Norwich Bulletin: Connecticut Fishing Reports

• Bait: June is a transition month between spring and summer, a time when both fresh and saltwater fishing is excellent. Menhaden are still in the Thames River with a school just north of the harbor most of the time. They are reportedly very abundant in Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island and bunker are being reported off the Millstone Point Outflow and a few in the lower Connecticut River.
• Striped bass: Joe Balint of the Fish Connection reports there are some big stripers in the 25- to 30-pound range being caught on live menhaden (bunker) in the upper river around Norwich. These fish are feeding heavily on the menhaden that moved into the river a few weeks ago.
• Bluefish: Shops are reporting big choppers in the mix very frequently. Millstone Power Plant Outflow and the Thames have both produced 10-pound or better choppers.
• Fluke: Fishing for fluke continues to be most productive along Rhode Island's south shore beaches from Point Judith to the Pink House. Balint reported mixed success on fluke along the south side of Fishers Island and one of his customers caught a 22-incher from the Thames earlier in the week.
• Trout: Recent rains have served to cool water temps and increase stream flows, which will prolong trout fishing in area lakes and streams. Mohegan Park and the Shetucket River were both stocked for Memorial Day, so both places as well as the Yantic River are worth fishing.
• Bass: It looks like the bass are pretty well done spawning in most area lakes as evidenced by an increase in reports of larger fish being caught over the last few days.
• Pike: Fish to 37 or 38 inches have been reported over the last week from Ashland Lake and Hopeville Pond. Sadly, a resident at Pachaug Pond continues to see dead pike, fish that he's seen killed intentionally by the tournament bass fishermen who hammer this lake every weekend.
• Panfish: White perch have been reported from the spots along Route 2A on Poquetanuck Cove in Preston, which means they are probably also available in the Shetucket River between Greenville Dam and Norwich Harbor.