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)