Eastern LIS, T. Coleman The Day 5/22/09

Striped bass can be found in Connecticut shoreline & reefs.

Fishing in the deep water between Valiant & Little Gull - bass & blue were caught with Diamond Jigs. A 46 inch bass was caught in the Mystic River by the Mystic River Park.

Angler's tube & worming The Millstone outflow caught small stripers & blues.

The lower Thames gave up some winter flounder. At this time in years gone by Junk Island was good for winter flounder. Best bets for bass in the Thames are from Gales Ferry to Montville and a few in Norwich.

Bunker could be found throughout the coast and were especially think in Norwich Harbor. Anglers are catching bass & some blues under the bunker schools. The beaches from Noank to
Niantic reported better flounder fishing.

Even though the bunker in Watch Hill Harbor were seen being chased by small bass - the "much anticipated push on stripers has yet to take place". Some fluke were caught off the Isabella Beach and a few flounder at the Pawcatuck River mouth.

Out in the race, mostly bass & some blues were chowing down on small herring, sand eels & squid. Squid are finally showing up in Stonington Harbor. Best bait out in the race is diamond jigs and surface jigs if bass are on the surface -during slackening or at slack water.

Hillyers Tackle reported on winter flounder caught from Rocky Neck to Harkness. To be successful you must chum and devote atleast 45 minutes per spot . The Black Point Rip is now holding some bass for either drift boats or those that troll parachute jigs on 225 feet of wire.

Inner Bartletts trolling wire with jigs or umbrella rigs on any tide is good for bass. To the west in the deeper water of Sand Shoal to Six Mile - medium diamond jigs are working good.

A 27" bass was caught from shore by Hatchetts Point. The lower Connecticut River on the outgoing tide in the morning & evening was very good for bass. However the tides have switched this week and the numbers of fish caught are down.

One local fished all day around the breakwater at the river mouth for four hours for six flounder, the “biggest” catch of that species all week. [Tim Coelman, The Day]