Captain Morgan, Madison 4/29/09

Captain Morgan reports that early spring is the time to get out on the Sound to cast or drift for the first stripers of the year. "More to the point, it’s time to cast or drift for the seson’s first fresh striped bass. From now on, each tide will bring more fish into the Sound and as the month of May digs in, more echoes will light up the fish-finder, and more blips will appear on the radar screen. Below the waterline is where the action is. One would be amazed at the season’s influx of “fish on fish” activity that is transforming the Sound into a habitat for fish and a playground for anglers".

Even though we had some warm weather this past week it hasn't been warm enough for the fish to turn on yet and with "water temperatures fluctuating and hovering below 50 degrees, that bite stalled once again".

Some Blackfish were to be found in New Haven walls but were adjacent northern areas. The best baits "were ... soft baits and crabs during mid-day tides".

As for Stripers: "All tidal rivers holding year-round linesiders are seeing exceptional movement. Larger fish are moving both up and down river, while schoolie-size-plus bass are streaming into the Sound and all along the shoreline. There is considerable bait entering the rivers as well as moon tide hatches of worms and other forms of sea life.

A few winter flounder can also be picked up around the eelgrass and sandy bottoms of adjacent coves and channels.

Stripers are feeding on eels, worms, soft plastics, and river herring imitations. Schools of small bass are hungry and have been feeding all along tidal wetland structure especially where rivers/creeks merge. Many have filtered into the Sound where anglers were able to experience a spring run of these feisty fighters. Stripping a clouser or half/half along the flats have also produced fish just before sunrise".

Note: Having a hard time finding or obtaining a sportsman license? Captain Morgan’s has “all” 2009 fishing, hunting, trapping licenses/permits (rifle, shotgun, archery, muzzle loader, HIP, CT duck stamps, etc.) available including shellfish licenses for Guilford and Madison. Captain Morgan is located at 21 Boston Post Rd, Madison 203-245-8665