eels and the tube and worm and possibly enough winter flounder for supper and a few meals afterwards off the sandy beaches from Seaside past Harkness Park. Please keep in mind the Connecticut season for the latter fish closes down on May 31.
• Capt. Kerry Douton at J&B Tackle reported lots of bass in The Race but most are on the small side. Fluking is fair to good at Peconic, along the Rhode Island beaches and Montauk, all in time for the upcoming holiday weekend. No shark trips just yet but they are in the planning stages.
• Al Golinski of Misquamicut is just about ready to put the boat in the water and take it out for a shakedown run. He's heard about squid on the Watch Hill Reefs along with larger bass. Bunkers are up and down the Pawcatuck. Everyone is hoping they will stay put and provide a source of striper bait in the coming weeks. Shore anglers landed plenty of small bass from the beaches between Watch Hill and East Beach at sunrise and again after supper.
• Lots of smaller stripers was the report from Capt. Don's in Charlestown. One local named Roger has 285 bass to date from Quonny Pond, all caught trolling the tube and worm, but only was a keeper. The back end of the pond registered 59 degrees yesterday so Don said we may see some worm hatches pretty soon.
• Bass were coming and going from the breachway at the bottom of the evening ebb tides along with small ponds of 8-10-inch bunkers. Fluking was best over humps and other structure versus drifting on flat, sandy bottom. Tautog were caught from the breachway rip-rap and the end of the jetties at low, slack water.
• Capt. Al Anderson talked with one of his Long Island contacts and learned one of the boats from the East Fork fished in the Sluiceway this week. The man made 18 straight drifts to land 18 keeper bass. To date though there are not a lot of stripers of any size in either the Montauk rips or just yet at Block Island.
• Fishing though in the Point Judith Salt Pond with Connecticut customers Stephanie Cramer and friend was another matter. In three trips they boated 132 bass to 36 inches, including 18 keepers. One-third of the fish were caught on flies with fast sinking lines, the rest trolling small umbrella rigs here and there in the pond all the way up into the Narrows.
• King Cove Outfitters told me they weighed in a 38-pound bass from the Watch Hill reefs and heard about others caught in the Pawcatuck under the bunker schools. The man who landed the 38 said he had a larger bass on but dropped it just under the boat. Shore fishing is good along the Rhode Island beaches for schoolie bass but not a lot of people are taking advantage of that fact. Fluke season has arrived along the Misquamicut shore and the south side of Fishers Island.
• Allen Fee at Shaffers Marina predicted some nice weather for the long weekend and good crowds as anglers come down to use their boats and catch fluke in various spots but not yet inside Fishers Island Sound. Those running over to Montauk reported bluefish taking their fluke baits as well as shorts and some keepers.
• Small boaters can enjoy action with light rods and school bass inside the Mystic River from the RR Bridge down to Noank. Allen guessed there should be some larger bass out on the Fisher Island Reefs, maybe casting lures in the morning or anchored up and fishing fresh squid on lead core line.
• He was very pleased about the state's completing a fishing platform on the Mason's Island Bridge. The spot is prefect for kids or folks that need handicap access. And, best of all there is free parking right at the marina, a short walk from the new platform that will officially be opened in time for the weekend.
• Moving over to the Fish Connection, I talked with Capt. Jack Balint, just back from fishing a striper tournament in northern New Jersey, complete with high winds, lots of blues and talk of how dingy the water is down there. Back home, The Race is loaded with 30-35-inch stripers, ready to hit a diamond jig on the slower tides or bucktail when it's moving faster.
• Dennis, an employee at the store, landed 13 keeper fluke on his last trip to the Rhode Island beaches. No amounts of blue fish are in our waters yet but they are due soon.
• Richard at Hillyers Tackle said boats had good night catches out in The Race on Tuesday and Wednesday plus good numbers of smaller bass on the day trips. They also had the first sparse reports of a FEW keeper fluke in Niantic Bay and better numbers over at Fishers Island or Rhode Island east of Watch Hill.
• You might find some small blues, maybe a 6-pounder or too along with school bass in the Millstone outflow and a small to moderate number of winter flounder in the Niantic River or Jordan Cove. If interested, don't dally because the season closes soon.
• No sign of hickory shad yet around the Niantic Bridges. Boats that didn't wish to fish The Race rips had 30-35-inch stripers at Inner Bartletts on trolled lures and live bait.
• Mark was minding the store at River's End when I called. He said small boaters are getting bass to 15 pounds now casting in the lower Connecticut River on Slug-Gos and Zara Spooks. There are only a limited number of bunkers in the river just now as opposed to other places plus the first stray bluefish of the year. People fluking off Niantic caught a sea bass or two. (Tim Coleman The Day)

On The Water Magazine

• In the Voluntown region of Connecticut, Steve at Mike’s Bait & Tackle reports that trout fishing is going strong, and that bass fishing is improving in nearly all the area lakes and ponds. Foul weather over the previous weekend slowed the number of anglers out and about, but the fish didn’t seem to mind at all. Beach Pond in particular has been quite productive, particularly for trout. The Shetucket River is also fishing quite well now that waters have receded from the last major rainfall.

• In Preston, Seth at The Fish Connection reports that the Thames River is full of stripers from top to bottom. Norwich Harbor is producing some decent-sized stripers, and downriver, not far from the shop, a 42-inch bass was taken on a Storm Shad. Seth has
  
• reports of fluke on the south side of Fishers Island, and a few rumors of fluke on the north side as well. Striped bass are also being picked up pretty regularly in The Race now, with bigger fish mixed in. Small bluefish are also in the mix, a pleasure to some and a horror to others. Inland, the Shetucket River was recently stocked, and with water levels in good condition, the fishing ought to be excellent this coming weekend.
• Cheryl at Shaffer’s Boat Livery in Mystic reported fluke on the back side of Fishers Island off of Isabella Beach, though if you want the best fluke fishing you will need to head further south, toward Montauk Point. Cheryl also reported good fluke fishing along the south shore of Rhode Island. Closer to home, bluefish have moved into the Mystic River, and most are on the smallish side, though large fish are mixed in. Stripers are also in the river, though they tend to be mostly school bass for the moment. Scattered bunker are in the Mystic River, and squid are in Stonington Harbor, so Cheryl feels the bigger bass will turn up shortly.
• For the Waterford area, Lou at Hillyer’s Bait & Tackle also reported good fluke action, though it is happening close to home, right outside of Niantic Bay. Winter flounder are also in the area and the fishing remains good for this species, though they are more scattered as they move to deeper water. The Pleasure Beach area is a good spot to try, according to Lou. Striped bass fishing is picking up nicely in the area, with bass in The Race, though anglers are already complaining about the bluefish that have shown up in the past week. The mostly small blues make it a challenge to get bait down to where a bigger striper may be lurking. Lou reported several large stripers taken near the CT DEP dock on the Connecticut River, and said hickory shad are being caught there as well. Bigger baits are in order for the stripers, and a fly rod is a great way to pick up some hickory shad.
• For the eastern Long Island Sound area, Capt. Morgan at Capt. Morgan’s Bait & Tackle in Madison reports lots of bait in the water, particularly squid and sand eels, which are two favorites of striped bass. Bigger-sized stripers are being taken along the shore, and a big influx of small bluefish has also occurred, adding both to the excitement and frustration. Capt. Morgan reports excellent fishing in fresh waters throughout the region, with largemouth bass being a key item for the moment, as they are on the beds and are very active and aggressive. Good numbers of 5- to 6-pound largemouth are being taken in local ponds and lakes. Trout action also remains excellent, with the West and Hammonasset Rivers fishing exceptionally well.
• Chris at Stratford Bait & Tackle in Stratford reports good striper fishing off the beaches in the Milford area, with good numbers of stripers in the 12- to 15-pound class being taken on cut bait from shore. The mouth of the Housatonic River has also been excellent, though mainly for smaller-sized fish with an occasional keeper. Bluefish have invaded the area, adding to the mix and keeping the action lively. Chris expects weakfish to show up soon, if they are not already here. To date, there are no verified reports of weakfish, though a few rumors are circulating and Chris plans to get out shortly to try his skill with this species.
• At Fisherman’s World in Norwalk, the word is that lots of school bass are in the area, with occasional bigger bass to 36 inches being taken. The islands have been most productive, but most of the fish are school-sized bass. Anglers are also taking fish from shore, with a 41-inch striper taken on sandworms in Norwalk Harbor. Small bluefish have shown up in the western end of Long Island Sound, as they have just about everywhere else over the previous week. Winter flounder catches continue to be good, particularly for those chumming clams while fishing sandworms. Reports of very big scup are coming in to the shop; a good omen for the season opener soon.
• Inland, John at Valley Angler in Danbury reports that most largemouth bass are moving off the beds and out of the shallows, so action has slowed considerably. With the previous bit of rain, the Housatonic is running a bit high, and while it’s still wadable and fishable, it is a challenge. The Farmington River is fishing well, however, with tan and green caddis hatches being the major events at the moment.

Best Bets for Connecticut and Rhode Island

Fluke fishing is off to a good start, and it sounds like good-sized fish are being taken all around, though particularly off the south shore of Rhode Island. Check it out. Larger stripers are showing up, and while scattered in most places, it sounds like launching your boat to explore upper Narragansett Bay is an almost no-miss opportunity. Small bluefish are everywhere, so if your palate desires, you should have no trouble taking dinner just about anywhere in the salt. All trout waters are still fishing excellently due to the cool nights, so take advantage before temperatures climb and the trout get lethargic. (Alan Desbonnet)

Rivers End Tackle, Old Saybrook

• STRIPED BASS- The bass at the mouth of the Connecticut River are still going great guns and so are the anglers trying for them. Pressure is putting the bass off a bit. Its still one of the best shots at bass on light tackle. Theres a good number of bass from Chester to the Breakwater. Surface lures are still bringing the best results. From the DEP Piers theres been mixed sizes on sandworms and better sizes on bunker or mackeral chunks. Outside the River there have been bass at Southwest Reef, East Rip, the Race, Plum Gut and Hatchetts Reef. The reports from the RI Beaches have been good with schoolies.
• BLUEFISH- They are here in force. The Race and Plum Gut have been fair to good, the River has had them chopping Slug-gos all week.
• FLOUNDER- A couple of reports of flounder in Niantic and one report of some flats at the Breakwater. The season ends May 30th.
• FLUKE- They have spread out pretty well by now. Montauk,Greenport and Mattituck reports have been fair at best with the chance to hang a doormat. Fishers Island has been better and the reports from RI have been slow to start this week. There have been a number of reports from the Connecticut River of anglers catching fluke on lures meant for stripers. (Pat Abate)

Norwich Bulletin

• Even more of a disappointment than not catching a 41-inch striper to beat out John Ellis this year during last weekend's Thames River Striped Bass Tournament was that Saturday afternoon, while fishing off the mouth of Poquetanuck Cove, we saw two, small, dead blue crabs floating near the boat. This is not a good sign for those of us who love to catch and eat blue crabs.
• From Connecticut, north to southern Massachusetts, which is the northern extent of the range of this warm-water species, blue crab populations fluctuate tremendously between periods of abundance and scarcity, because local populations frequently die off from winter kill. Actually, it's not really the dead of winter that kills them. Blue crabs can survive the cold, but it's extended periods of below-normal temperatures in the spring that do the job. Also, in some areas along the coast, starfish -- a predator on shellfish and immobile wintering crabs -- are also a factor in reducing crab populations in the Northeast.
• This spring, despite recent extended periods of sunshine, water temperatures are still below average. There has not been much research done on this species in this part of the world. So what I am saying here is from personal observations, conversations with biologists and research papers that I've read over the years, combined with more than 40 years of crabbing and connecting the dots.
• Crab origins The crabs we catch here in Connecticut come from two sources. The local crab population that survives the winter, plus migrants from areas to the south.
• During banner years, local winter survival rates are high and we experience great crabbing all summer. It gets better when local crab numbers are boosted by migrants from the south late in the summer or early fall. Even following the most adverse of winter and spring conditions, there's always a few pockets of local crabs that survive to provide limited recreation for hard-core crabbers, who start looking as soon as temps warm up to summertime levels. Crabbing during these years is always subpar to horrible. When we have an early spring and mild winters, which promote local crab survival, people begin seeing crabs in the shoals of the Thames, other estuaries and salt ponds beginning in early to mid-May.
• The crabs are abundant beginning in June and become super abundant by late summer when migrants from the south arrive.
• By September, in one of the spots that I prowl in the mid-Thames River, there were tons of tiny, quarter-sized crabs that had been bred over the summer and good numbers of late-arriving adults hanging around to catch. My thought was if only we could have a warm spring in 2007 these little buggars can survive to rebuild our local population. Based on the floaters we saw Saturday off Poquetanuck Cove, it doesn't look like that wish has come true.
• One redeeming factor could be the fact those two crabs were molted shells and not crabs that died in their winter. Ieds that had floated to the surface. But I doubt this, because it's been so cold the crabs would not be growing yet and therefore not have a need to molt and shed their shells at this point in the season.
• If they were shed shells and not dead crabs, there is still some hope. If not, local crabbers will be working hard for their catch. Bob Sampson Jr.

Norwich Bulletin - Anadromous fisheries report

• Cool water temperatures have delayed shad, salmon and other anadromous fisheries runs throughout the state to this point. Alewives like it cold and runs are pretty much shot in this part of the state, according to reports from fishermen and the Department of Environmental Protection report from biologist Steve Gephard.
• Blueback herring are essentially non-existent in the region, with none being observed in fishways either in the Thames or Connecticut River systems so far this spring. The Connecticut River was only about 57 degrees this week, which is cool for late May.
• So far no Atlantic salmon have shown up at fish passages on Connecticut River. Historically, Memorial Day weekend is the peak of salmon runs, but due to conditions it could be a little later this spring.
  
• Shad are running with a few anglers catching them in both the Connecticut and upper Thames Rivers.
• As of the May 21 DEP report, which is not totally up-to-date because of the logistics of reporting, watching films on fish-passage windows, etc., the Greenville Dam fish elevator has passed 2,131 shad, 2,422 alewives, no bluebacks, 21 gizzard shad, a striper and six sea lamprey.
• No one was counting alewives at the Trading Cove brook fishway, but hundreds were estimated to have gone upstream to spawn, Latimer brook passed 911, Gorton Pond saw thousands and the new Tunnel Hill elevator passed four so far.
• As each dam is breached by means of fish ladders or elevators on the Thames watershed and elsewhere, populations of anadromous fish and the predators that feed on them will all benefit. That's good news for fishermen who prey (often with catch-and-release in mind) on those predators, which include stripers, bluefish and pretty much anything else that feeds on fish. (Bob Sampson)
  

Noreast.com Western Sound

The striper bite is really kicking into gear in the Western Sound! The water temperature has finally crossed the 50-degree mark in most areas, and there is plenty of bunker scattered around the bays and harbors. There were also some reports of some very big bass being caught around the Tappan Zee Bridge, and it won’t be long before those fish start hunting in Long Island Sound.

Captain John Marino from American Sportfishing Charters has been out scouting the fishing scene in the Western Sound. The outcome has been very favorable with plenty of schoolie action on artificials.

• John also marked plenty of bait and some bigger fish lying in deeper water, unfortunately they weren’t willing to feed. John also reported on some decent flounder action, along with some blackfish, which are starting to invade the shallow water reefs.
  
• John Knight at Hudson Park B&T was happy to report that there are plenty of stripers from LNB to Manhasset! “We finally saw some nice fish that weighed in the high teens,” John said. This is a great time of year to get out the bucktails and have a blast jigging up these hungry stripers. There is also plenty of bunker around for those who prefer chunking for some bigger fish. Mark Driscoll and Ray Scott did the latter and were rewarded with a 27-pound bass! John also reported that the blackfish are starting to show in shallow water. The bite has been fair, with soft baits doing the trick.
  
• Captain Joe from Moontide Charters is in the water and was very encouraged with the amount of fish holding behind Execution Light. “There is a ton of life in the Sound right now,” Joe said. Joe was referring to the massive amounts of bunker that have taken over the Western Sound. Hopefully the bass will catch on soon and be right on their tales!
  
• John at Jack’s B&T reported on some nice stripers filtering into western Long Island Sound. “We are finally seeing fish that are crossing the 20 pound mark,” John said. The bass have been holding around the bait inside Hempstead Harbor. There was also a good body of fish in Eastchester Bay and LNB. The flounder and blackfish have been actively feeding in 12 to 15 feet of water. Clams, worms and mussels have been doing a number on these bottom feeders.
  
• Captain Steve from the Molly Roze is hoping for some warmer weather this week. “We need this water to warm up,” Steve said. Steve is marking fish all over the western Sound, but they still seem to be “frozen”. Steve fished from Hempstead to Mamaroneck and had surface temperatures in the high 40’s, which means in the deeper water where he is marking the fish it is much cooler! Steve did manage a few shorts and he is very optimistic that the bite in the Western Sound will bust open sooner rather than later. The good news is that the stage is set right now with plenty of bait, some good bodies of fish moving down the Hudson and hopefully some warmer weather!
  
• Diane at Duffy’s B&T reported plenty of striper action in the Glen Cove area; the only problem is that most of them are schoolies. “We know the bigger fish are here, we are just waiting for them to start eating,” Diane joked. The bunker are starting to ball up in some spots which usually means there are some bigger fish on the hunt! Some anglers are still doing well with the flounder, especially in Bayville. There were also a few sharpies starting to work over the blackfish in some shallow water spots. Clams, worms and a healthy dose of chum brought a few togs boatside.
  
• Captain Chris from the Island Current Fleet reported some very good local flounder fishing around Bayville, Oyster Bay and Matinecock. Chris was also happy to report that the night bite is starting to pick up considerably! Big Jay chunked up a beautiful 34-inch striper on a fresh chunk during Friday night’s trip. Chris also took a group from Rockland County down to Raritan Bay for some slamming bass and bluefish action! Chris also reported plenty of bunker to support all those bass that will be here any day now. (Craig Koproski, Nor'east Saltwater, week of May 7 through May 13).

Noreast.com Eastern Sound

• As the weather continues to warm, more and more reports are beginning to surface regarding the quantity and quality of fish in Eastern Connecticut this past week. Also, the presence of adult bunker throughout Eastern Connecticut has many anglers predicting a slammer spring once the motherload of migrating bass move into the area.
• As mentioned in my previous report, the presence of adult bunker in Eastern Connecticut this early in the season is considered a rarity - especially over the last decade. These schools are very large and have been spotted throughout the state’s shoreline. Niantic and Mystic have been holding menhaden over the last couple of weeks, while Stonington has even seen its share of bunker in the Harbor and in the Pawcatuck River. Odd phenomenon? Who cares? Get out there and take advantage of it!
• I spent Wednesday night kayaking the Mystic River to see what the fuss was all about. Well, the reports are certainly valid as Kevin Mucha and I were paddling across huge pods of adult-sized bunker. We didn’t have any problems snagging a few heathens, but there were no bass to be found. Five hours of paddling netted only one marked fish for the entire night. In this part of the state, at this time of year, it just seems a bit too early to have the big “followers” we expect when the big bass are present. Simply put, the water temps are still a bit cool. Next time, I’ll hit the Connecticut River.
• Speaking of the Connecticut River, my buddy Kevin hit the mouth of the Connecticut on Saturday evening for a fair pick of “cookie cutter” (24-27-inch) bass on big plugs and various swimmers. The feistiest fish was caught on a Walsh custom-built plug. It’s only a matter of time before this area of the shoreline heats up. For more information about those killer Walsh plugs, please visit www.walshlures.com. You won’t be disappointed.
• For those refusing to wait for the big migratory push in the Sound, there are plenty of fish (in the mid 30-inch range) to be taken in the Connecticut River from Haddam Meadows all the way up to Windsor Locks.
• Captain Blaine Anderson of Anderson Guide Services and Connecticut Outfitters has been nailing bass up and down the river for the last week and a half. He reports fish are inhaling Yum Houdini shads in many spots, especially at the mouths of feeder streams that connect to the main river.
• John Hanecak of Windsor and member of Yakdawgs.com has been fishing the river hard almost every day over the last week and is excited about the action, especially over the last few days. Striped bass to 32-inches have been taking jointed Bombers and other big swimming plugs in shallow water in the Windsor area. A couple of folks have been spooled as well, so there are bigger fish to be had.
• Mark from River’s End Bait and Tackle reported plenty of schoolies for those fishing the lower Connecticut River. “Jigs and Sluggo’s seem to be working especially well.” Mark continued, “Still lots of bunker in the Niantic area near the Millstone outflow. Fluking was decent at Montauk but has slowed down a bit over the last few days, but Greenport seems to be yielding some good fish. Locally, very few people are getting into them at the moment.”
• To the east, the good folks at J&B Tackle provided equally encouraging news. “Schoolies can be caught all along the Niantic shoreline.” The bass are becoming more and more active every day. There are no bass in The Race, but you can catch some decent-sized blues. Inside the Niantic River, there are insane amounts of adult bunker. Fluking is still slow, but if you want to target this species, the fishing grounds along the New York Bight have been generous in 18-20 feet of water. Winter flounder fishing has slowed to a crawl with only a few sharpies still tallying a few here and there.”
• Bill at King Cove Marina and Outfitters appeared very upbeat about the fishing activity along the Stonington and Mystic shorelines. “The bunker arrived in Stonington Harbor this week. They can be located directly in the Harbor, in the channels, near Sandy Point, and up into the Pawcatuck River. We already had some very large striped bass weighed in at the shop. For folks fishing just east of here, there is plenty of bunker to be found in Mystic and Niantic as well. Schoolie stripers can be caught near Sandy Point, Stonington Point, and the inner Harbor as well as Napatree Point and the nearby reefs. Fluking hasn’t been great, but some of our regular customers have reported keeper fluke just outside of Stonington Harbor. (Roland St. Denis, Nor'east Saltwater, Week of May 7 through May 13).

Noreast.com Western Connecticut

• It is the time of the year where the water is getting warmer and anglers look forward to the arrival of weakfish, bluefish, and yes, bigger striped bass. For the past several weeks, most of western Connecticut has been basking in the onslaught of schoolie stripers and an unexpected run of winter flounder. However, as finicky as anglers are, they have grown bored with catching baby bass and are now pining for the cows to show up.
  
• Now, the question is just where are these big bass? Well, Pete Miller of Pete's Place in Stamford has an idea because his customers have been bringing them through the door pretty regular of late. Gary Feighery is using a 10-inch Fin-S to fish Greenwich waters in the early morning hours and coming up with 32 bass over three days, with the biggest fish measuring 35 inches. Randy Sala has been equally as successful in the morning and has taken eight stripers to 31 inches, using a 6-inch rubber shad, while Alex Mazzolla nabbed 10 bass to 30 inches with a 10-inch Fin-S. Guy Esposito has been fishing his usual haunt at IBM, and his efforts with clams yielded six bass to 35 inches.
• At Fisherman's World in Norwalk, Nick Massaro tells of John Scott who has found not only the keeper stripers, but some bluefish as well. Scott fished Rowayton Beach with sandworms and came away with two bass at 28 and 31 inches, respectively, and several bluefish. Jason Valicky did not chase down the bass but did come up with 30 flounder to 2 pounds while fishing with sandworms at Cockonoe Island.
• Eric Johnson of Westport Outfitters in Norwalk said the western Sound continues to warm up with temperatures hitting up to 56 degrees inside the harbors, which means that they should be seeing a drastic increase in striped bass. Johnson said that schools of bunker near Cold Spring Harbor, Greens Ledge and the Saugatuck River have been spotted, so the bait is there for big fish. Olive/White clousers and sand eel imitations have been producing decent results, as well as the new Gulp imitation scented sand eels. The smaller striped bass have showed up deep inside the Saugatuck River this week, with stripers up to 18 inches, with an occasional larger fish caught as well.
• Flounder fishing remains steady in and around the Norwalk Islands with spotty action near the mouth of the Housatonic River. The pier has been on fire for shore anglers inside the park as well.
• Jason Jadach of Bobby J's in Milford had some news of bass being caught by Dan Carroll who used sandworms to catch seven stripers while fishing from the Housatonic River. Carroll's biggest fish was 28.5 inches. Jadach tried his hand in the Housatonic River as well and came away with 13 bass. Ken Surfer landed the biggest bass of the week, hooking a 36-inch bass from the Housatonic River while using sandworms for bait. Jim Zimmerman had a monster two-day outing flounder fishing at Westport Beach. While fishing on the drift with sandworms, Zimmerman caught 24 flounder the first day, and then came back the second day to reel in 37 flatties. Now that's catching fish!
• The kids took over the fishing duties at Stratford B&T in Stratford with Chris Fulton reporting that 5-year-old Tyler Horlik nailed four brown trout. Then 8-year-old Gabby Camarero caught an 18-inch striper with a Tsunami swim shad, and 10-year-old Mike Weller snared a 3.18-pound golden trout from the Wappalog River with a mealworm.
• Jimmy Orefice at Jimmy O's in Stratford had some award winners among his anglers this week with Carly Polnay earning a state qualifying pin for her catch of a 2.61-pound brook trout, which was taken with a live shiner while fishing from the Housatonic River. Jimmy Izzo and Dick Ritter teamed up to win the South Norwalk Flounder Tournament for the second year in a row. The duo locked up first place with a catch of 12 flounder, which were all caught while drift fishing with sandworms at Calf Pasture Beach.
• At Some Things Fishy in West Haven, Mike D'Errico had some anglers on the bass, with Mike Billani cleaning the dust off his fly rod just in time to use a yellow surf candy to catch a 32-inch striper while fishing in the West River. Rob Derion tried his luck at West Haven Beach where he fished the sandbar with a sandworm that netted him a 29-inch bass, while his brother, Tom Derion, bested him by two inches with the catch of a 31-inch striper at the same location with the same bait. (Rob Caluori, Nor'east Saltwater, week of May 7 through May 13)

Bluefish in mouth of CT River

• Look for a big push of bluefish this weekend.
• At the mouth of the Connecticut River, Pat Abate of River's End Tackle, just sent this email:
• "The blues have only been around a week or so, and we're already getting complaints from the fluke fishermen that they're pests.There have been some reports of blues off Millstone and surprisingly not too many reports in the river. Both Montauk and Greenport are loaded with blues." (Tom Meade, Providence Journal)

Striped bass keeping fishermen busy

• Bluefish — They're here in decent numbers, but are in full force in The Race and Plum Gut. Chunks and live lining is the best choice, but jigs are taking them, too.
• Striped bass — Many schoolies still in the Housatonic and Saugatuck rivers. Bigger fish are starting to show up off the beaches. Large Danny-type plug are taking some keepers.
• Flounder — Fading fast. Fluke — Consistent catches reported at Charles Island bar and the Housatonic breakwater.(Charles Walsh, Connecticut Post).

Westport Outfitters (Norwalk) Fishing Report

• The larger schools of bunker continue to infiltrate the Norwalk Islands and beyond which means good fishing for all. In addition to our striper population, the flounder fishing has been better than average and you don’t have to go far. The back side of Sprite Island has produced fish in the keeper range all week and with the season closing on Wednesday May 30th, now is the time to get out there for the big flatties! Also try in and around Calf Pasture Island and some of the deeper holes off the beach. We broke out the tubes on several charters early this week and were not disappointed with bass up to 30 inches trolling the humps off of Compo Beach and Sherwood Island. We have some of the largest and tastiest sandworms in town to tip your tubes with, so get on down here.
• Our shore scouts were also out Monday A.M. with the fly rods fishing the incoming tide off of Compo Beach and the Saugatuck River. Olive & White clousers seem to be doing the trick. With several reports of sand eels around, you may try mixing in some epoxy head imitations as well. Tuesday night we ventured out after work and scouted the usual local haunts at high tide on the 2400 Ranger. The bunker were spotty and armed only with some light tackle, we fished buck tails tipped with white grubs. It was by far one of the nicest nights we have spent on the water yet this year. No wind, gorgeous sunset but only one larger blue to the boat inside of Raymond Rocks.
  
• While out, we ran into one of our scouts “Pat” up inside our favorite lagoon who had schoolies on his TFO 9 WT. We marked several larger schools of fish inside of Grassy Hammock, but no fish, as we spent more time trying to keep the boat off the rocks with the stiff tide, rather than keeping the lines wet.
• Delivering boats Wednesday, we spotted at least 5 schools of bunker inside Norwalk harbor and the Western Channel on our way back from Noroton. Since there is not tons of fish keyed into these just yet, they are not balled up tight, so be sure to keep a close eye for nervous water.
• When it’s hot, it’s hot and when it’s not it’s not. The shop headed out early Thursday A.M. for Hempstead to fish “downtown” with all of the reports coming in of larger fish being had. Captain Elser anchored in one of his favorite haunts and only had luck with one large blue. Because these fish are migrating back through in schools, this is not an uncommon occurrence, so therefore it becomes more of a percentage game in regards to time on the water. Translation: GET OUT AND FISH THIS WEEKEND for your chance at the big one.

NY Newsday

To the delight of Long Island Sound anglers, fluke action erupted this week in the waters between Old Field Point and Riverhead. "Catches are excellent at Mount Misery Shoal," revealed Stan Hentschel of Rocky Point Fishing Station, "but there's plenty of fish both east and west." Drift tight to the beach in 10 to 18 feet of water and use Peruvian smelts to target quality fish to 24 inches.

Sound anglers have also been drilling school bass on diamond jigs near buoys 9 and 11, with fewer but larger linesiders in Porpoise Channel taking clams and worms. Blues are plentiful from Smithtown Bay to Wading River. Connect with a fly rod or surface popper and you won't consider them a nuisance.

click to read more.

TheDay, New London

• There are bigger stripers up around Norwich, said Joe Balint at the Fish Connection in Preston. The bass are there after schools of bunker in and around the harbor all the way up into the Shetucket River, though rain from the coming nor'easter may change that situation by the weekend.
• In other fishing, Dennis, an employee at the shop, made a run over to Montauk with a friend, landing seven keeper fluke and tossing back six that did not make the 191/2-inch minimum size limit in New York state waters. Closer to home they only received reports of throwback fluke off Vixen Ledge. In Connecticut waters you are allowed to keep five fluke per person per day with an 18-inch minimum. The bag limit for New York is four fish per day.
• Schoolie stripers are along the shoreline from Harkness to Bluff Point, caught from the beach best in the early morning and again after supper on all manner of small plastic lures. Steve McGinn of Gales Ferry has been using a Fin-S Fish in the Thames for catch and release blackfish up to 10 pounds.
• Al Golinski of Misquamicut said anglers around his winter home are catching 10-20-pound stripers every morning on poppers and other lures around the Holyoke-South Hadley Bridge over the upper Connecticut River. Down along the shore he heard about some of his neighbors jigging up squid from the Stonington Docks.
• Capt. Al Anderson checked with his charter boat contacts to let me know that schoolie bass are in tight to the beach at Montauk Point and Shagwong but not yet in the famed rips. Block Island too, as of today, doesn't seem to have any charge of fish no doubt due to water much colder than that at the entrance to eastern Long Island Sound.
• Worm hatches are occurring from Potter Pond around Point Judith to Ninigret Pond and small blues showed up in the Salt Pond around mid-week.
• Capt. Don's in Charlestown weighed in the first large bass of the season, a 35.20-pounder caught on Thursday on squid from the shore at Quonny. Mike Dell Negro used the same bait in Charlestown Breachway for a 14-pound striper. Other shore anglers like Gill Bell are catching schoolie stripers every morning at East Beach. Gill likes a 2-ounce Crippled Herring tossed a long way with the help of ultra-thin 15-pound Power Pro line. Worm dunkers landed tautog from the breachway rip-rap during the slower stages of the tide and slack water.
• King Cove Outfitters in Stonington had news mainly about shore fishing in the area; nothing much yet from the Watch Hill Reefs. The few fishermen out are getting anywhere from three to 20-plus schoolies in the morning and evening from Watch Hill to East Beach on small plastic lures, small bucktails or metal lures. Squid can be jigged from the Stonington or Mystic River docks, mainly after dark.
• We weighed in some fluke from the south side of Fishers Island, said Allen Fee at Shaffers Marina, but nothing yet from inside Fishers Island Sound. Casters using small poppers had schoolie stripers, some close to keeper size, in the Mystic River in the morning and again in the late afternoon. Biggest fish to date was a 30-inch bass caught trolling in the evening off the Monastery by Ron Behnk. Shore anglers and local kids will be happy to know the state is close to finishing the fishing platforms on either side of the refurbished Mason Island Bridge. Allen said it will be accessible for the handicapped and should open to the public sometime after Memorial Day.
• Bob's Rod & Tackle talked about keeper bass caught in the lower part of the Thames River on red tubes dressed with sandworms trolled on lead line or plain mono. There are also some bass into the low 30-inch range at Bartletts Reef though maybe not each and every tide. He also had a week-old report about keeper fluke from the south side of Fishers Island and continued news about enough winter flounder for supper up in the Niantic River or off Bluff Point. On Tuesday night a few squid were jigged up from the pier at Fort Trumbull, adding to reports already received.
• Stephanie Cramer said she caught very little over last weekend, wading along the upper Thames River, casting with her fly rod. She did receive some returns on stripers tagged in our waters the last two seasons. On Nov. 4, 2005 she tagged a schoolie off New London. The fish was re-caught on April 30, 2007 off Cape May, N.J., having added four inches to its length. On June 26, 2006, she caught and tagged a 29-inch bass at the north Rip of Block Island. That fish was re-captured on March 21, 2007 off East Currituck, N.C. These beloved bass of ours do indeed travel far and wide.
• Hillyers Tackle is selling worms for flounder anglers catching same in the Niantic River, Jordan Cove and of late, off Harkness Park. A lady and her two friends came back from a trip to Isabella with a 9-pound fluke and five other keepers, all over 191/2 inches, the minimum size in New York waters. Schoolie bass and maybe some small blues are around the Millstone discharge and some 30 to 34-inch stripers caught at Inner Bartletts.
• Capt. Kerry Douton at J&B Tackle said their first charter boat trips were a struggle out in The Race at the beginning of the week. By mid-week however things were much better with greatly improved numbers, especially on the flood tide. As you read this, the fish are hitting both tides though there are times when fishing goes slack for a bit after a school moved through.
• You can catch keeper fluke in 60-65 feet of water south of the radar dome at Montauk Point and also in Peconic Bay though you have to put up with small bluefish in the latter spot. Kerry ended by saying the first few bluefish were caught in The Race at week's end.
• We heard a reliable report about a 25-pound bass caught at the Sand Shoal on live bunker, said River's End Tackle. The bunker and others used for bass bait came right from the lower Connecticut River. Casters in the river landed schoolies and a few fish to 35 inches on plugs, plastic shads and Fin-S Fish. Blues are in Peconic, west around Bridgeport and at least one report to the east at Charlestown Breachway. Short fluke were landed at the Sand Shoal and some keepers in Peconic Bay. Shore anglers caught fair numbers of small bass at the Old Lyme beaches and from the DEP Pier at Old Lyme. (Tim Coleman is The Day)

Rivers End Tackle, Old Saybrook

• STRIPED BASS- The Connecticut River is fishing very good right now but the sometimes heavy rains forecast for the next few days makes the conditions tough. The bass will be in the River but tougher to find and you'll have to dodge a lot of logs. They've been in Plum Gut since mid week and should be in the Race this weekend. They are also in East Rip and should be in Southwest Reef in a couple of days. Its no longer necessary to confine your bass fishing to the River. Long Sand Shoal has had some bass on live bunker. The DEP Piers have also had some larger bass on bunker and numbers of bass on worms.
• BLUEFISH- They've only been around a week or so and we're already getting complaints from the fluke fishermen that they're pests. There have been some reports of blues off Millstone and surprisingly not too many reports in the River. Both Montauk and Greenport are loaded with blues.
• FLOUNDER- A couple of reports of flounder in Niantic.
• FLUKE- There have been reports from early in the week of consistent catches as far west as Mattituck on the north shore of Long Island and New Haven on our side of the pond. A few were reported caught on Long Sand Shoal last weekend. Rhode Island opens up today and we should get some action over the week end if the winds lay down. Fishers Island has had some fluke for over a week. (Pat Abate)

Captain Morgan, Guilford

• Ten, nine, eight, seven–the countdown to the spring run of “cow” striped bass is in its final stages. In spite of cooler water temperatures, schools of May bunker have gotten the attention of fishermen as both bass/blues are on the verge of exploding.
• Tidal rivers have a fresh class of schoolie stripers to 26 inches with more than the occasional keeper-size “linesider” in the mix. Action on lite gear is hot, especially on the dropping tide. Farther out on the points shore anglers are also finding similar action as fish pursue schools of bait to the inlets.
• Few boats are taking advantage of this early run. However, very soon many more will follow. On any given tide, at least for now, one could almost “own” a reef. Hopping from one to another, hookups range around 40 inches. Six and Southwest should be tested with smaller in-between humps checked out. Several of the inshore reefs are also showing signs of life. Live bait is turning heads while jerking tails and pulling chutes is outperforming tubes.
• Bluefish have been stacked up off the tails of Montauk with schools already entering the big pond. Along with bass they are gorging on squid, so imitations are something to consider when planning your trip. Speaking of Montauk, a draw for fluke, the ratio of keepers to throwbacks is running about 12 to 1 now that the New York minimum length is 19.5 inches (Connecticut is 18 inches). (Captain Morgan)
  

Norwich Bulletin

• Striped bass: This is prime time for schoolie stripers up and down the coast. Temps are still a tad cool for ocean fishing to be prime, but it won't be long. Joe Balint said a customer said he caught a 40-incher from the Thames that had two schoolie stripers in its stomach and it hit a live bunker. The schoolies were 14 and 18 inches.
• Bluefish: We are still a while away from the kind of action these voracious fish bring to the coast later in the season. However, the first blues showed up as usual a couple weeks ago and have been caught on a regular basis at the Millstone Point warm-water discharge, where Hillyer's Tackle reported a customer landed a 32-incher.
• Fluke: Fishing for this species is improving with every tide as they move into the region in hot pursuit of the squid that have come inshore to spawn.
• Winter flounder: There are still a few flatfish being caught from the waters around Niantic Bay and Pleasure Beach.
• Blackfish: The season is closed in Connecticut, but open in Rhode Island, so don't catch one in a boat and bring it back to Connecticut or risk getting busted.
• Bait: Menhaden are still in the Thames, Pawcatuck, and Mystic Rivers and most of the shoreline estuaries to the New York border.
• Freshwater Bass: With water temperatures reaching the low 60s in many places, largemouth bass will be going on their spawning beds. Shallow, small ponds always heat up sooner and have earlier spawning periods than deeper cooler waters.
• Trout: Water levels, which were at flood stage in area rivers on opening day less than a month ago, are now down to fishable levels, lower in some small, fast-flowing streams. Trout fishermen are doing well on all fronts. Pete Butterfield of Boondocks said he's been doing well fly-fishing in local areas with size 18 Hemmingway and Henryville Special patterns.
• Other species: Shad are in the upper Shetucket River. Steve Gephard of the DEP said about 1,000 have already passed over the Greenville Dam's fish lift and the first few travelers are expected to reach the newly operational Tunnel Hill Dam fish elevator on the Quinebaug River any day now. (Bob Sampson)
  

CT DEP Weekly Fishing Report #4 5/16

• Trout -- The DEP reports decreased river flows have brought good to excellent trout fishing all over the state. The West Branch and main stem of the Farmington have seen brown trout in the 6 -pound range while the Mianus, upper Housatonic, Naugatuck, Pequonnock, Mill and Norwalk rivers all reported catches in excess of 20 inches.
• Largemouth bass -- Spotty reports so far. In this area, Lake Saltonstall, Squantz Pond, Lake Zoar reported some nice fish caught.
• Striped bass -- Still tons of lively linesiders lurking almost any shore location anglers can reach, most in the 12- to-20-inch size; tons of fun on fly and ultra-light spinning gear. Reports of keepers (28 inches or better) are still rare. The bass can be finicky as to what bait they will eat, so experimentation is the rule. Plastic baits in bright colors like pink and chartreuse have worked well. The best time to fish is on the second half of the outgoing tide. Favored spots include the Smith's Point at the mouth of the Housatonic, Short Beach in Stratford, Penfield Reef and Bridgeport and Southport harbors.
  
• Flounder -- "They're everywhere," said one veteran flattie pursuer Friday morning. That may be a slight exaggeration, but the flounder picture has definitely improved from last week when Norwalk was just about the only game. Many of the fish are under the 12-inch minimum size, but there is a goodly supply of them, which bodes well for the future. Southport Harbor, St. Mary's in Black Rock and the Housatonic all produced decent flounder catches. Chumming with clams is still the best way to go.
  
• Fluke -- Reports of sporadic fluke (summer flounder) catches are coming in. Some lucky anglers aboard the season's first trip of the party boat Middlebank out of Captain's Cove hauled in some nice fluke.
  
• Bluefish -- The Connecticut shore has yet to see its first serious run of choppers, but the blues have been busting bait the Long Island side of the Sound for a week, so it can't be long before they are here. The amazing early run of bunker and other baitfish continues all along the shore from New Haven to Greenwich. One captain reported spotting "acres" of bunker at Stratford Shoal Light last week.
• QUICK CAST -- The Lake of Isles State Boat Launch in North Stonington will be closed for renovations from May 14-July 15 while the DEP is upgrading the state boat launch with new ramps and parking facilities. The comprehensive renovation project is being funded by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation as part of an agreement with the DEP for development of the property around the boat launch.

Westport Outfitters (Norwalk) Fishing Report

• Fish on!! No big lottery winners last week, but many chances. Our charters that went out over the weekend produced fish all on small plastics and olive/white clousers, however several large fish were hooked and not landed, better luck next time. Scouts that ventured out over the weekend for the night shift in and around Hempstead were rewarded swimming live bunker for fish in the 35 inch range.
  
• Back inshore, the action continues to be strong with smaller schoolie stripers up and inside the Saugatuck River. A customer landed and released a 30+ inch fish in the compo area on Sunday night on the dropping tide on a clouser as well. Nice fish Matty, even with an aching head!! The bunker although all over last week did a disappearing act over the weekend but by Monday they were back into action.
  
• Wednesday night despite 30 MPH winds, we ventured out on a new 2400 Ranger and after airing it out in solid 2 to 3s, we found refuge in some of our local tributaries at low tide to find balls of bunker schools everywhere. We fished some top water as well as the new 10 inch Bunker Storms. Don’t be afraid to “match the hatch” if you will when these schools are in thick. Also, bunker will find security in numbers, which is why they ball up, making it harder for their prey, so don’t waste your time casting into the middle, focus on placing your lures/baits on the outsides of these schools for better success. We ended the night with one good size 10lb blue and a decent striper to the boat that spit the hook while fishing around the shallows off of Calf Pasture Island. This bait can not stick around this long and this thick without the big girls making their presence known soon...so get out there this weekend!!

New London Day

• Everyone is watching and waiting for the first large push of striped bass into The Race but as of this writing that has yet to happen, said Captain Kerry Douton of J&B Tackle in Niantic. Kerry heard about one striper caught in Plum Gut but nothing yet from Valiant Shoal or the deep waters of the Middle Race. That situation, though, is expected to change very shortly.
• In other fishing news, fluke arrived at Montauk and Peconic Bay, prompting Connecticut anglers to run over there despite gas as high as $3.89 per gallon at some marinas. The present fluke regulations allow a person to keep four fish per day in New York waters with a minimum size of 191/2 inches. In Connecticut, you are allowed five fish at 18 inches and in Rhode Island, seven fish at 19 inches, this according to Kerry who checked the present, printed laws.
• Small blues are also showing up in Peconic Bay and some of those also found their way into the hot water outflow at Millstone along with schoolie stripers, those also found up in the Niantic River and at various locations along the shoreline of Niantic Bay.
• Capt. Al Anderson made one last trip to Stellwagen Bank on Saturday, fishing the northwest corner for 220 cod and haddock. Of that total they kept 54, releasing the rest. Most were caught on clams or four-ounce Bridgeport Slag jigs, all the fishing at anchor, chumming with 10 gallons of cracked clam shells and another 10 gallons of crushed blue mussels. As of this report there are no bass yet in the Montauk rips. Like the striper situation in The Race, that is poised to change within a week to 10 days.
• Capt. Don's in Charlestown had news about small bass morning and evening at Weekapaug Beach for Doug Gent of Westerly fishing with light rod and small white jigs with plastic worm tails. Squid arrived in Quonny Pond and shore anglers are catching tautog from the channel rip-rap at the bottom of the outgoing tide and slack water. Two of the local kids had short fluke near the Quonny Boat Ramp while casting for striped bass. Tube and worm trollers are getting stripers some days in the back ends of the pond where waters are warmest.
• Moving over to King Cove Outfitters in Stonington, I heard about bass to 33 inches caught from time to time in the Pawcatuck River from Cemetery Cove to Sandy Point. The larger fish took a small popper fished from shore in the cove on Tuesday evening while other small bass were landed in small boats from early morning right through the middle of the day.
• Small bass were caught in the Mystic River, reported Allen Fee at Shaffers Marina. He was out twice this week, catching up to seven around high tide at Sixpenny Island. Others landed them around the bridge by Beebe Cove and further upriver by the train bridge. One boat had fluke at Montauk but nothing yet in closer to home. Seals are leaving their winter haunts in Fishers Island Sound, a sure sign waters are warming and summer stocks of fish are due to arrive this month.
• Bob's Rod & Tackle was happy to talk about lots of small stripers in the Thames River from the Preston Bridge down to the river mouth, caught on worms on the bottom, flies and small lures cast with light spinning tackle. Flounder fishing isn't too bad in the Niantic River and outside in the bay, certainly worth a trip to get enough for supper and a day out of the house. Capt. Jack Balint at the Fish Connection had a customer known only as Fred, caught five hefty flounder from the Niantic River, and saw other boats with two to four fish for their efforts.
• Stephanie Cramer and Bill Kreuger fished in the Thames River on Tuesday from the Pequot Bridge to Horton's Cove, mostly on the flats and channel edges on the west side, for better than 60 stripers, most of them very small, and all caught casting or trolling flies.
• Hillyers Tackle is keeping a close eye on the flounder fishing in the Niantic River in what may be the most productive spot in the whole state as of this report. Matt observed the fishing is good one day for those who chum heavily with best results on the end of the flood tide. The next day though numbers drop off but pick up again the day after.
• Bunkers are in Niantic Bay and squid reported to the east in Quonny Pond. As of yesterday, no bass were yet caught from The Race. If you want fluke, your best chance now is to run over to Montauk or Peconic.
• Sherwood Lincoln of East Lyme is just about done putting bottom paint on his boat readying it for the striper and fluke season. He heard about a lone seven-pound fluke from Isabella Beach and bunker schools in and out of Millstone Point and Niantic Bay. Each time he drives over to Niantic there are about 20 boats fishing for flounder above the road bridge.
• The lower Connecticut River is very good for school bass, said Mark at River's End Tackle shop. People are catching them on small plastic lures from the Baldwin Bridge down to the river mouth. Shore anglers are landing lesser numbers on the beaches adjacent to the mouth. One customer traveled to Greenport on Wednesday for lots of short fluke, keepers to five pounds and increasing numbers of blues as the day wore on. (Tim Coleman)

Squid in Long Island, NY (NY Newsday)

• Pods of the colorful 10-armed creatures slid into Montauk early last week and eased into Peconic and Shinnecock Bays on Thursday and Friday evenings. So far, the action has been spotty but decent scores have been made on rising late-night tides. This year's crop seems to be holding some particularly large specimens.
• Many local anglers think of squid fishing as strictly an East End affair, but the soft-skinned cephalopods can be caught the length of Long Island if you spend the time to find them. The key is jigging softly on the graveyard shift, with multi-pronged squid jigs, where a light source shines brightly on the water (serious squid fans bring portable lights). Watch carefully at such locations and you'll spot squid cruising just below the surface in pods ranging from several to a few dozen. Glide the jig gently in front of a passing pack and observe as the nearest change color from light pink or soft green to angry red immediately before attacking. On the strike, simply lift the rod to entangle the squid's arms, and then dangle your prize above the water for several seconds to drain the ink before depositing in a bucket or cooler.
• Montauk, Shinnecock Bay and Greenport Harbor are among the perennial East End squid fishing hot spots. To the west, the Jones Beach Piers, Wantagh Park, the State Channel and Mt. Sinai Harbor also offer possibilities. When the schools are running thick, some open boats add special squid trips to their schedule on short notice. The Viking Fleet in Montauk will sail for squid both Saturday and Sunday.Finding access for squid fishing requires serious prospecting. You may need to search considerably before locating the right combination of illuminated water and public right of way.
• In Greenport Village, for example, fishing from the popular Rail Road Dock and Main Street Dock (behind Claudio's Restaurant) is prohibited for now, concentrating squid fans on the Mitchell Park dock directly behind the carousel in the middle of town. Don't expect to fish here in solitude.Squid are fun to catch, tasty, and great bait for sea bass and scup. They are also a primary food source for early season stripers, blues and fluke.
• In fact, it's the arrival of squid that usually awakens East End doormats. True to form, catches of legal-sized summer flounder swelled noticeably over the weekend along both the north and south forks. News came from Orient Point, where the open boat Prime Time III limited-out on Sunday, and from Montauk and the waters outside Shinnecock and Moriches inlets, where doormats to 8 pounds, plus significant numbers of smaller keepers, made it over the rails.
• The best bait for these first doormats of the season? You guessed it: Long strips of squid dragged slowly across the bottom. (TOM SCHLICHTER, NY Newsday).

River's End Tackle, Old Saybrok

• STRIPED BASS- Some decent sized bass have been caught this past week in the lower Connecticut River. Theres still a lot of 12 to 20 inch bass with an increasing portion of 20 to 30 inch bass. Lead headed plastics are producing but surface lures are getting the larger bass. Zara Spook type stick baits such as Hydro Pencils and Top Dogs are among the best producers but don't forget the 9" Slug-gos. An outgoing current is much better than the flood. These next two weeks are going to be the peak of the run so call in sick if you have to. No word from the Race or Gut yet, I think next weeks new moon tides will get things moving.
• BLUEFISH- We haven't had a confirmed report in the River yet but expect to see some Slug-gos halved in the next few days. Long Island has had a good run of long skinny choppers for a week now.
• FLOUNDER- Not too many encouraging words out there.
• FLUKE- Greenport seems to be the best bet right now. Theres still mostly shorts but enough of a shot at doormats to make the trip worthwhile. Montauk seems to have more fish than Peconic but even a greater percentage of shorts. No word from this side of the pond yet, however a few fish have started at Fishers. (Pat Abate)

On The Water Magazine

Best Bets: For this weekend, your best bet is to simply get near water and toss out some lure, bait or fly - it sounds like you cannot miss. School bass action is everywhere, and trout stocking should keep you busy inland if that is where you want to be. If you want some squid for the table, Goat Island Causeway or Quonny Breachway is a must-visit, but expect a social event because you will have lots of company. If you prefer winter flounder, it sounds like you cannot beat a trip into the western portion of Long Island Sound. And for you trout junkies, bugs are in the air and nice trout want to eat them. The Housatonic River in western Connecticut and the Salmon River in the central portion of the state sound like true winners.

• Over in the Mystic River, Cheryl at Shaffer's Boat Livery in Mystic reports lots of school bass in the river, and quite a few bunker as well. There are no bigger fish reported just yet, but Cheryl said that not a lot of boats are in the water, and the bunker started showing up in good numbers just recently. A few fluke are being reported out in the New York waters for those interested in making the trip.
• At The Fish Connection in Preston, Seth reports that the Thames River is "on fire," with striped bass from Norwich Harbor to the mouth of the river. Toss out a lure, and you'll most likely bonk a bass in the head. Sandworms are the most consistent offering right now, but school bass are being enticed into impaling themselves on hooks hidden in gleaming spoons and strands of fur and feather. Seth reports fluke in New York waters, and bluefish out at Montauk Point. Stay tuned as these species head our way. Inland, Seth said a 9-pound rainbow trout was taken from the Shetucket River, further noting that the river is now pretty fishable again. CTDEP has restocked many local water bodies, so the trout are plentiful.
• A bit farther north in Bozrah, Charlie at Colonial Sports reports that fishing is about the same as last week, but a bit better overall. All waters are fishing well, with some top water action beginning to show here and there. The Salmon River takes the gold medal though, as Charlie reports that that river is consistently producing large numbers of very nice trout. Up on the Shetucket River, Charlie said that the Sandy Beach access road has been closed, leaving Waldo Road, Merritt Brook, Salt Rock Campground and downtown Baltic as the only access points. Consider launching a canoe and using that to get to both banks of the river.
• In the Waterford area, Richard at Hillyer's Bait & Tackle in Waterford reports excellent fishing all around the region. School bass are everywhere, and larger fish are starting to turn up. Harkness Memorial State Park has been getting bigger fish more consistently, and several keepers have come from that site.
• Bunker have also turned up in the bay and along the shore, according to Richard, but so far there are no reports of bigger fish under them. The hot fishing is for winter flounder using sandworms and/or grubs, and chumming with clams doesn't hurt any if you want to improve your catch rate. The Niantic River and Jordan Cove have both been very productive. Richard also reported a few fluke, mostly shorts, taken incidentally by anglers targeting flounder.
• A bit farther to the west, Capt. Morgan at Capt. Morgan's Bait & Tackle in Madison also reports excellent fishing just about wherever you decide to toss a line. Largemouth bass are getting aggressive in the lakes and ponds as the water continues to warm up, and restocking efforts by the state are keeping trout anglers busy and happy.
• Along the shore, Capt. Morgan reports school bass all along the shoreline and in all the coves and bays. Bunker are in the area, but no reports of bigger fish just yet. Capt. Morgan said bluefish are being taken out at Montauk Point, so that species will definitely be headed our way shortly, particularly with bunker hanging around waiting to play with the blues. Fluke fishing locally has been slow, according to Capt. Morgan, probably because water temperatures are still in the mid to upper 40s. If you want fluke, New York waters are the place to be, but if the weather warms over the weekend as predicted, then the fluking around here should improve rapidly.
• Chris at Stratford Bait & Tackle in Stratford reports incredible fishing deeper into Long Island Sound. School bass are swarming all around the shoreline and coves, and the number of keeper-sized fish has been increasing rapidly over the past week or so. Chris also reported that one of the first bluefish of the season in the area was taken earlier in the week on the New Haven sandbar. The "chompers" have arrived. Chris also noted that he expects weakfish to start turning up in the area in the coming days. If you want to greet them when they do, Chris suggests trying Charles Island or the West Haven Harbor area, two traditional spots for this species.
• Winter flounder angling is also excellent, and better than in many recent years. Chris reports anglers fishing for flounder with sandworms and a bit of clam chum, even from shore, and all along the coast from the mouth of the Housatonic to Norwalk Harbor, they are doing well. While boats improve the catch rate, shore-bound anglers are also taking their limits of this delicious species. Ponds, lakes, rivers and streams have been restocked, so trout angling is excellent. Chris had some great trout fishing in the upper Housatonic, in the area of the Cornwall covered bridge, to hatches of Hendrickson's and stoneflies. The biggest trout landed was 21 inches long, which is quite a nice trout.
• At Fisherman's World in Norwalk, Nick reports superb fishing throughout the area. There is lots of bait in the region, including abundant bunker. Most of the stripers being taken are school bass, but Nick expects a run of bigger bass to make its way into the area soon. Winter flounder fishing is excellent in the western sound, and better than in previous years. Clam chum and sandworms are the way to go. Chris reports that the "oyster stakes" off the pier near the shop is producing not only good numbers of flounder, but good numbers of keepers. (Alan Desbonnet, On The Water Magazine)

Captain Morgan, Guilford area

• Forty-six degrees on top and 43 near bottom generated a few taps to the electronic display. Could this be true for the first week in May—a time when saltwater temperatures should be approaching mid-50s? Despite those readings, activity in the Sound appeared to be increasing.
• Spring runs of menhaden have started, river herring are in estuaries, and the seal population seems to be thinning out. Hugging close to shore in amongst ledges and rock formations, there was movement of bait driven by the flooding tide.
  
• Schools of small striped bass were obviously feeding, accentuating nature's hierarchy in the food chain. Few if any splashes were detected, but the hunt continued—prey and predator.
  
• On the Water: Water flows and clarity continue to moderate as freshwater anglers find conditions in rivers/streams improving. Although many breeders have adopted their respective territorial holes, newly stocked trout have spread out and begun adapting to the available food supply.
• Good baits include unique floating/sinking swimmers, spinners, Dardevls, flies, and certainly a variety of live baits. Deep-water trolling has also produced good results especially in the trophy trout lakes.
• Certainly weekly stockings (where appropriate) have greatly contributed to the success of this year's trout program in spite of nature's changing moods. As the season advances and the environment develops a more springtime appearance, large/smallmouth bass activity is spiking. Fish are aggressively feeding on live baits, large swimmers, Case quality soft plastics, raps, and spinnerbaits.
• Striped bass, despite the bouncing saltwater temperatures, are feeding throughout much of LIS's shoreline as well as the main tidal rivers. Live bait, chunks, and soft/hard plastics are responsible for most catches of these schoolie-size fish although 1/0 flies stripped across flats and along tidal riverbanks are catching good numbers.

Norwich Bulletin

• Long Island Sound was reported to be 45 degrees fahrenheit off Stonington last weekend, though a week of sun should have pushed these numbers up a few degrees by this weekend. The Thames River was in the 55-56 range.
  
• Striped bass: As Pat Abate of River's End in Old Saybrook reported on the Connecticut River and Joe Balint of the Fish Connection reported on the Thames, spring striper fishing is excellent. Balint said a couple customers caught stripers in the 26- to 28-pound range using live bunker.
  
• Fluke: Luke Ball at Hillyer's Tackle in Niantic said they had their first locally caught fluke a pair of keepers taken out in Niantic Bay over last weekend.
  
• Bluefish: It's still too early to get excited about bluefish. But May is always the month when the first schools of skinny early spawn fish and smaller choppers move into this area.
• Winter flounder: Ball said Hillyer's customers are still catching winter flounder in the Niantic River as well as outside in the bay.
  
• Worm spawn: Breachway Tackle in Charleston, R.I., said there have been some worms coming off and attracting stripers up to and just over keeper size in Ninigret Salt Pond in Charleston.
  
• Bait: Reports indicate there are squid in the Mystic River and up the Rhode Island shoreline, which means bass and fluke should be feeding on them.
  
• Blue crabs: The lingering, cool temperatures this late into the spring could be the downfall of that nice batch of crabs that had appeared and bred in this region late last summer. Unless anglers begin seeing a few swimming or walking around in the shallows of the Thames or shallow places along the coast, the potential for a great crabbing season will be diminished.
  
• Freshwater: Water temperatures are in the high 50s and low 60s. Largemouths begin to bed between 62 and 65 degrees.
  
• Bass: Largemouth bass are starting to move onto their beds, especially in the shallow weedy, warm lakes in the region.
  
• Trout: Water levels are dropping in rivers and lakes are warming, creating the insect hatches and temperature levels that turn the trout on in both habitats.

The Fishing Line, Eastern CT

• Bluefish - The first bluefish was caught yesterday by the powerplant at Millstone. Don't expect many more for about 10 days.
• Fluke - Although the season is open now, we do not have any reports of fluke catches yet.
• Old Saybrook, Connecticut River Area: Striped Bass- The Connecticut River now pretty clear in color, but watch for large logs and other debris still floating down. The river has a lot of schoolies, mostly concentrated below the RR Bridge. The outgoing tide has been best with some limited action on the flood tide. This next week should be approaching the peak of the schoolie run in terms of numbers. Most of the bass are between 15 and 20 inches, every day a few more larger bass are being caught. The DEP Piers are doing well for anglers using sandworms, the Causeway has schoolies on leadhead jigs. There has been a lot of bunker around both locally and across the pond.
  
• Flounder: No reports of catches have come in over the last week, although a few fellows tried, but no one came back with a positive word.
• Thames River, Striped Bass: Capt. Jack at the Fish Connection, where they weighed in a 28 pound striper yesterday, reports one large school of adult bunker are in the Thames as far up as Norwich. The Thames River is still loaded with schoolies, but a lot of keepers are now being reported as they chase herring up as far as the Shetucket River.
• Poquetanuck Cove, in particular, is loaded with school bass, with an occasional larger fish mixed in and guys are catching them from shore or in kayaks. He suggested that if you are looking for larger fish, go out either very early or very late in the day, or even at night, especially when the tide is high. Anglers using those tactics are picking up larger fish.
• Niantic Bay: Matt at Hillyer's Tackle reports that a large school of bunker has been off the South Shore between New London and Niantic for the last couple of weeks. He reports that anglers are having success snagging and live lining these bunkers, although the large stripers are still a couple of weeks away when they move into the Race with the squid that are now up in RI.
• Flounder: Matt also reports that winter flounder catches continue in the Niantic River, but it is up and down by day. Some days none are caught, while the past Thursday several guys limited out and left them biting. One of his customers brought in a 17 inch catch. He says the best time to catch them is at the end of the flood tide (2-3 hours before high tide). Fellows who develop a good chum slick and use sandworms are doing the best.
• Fluke: He does not expect to get reports of fluke until the middle of May, when the squid - which are now reported in RI come westward.
• Mystic to Watch Hill: Striped Bass: Capt. Jack also reported schoolie bass are being caught at Napatree Point near Watch Hill, RI.
• Flounder - Dottie at Ken's Tackle in Groton reports good catches of winter flounder at Bluff Point near Stonington. (thefishingline.com written by Vince Hough).

Noreast.com Western Sound

• Every year the new fishing season brings with it at least one surprise. Sometimes it is an early fluke run, other times it is a blockbuster June weakfish bonanza. This year, all the buzz in Western Connecticut is about winter flounder and how there are so many, when before this, they were virtually absent from the Spring fishing calendar. "The fishing is off the charts, the best flounder fishing I have seen since the mid 80's. We are seeing lots of 7-8-inch fish as well as more than enough keepers and that is great" reports Jimmy O's of Strattford.
• It is great because those young fish mean that there are more from where they came. Anglers caught their limit of flounder while drift fishing at St. Mary's and Norwalk Island using sandworms.
• The last days of the blackfish season saw a 7.75lb & 5.6lb blackfish caught while fishing with green crabs at the West Haven breakwall.
• According to Chris Fulton of Stratford B&T in Stratford he caught his limit of flatties to 1.8 pounds while fishing in the Housatonic River with sandworms. In addition to flounder being caught in the Housatonic River, there are plenty of 18-23-inch striped bass willing to hit a sandworm as well. Rich Haig closed out his blackfish season with a 9.26 tog that he caught with an Asian crab at the New Haven breakwall.
• Reporting from Some Things Fishy in West Haven angler reports a large school of striped bass at West Haven Beach, where he used green metal flake shad to catch 30 schoolies to 24 inches. Another angler tried the live bait route and used sandworms to pick up 20 stripers to 25 inches.
• Now, here is an interesting report. There are shad everywhere off the East Street Pier, says Mike Sheehy of Salty Dog B&T in West Haven. Along with those bait fish are plenty of 18-25-inch schoolie striped bass and that should keep anglers busy for awhile in that area.
• Bobby J's in Milford confirms that there are flounder in the Housatonic River and catching schoolie stripers using sandworms while fishing on the Shelton side of the river. In some freshwater action, an 8.34-pound rainbow trout was caught while fishing in the Wepawug River with a trout worm. Big trout were also caught with trout worms in the Farmington River and Southford Falls.
• At Ted's Bait in Bridgeport, an angler caught a 12.85-pound blackfish at the West Haven breakwall using Asian crabs. Anglers using shiners caught a 5.10-pound brown trout while fishing in the Saugatuck Reservoir, Candlewood Lake a 6.4-pound largemouth bass, a 4.95 largemouth bass at Lake Hills and at Lake Mohegan,
• At Westport Outfitters in Norwalk, two customers, who caught schoolie stripers and flounder just north of Calf Pasture Beach, one hour after high tide using worms. Anglers should try fishing the sanctuary in Milford and Short Beach in Stratford, where there amre reports of schoolie size bass being taken using white clousers and soft plastics like 4-inch Fin-S and storm shad.
• Paul Hiller of Hiller Hunting and Fishing in Norwalk had news of striped bass in the Norwalk, Fairfield and Northport harbors. He also said that there are flounder being caught at Calf Pasture Beach.
• At Pete's Place in Stamford, the excitement there was all about stripers, stripers and more stripers with several fish from 19-40 inches caught while fishing the Greenwich estuaries with a 10-inch Fin-S. Roberto nailed a 35-inch striper on a mackerel chunk and Danny caught two stripers that were 35 and 36 inches respectively. Dave had six keeper bass over a 3-day period with all the fish coming on a 10-inch Fin-S. Guy tried his luck at his favorite haunt at IBM and picked up a 31-inch striper, using clam strips. Tommy fished the Kensico Reservoir where he used stick bait to land 10 lake trout to 7 pounds.
• Sportsman's Den in Greenwich fishing Todds Point landed two 18-inch striped bass using sandworms, while Bob caught a bass right at the limit size of 28 inches using a nine-inch sluggo.
• On the freshwater scene, at Merrybrook Pond in Greenwich where he used a Mickey Finn to catch a 16-inch rainbow trout, as well as some smaller fish.

Noreast.com, Eastern Sound

• The beginning of May earmarks a time of year when we saltwater junkies primarily focus on striped bass. River mouths, rocky shorelines, jetties, reefs, humps, and beaches become littered with surf and boat anglers in search of their first hit from ol’ linesides.
• The first area most anglers will focus on is the water in or near our state’s major river ways. Winter-over schoolies are beginning to become more active, demonstrating the need to feed. You should also take note of their patterns of movement. As the water continues to warm, many of these schoolies will gradually start to spread out and work their way towards Long Island Sound to feed on the abundant baitfish.
• The Connecticut River is a great place to start. This river, as compared to many of the smaller rivers in the state, demonstrates a “reverse” behavior. While smaller rivers holding schoolies will see a southward migration of striped bass, we will observe migratory (from the Hudson and Chesapeake fishery) striped bass moving northward up the Connecticut River in chase of spawning herring. While fishing the Connecticut, the mouth of the River as well as the mouths of the many small streams feeding into the river will consistently hold large schools of varying-sized striped bass with some reaching surprising proportions.
• Working from west to east, the shoreline along Niantic and up the Niantic River will provide steady action for light tackle enthusiasts. George, from J&B Tackle out of Niantic, confirmed medium-to-large schools of adult bunker working the shoreline as well as up into the river. He also mentioned reports of schoolies actively feeding in the Mystic River. We’ll talk further about the Mystic later in this report.
• The rocky Waterford shoreline, not far from the state boat launch, will also play host to the first migratory schoolies. Magonk Point east to Seaside all the way to Harkness State Park is a great place to throw plastics and small swimmers, as well as troll the tube and worm. The key is working the boulder fields and jetties that litter the shoreline.
• Mark from Hillyer’s Bait and Tackle said: “The winter flounder season has been very good. There hasn’t been a lot of big fish, but the numbers are very good and the ones who know what they’re doing can limit out. The two hot spots would be the Niantic River and Jordan Cove.” Mark then focused his attention to the striper activity. “
• Schoolie striped bass can be caught all along the shoreline from Jordan Cove to Harkness to Rocky Neck. Guys using chunk bait and small swimmers are having the most success. Although there hasn’t been a lot of keepers taken, I know there must be some bigger fish around with the large schools of big bunker.” Mark stated this is the earliest he’s seen adult bunker in the area in a very long time. He also mentioned that while the fluke season is open, he has not received any confirmed reports from the loyal fluke armada.
• In New London, the mouth of the Thames River is considered a prime location for anglers in search of feeding fish. I’ve had the opportunity to kayak fish this area twice over the last week. Although there are sporadic baitballs fleeing from small bass, most of the action is still located upriver. Right now, the winter over stripers are in the process of spreading out and have begun their slow journey southward towards Long Island Sound. Again, focus on coves just outside of the river current. There, you will find trapped baitfish and feeding bass.
• As Mark from Hillyers Bait and Tackle stated, the schoolie action has begun to pick up in the Mystic River. I received confirmed reports of anglers catching bass between the bridges and up into the cove. Small Storm lures and swimmers are the way to go.
• Continuing eastward to Stonington, Bill from King Cove Marina and Outfitters said the bite continues to improve along the Connecticut and Rhode Island border. “The Pawcatuck River is holding a lot of schoolies with some bigger fish mixed in. Larger bass are starting to show along Napatree Point and nearby reefs. Fluking is still slow, but a reliable commercial fisherman reported summer flounder in 90 feet of water just outside of Stonington Harbor. The winter flounder bite has been okay, but the better action is definitely better in the Mystic and Niantic Rivers. Also, light tackle anglers are catching schoolies along Sandy Point as well.”
• Bill also wanted to share some encouraging news with regard to the bait activity. “There have been three different reports of large bunker near and around the Mystic River drawbridge. Also, sporadic sightings of squid are filtering into the shop, which has us confident the bigger fish are soon to show.” (by Roland St. Denis)