Norwich Bulletin

• Striped bass: The Race has turned on big time with reports filtering in from anglers and tackle shops of 20- to 40-pounders being grubbed up from the depths on three-way rigs, rigged baits or Diamond Jigs. All the region's major rivers are producing stripers up as far as any herring are running as well as in their lower reaches.
• Bluefish: Fish below five or six pounds are filtering in from offshore. LIttle non-spawners show first with the larger breeders showing in increasing abundance throughout the summer and into the fall.
• Weakfish: This species is a rarity in this part of the Sound, but they are targeted and caught from Guilford and Madison to the west in the Sound, in the Peconic Bay area of Long Island and Narragansett Bay, R.I., at this time of year.
• Fluke: All reports indicate the fluke fishing is pretty good all along the Rhody beaches from Point Judith to the Pink House, along the south side of Fishers Island and off Long Island.
• Scup/Porgies: The season opens Friday, but to date they haven't shown up in any abundance.
• Blackfish: Season opens June 15, a tad too late for any real good spring fishing conditions, but they can be caught around mussel beds and deep water reefs throughout the summer.
• Bait: There are still menhaden in the Thames, off the Millstone Point discharge, thick in Narragansett Bay and scattered in-between. Squid are abundant along the coast and attracting some bigger bass in the deep water areas.
• Freshwater Bass: They are still on their spawning beds in deep cool water lakes and off the beds in the shallow weedy spots throughout the region.
• Trout: Pete Butterfield of Boondocks said green caddis flies are hatching on the Farmington and Housatonic Rivers. This means local rivers are producing this hatch as well.
• Panfish: Bluegills have moved into shoal areas where post-spawn largemouth bass have vacated the shallows. Mohegan Park, Trout Park and area trout fishing spots were stocked for the Memorial Day weekend. This is the last stocking until temps cool back down in the fall.