Norwich Bulletin Fishing Report 8/2

• Striped bass: Joe Balint has seen fish of 47 and 48 inches taken on live menhaden over the last week from the Thames River. That said, the Race always holds some big fish, though we didn't have any specific reports from there this week. However, Mark James at Hillyer's Tackle weighed in a 52.16-pound striper caught off Bartlett's Reef Saturday.
• Bluefish: The Race is hot and improving as always this time of year. Blues are everywhere, with the lower Connecticut River, Thames River and the Millstone Outflow consistently holding fish at the present time.
• Fluke: Wildwood Outfitters of Wakefield, R.I., and Captain Don's of Charleston, R.I., both report Nebraska Shoal being the hot spot this week for doormats. Reports from Fishers Island have not been as numerous.
• Porgy: Apparently anyone who is seeking these aggressive good-eating little fish are catching them in good numbers. Hillyer's reported seeing some big humpbacks this week, with a few decent scup even being caught near bridges in Niantic.
• Sea bass: Not many reports of sea bass so far. Most anglers don't target this beautiful, excellent-eating little fish. We took a couple small ones a week or so back from the lower Mystic River and a 2-pounder while fluke-fishing off Misquamicut.
• Offshore: Off shore fishing has lit up. Dennis Goderre of the Fish Connection caught a 125-pound Mako shark on a recent trip with Bob Veach of Right Hook Charters.
• Blue crabs: Crabbing is excellent throughout the area. They have recently gone through a molt. The five-inch keepers I caught last week were barely legal, with a couple of grody hard-shelled males that close to turning into 6-inchers.
• Freshwater: Fishing remains good for bass and sunfish in local lakes, with rainy days, dawn and dusk being the best time to fish. My buddy, Eric Covino, of Playing Hookie Charters, and I made a trip Monday to Pontoosuc Lake, in Lennox, Mass., to try for tiger muskies. We didn't catch any tigers, but managed to land six northern pike to 35 inches and 10 pounds, two bass of more than 4 pounds out of a dozen and an equal number of 18- to 20-inch pickerel.