Huntington Herald, Shelton

• Many fish were caught this past week, from as far east as New London and as far west as Stamford. Locally New Haven Harbor remains hot for big Stripers and Blues. The schools of Bunker are starting to thin in New Haven but at the same time these important bait fish are starting to show up again in Fairfield and Bridgeport.
• Jimmy Orfice from Jimmy O's bait and Tackle reported weighing in some beefy Bass this past week. Fish up to 38 pounds were taken along Penfield reef and in Deeper Water off Bridgeport Harbor. Deep water was not the only place to find big bass and Blues this past week.
• Both Shore fishermen and boaters found fish up to 44 inches in 8 feet of water of Milford. Both the Bass and Blues still are keying on live and chunked baits. Bunker and Hickory Shad are the best bets if you are after big fish.
• Fluking remains fair to good but the large fish seem to be moving deeper leaving lots of shorts, Sea Robins, Skates and dogfish in their place.
• Offshore reports seem to be improving with the rising temperatures. Sharking is improving daily off both Montauk and Block Island. Blue Sharks up to 200 pounds and a couple of Mako's in the 150-pound class were taken this past week. The big news of the week is a 400 plus pound Thresher taken south of Suffolk.
• The Tuna bite has also steadily improved. Some Yellowfin were brought over the rails this week with the average size being 30-50 pounds. Some reports of Large Bluefin Tuna crashing bluefish and other baits also came in this week but no confirmed hookups or landings reported. Mahi Mahi have given Tuna Chasers constant action with a few bulls reported in the 30 pound class.
• The Fresh or Sweet Water throughout our state has been hot as of late. Trout fishing in the Farmington River has been outstanding. Colorful Brookies up to 12 inches and bruising Rainbows and Browns up to 7 pounds were taken this past week all over the Farmy. Night crawlers and Mealworms have been producing the best but assorted lures and flies have also landed their share of fish .
• Squantz Pond, Lake Saltonstall in New Haven and both the Saugatuck River and Reservoir have provided anglers a better than average chance at landing quality Walleye. Fish up to 26 inches were reported this past week with most of these fish being taken on live large shiners and crank and jerk-baits.
• While the lower Housatonic has been producing some schoolie Stripers, Blue-fish, Carp and Catfish the upper Housy has been red hot for Smallmouth Bass and Pike. Crayfish imitations are the cant miss bait for Smal-lies and pike will hit large plugs and live baitfish.(Leon Sylvester, Jr., Huntington Herald)

Rivers End Tackle, Old Saybrook

• STRIPED BASS- If things were slow at the last report , they're even slower in this weeks report. The Race has had some medium sized bass on ebb tides with most of the catch going to trollers. Drifting both days and nights has had mediocre results. We haven't heard of any concentrations of bass, there seems to be more of a scattering of small schools. Techniques that cover more ground such as tube and worm or trolling bucktails seem to be having better results. The live bait drifters are getting some jumbos on the reefs from Southwest to Bartletts but the numbers are way down from a couple of week ago. On live bait, theres a few schools of bunker in the Connecticut River with the only results coming at dawn. Hickory shad are here in light numbers and less in Niantic.
• BLUEFISH- For small blues travel to the Race and Plum Gut, locally they're less numerous but bigger. The action in the Connecticut River has been mostly on bait both from shore and boat. Shore casters from Saybrook Point have been getting some decent sizes with best results on the ebb tide. Snappers are getting past the 3" mark now.
• FLUKE- It can best be described as spread out. We have weighed in some nice fluke this past week from Soundview to Montauk. The best news is that the Connecticut River has some of the best fluking we've seen in the last five or six years, not all keepers but a fair shot at some decent sizes. Most of them are found in the channels from North to the Breakwater. Thats a tough spot to fish on the weekends with boat traffic, best left to week days. The 30' band of water off Soundview is worthwhile and the 70' plus band between Hatchetts and Black Point has the best of sizes.
• BLACKFISH- Even less interest this week with not too much effort for blacks. Most anglers have given up for the summer.
• PORGIES- Most anglers are reporting some nice sized ones at Hatchetts, Bartletts and the rockpiles near Cornfield. The numbers are light, may be a good idea to try chumming.
• BLUE CRABS- The early crabs that we saw at the beginning of June have grown into some monsters. Most of the crabs are running on the just shy of the keeper mark with enough big ones to make it worthwhile. They are getting some at the DEP Piers, Oyster River and the Causeway. (Pat Abate, Rivers End Tackle, Old Saybrook).
  

Westport Outfitters (Norwalk) Fishing Report

• Some very hot weather this week bumped the water temp significantly while in other areas the go to bait inshore was sand eels and even they are beginning to disperse, but there distant relatives Mr./Mrs. Silver Side are moving right in behind them. Changes are on the way for this coming week and the action should begin to pick back up.
  
• We had reports of small snappers by one of our scouts last week on the LI side, but they have since moved across and have been stacked up in and around the Saugatuck River basin, offering bass and larger blues a change of diet after gorging on Sand Eels for the past two months. It may take a few more days to really heat up, but now is also a great time to get the kids into fishing. Fishing for baby blues is a blast on a light tackle rod and the constant action will keep any young angler smiling all day. We have snapper kits readily available with pre rigged rods as well, so come on down and bring the whole family!
• Depending on the tide and time of day, some good size stripers are still being taken on the reefs between Stamford and Greenwich. Water temps have risen to the 70 degree mark in most of our areas and the reef fishing will become more consistent (this will be the ideal time to start breaking out the T&W rigs). In fact we had a report of dozens of bass being caught yesterday mid day right off the shop up to 34 inches on Tubes. This crew actually went through 9 dozen fresh Westport Outfitter's worms. Way to go guys!!
  
• Bunker schools are stacking up nicely as well in the Norwalk area and it won't be long until some bigger bass find them. Migratory fish from the south will have plenty of reason to call Norwalk/Westport home during the summer doldrums with all this bait around. The bluefish have already been hitting the bunker schools off of Greenwich and Stamford and are moving east. Reports of bluefish to 16 lbs. are coming in and some local bass up to 30 lbs. Most anglers report they are doing well with fresh chunked bunker for the bass and blues (we have). Snapper blues are growing and becoming a good food source for stripers, bigger blues and fluke. Once they get to about 5 inches long use them on a 3-way rig bouncing bottom for big fluke. You couuld also use our custom rigged live lining rigs for this application as well.
  
• Even though the sand eels may be dispersing a bit, they are still a favorite Fluke bait and we now have them frozen (4-6 inches in length). Speaking of Fluke, the action has surely picked up on this side and in some unlikely places as well, with nearly a dozen keepers taken on Sunday by one of our scouts in less than three feet of water. Try a fluke bomb in the 2-4oz range and a fat frozen sand eel, your efforts will surely pay off.
• A message to the inshore crowd…time to reset those alarm clocks. As these water temps increase, you will have to loose some of that beauty sleep if you want action from shore. Bass, as we know, will normally feed at night if we follow the textbook, but with these high heat, high sun days, they may wait even longer to move back into the shallows in search of food, which means your best bet will be from 4 A.M. to first light in the usual haunts in and around Mill Pond, Fairfield and Southport. As summer progresses, fly fisherman will need to concentrate their fishing during these lower light conditions for more consistent results.
• Last week we still had some good reports from local fly fisherman fishing between Fairfield and Norwalk using sand eel imitations. Although these sand eels should still be around for a little while, the main bait source for stripers and blues is going to be baby bluefish, bunker, silversides, shrimp, crabs and worms. Try rotating in some small deceivers in the blue/white pattern or our famous snapper blue patterns. For spinning tackle, the new Stillwater plugs will do the trick as well as our go to Yozuri Crystal Minnows. Also try an old reliable as the snappers increase…the “Bounder.” I think my father first turned me onto this classic lure years back, but no other comes even close to representing a 3-5 inch snapper on the move. They can be trolled or retrieved.
• Local fly fishermen are also anxiously anticipating a worm hatch in the upcoming week. Your best shot at hitting this legendary event is to fish outflows during the night with cinder worm imitations. Sometimes this event can be very frustrating, so call the shop or stop down for some tips.

Connecticut Post Online - Fishing report: Night right for stripers

• Striped bass — Nighttime is the right time for hunting those hard-to-life stripers during the hot mid-summer months. Anglers putting fresh bunker on the bottom or floating sandworms off docks during darkness are nailing the big ones. A few schoolies are still hanging around the river mouths and estuaries, but they are mostly loner fish. The reefs and bars off Niantic and Stonington are holding very nice sized fish in excess of 40 inches, with live lined porgies and hickory shad the real killer baits there.
• Bluefish — Smaller blues remain the dominant catch, but the size is growing in bays and harbors. New Haven Harbor witnessed a couple of surface frenzies way up under the I-95 bridge. Anglers who were lucky enough to be there said it was a blood batch. Buoy 18 and 20 and the area out back of around Charles Island are still producing.
• Snapper blues — Still too small to make fishing worthwhile, they've moved into the river mouths and along some beaches. Bridgeport's Seaside Park produced some 10-fish limits this week.
• Fluke — New Haven Harbor is the hot spot for summer flounder. All the winners of the Stratford Boat Owners tournament came from that area. Squid and worms are the bait of choice.
• Porgies — Improving near Penfield Reef and off St. Mary's. Clam chumming is still highly recommended.
• Largemouth bass — The DEP fishing continues to be good to excellent. Areas to try include Upper Moodus Reservoir, Quaddick Reservoir, Wononscopomuc, East Twin, Bashan, Gardner, Candlewood, Waramaug, Beseck, Middle Bolton, Wyassup, Mashapaug, Pickerel, Crystal (Ellington) and Kenosia Lakes, and Messerschmidt, Ball, Mudge, Ross, Long, Batterson Park, Black (Woodstock) & Hatch Ponds.
• Smallmouth bass — Lake McDonough, Candlewood, Highland, Coventry, Mashapaug and Bashan Lakes reporting catches. The Housatonic River smallmouth are keeping anglers very busy, and some fair to good fishing for smallies is reported from the Farmington River in the Tariffville area.
• Northern pike — Lake Lillinonah, Bantam Lake, Quaddick Reservoir, Hopeville Pond, Pachaug Pond and the upper Housatonic River fishing is reported to be good.
• Chain pickerel — Mashapaug, Highland, Wonoscopomuc & Winchester lake(s) & Wood Creek Pond have had steady catches. Walleye — Lake Saltonstall, Coventry Lake and Squantz Pond reported walleye catches this week.
• Panfish — The season is heating up with the arrival of warm summer temperatures. Now is the time to get the family out and experience the fast-paced action of fishing for panfish. Locations to try for good panfish fishing include Quinnebaug, Gardner, Hayward, Amos, Lower Bolton, Highland and Waramaug Lakes, and Mudge, Hatch, Bishop, Ball and Black (Meriden) Ponds.
• Trout — Fishing in the West Branch and mainstem of the Farmington continues to be very good. Other areas reporting good catches last week include the Housatonic, Naugatuck, Natchaug and Coginchaug Rivers. Early and late in the day are the best fishing times during the summer. Expect rainbow trout to be in the faster water and browns in the larger, deeper pools. Bait fisherman are using a corn/mealworm combination. (Charles Walsh, Conecticut Post).

On The Water Magazine

Best Bets for Connecticut and Rhode Island: Take the ferry to Block Island and stay the weekend, fishing eels at your leisure throughout the day to jumbo bass, then heading out for a relaxing dinner and a good night’s sleep. If that isn’t possible, I might suggest picking up one or more of the interesting “local lures” Capt. Don suggests, then fishing them off the beaches of Charlestown, or perhaps in one of the breachways. Crabbing anywhere along the Connecticut coast sounds like a winner, with very tasty dividends to be paid for the effort. If fresh water is a must, your best bets sound like the Farmington or Shetucket Rivers.

• Rising water temperatures in upper Narragansett Bay, combined with bluefish scattering the schools of bunker, have resulted in the jumbo striped bass moving into the deeper, cooler waters of lower Narragansett Bay and beyond. While there are still fish to be caught in the upper bay, Dave at Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle in North Kingstown has reports coming in saying that the fishing is much more sporadic than it has been in previous weeks. If you can find a school of bunker, you will no doubt find some fish, but this is becoming rarer and rarer. The most consistent striper fishing at the moment is around the southern tip of Jamestown and in the lower East and West Passages. From the reports that Dave is getting, fishing bait deep outside of the bay is bringing up lots and lots of dogfish. Fluke fishing is still very good, but anglers are noting that the fish are moving around a lot, meaning that catching can be sporadic if you stay in one spot.
• Fishing remains “OK” in the Newport area, according to Peter at The Saltwater Edge in Newport. There does not appear to be tons of bait concentrated in any particular spot, and so fishing from shore is very sporadic. Peter notes that a boat will help, but things are still a bit slower than would be considered normal. Early and late are the best times to try your luck in the Newport area.
• Rob at Wildwood Outfitters in Wakefield says Block Island is the place to be. Anglers are having a field day with large stripers all along the south side of the island from shore, and along the outside of the ledge by boat. Eels are the bait to be tossing, and for those anglers not keen on losing lots of sleep, the jumbo bass seem willing to eat eels at noon on a bright and sunny day. Fish close to 50 pounds are being taken throughout the day, according to reports Rob is hearing. Fluke fishing remains quite good, and the Center Wall at about 60 feet and Carpenters Village at about 45 feet are two prime areas. Striper fishing from shore is pretty inconsistent at the moment, though reports say that Jamestown’s southern shore is productive. For fresh waters, Rob has only limited information, though Worden Pond is definitely overheated – water temperatures are in the lower to mid 80s, with little relief in sight.
• The big news from Mary at Maridee Bait & Tackle in Narragansett was a 14-foot thresher shark caught on their charter boat over the past weekend. The great fish was taken just south of Block Island, took about two-and-a-half hours to get into the boat, and weighed in at 320 pounds. Around town, stripers are still prevalent at the docks in Galilee but tough to catch. One persistent angler took a 30-pounder on clam bellies, suggesting that the fish do eat. Stripers seem to have moved into their summer routine, according to reports Mary is getting, and eels fished under the cover of darkness are the most productive way to go for the time being. The Town Beach and Black Point have been great eel spots over the past week. Good-sized scup are still being taken along the East Wall, with an occasional nice bass coming to hook as a surprise package. Fluke seem to be moving into waters along the beaches, according to reports from successful shore-bound fluke fishermen. The East and Short walls are producing good fluke catches overall.
• Justin at Breachway Bait & Tackle in Charlestown has been hearing reports of excellent fishing along the shore and breachway area. There are plenty of fish, both bass and blues, and anglers are doing quite well in the pond itself, particularly early and late. Some bigger blues in the 10- to 12-pound range have moved into the area, and anglers are taking them at the mouth of the pond and in the breachway. Fluke fishing is good, with lots of keepers being taken. Justin noted that anglers fishing squid in about 40 feet of water seem to be doing the best overall.
• Reports coming into Capt. Don’s in Charlestown confirm that bluefish, bigger ones included, have indeed moved into the region. Anglers are taking bluefish from shore, on boats, in the breachway and in the ponds. Capt. Don highly recommends using Grim Reefers or Point Jude Lures, as anglers are killing blues on these specific pieces of hardware. Live-lining scup or other live bait is also excellent for taking fish along the shore or by boat, and particularly on the reefs off Watch Hill. Anglers are doing quite well in the surf along Charlestown, according to reports Capt. Don is getting from his patrons, using chunks on bass and hardware on blues early and late in the day. Fluke fishing is good at 40- to 45-foot depths using just about any bait; just be sure to be over rough bottom if you want keepers. Keep to the smooth sand if you want lots of shorts. Capt. Don’s tip of the week: toss a Tally Whacker plug at the mouth of the breachway on the outgoing tide at night. Be sure to keep a tight grip on that rod.
• The striped bass inhabiting the Thames River have moved down toward the mouth, and good numbers are being reported in Trading Cove. Bluefish have moved into the river big time, according to Rennie at the Fish Connection in Preston, and have scattered the bunker, making the bass fishing a bit more sporadic. There are plenty of blues to toss bait and hardware at, however. Fluke fishing is really good right now, according to Rennie, and Harkness Memorial and Sarah Ledge are both holding good numbers of keepers. Groton Long Point, Seaflower Reef and Intrepid Rock are also producing good numbers of fluke. Rennie also has reports of fluke in the Thames River, the most productive area being from the mouth to buoy 27. Inland, Pachaug and Long ponds are producing good catches of largemouth bass, and Amos Lake is seeing good largemouth action to live bait, particularly late in the day. Rennie also recommends grabbing a crab net and heading out for some blueshells. Gauging from reports coming in, this will be one of the best – if not the best – seasons for this species in some time.
• The best place for striped bass in far eastern Long Island Sound seems to be The Race, according to reports that Mark at Hillyer’s Tackle Shop in Waterford is hearing. Bartlett Reef is running a close second, and both are fishing the best to tube-and-worm rigs. The Spindle at Bartlett has been particularly productive, with several 30-pound-plus fish coming from there recently. Bluefish have moved in for the season at all locations, so Mark suggests bringing along lots of terminal tackle.
  
• Reports have it that fluke fishing is just okay at the moment, mainly because it has become inconsistent. Anglers going out for the day and moving around when the bite stops or fails to start are doing the best. Black Point and Two Tree Channel are two spots that Mark recommends checking out, sticking to the deeper areas of both sites. Reports show that about 60 percent are shorts at this point. Scup fishing is also good, and all of the local rock piles are producing well. Mark has heard some very good reports of scup coming from Jordan Cove. He added that the crabbing is slow at the moment, but reports say that is it great just to the west and east, so he expects it to turn around in his area as well.
• Allen at Shaffer’s Marina in Mystic was pretty busy, but was able to report that Misquamicut has been the place to go for keeper fluke over the past week or so, with the Pink House being the most productive area in about 50 feet of water. The back side of Fishers Island is also good, but not as good as Misquamicut.
• Winds made fluke fishing tough over the past weekend, but the start of the week made up for that, says Capt. Morgan at Capt. Morgan’s Bait & Tackle in Madison. A 9 ½-pounder was weighed in despite the wind, so good fish are in the area. Bluefish are providing pretty consistent topwater action in the Madison area, particularly in the evenings. The bunker have been scattered by the blues, so while the stripers are still around, the bigger ones are tougher to find. In light of the warming waters, Capt. Morgan suggests hitting local reefs and the traditional deeper, cooler sites for big stripers. In fresh waters, largemouth bass are still on the bite, especially in the evenings. Rivers are low, making the trout fishing tough, but caddis in the Shetucket River are getting fish onto the surface during the hatch.
• Chris at Stratford Bait & Tackle in Stratford says the fluke fishing is great in the area, and Middle Ground in particular is producing some very nice fish. Many in the 5- to 6-pound range are being taken, and the occasional 8-pound fish is making its way into the shop. Chris reports that shore-fishing is tough at the moment, with mostly smallish fish being taken. Chunk bunker is proving productive when fished deep, but a boat is needed. Scup fishing is a bit slow, but Middle Ground and the back side of Charles Island are doing rather well.
• Bigger stripers are moving into the Milford area, and a few in the 30-pound range are being taken. While action is picking up at buoys 11B and 28C, Chris at Westport Outfitters in Norwalk reports that fishing the rocky shallows is proving very effective for good-sized stripers. He adds that the biggest fish will still be caught deep on the reefs as they now settle in for the summer. Fluke fishing is excellent throughout, and the mouth of the Housatonic is producing some decent-sized fish. For best results, Chris suggests seeking out sandy areas for fluke, especially just outside the Norwalk Islands and in the various deeper channels. Although fishing the channels takes a bit of ingenuity and tact because of the never-ending boat traffic, Chris says it is worth the effort because big fluke lay in them, and because they are rarely fished due to the effort required. Reports from the field have it that sand eels, which have been thick throughout the area for the past few weeks, are thinning out, but silversides are moving in, and the fish will begin to key in on them.

Captian Morgan, 7/19

• New moon, swifter currents, higher/lower tides, and good weather made for some excellent fishing opportunities. After some brief early week rainfall, anglers were ready for another fishing weekend. A cold front brought temperatures down to the high-70s mid-80s while water temps remained in the high-60s to low-70s. That change turned on the bite. Another late weekend front kicked up seas, making for a slightly less enjoyable boat ride but, nevertheless, productive fishing.
• With anglers filling Captain Morgan's shop from across the state, throughout the country, and as far away as New Zealand and South Africa to fish and enjoy our local waters, interest was focused on the much anticipated fluke contests. Fishing was brisk as flukers searched for that $10,000 big prize doormat. Scales were quiet for most of the first day with the surge coming at day's end. The top shop fluke caught by William Kreitler of Milford weighed 9.5 pounds and measured 28 inches putting it unofficially in third place. First place topped the scales at 10.9 pounds.
• With the 6 p.m. deadline approaching, the second day's fishing was hampered a bit by a mix of southwesterly winds and current, causing anglers to rethink fishing spots/drifts. Waves were one to three-plus feet, but the hunt for that elusive doormat continued. Unofficially, first place belongs to Yong Zhe Yan (NJ) with a 10.9-pounder, second is Patrick Ciesielski at 9.95 pounds, and third place is William Kreitler with his 9.5-pound doormat, who is the shop's heaviest fish. Other Captain Morgan weigh-ins were No. 9 Jim Zottoli with an 8.53-pounder and No. 13 Rich Campbell at 8.04 pounds.
• Schoolie stripers continue to be caught throughout the Sound especially near shore and by tidal rivers. Larger bass are more apt to be found on the reefs although, during low-light conditions, they are being caught off jetties, harbor channels, and in rivers themselves. New polly chutes are proving to be quite effective due to their pulsating action, peanuts are a good choice for top water, Grimm Reefers for the bottom, and tension lures throughout the water column.
• Large schools of bluefish have been feeding heavily on top around Faulkner's Island and beyond. Chunkers and casters are doing well from shore oftentimes catching a mixed bag of fish while diamond jigs are catching bottom dwelling alligators. Reefs are giving way to schools of smaller scup now that slabbers have spawned, although they're almost everywhere. Sea bass are seemingly having a better year with five- to six-pounders being caught from deep offshore reefs.
• Alert: DEP reported a breakout of 'didymo' (Didymosphenia geminato) a highly invasive alga that can have a great negative impact on fresh water rivers. Found in the upper reaches of the Connecticut River in Bloomfield, Vermont, as well as the White River, it potentially can have a suffocating effect all bottom life. Not considered a threat to the lower river, anglers are advised to be on the lookout for clumps of this gray/white/brown (never green) species attaching to lower units, fishing gear, etc. If found, remove and leave where found. Clean gear for one minute in 140F water. Optionally, use a two percent solution of household bleach or five percent solution of salt, antiseptic hand cleaner, or dishwashing detergent.
• Blue crabbing is hot and the new throwable Crab Trapper (developed by a local engineer and perfected with the help of Captain Morgan) is making catching more productive and enjoyable. It throws a distance, rights itself, contains a bait cage, and keeps crabs trapped. A new, great, unique, and intriguing concept that works!

Norwich Bulletin

• Striped bass: The summer heat appears to have slowed catches of larger striped bass from the lower Connecticut River to the west, though there are still some big fish chasing schools of menhaden.
• Bluefish: The Race is full of bluefish as it should be this time of year. Hillyer's noted the head and charter boats were taking some big fish of 10 pounds or more on a more consistent basis lately.
• Fluke: The Rhode Island beaches are definitely producing the best fluke catches numbers-wise, though during the last week more fluke have pushed their way into the east end of Long Island Sound.
• Scup: Porgy fishing is not in the reports lately, because most anglers are chasing the other more glorious species. But as the summer progresses, their numbers will increase.
• Black sea bass: Captain Morgan of his namesake shop in Madison said he began to see 4-pound to 5-pound sea bass in the shop over the last week or so.
• Crabs: Crabbing in the lower Connecticut River and Oyster River was hot for big stuff a couple weeks ago. Recently, the number of big crabs has dropped off, though there are still many shorts around that will grow up by fall.
• Bait: Menhaden continue to school in the lower Thames River and in most of the estuaries along the coast, though numbers have thinned out in some areas.
• Freshwater Bass: Fishing continues to be very good throughout the area. While fishing with my buddy, Captain Eric Covino of Playing Hookie Charters, on a busman's holiday for him last Thursday evening, he caught a 5-pounder along with a few other largemouths ranging from 2 pounds to 4 pounds, on a Sloppee Pig Jr. in a shallow, weedy Rhode Island Pond.
• Pike: This time of year, waters are warm and pike will only be active early or late in the day and during cooling rains. They can easily be stressed when caught so, like trout, it's probably better not to target them until the water cools back down into the 60s.
• Walleye: There hasn't been a great deal of talk about his species in area lakes, with Gardner Lake being particularly quiet this season. A couple people I know who live near Gardner Lake have taken fish to 8 pounds this year.

Connecticut Outfitters - Bait Fish Report

Bunker in the Bays! Most runs of the anadromous fish seem to have ended on the rivers. We observed spawned out shad ("racers") in the Rainbow Reservoir above the dam. Holyoke lifted three shad yesterday. The Connecticut River is currently running at about 5,000 cfs , which is not usual for July. But what is unusual for July is the still relatively low water temperatures.

• Bunker seems to be the hot bait for stripers and blues again this year. Bunker, or menhaden, are filter feeders which eat phytoplankton. They will be found in warmer water feeding on the tiny green food. Watch and listen for them in the early morning hours at the mouth of rivers and in bays and coves, where the water temps may be a little warmer than the surrounding waters.
  
• Another helpful resource to finding where the bunker are is the venerable osprey. This ocean going raptor will find baitfish wherever they are, from a bird's eye view. If you see a few of these beautiful birds of prey circling and diving into the water, you can be fairly certain they are onto some baitfish, and that is frequently the bunker we are looking for.
• Bunker can be snagged or netted with the proper license. Fish with bunker live lined or three-wayed, with a circle or treble hook pushed through the bony bridge between the eyes. When the bunker starts acting nervous, get ready!

CT DEP Weekly Fishing Report #12 7/18

• LARGEMOUTH BASS fishing continues to be good to excellent. Areas to try include Upper Moodus Reservoir, Quaddick Reservoir, Wononscopomuc, East Twin, Bashan, Gardner, Candlewood, Waramaug, Beseck, Middle Bolton, Wyassup, Mashapaug, Pickerel, Crystal (Ellington) and Kenosia Lakes, and Messerschmidt, Ball, Mudge, Ross, Long, Batterson Park, Black (Woodstock) & Hatch Ponds.
• SMALLMOUTH BASS are reported at Lake McDonough, Candlewood, Highland, Coventry, Mashapaug and Bashan Lakes. The Housatonic River smallmouth are keeping anglers very busy, and some fair to good fishing for smallies is reported from the Farmington River (Tariffville area).
• NORTHERN PIKE fishing is reported to be good in Lake Lillinonah, Bantam Lake, Quaddick Reservoir, Hopeville Pond, Pachaug Pond and the upper Housatonic River.
• CHAIN PICKEREL are reported from Mashapaug, Highland, Wonoscopomuc & Winchester lake(s) & Wood Creek Pond.
• KOKANEE (fish between 25-30’) are providing good fishing at West Hill Pond.
• WALLEYE catches reported from Lake Saltonstall, Coventry Lake and Squantz Pond.
• CALICO BASS action reported from Highland Lake, Silver Lake and Park Pond.
• PANFISH season is heating up with the arrival of warm summer temperatures. Now is the time to get the family out and experience the fast-paced action of fishing for panfish. Locations to try for good panfish fishing include Quinnebaug, Gardner, Hayward, Amos, Lower Bolton, Highland and Waramaug Lakes, and Mudge, Hatch, Bishop, Ball and Black (Meriden) Ponds.
• TROUT: Rivers & streams - Trout fishing in the West Branch and mainstem Farmington continues to be very good. Other areas reporting good catches last week include the Housatonic, Naugatuck, Natchaug and Coginchaug Rivers. Early and late in the day are the best fishing times during the summer. Expect rainbow trout to be in the faster water and browns in the larger, deeper pools. Bait fisherman are using a corn/mealworm combination.
• The Farmington River continues to quite fishable. Flows remain clear and moderate, about 275 cfs at Riverton with an additional 20 cfs from the Still River. Morning water temperatures (West Branch TMA) are in the upper 50’s °F. Needhami (major hatch, #22-26, early morning), Isonychia (#10-12, evening), Blue Wing Olives (#16-20 & #24-26, cloudy days, mid-late afternoon), Ephemerella dorothea (Sulphurs duns #16-20, Riverton mainly, morning; afternoon to early evening for spinners), Caddis (tan #14-18, all day; green #22-26, evening) & Midges (#22-28, morning) are successful patterns. Also try below the surface on nymphs, wets and streamers.
• Housatonic River morning water temperatures are again in the low 70’s °F. Flows are quite fishable, fairly clear with moderate flows, currently (as of 7/19) about 420 cfs at Falls Village and 580 cfs at Gaylordsville. Insect hatches include Alder/Zebra Caddis (action slowing, #10-12, afternoon-evening near overhangs), E. dorothea (#14-16, evening), Blue Wing Olive (#18-26, early morning; spinner fall in evening), Isonychia (#10-12 evening), Light Cahill (#12-14, evening), and Tan & green caddis (#14-16, early morning & evening). Midges (#20-26) and stoneflies are located at the mouths of streams. Golden stonefly (dead drifted deep) nymphs hatch at first light and adults egg-lay after dark. Don’t forget streamers (morning & evening). Patterns to try include White Zonkers, Wooly Buggers, Muddlers, Micky Finn, Grey or Black Ghosts (#4-10).
• Lakes & Ponds – Good summertime trout fishing reported from Crystal Lake (Ellington), Alexander Lake, East Twin Lake, Highland Lake, Wononscopomuc Lake, West Hill Pond, Beach Pond and Long Pond.
• Connecticut River – NORTHERN PIKE fishing is good with catches reported from Hartford downstream to Salmon River Cove, especially the coves and the Haddam Meadows area. STRIPED BASS (to 25 lbs.) are being taken at night in the lower river on live eels & home made lures. Fair to good SMALLMOUTH BASS fishing in the upper river, catches include a 3.5 lb smallie and a number of bass in the 2 lb range. CATFISH (lots of fish up to 11 lbs) are consistently being taken on frozen herring & cut/chunk bait (eels & shad).
• STRIPED BASS fishing for school stripers is fair to good in the lower tidal rivers. The places to go include the Pawcatuck River, Mystic River, Thames River, lower Connecticut River, Sandy Point in New Haven Harbor, Milford Harbor jetties, Housatonic River including Milford Point up to the Devon area, Bridgeport Harbor (Seaside Park), Penfield Reef, and Norwalk Harbor including around the islands. The local reefs and rip areas such as the reefs off Watch Hill, Ram Island Reef, the Race, the Sluiceway, Plum Gut, Bartlett Reef, Black Point, Hatchett Reef, Long Sand Shoal, Cornfield Point, Southwest Reef, the rip off Duck Island, the reefs off Branford, New Haven Harbor including the breakwaters, Milford Harbor-Charles Island area, Bridgeport Harbor, Stratford Shoal/Middle Ground area, and the reefs around the Norwalk Islands are holding larger “cow” stripers.
• BLUEFISH fishing remains good throughout LIS with a mix bag of fish ranging in size from 2 lbs to the lower teens. These spots include the Race, Plum Gut, Bartlett Reef, Hatchett Reef, Connecticut River from the Baldwin (I-95) Bridge to the breakwaters, Long Sand Shoal, Sixmile Reef, the reefs off Branford, Stratford Shoal/Middle Ground area, Penfield Reef, and the Norwalk Islands.
• SNAPPER BLUEFISH have arrived but are about in the 3 to 4 inch range.
• SUMMER FLOUNDER (fluke) fishing is good off Sandy Point in the Stonington area, lower Mystic River over to Latimer Point, south shore of Fishers Island, Twotree Island Channel (Waterford), Niantic River, Black Point, lower Connecticut River, Long Sand Shoal, Hammonasset Beach, New Haven Harbor, Charles Island to Stratford Point, outer Bridgeport Harbor (buoy 18), and off the Norwalk Islands.
• SCUP and TAUTOG fishing remains good on the local reefs.
• HICKORY SHAD can be caught in the Niantic River between Rte. 156 and the railroad bridge and off the DEP Marine Headquarters fishing pier (lower Connecticut River) in Old Lyme.
• BLUE CRABS are around in good numbers in the tidal creeks. Reports of up to 40 crabs being caught in a couple of hours by two crabbers fishing from a boat but most were sub-legal in size.

Norwalk Advocate

• Fishing continues to improve as the water in the Sound warms up. Water temperatures in the Sound are generally in the high 60s. The best bets last week were striped bass and fluke but there was one catch that measured 12 feet.
• Rich Dombrowski was fishing on Sound Reef for stripers and bluefish and he caught one bass and a couple of choppers. But his biggest catch was a 12-foot piece of rubber hose with a diameter of approximately three inches. According to Pete Miller at Pete's Place Bait and Tackle, Dombrowski said the hose put up one heck of a fight.
• Chris Miller fished from shore off Shippan Point several times and each time he went he caught several stripers. On one occasion while fishing Miller anchored his pole and turned his attention to something else. The rod was not exactly securely anchored and, well you knew it, a fish grabbed the bait and ran all the line off the reel and the rod had to be retrieved from the water. The rest is history. Chris also caught four bass measuring between 38 and 32 inches. All of the stripers were taken on fresh bunker.
• Christian Santoro, 7, and his dad, Scott, fished off the pier at Southfield Beach. Christian caught his first-ever bass which measured 32 inches and was taken on a mackerel chunk. Dave Krom took all the credit, as he was the one who told them where to fish.
• Roberto Pagan spent a couple of evenings last week fishing near the rocks at Cummings Beach. Using bunker chunks, he caught five bass measuring from 29 inches to 41 inches.
• Paul McFarland also did well at Cummings. Using bunker chunks he landed four stripers and a bluefish. The stripers ranged in size from 28-33 inches.
• Frank Wasco caught and released 15 striped bass while fishing off Greenwich. With him was Wayne Sorbo, who caught four fish. Wayne caught the largest fish which measured 38 inches in length. Frank's largest striped bass measured 36 inches. All of the fish were taken on bunker.
• Joe Horvath has been catching lots of stripers and porgies at the Stamford Cows and in 50 feet of water at the E and F buoys with his largest fish last week a 43-inch, 26 1/2-pound striped bass. His largest porgy measured 18 inches. The line siders were taken using bunker and the porgies were taken on clams.
• Ken White was fishing in Greenwich waters last week when he had the thrill of boating seven stripers including a 24-pounder. All of the fish were taken on 10-pound test line and bunker.
• Fred Bova and Ron Lombardo have a secret spot where they almost always find success. Last week they caught three stripers and a dozen blues. Their largest striper was a 40-incher while their biggest bluefish weighed 17 1/2 pounds. All of the fish were taken on bunker chunks.
• Henry Alexandre fishes at IBM as often as he can. Last week he landed several stripers including one that measured 35 inches and weighed 18 pounds. Henry likes to use mackerel for bait.
• Frank Latella and Phil Vincoli had a great day fishing in Stamford waters. Together they caught four striped bass including a 40-inch, 31-pounder. They also caught five bluefish weighing up to 12 pounds. All of the fish were taken on bunker chunks.
• Richie at Rudy's Tackle Barn reported Ron Malta caught a 36-inch striped bass while fishing in 60 feet of water off Captains Island. The fish weighed 22 pounds and was caught using a bunker chunk.
• Bill Kovaks caught 16 porgies measuring up to 16 inches and two legal blackfish. The fish were taken off Shippan Point. Bill was using clams for bait.
• Chris Fitzgerald and Missy Perillo cruised down to Mamaroneck last week for some bottom fishing. While anchored off can 42 they caught several fluke, including one that measured 22 inches. The fish were taken on a Tsunami Pro Jig sweetened with a manta shrimp. (Martin Armstrong, Norwalk Advocate).

Noreast.com, Western Sound, 7/15

• We are still experiencing consistent action in the western Sound. The only difference from a few weeks ago is that the bluefish are dominating the bite. We are seeing monster bluefish to 18 pounds push bunker schools all over the western Sound. There are still plenty of smaller bass around; the problem is they are less likely to compete with the bluefish for your chunk! John Knight at Hudson Park B&T was happy to report that anglers are slamming these monster bluefish right in his own backyard. Jerry Gatto landed a 12 and a 15-pound bluefish earlier in the week. Most anglers are finding success by drifting with the working schools.
  
• The fluke bite is holding strong off the local points, with some bigger fish coming from some spots most fluke fisherman ride right over on their way to the “usual” spots. “Fishermen are creatures of habit, it’s one of the hardest things to do, but you have to be willing to give up a morning and try some new spots,” John said. The bass are holding tight to the rocks, which makes for an awesome time for those using light tackle. “Now is the time to break out the plugs and bucktails,” John said, and I couldn’t agree more.
• Captain Steve from the Molly Roze was glad to see that there is still plenty of action to be had in the western Sound. The only downside is that most of that action has been caused by the bluefish! “We had some monster fish to the mid-teens this week, but the bass are far and few between,” Steve said. The bluefish can be found from Mamaroneck to Greenwich and all the way across the Sound in Oyster Bay. “If you have some chum on your boat, you will catch bluefish,” Steve joked. Steve also reported that the fluke bite has been decent in his neck of the woods, especially in the early morning before the boat traffic kicks in. The porgies are scattered all over the place with the arrival of these big bluefish, but give them some time to spawn, then they will get their appetites back.
• John at Jack’s B&T was happy to report some very good western Sound action in and around City Island. We have plenty of bait packed into the western Sound and the predators are taking notice. The bluefish have been very consistent in the middle of the Sound or on any school of bunker that can be found in the early morning or evening. The bass continue to stage behind Execution Lighthouse as well as Hart’s and Pea Island. The porgy bite has been decent off Rye and Sand’s Point near the Perry Como mansion. John was also happy to announce that the snappers have started arriving in the western Sound. This is great news for the kids, as well as all the fluke fishermen that live-line snappers for doormat fluke! John also reported a huge influx of blue claw crabs this week, so get your nets out and catch them up!
• Captain Joe from Moontide Charters was out hammering away at the fluke and bluefish this past week. “We had some very nice fluke right off Matinecock Point,” Joe said. It took some time to cull out some keepers, but the action was very consistent during each drift. The bluefishing is getting “stupid”, with every school of bunker holding fish. “The bunker are being corralled and pushed all over the western Sound,” Joe said. The good news is that there are still some bass holding under these schools waiting for the leftovers. Give Captain Joe a call to get in on some awesome western Sound fishing.
• John from Glen Cove Sports reported plenty of action for all types of fishermen! “We have plenty of bait which equals plenty of fish,” John said. The cocktails and schoolies are still cruising up and down the beaches attacking anything that moves. Jim McDonald experienced this first hand by landing six bluefish to 12.9 pounds while fishing a cigar minnow off Crescent Beach. Louis Pappas also found success, while diamond jigging off Oak Neck he landed a 29-inch bluefish. The fluke and porgies are also showing in good numbers off the local points. Tony Castro fished clams off Matinecock and limited out on scup to 3.5 pounds. Birdy started out fluke fishing off Matinecock, and after landing a few porgies on his fluke rigs he switched to porgies and ended up limiting out! The catch of the week went to Frank Barberi, who fished a “fistful” of clams off Crescent Beach and landed a 42.5-pound striper!
• Captain Chris from the Island Current Fleet was out with the Bedford Anglers on Sunday, and had some very good success while fluking off Matinecock and Prospect Points. “The fluking was a little tough with the wind against the tide, but the fish were hungrier than the conditions,” Chris joked. The Island Current II was busy pounding away at the bluefish off Bayville and Peacock Point. “The bunker are just being stampeded by big bluefish in the western Sound,” Chris said. The bite stayed very strong right up to Thursday, when things started to slow down a bit. The night fishing is still very good, with plenty of bass mixed in with the bluefish. The porgy fishing has been tough with all these big bluefish cruising around in search of an easy meal. The porgies are also just coming off their spawn and hopefully it won’t be long before they are feeding in their usual spots. Captain Chris has some great weekday specials for private charters, so give a call to book your next outing aboard the Island Current Fleet!
• Captain John Marino from American Sportfishing Charters had another successful week of fishing in the western Sound. Friday, Captain John headed out with Greg Gulbransen and his son Scott. They started out the day by landing a 12-pound striper in some very skinny water. Once the tide started moving they headed out to deeper water, which produced three small bluefish. They finally hit pay dirt when Captain John fished a live bunker in a working school and a beautiful 24-pound striper inhaled it! 10-year-old Scott landed his biggest bass every with his father. Congrats to both. Captain John is running his patented light tackle fluke trips as well as his instructional trips which are a must for both the novice and seasoned angler.
• Captain Pat from the Shamrock IV also had a very good week with the bluefish. “We had some non-stop action with bluefish this week,” Pat said. Most of the fish were cocktail sized, with the occasional teen sized fish in the mix. A few stripers also made an appearance, especially during the evening trips. The fluke fishing has been good, but there is a very high short to keeper ratio with the new limits. Captain Pat is available for private charter, so give him a call to book the date aboard the Shamrock IV. (Craig Koproski)

Noreast.com, Western, CT 7/15

• Summer temperatures have finally arrived in western Connecticut and the increased heat has done wonders for anglers who enjoy bottom fishing. The porgy bite and fluke action is now hotter than ever with keeper fish being caught at Penfield Reef, Sunken Island, Woodmont Beach and Fairfield Beach. Bluefish have continued to battle for the bait, and blackfish are taking sandworms with regularity. Unfortunately, the bass bite is starting to slow down, although some quality fish can still be had in the early morning hours and at dusk.
• At Stratford B&T in Stratford, Chris Fulton had solid news of good sized fluke being taken in New Haven Harbor and reinforced the reports of big bass still present, abound in the local Stratford waters. Pete Spada cashed in at Buoy 18 for a double header of bass and fluke where he used bunker chunks as bait and reeled in a hefty cow of 33.5 pounds. He then nailed an aggressive 9.8-pound fluke that inhaled a bunker chunk. Eli Jeff was equally as successful at Buoy 18 and he too used a bunker chunk to catch a 31-pound striper, while Bill Yario was just a little further away at Buoy 20 where he caught a 5.22-pound fluke on a mackerel chunk. Bill Casey drifted through New Haven Harbor where he used a more traditional setup of squid strips and killies to catch an 8.19 and a 7.46-pound fluke. It seems the fluke are very ravenous right now and will eat almost anything.
• At Jimmy O’s in Stratford, Jimmy Orefice raved about the fluke fishing and said that Fairfield Beach, Sunken Island and Penfield Lighthouse are can’t miss locations. Mark Lucabello fished Penfield Lighthouse and caught his limit of fluke to 6 pounds using squid strips and spearing, while Eric Monks hit Fairfield Beach with the same results using the same bait, only his fish were 4 pounds. Dennis Farrington had the grand slam of fishing while drifting sandworms at Sunken Island. Farrington took a keeper bass, limited out on blackfish, had two keeper fluke and a bucket of porgies. Angel Rivera found the blackfish at Penfield Reef and caught his limit with sandworms, while Sam Rutolos tipped the scales with a 2-pound porgy that was caught with a sandworm at Penfield Reef.
• Bryan Karchman of Ted’s Bait in Bridgeport had news on both saltwater and freshwater action, telling of Jorge Requejo taking advantage of a huge bluefish blitz that took place at the mouth of the Connecticut River. Requejo, who enjoyed non-stop action, kept three 7-pound choppers and left the fish biting. Ed Wargo III fished just north of the Middle Ground lighthouse with bunker chunks and caught six bass to 25 pounds. On the freshwater scene, Walter Speight landed an 8-pound pike while fishing with live shiners at Lake Zore. Sam Biggs fished the same location with the same bait and came away with a stringer of smallmouth bass that collectively weighed 19.8 pounds. Wayne Lauro headed over to the Saugatuck Reservoir, where he used a live shiner fished on the bottom to catch a 10.10-pound brown trout.
• Eric Johnson of Westport Outfitters in Norwalk said that he has had reports of small snappers stacked up in and around the Saugatuck River basin, offering bass and larger blues a change of diet after gorging on sand eels for the past two months. It may take a few more days to really heat up, but now is also a great time to get the kids into fishing for baby blues on a light tackle. Depending on the tide and time of day, some good size stripers are still being taken on the reefs between Stamford and Greenwich as well as behind Captain’s Island in 30 feet of water. The bluefish have already been hitting the bunker schools at Greenwich and Stamford and are moving east. Reports of bluefish to 16 pounds are coming in and some local bass up to 30 pounds. Most anglers report they are doing well with fresh chunked bunker for the bass and blues. Fly fishing between Fairfield and Norwalk using sand eel imitations are the main bait source for stripers and blues is going to be baby bluefish, bunker, silversides, shrimp, crabs and worms. Anglers should try rotating in some small deceivers in the blue/white pattern or snapper blue patterns to represent a 3-5 inch snapper on the move.
• Nick Massaro of Fisherman’s World in Norwalk told of the excellent shark trip that Kevin Valachi had while fishing with Frank Albano and 7-year-old Frank Albano Jr. 30 miles south of Montauk Light. The trio of anglers caught a 110-pound brown shark, a 227-pound thresher and little Frankie (with some help of course) hauled in a 170-pound blue shark.
• Glen Perez had a little smaller fish, catching a 34-inch striped bass in the Saugatuck River with a bunker chunk, and Eric Christie took a 44-inch, 35-pound bass in Stratford Harbor with a bunker chunk. (Rob Caluori)
• At Hillers Hunting and Fishing in Norwalk, Paul Hiller had news of some early yellowfin success where he and his 13-year-old son Tyler, along with Jeff Werrs, made the trip to Atlantis and took six fish to 60 pounds. One of the fish was Tyler’s first ever. In more local news, Adam Weathers fished Norwalk Harbor with bunker chunks and was rewarded with a 32-inch bass.
• Jason Jadach of Bobby J’s in Milford talked about Al Day’s day on the water where he took a 37 and 33-inch bass and a 10-pound bluefish while fishing at Welch’s Point with bunker chunks. T.J. Brothers enjoyed non-stop action with cocktail bluefish at Woodmont Beach and even managed two 20-inch fluke, while Tom Carboni caught two bass, a 39 and 33-inch fish while dunking bunker chunks behind Charles Island and Rich Haig live lined a bunker at the Race where he caught a 32.8-pound striper. Casey Stefco, Maria Jadach, Jason and his brother teamed up for a fluke trip to New Haven Harbor where they managed 12 shorts one sea bass and four stripers. Stefco had a 2.8-pound keeper fluke, while Maria Jadach did a little better with a 3.5-pound flattie. The fellas fell very short of that mark with their fish weighing in at just over 2 pounds.
• At Sportsman’s Den in Cos Cob, Mike Noyes reported that Chris Fitzgerald and Missy Perillo teamed up to catch 22-inch fluke at Buoy 42 while using Tsunami pro ball jigs tipped with mantra strips, while Ken White muscled in a 24-pound bass while fishing with bunker chunks and 10-pound test line in Stamford waters.
• John Santagaga of Rudy’s Tackle Barn in Greenwich could not stop talking about the terrific fluke action at Todds Point and Captains Island. He had Vinny Garza weigh in a 5.5, 25-inch fluke, which he caught on a squid and spearing combination at Todds Point, while Sean Grady had five keeper flatties to 6 pounds at the same location with the same bait, and Shawn Brennan took a 5-pound fluke while fishing with squid strips at Captains Island. Felix DoSantos reeled in a hefty 7.6-pound fluke at Todds Point, and Rich Gibson muscled in a 35-pound bass at Captains Island using bunker chunks as bait

Noreast.com, Eastern CT, 7/15

• Sporadic, short-lived summer heat waves and fluctuating weather patterns have created a moderate striped bass slowdown along the eastern Connecticut shoreline, forcing anglers to “turn and burn” from spot to spot until they find their prey. On a positive note, fluking is still fairly strong in many of the popular locations and the porgy bite has been very good from Niantic, east to Stonington.
• Jack from Shoreline Bait and Tackle in Old Saybrook reported “so-so” action along the immediate shoreline. The striper bite has definitely experienced a decrease in action, even along some of the more popular reefs, such as Southwest and Six Mile. Despite the slowdown, it certainly didn’t prevent Keith Salisbury from cashing in on some big fish. Salisbury managed to haul two beautiful cows over the transom that tipped the scales at 44 and 41 pounds while working an un-named local reef. Warmer water temps and the lack of bait may be two major contributing factors for the slowdown, according to Jack. For anglers hunting fluke, there is more encouraging news. Long Sand Shoal has been fairly productive with a decent pick of keeper flatties for those in the know. The blackfish bite continues to be very strong, highlighted by Dave Holland’s 11.25-pounder caught at Crane’s Reef. Holland mentioned he had to work through some enormous porgies before landing the aforementioned monster tog.
• “Q” from Rivers End also agreed the striper bite has been a bit “off” over the last week. “Q” actually fished on Friday morning and worked a lot of humps and bumps along many of the more productive local reefs and was a bit discouraged by the quality of fish. “Even when we found pockets of fish, they were generally smaller fish in the 18-25 pound range, whereas last week the exact same locations were yielding bass in the 30-40-pound class.” He also mentioned that last week’s productive nighttime bite at the mouth of the Connecticut is over.
• For folks in search of bunker, there are still small pods in the mouth of the Connecticut as well as the mouth of the Thames. Fluking has been solid, but the action, according to “Q”, has been spread out evenly all along the eastern Connecticut shoreline. Black Point, Sound View, Isabella, and some of the other local haunts have all provided a steady pick of fluke over the last five or six days.
• J&B Tackle in Niantic was hopping with customers, so Kyle could only provide a brief report. Fluking is strong at Isabella and along the mouth of the Thames River. Evidently, there are a couple of flats on either side of the river producing at a steady clip. The striped bass bite along the local reefs have been decent if you are looking for one or two good sized bass, but in terms of numbers, local charter captains have been forced to work extremely hard to meet their quotas. Bartlett and Hatchet’s Reef have yielded a decent pick of large bass, with some fish topping the scales at 40 pounds.
  
• On the other hand, The Race has been simply “okay” with regard to the striper bite. On some days, the bass are slamming bunker chunks, eels, and three-wayed bucktails, while on others the bass aren’t incredibly interested in anything you place in front of their noses. Conversely, there is no shortage of bluefish. These line-cutters have been consistently displaying their typical voracious appetites at The Race, Sluiceway and The Gut.
  
• Sharking has been solid along the Horns and Rangers. Local anglers have landed a good number of blues and threshers, as well as a 125-pound mako over the three or four days. On a side note, Captain Bill Brown of Billfish Charters out of Snug Harbor got one of his customers onto a thresher that weighed well over 400 pounds. Congrats to Captain Bill, absolutely one of the very best in the industry!
• Hillyers Bait and Tackle checked in with the following report. Black Point and Millstone Point are producing consistently with a mixed bag of blues and bass. It is not uncommon for local anglers fishing these two popular locations to pick up the occasional cow bass on a slowly trolled tube or three-wayed bucktail during the day or a drifted eel during the nighttime hours.
  
• The rocky shoreline around Harness Memorial Park has also provided some anglers fishing in small boats and kayaks with a couple of thrills with bass up to 21 pounds. Fluking has been a bit more hit-and-miss at Isabella, but still productive, while Falkner’s has emerged on the scene as this week’s top producing stretch of flat, sandy bottom. For doormat fluke, Misquamicut or Isabella is still your best bet, but you will have to deal with the heavy boater traffic to find your table fare.
• Further east, the Stonington shoreline continues to hold a vast amount of sand eels, lending credence to the great number of reports detailing a consistent striper bite throughout the area. Inside the harbor, light tackle anglers are having a blast catching small to medium sized stripers at the mouth of the Pawcatuck and along Sandy Point. The cut at the northern tip of Sandy Point has also produced bass up to 35 pounds. Stripers can also be had near the outer breakwall and up inside the harbor north to the railroad bridges, as well as the shallows near Elihu Island.
• Napatree has been a major disappointment this year as most fish taken from this hallowed ground have been of the schoolie variety. Making things even more difficult is the strong presence of small to large chopper bluefish working the whitewash along the Point. The rip along Watch Hill Light continues to provide local anglers with the best chance of hooking into a large bass. Over the last week, Sugar Reef has yielded a couple of cows exceeding 35 pounds, but overall, a majority of the catch has been unspectacular.
• On the charter front, Captain John Groff of Benmar Charters offered encouraging news from the reefs near Mystic, Connecticut. Fishing went from good to better to excellent as we went through the week. We were very happy to see some big cow stripers in some of our favorite haunts and fell prey to our intrepid anglers.
• The other big fish of the past few days was a 43-incher caught by Scott Staschke. His group ended up with 5 keepers and about 15 throwbacks plus a few blues and porgies. During the week we also had several other bass in the 36 to 39-inch range. We saw some very large schools of stripers on top but couldn't tell what they were feeding on. All in all, it was a very good week! (Roland St. Davis)

TheDay.com It's Been A Good Week For Stripers

• STRIPER FISHING WAS terrific on Sunday through Tuesday said Al Golinski of Misquamicut. Using live porgies for bait he and his partners for the day landed upwards of 12 bass into the low 40s at both the Watch Hill Reefs and The Race.
• Fluking down along the Rhode Island beaches east of Watch Hill was so-so one afternoon and very good the next time, the biggest then an 8-pounder along with a limit catch.
• Capt. Don's in Charlestown said there are about 10 people each day lining the Quonny Breachway catching scup on worms on the bottom. One of those, Marc Paruta, was reeling in a hooked porgy when a 41-inch striper grabbed it and ended up on the shore along with the porgy.
• Prior to that day Marc's dad caught an 11-pound tautog from the shore at East Beach. Small blues are in and out of the shoreline, also up in the back of Quonny Pond where they can be live lined for larger bass.
• Capt. Al Anderson made a weekday trip to Block Island for school bass but couldn't locate a single bluefish. That could also be said for offshore boats trying to locate blues for shark bait. There has been some blue sharks and a thresher or two caught south of Block in 65-degree water. Bluefin tuna from 65 to 150 pounds have been seen clearing the water while sharking but few of these were caught on a hook and line.
• Other trips during the week were fly-rod ventures in the lower part of the Salt Pond and Center Wall of Point Judith Harbor for about 20 small bass per day along with smaller blues and some fluke that didn't make the present Rhode Island limit.
• King Cove in Stonington weighed in 40-pound bass from the Watch Hill Reefs, most of them caught with live bunker or porgies. The light tackle boats are finding a mix of schoolie bass and blues feeding on sand eels some mornings between Stonington and Sandy Point, the fish and bait often given away by terns working over the bait.
• Small bluefish are in the Mystic River said Cheryl at Shaffers Marina and also up in the cove by the Mason's Island Bridge. Fluking is pretty steady with slip customers getting about two keepers per trip off the Rhode Island beaches or at times at can 7 at the mouth of the Mystic River. Three small weakfish were caught around the train bridge over the river and hickory shad caught from the docks at the Mystic River Marina.
• This writer got out on the Monday evening ebb tide, fishing with Sherwood Lincoln and Richard Wick, both from East Lyme. We landed seven stripers from 24 to 38 inches casting live eels and plastic worms around Fishers Island on a beautiful calm night that was a pleasure to be on the water.
• The hot weather early in the week kept lots of fishermen at home, said Red at Bob's Rod & Tackle. Those out tried mainly for porgies off the rockpiles on both sides of the Thames River mouth. Bunker schools are still in the river but those snagging one and then live lining it caught mainly bluefish.
• Joe Balint was minding the store at the Fish Connection with son Jack out on steady charter fishing duty. Bunker schools can be found from Trading Cove to Dow Chemical with mainly blues to 8 pounds and smaller bass under them. However, the exception was the 48-inch striper caught on a mackerel chunk fished from shore opposite buoy 27 this past Saturday.
• A few fluke were picked up on the flats by the boat house and some sea robins in the deeper water along the river's channel. People are buying large shiners for fluke drifting along this side of the sound, catching one keeper for about every four fish landed. Diamond jigs are working on blues in The Race and some smaller and medium bass at the end of the tide.
• Capt. Brad Glas of the Hel-Cat said the blue fishing remains good to very good on the day trips to The Race and the striper catches improved over the last three days. The afternoon fluke trips on Thursday through Saturday were rated as very good also. Brad wrote that fishing from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. “doesn't get any better than it was this week.”
• There will be no fluke trip on Saturday due to a Fireworks Cruise and also the following Saturday due to a commitment to a group from AA for the annual Sober Cruise. Big fish of the week was a 20-pound striper caught by Rhys Stockwell of Avon.
• Hillyers Tackle was a busy place but one of the people tending the counter took enough time to tell me there are shad in the river above the road bridge at times for either sport of bait for stripers. Snapper blues are showing up as they usually do this time of year.
• Bass catching has been steady on Bartletts Reef for those using a live shad or bunker. Some customers said they caught an easy fluke limit while others reporting fishing all day for one lone keeper. Porgy numbers are improving, that fishing right in the bay or just outside, an easy run from the local marinas and ramps.
• Lots of blues are in The Race and some smaller ones along the shore and in the Millstone discharge. You can still find a few blackfish around if that's your interest.
• Capt. Kerry Douton was at J&B Tackle in the morning after running the evening bass trip on his charter boat that returns to the dock after 1 a.m. Sharking is good off Montauk with mostly blue sharks. A few bluefin tuna were seen jumping on the surface but few if any of these took a lure trolled past them.
• Bass trips were good after dark in The Race and Valiant, plus the daytime charters had more stripers than the week before mixed in of course with the usual blues. The last fluke trip their charter boat made to Isabella netted one keeper and five shorts on the first drift before a mechanical problem cut the day short.
• Pat Abate at River's End Tackle said 5 percent of the sharpies using live bait are catching about 95% of the big striped bass right now. However, a shore angler at the DEP Pier in Old Lyme did manage to land a 40-pound bass on a chunk on the bottom on Tuesday.
• Everyone seems to be catching fluke, including some to 7 pounds along the edges of the lower channel in the Connecticut River when the boat traffic is light to moderate. Outside you stand a chance for keepers from Hatchetts down to Black Point.
• Generally the deeper you fish, the better chance for bigger fish but less numbers. Some of the fluke pros go out as deep as 150 feet, deeper than the average weekend angler associates with summer flounder fishing. (Tim Coleman The Day)

On The Water Magazine

• Best Bets for Connecticut and Rhode Island: Head into the coves and bays with some crabbing nets and crab baits, and take advantage of the abundance of these tasty coastal denizens. Banner years for blue crabs don’t seem to roll around that often, so get out there and enjoy this bonanza while you can. The Farmington River sounds pretty tempting, and it may be the ticket for any trout junkie who just can’t get enough. Big stripers are showing up all along the south shore of Rhode Island, so an evening trip with some live eels or other enticing bait ought to be lots of fun. I also suggest taking advantage of the abundance of large scup. Reports of really massive scup are coming from all points in our region, so grab your jigging rods and head out there this weekend.
• There are still plenty of stripers in the Thames River, according Rennie at The Fish Connection in Preston, though most of the fish are down in the lower reaches of the river. Anglers report mainly school bass, though there are some rather large bluefish mixed in with the schoolies. The bunker have dropped down the river and thinned out because the big blues are around and harassing them on a regular basis. There still appear to be a few jumbos around, as one shore angler picked up a 48-inch striper on chunk menhaden near buoy 27 on the river. Tube-and-worm rigs are also taking good numbers of stripers on the south and southeast sides of Fishers Island. For fluke anglers, Ocean Beach, Groton Long Point and Seaflower Reef appear to be the most productive spots at the moment, judging from reports coming into the shop. The really big news, however, is that blue crabs are more abundant than they have been in the past several years. Rennie received reports of excellent to outstanding crabbing in all the creeks and coves that you would expect to hold crabs. Inland, things are a bit slower now that the water has warmed considerably. Despite that, a 7.5-pound rainbow trout was taken from Mohegan Park Pond. Amos Lake is producing some good largemouth bass fishing, and Beach Pond is producing some walleyes for persistent anglers. River and streams are low and warm, so trout fishing is challenging in local waters.
• The Race continues to be the top-producing zone of water in the area, according to reports coming into Hillyer’s Bait & Tackle in Waterford. Shane received reports of good bass fishing at night – at Bartlett Reef in particular – while The Race is the number-one producer in the daylight hours. Millstone Point and Black Point are also yielding good numbers of stripers, with menhaden chunks, umbrella rigs and three-way bucktail rigs as top producers. Small bluefish are all over the place, and there have been reports of some intense topwater action during the day in scattered locales. Fluke fishing is sporadic at the moment, with Misquamicut being the most consistent producer of keeper-sized fish. Isabella Beach is productive, but very hit-or-miss over the past week. Squid and live mummichogs are the best baits. The scup are large and plentiful throughout the area; take lots of squid, and don’t overlook the area between the bridges, which is producing good numbers of large ones. A few reports of snapper blues have come into the shop over the past few days.
• For eastern Long Island Sound, Capt. Morgan at Capt. Morgan’s Bait and Tackle has had reports of some excellent fluke fishing out near the Falkner Island area. Keeper fluke are pretty common and are taking any number of baits, including sandworms, squid and mummichogs. Thirty feet of water seems to be the target depth at Falkner. Capt. Morgan has received numerous reports of shorebound anglers taking keeper fluke in the same area as well, so a boat may not be necessary. School bass and small bluefish are all over the place, and some bigger stripers have been reported from Falkner Island. Reports have also been coming into the shop of good blackfish catches from Charles Reef. Reports for scup seem to be showing an upswing of smaller-sized fish, though large specimens are still being taken. A bit farther east, Capt. Morgan reported some of the most intense blue crab numbers in a long while, and people are taking good numbers of nice-sized crabs. Inland, the fishing is slowing down because the streams are low and warm. Fishing reports for largemouth bass continue to be good, particularly for those fishing live baits early and late in the day.
• At the western end of Long Island Sound, Patrick at Westport Outfitters in Norwalk reported that the action has slowed a bit over the past week. This is mainly because the hordes of sand eels are thinning out and breaking up, scattering the fish and making them a bit more difficult to find. Patrick also feels that the warming waters are driving the fish out to deeper, cooler areas, which is where they typically go at this time of the season. While the transition from small bait in shallow waters to chunk bait in deeper waters takes place, there are tons of small bluefish around to keep anglers busy. For those seeking out snapper blues, Patrick has received reports that they are now showing up in the area. The freshwater angling is getting more difficult with the warm temperatures and the low water levels, although Patrick mentioned that the Housatonic River is still fishing pretty well, and that the Farmington River is fishing excellently, with some good ongoing hatches. (Alan Desbonnet, On The Water).
  

Rivers End Tackle, Old Saybrook

• STRIPED BASS- Things got a bit slower in bass circles this week. The usual gathering spots of the Race and Plum Gut aren't giving up a lot of bass. Some of the closer reefs such as Bartletts and Hatchetts and occaisionally Long Sand Shoal are yeilding some jumbos on live bait. There seems to be fewer but larger bass on those reefs. Tube and worm is also producing on the reefs and shoreline but it seems to be a slower method than previous seasons. Chunkers are getting medium sized bass in the
• Sluiceway. Some small to medium sized bass have showed up on the Watch Hill Reefs. There also has been an occaisional big bass caught from the DEP Piers.
• The bunker have been better this morning in the lower River after a scarcity of two weeks. Still not too much bait reported to the west of us.
• BLUEFISH- The bass have left a void at the Race, Plum Gut and Pigeon Rip this week and the blues have filled it. There have been some pods of jumbo blues along the Old Saybrook shore and some larger schools of very small choppers in the same area. Casters from Saybrook Point, Niantic and the DEP Piers have been getting some good sizes.
• FLUKE- Good news, bad news. Good- the fluking is good in the Connecticut River with fluke up to 7 pounds being caught just a few pints of gas away. Boat traffic permitting, the channel from North Cove to the Breakwater has been good with mixed sizes including a few doormats. The deeper waters, thats 80' plus off Black Point to Hatchetts has also given up some doormats this week. Bad news-Soundview, Waterford and Long Sand Shoal are yielding smaller fish with more shorts than keepers.
• BLACKFISH- There seems to be a lack of interest this week with not too much effort for blacks. Most anglers have given up for the summer.
• PORGIES- Some good sizes but light on numbers are Hatchetts and Bartletts, same at Cranes and Hens and Chickens.
• BLUE CRABS- Some good reports came in from the Causeway and Oyster River all indicators are still strong. (Pat Abate, Rivers End Tackle).
  

Waterbury Connecticut Republican American

• LARGEMOUTH BASS fishing remains good to excellent in many areas including Upper Moodus Reservoir, Quaddick Reservoir, Lake Chamberlain, Lake McDonough, Scoville Reservoir, Candlewood, East Twin, Wonoscopomuc,Bashan, Lower Bolton (great early mornings), Waramaugand Batterson Park, Black, Mudge, Ball and Dooley Ponds.
• SMALLMOUTH BASS action reported from Lake McDonough, Highland Lake, Candlewood Lake, Lake Waramaug and Squantz Pond. With the warmer temperatures, smallmouth bass fishing on the Housatonic River is good to excellent. There have been some good reports for river smallies from the Naugatuck and Farmington(Tariffville area) Rivers.
• NORTHERN PIKE- Good catches reported at Bantam Lake,Winchester Lake, Hopeville Pond, Pachaug Pond, Lake Lillinonah, and the Housatonic River. Several pike also caught from the Pachaug River.
• CHAIN PICKEREL are reported from Moosup Reservoir,Highland Lake, Wonoscopomuc Lake and Wood Creek Pond.
• KOKANEE (fish to 18") are producing good fishing (try 25-30 feet) at West Hill Pond. WALLEYE catches are being reported from Lake Saltonstall, Coventry Lake, Batterson Park Pond and Squantz Pond.
• TROUT Rivers & Streams - Early morning and late evenings are the best times for both trout and trout fishing. Some good reports from the West Branch Farmington (TMA),some nice catches reported from the Farmington River, Naugatuck River (TMA), Housatonic River, Pomperaug River, Salmon Brook and Coppermine Brook.
• Farmington River water temperatures are in the mid toupper 50's°F (West Branch TMA). Flows are clear, and should remain quite fish able, currently 265 cfs at Riverton, plus an additional 65 cfs from the Still River. Hatches/patterns include Needhami (major hatch,#26-28, early morning), Isonychia (#10-#12, evening),Blue Wing Olives (#18-#20 & #24-#28, cloudy days,mid-late afternoon), Summer Caddis (tan #18-#22, all day; green #22-#26, evening), Invaria and Dorothea.Also, try below surface on nymphs, wets and streamers.
• Housatonic River morning water temperatures have dropped back to the low 70's F (from 77°F earlier this week). Wednesday's storms provided some much needed rainfall to parts of northwest CT. Weekend conditions should be good for fishing, flows should clear and drop by then, and air temperatures are forecast to remain moderate through the weekend. Insect hatches include Alder/Zebra Caddis (action slowing, #10-12, afternoon-evening near overhangs),Blue Wing Olive (#18-#22, early morning; spinner fall in evening), Isonychia (#12-#14 evening), Light Cahill(#12-#14, evening), and Tan & green caddis (#14-#16,early morning & evening). Golden stonefly (dead drifted deep; very hot!) nymphs hatch at first light and adults egg-lay after dark. Note that temperatures are expected to rise early next week. These summer water temperatures, especially in the mid 70's°F or higher, are very stressful to trout, anglers should take extra care when handling trout they plan torelease.
• Anglers are also reminded that the thermal refuge areas on the Housatonic, Naugatuck and Shetucket Rivers are currently closed to fishing and will reopen on September 1. There is no fishing within 100 feet of the mouths of posted tributaries to these rivers.Lakes & Ponds. A number of lakes are still producing good trout including East Twin Lake (browns to 20"),Highland Lake, Wonoscopomuc Lake and West Hill Pond.
• Connecticut River NORTHERN PIKE fishing is good with good catches are reported in coves, Haddam Meadows and the main stem from Hartford downstream to Haddam.
• STRIPED BASS are still being taken at night in thelower river, live eels and tube & worm working best.
• Some SMALLMOUTH BASS are being caught in the Enfield area.
• LARGEMOUTH BASS fishing from Wethersfield to Chapman's Pond was reported to be fair, catchesincluded a 5-lb largemouth.
• CATFISH (8-10 lbs.)fishing is very good, with frozen herring & cut/chunkbait working best.
• STRIPED BASS fishing for school stripers remains good in the lower Pawcatuck River, Mystic River, Thames River, lower Connecticut River, Sandy Point in New Haven Harbor, Milford Harbor jetties, Housatonic River including Milford Point up to the Devon area, Bridgeport Harbor (Seaside Park), Penfield Reef, and Norwalk Harbor including around the islands. The local reefs continue to hold larger "cow" bass. Striper hang outs include the Watch Hill reef complex, Ram Island Reef, the Race, the Sluiceway, Plum Gut,Bartlett Reef, Black Point, Hatchett Reef, Long Sand Shoal, Cornfield Point, Southwest Reef, the rip off Duck Island, the reefs off Branford, New Haven Harbor including the breakwaters, Milford Harbor-Charles Island area, Bridgeport Harbor, Stratford Shoal/Middle Ground area, and the reefs around the Norwalk Islands. Live-lining eels, bunker or hickory shad or slow trolling the tube and worm combination are effective methods for those big slammers. Just remember to usen on-offset (straight) circle hooks when using bait to prevent "gut hooking" fish.
• BLUEFISH fishing remains good throughout LIS. The sound seems to be invaded with 2-lb choppers making life tough for anglers fishing for summer flounder.Larger bluefish tend to be on the major reefs and rip areas. These spots include the Race, Plum Gut,Bartlett Reef, Hatchett Reef, Long Sand Shoal, Sixmile Reef and the reefs off Branford, Stratford Shoal/Middle Ground area, and the Norwalk Islands area.
• SNAPPER BLUEFISH should be appearing any day in tidal creeks and rivers!
• SUMMER FLOUNDER (fluke) fishing remains good at the usual places: Sandy Point in the Stonington area,lower Mystic River over to Latimer Point, south shore of Fishers Island, Twotree Island Channel, Niantic River, Black Point, lower Connecticut River, Long Sand Shoal, Hammonasset Beach, New Haven Harbor off the breakwaters, Charles Island to Stratford Point, outer Bridgeport Harbor, and off the Norwalk Islands.
• SCUP and TAUTOG fishing is good on the local reefs. Scup measuring 14 to a whopping 17 inches in length have been reported.
• HICKORY SHAD can be caught off the DEP Marine Headquarters fishing pier in Old Lyme. There have been reports of BLUE CRABS but nothing great so far.

Westport Outfitters (Norwalk) Fishing Report

• It’s not over just yet folks…despite the hoards of boats not showing up in some of our local inshore haunts like the Mill Pond, Weed Beach and Southport Harbor, there is still fish to be had for the wading and inshore angler. It seems as if the buzz about the Mill Pond dissipated without any real evidence that the fish had moved to deeper water. This is supported by our scouts including Patrick and Pete Viviano still taking many fish over the weekend at first light up to 30 inches, on no other than the new pattern we recently developed (hand tied by Peter Viviano, Jr,.) the “Emerging Sand Eel.” If you have not tried these, you are surely missing the boat (no pun intended). Sand Eels are definitely dispersing some but the silver sides are right behind them, so don’t give up on the inshore seen just yet. Focus on low light conditions. As the water temps increase, the traditional night bass feeding may be postponed until the A.M., so go to bed early to prepare for the even earlier rise...
• Our charters on Saturday and Sunday also did very well. We took Bill Sullivan and family out on Saturday with some blues in the 14 lb class on tubes as well as a few stripers just shy of keeper length. All fish were taken in and around the Norwalk Islands. The fluke bite continues to be strong off of Copp’s Rocks outside of the islands on the traditional rigs tipped with sand eels and/or sandworms. Also try the Atom Fluke Bombs we started carrying recently for that keeper fluke.
• Tuesday night we had an evening charter that fished in and around Captain's Island with blues up to 10lbs on light tackle. Finally the bunker that have been living the good life are starting to get pushed, so hold on for what seems to be shaping up as another stellar blufish season.
• With rain scheduled towards the end of this week and several fronts pushing through, the water clarity will surely suffer, so try switching up your tactics and filter in some poppers on the fly rod or some of the new bone color Stillwater poppers. At times like these, you will normally have better luck with an agitator type approach to trigger a strike, versus going sub surface. This also may be a good time to try out some of our custom hand tied crease flies by local captain Ian Devlin.
• Sunday Captain Chris ventured East fishing the mouth of the Housatonic with more keeper bass on chunks than he could count, fishing in only 8 feet of water. Great day out on the water with the whole family!
• Monday we were back at it with a good customer and friend Sgt. Colonies for an outing before he shipped out overseas on a deployment. Although we worked hard, we failed to manage the keeper bass we were hoping to get him into before his departure. Nothing on the fly rods and light tackle, but we did manage a few blues and bass up to 25 inches on the go to T-Man tubes tipped with the imitation Gulp sand worm patterns during the high mid day sun. The T&W technigue is definately starting to pick up as some resident fish begin to stack up on local reefs. Another great technique to keep the boat moving (and the kids happy).
• The pier over the weekend was also hot producing a few large bass up to 34 inches on mackerel chunks and fresh bunker with some higher tides on the dropping sun. The snappers continue to infiltrate our local waters accomplishing two things, a secondary bait source for bass and larger blues as well as hours of enjoyment for the kids. We are still starting any outing with plastics, but be sure to have a stock of hard baits such as the new Rattle Traps in various colors for the chompers. These powerful little fish are a blast on light tackle, so come on down and Take The Family Fishing ™! For the fly guys and gals, mix in a few snapper like patterns, blue/white deceivers and some specific hand tied flies by Peter Viviano. Speaking of Peter Viviano, he has now come on board as another addition to our growing shore guiding and kayak staff. Be sure to check out his credentials under the “Chartering” section of our website.
• Montauk Report: Captain Dean of the "TEASER," located in Montauk N.Y., reports many bass to 40 lb. in the rips with live porgies being the bait of choice. The fluke fishing has moved from the South side to north in the sound. Offshore has been strong with some amazing shark catch's as well. There was a 557 Thresher weighed in at Montauk Marine Basin last Saturday. Sharking has been excellent and the blue fins are also showing up in strong numbers with lots of fish in the 50# to 100# range.

Fisherman's World

• Fluke fishing is excellent at times. Fishing the Eatons neck triangle and also can 26 south of goose island out to 40ft, south of can 26 west along the 40ft line south of Copps island and middle passage. Drifting with strips of fresh squid and whole dead fresh squid. Strips of bunker and spearing have been the ticket. Bucktails with a teaser rig is also an excellent choice. Do not fish extremely windy days. Note to remember: fluke do not bite well, if at all, wind against tide. It is not good to fluke fish with an outgoing tide and an east wind or vice versa. It is best to fish on nice days not windy days. We've seen fish to 20 inches this week. Best catch of the week was Scott Martin who helps run cove marina 27 fluke thursday (7/12) afternoon up to 5 1/2 lbs.
• Chunking is better now in the Norwalk islands and the Darien area at night, places like Green's ledge, can 28 the small reef's (high spots south of green's ledge and green's ledge light) Budd's reef, 28c, 11b, ob buoy, and can 13 eatons neck have all have a mixture of bass and blue.
• The mouth of Norwalk harbor has large bass and blues coming in to feet at night. Note: largest bluefish 20lb 2oz on July 1st by Richard Epstein fishing with his brother Neil. Haven't seen a 20lb blue in the area in 20 years. We hope this is a good sign for the summer and fall.
• WICC bluefish tournament). Fresh bunker is a must, larger fish have had more bites with fresh bait. If not fresh bunker, fresh/frozen. Mackeral will catch fish too but they tend to catch smaller fish. Use a fish finder weight in deep water and no weight in shallow water in most cases. Use the minimum weight to hold bottom and change your weight consistently as the tide gets stronger or weaker. And as usual tube and worms are catching fish mostly school fish with a few keepers mixed in trolling in 1-20 ft of water in the Norwalk, Westport, Darien area. There has been some larger fish on the tube and worms on lead line at 11b and Eaton's neck. Blind casting with popping plugs(stillwater poppers land rapala skitter pops) in shallow water in the Norwalk islands have produced some nice blues and bass.

Captain Morgan, Madison, CT

• Fair winds and following seas made for outstanding fishing. Wave action was minimal with periods of flat calm making runs to fishing grounds much different than during recent windy conditions. Of course, that changed slightly as the sun warmed the surface. Noticeably, boat traffic increased during daylight hours however in periods of prime striper time, drifts/trolls were manageable.
• Bluefish continue to pour into the Sound adding to the top water excitement resulting in more wharf and jetty fishermen hooking up. From 'taylors' to 'choppers,' schools of blues are working rip lines taking poppers, spoons and chunks. Often it's non-stop action even with schools of bunker being spotty. Most reefs and shoals are subject to marauding blues feeding on silversides, sand eels and a host of other finfish. Try jigging a Grim Reefer or casting a Tension lure.
• Striper 'catching' remains strong with Salty swimmers/pencil poppers, 'peanuts' and 'slashbaits' scoring among casters and light trollers fishing near shore structure. During pre-dawn hours, anglers drifting and jerking wire are hooking up with tricked out poly feathers/chutes. After that, look for small bass and blues nipping at your bait. The eel bite is increasing while an assortment of whole live baits are bringing up 'cows' from the bottom. Fish 'low and slow' and farther back from the rip line for big ones. Mieg's Point, Faulkner's, Southwest, The Six and Brown's have been good choices.
• Scup/porgy fever is catching nearly everyone. Reefs and shoreline humps are holding slab porgies while other scattered spots are being adopted by new smaller fish. It's hard to miss the bite around Faulkner Island, Kimberly or Charles reefs. Great family fun and good eat'n too, these fish are fun to catch on light gear and an excellent way to introduce anyone to saltwater fishing.
• Fluke numbers have increased especially along the CT shoreline. Where the 'big one' will be caught is anyone's guess but those drifting sandy bottoms, shoals and deepwater humps/holes are catching doormats. By count, there still are plenty of 'shorts' to sift through but many anglers are rewarded with dinner plus catches for their efforts.
• Blue crabs are in the tidal rivers and drainage ponds with larger 'jimmies' showing up along with smaller 'sallies.' A unique trap like the 'new' throwing Crab Grabber makes catching easier by being able to pitch it some distance while locking crabs in for keeps. The convenient bait cage keeps bait secured and by design, the Crab Grabber rights itself on the bottom.