On The Water 12/30/05

1. For the past few weeks, the holiday shopping fervor, snow and frigid conditions have pretty much put an end to the fishing, with the exceptions being ice fishing, winter striped bass in the Thames River and around a few warm water discharges in the region. Despite the recent heavy rain, hardcore anglers continue to fish for stripers in the Thames and venture out onto wet, potentially deadly ice. The melt down and predicted warm temperatures will probably improve conditions on the Naugatuck and Shetucket Rivers for broodstock Atlantic salmon as a side benefit.
2. I wouldn’t go on the ice until things freeze tight again. Even though it may look safe, unseen springs and in-flowing water can make for some dangerous situations. You can bet some crazies will test things out despite the potential for disaster.
3. As of last week, the Thames River was producing some very high numbers of small striped bass as it always does during the Christmas season. At that time 20-degree nights and freezing days were starting to close the harbor under a cap of ice. The heavy rains earlier this week have pretty much taken care of that situation. The problem right now and for a couple days may be from flowing chunks of ice that have been washed downstream from impoundments. With high enough river flow, some very large chunks of ice could be floating through Norwich Harbor, so keep a watchful eye to the water upstream at all times but especially just after a thawing rain.
4. Water temperatures are still fairly mild, probably in the high 30s. The stripers always seem to hit better early on in the winter, before temperatures bottom out. Very often, during warm winter rains like we just had, local anglers who fish after dark in Norwich Harbor catch some of the largest stripers of the winter. It happens every year. Jack Balint of the Fish Connection noted that the rains haven’t seemed to slow the catch rates any, saying the catch numbers he’s hearing about are among the best in years.
5. My friend Eric Covino made two trips last week and caught something like 135 fish one trip with two other people and 165 fish the second outing with just his son Jim. All the fish were taken by jigging with Fin-S Fish or Zoom Fluke teasers on barely enough of a lead head to sink the lures down to where the fish are concentrated. Eric said he caught his fish last week between the Pequot Bridge and the drawbridge at Poquetanuck Cove. However, more recently the bass action has been concentrated from the harbor on down to the oil docks and almost to the casino. The fish are small, but Eric said they were larger than the tons of dinks he and I caught three or four weeks ago down river in New London, before the bass decided to finally move up stream for the winter season. He said the fish he caught the other day were topping off at 24 to 26 inches as opposed to the 20 to 22 inches most anglers have been reporting lately.
6. There’s always a chance to hook into fish that may even weigh up to 25 or 30 pounds, but they are rare during the winter fishery. It is pretty much a large numbers of small fish game that’s great fun with light tackle. The best tactic is to start in the harbor and try to locate fish on the depth finder screen or by watching who is catching fish in the other boats. If the bass are not present in large, thick schools in Norwich Harbor, continue downstream until huge, block like masses of bass appear on the screen. Even though there may be thousands of stripers under the boat they are not all turned on by any means, so chasing single fish or small schools is usually a waste of time. We don’t even start fishing unless the stripers under the boat are marked in a band that is a minimum of five or ten feet thick off the bottom.
7. Look for schools with finger like marks from individual fish coming off the top of the school. This image is preferable to those that look like a solid block, because it means that at least the fish on the top of the school are moving around, which is usually an indication they will be hitting to some extent. The solid blocks, or “buildings” as we refer to them are most common on high pressure bluebird days, when the fish are turned off and believe it or not, it can be difficult to get a fish to bite if the schools are stacked so tightly they are gray lining.
8. If you can take the cold, fishing is always better for larger fish after the sun sets, particularly when high tide takes place well after dark. Always try to fish the top of the high tide and ebb if possible.
9. Chris Fulton of Stratford Bait and Tackle said he had a few customers who were catching broodstock Atlantic salmon below the Derby Dam on Crocodile Spoons but that was about it in his area. Joe Balint of the Fish Connection said a few of his hardcore salmon fishermen were still trying to catch them from the Shetucket River but no word on what the rains have done to water flows below the Scotland Dam. It may be running too hard to fish for a few days. However, if the temperatures remain balmy the salmon will probably be catchable once the flows drop to manageable levels. Jack Balint said that it sounded like the rains have improved salmon fishing due to the more open waters and the increase in water temperature from high run off and snow melt this relatively warm storm has produced.
10. For the time being that’s about it. There have been a couple people talking about steelhead fishing up at Salmon River in Pulaski, New York and another friend is champing at the bit to go smelt fishing at an ice camp he fished last year in Maine. Angling options will broaden once the lakes freeze safe and thick.

Conn Post 12/23/05

1. Ice-fishing season has finally arrived. The frigid night temperatures have thickened the ice significantly over the past week. Some ponds in the northwestern corner of the state have ice thicknesses upwards of eight inches. Many of the more southerly ponds have coatings of three to six inches. Do not attempt to ice fish on the ponds along the coast.
   Anglers must use some common sense when ice fishing during the early season. Wise anglers are avoiding the larger lakes as the safer ice is mainly found on those ponds less than 200 acres. Safe ice can be found on some of the larger lakes, but it is confined to the coves and backwater areas. Use I-84 as the safety demarcation line. Ponds north of this highway are safe to fish. Ponds south of this highway require reconnaissance. Always check on the ice thickness by conferring with other ice anglers.
2. The wind and last week's ice storm blew and flushed the snow off the ice. Any snow still on the ice may indicate a wet spot. Avoid these snow patches as they could hide weak ice. Also, because of the snow-less ice, walking across the clean pond surface can be treacherous. Add cleats or spikes to your winter boots before heading off ice fishing.
   Last fall, the state Department of Environmental Protection stocked a score of lakes and ponds with trout. Most of these stocked lakes are now frozen where ice anglers are catching both brown trout and rainbow trout. Look for the trout in Black Rock State Park Pond, Black Pond, Coventry Lake, Crystal Lake, Mohawk Pond, Mount Tom Pond, Stillwater Pond, Tyler Pond, West Hill Pond, Highland Lake and West Side Pond.
   
3. Largemouth bass enthusiasts should have good luck ice fishing at Ball Pond, Lake Kenosia, Mansfield Hollow Reservoir, Hatch Pond, Highland Lake, Congamond Lake, Silver Lake, Beseck Lake, Black Pond, North Farms Reservoir, Long Meadow Pond, Bantam Lake, Dog Pond, West Twin Lake, Mudge Pond, Park Pond, Winchester Lake and Wood Creek Pond.
   
4. Pickerel and yellow perch are always cooperative during the winter season. Both fish can be found together in Highland Lake, Tyler Pond, Waramaug Lake, West Side Pond, West Twin Lake and Winchester Lake. Northern pike, a close cousin to the pickerel, are available in Winchester Lake, Mansfield Hollow Reservoir and Bantam Lake.
   Two other noteworthy ice-fishing spots are Kettletown State Park Cove on Lake Zoar and Mamanasco Lake. Both spots are giving up large numbers of crappie, yellow perch and bluegills. Largemouth bass and few pickerel have also tripped tip-ups in Mamanasco Lake.
   
5. Many anglers travel to New Hampshire for ice-fishing weekends. The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department changed several ice fishing regulations this season. Any angler using a bobhouse or ice shanty must display 12 square inches of reflective material on the outside of each wall. This rule applies to all portable shelters. Also, anglers face new daily creel limits of 25 fish for yellow perch, horned pout (bullhead), white perch, black crappie and all sunfish species, with a 50-fish aggregate daily possession limit for all these above species combined. [ FRANK MCKANE JR. ]

On The Water 12/23/05

1. Ocean fishing is pretty much done on all fronts, for the time being. Snow, wind, rain and other such stuff put a premature end to what would normally have been some good late run striper fishing in Western Long Island Sound and off Block Island. Ice fishing is just getting started but we are at that point where some ponds may be safe while others may kill you, so at this early juncture, especially in coastal ponds I can’t recommend any one go out on the ice.
2. Ronnie, owner of Breachway Tackle, Charlestown, Rhode Island said that there were some mackerel off the end of the breachway recently and a few customers took advantage of these small but tasty fish. There may have been some bass under them but there weren’t any reports of stripers caught or seen feeding on these fish.
3. John Swienton, owner of Twin Maples Tackle out on Block Island told us no one was fishing due to the fact the islanders all pulled their boats a few storms ago. For this reason, the late, often great striped bass fishing was never really tested due to the nearly constant bad weather. Two weeks ago, when that blizzard-like snowstorm hit nearby areas, Block Island didn’t get any precipitation. However they were hit by a major backlash of high winds that were recorded at up to 105 mph, with sustained winds howling up around 90 mph for an hour before things blew through and began to calm down. John said the hurricane force winds blew the roof off one house and some residents had propane tanks blown across their yards. Winds of that force are much more destructive when temperatures are in the 20s and 30s than in the 60s and 70s because the cold air is much denser.
4. This major wind storm was the last in a series of nasty blows that served to shut down the late fall fishing at Block Island. John noted that the fish might have been there but no one was out on the water to prove it much of the time since late October.
5. We will resume calling Twin Maples next spring when the bass are on their return run up the coast.
6. Joe Balint of The Fish Connection in Preston, Connecticut on the Thames River told me he has been hearing about some excellent fishing in Norwich Harbor where the anglers who know what they are doing are catching over 100 fish or more per day from boats. The stripers have been reported as far down river as far as the power plant in Montville. Joe said one customer was fishing near Buoy 27 with cut bait last week and said that he couldn’t keep two rods working because the entire time he was there schoolie stripers were taking his baits. Another group of anglers was fishing from a boat near the rock pile in front of Trading Cove and kept getting hits, but missing the fish. This is always a sign the fish are small, but even tiny bass have large enough mouths to take a small jig. Eventually one of the anglers accidentally snagged a white perch, which settled this matter. There had been a big school of large white perch out there bumping the baits, but their mouths were too small so they couldn’t get hooked!
7. The stripers in the river are typically small, from 12 to 22 inches. The largest fish are in the 28- to 30-inch range and most of them are being caught after dark by the hard-fishing “river rats” who pretty much only come out after dark to fish the high and dropping tides.
8. There are still a few Atlantic salmon being caught up in the Shetucket River, despite the ice flows, with the hardcore anglers fishing hard for every fish at this time of year. Be careful because now when the river comes up it carries chunks of ice that could knock a person over.
9. Joe also said that two of his diehard bass fishermen fished Amos Lake just before the recent storms and caught a bunch of bass in the open water over the deepest hole in the pond. The top fish was a monster 8-pound plus, 24-inch largemouth.
10. Like me, Joe is not recommending any ice fishing yet. He doesn’t want to loose any of his loyal customers, though he said a few of the hard water fishing crazies who come through the shop are starting to venture out on the smaller, more protected ponds. Pick your waters very carefully.
11. Captain Jerry Morgan of Captain Morgan’s Tackle in Madison reports not much happening in his neck of the woods. The full moon with all the rain flooded them out, turning their parking lot into a pond ,which they made into a casting pool off the front deck of the shop so customers could play with some of the stuff they were buying as Christmas gifts.
12. There are a few Atlantic herring around but no one is testing things out to see if there are any big bass feeding on them at this time. A few of his crazies are also going out ice fishing but these guys are heading to northern Connecticut and Massachusetts where things always freeze up early and it may not be quite so dangerous.
13. Chris Fulton, owner of Stratford Bait & Tackle said customers are turning to freshwater and ice fishing in his area as well. One customer who has been buying mackerel for chunk baits lately said he has not caught anything for seven or eight days, as indication that the stripers are inactive or have passed through this area.
14. Chris said the ocean is pretty much done, but river fishing up the Housey at the Derby Dam has been good for broodstock Atlantic salmon, with Crocodile spoons being the lure most successful anglers are talking about.
15. Nick Massera of Fisherman’s World in Norwalk said that there was not much to report down his way either. The herring are being jigged for and caught off the local piers in the harbor. No one is catching any bass under the bait to his knowledge, partially because anglers aren’t rigging for them and wouldn’t be able to catch them even if they were around. With Fisherman’s World located at “the end of the line” so to speak in Long Island Sound, its pretty safe to say, the bass season of 2005 is over. The only exceptions will be the warm water outflows from Boston to New York and of course the Thames River, which is red hot now and will smolder from now through February at least.
16. The best bet for fishing action now and for the next couple of months, other than that found after you drill a six-inch hole through the ice at your local pond is salmon fishing in the Shetucket or Naugatuck Rivers. This will continue for another week or so until water temps bottom out for the winter. The only other chance for relaible action is from the schoolie bass that are so abundant from Norwich Harbor to the Pequot Bridge on the upper Thames River.

On The Water 12/16/05

1. At this time of year not much is happening in the fishing world, due to the upcoming Christmas holiday, and the fact that ocean fishing is pretty much dead and the “Fat Lady” has left the stage. I wouldn’t recommend that anyone go out on the ice, at least in this area, but there have been reports of a few crazies already testing it.
2. Fishing World, Norwalk reported that there are a few ocean herring, which are legal to keep for consumption and bait, being caught in the extreme western end of Long Island Sound. Odds are there are probably a few late-run bass chowing down on them, but no one is out there to say for sure. This year’s herring run in the Norwalk Islands was a disappointment. It was late and not up to par. Basically, even this shop’s hard-core anglers are taking a break for the season and getting out of the miserably cold weather that followed last week’s blizzard. A few of their customers are beginning to fish for steelheads on the Salmon River in Pulaski and vicinity in northern New York State.
3. Chris at Stratford Bait and Tackle said that there may be a few hard-core anglers fishing the local power plant out flows, but if they were he hadn’t heard if they caught anything. Most of the people coming into the store are Christmas shopping and rigging up for ice fishing.
4. Right now the only decent fishing to be found is in the Thames River on its overwintering stripers. As is always the case from just before Christmas till late January and mid-February, Norwich Harbor is one of the hottest spots to catch fish anywhere! When the tides are right and the bass are active, it’s possible, in fact a regular occurrence, for two anglers who know how to fish the river to catch a hundred, even two or three hundred fish between them in a tide!
5. Joe Balint of the Fish Connection, on Route 12 just south of Norwich near the Pequot Bridge, told us that the only fish in the Thames River at the present time have been caught in Norwich Harbor downriver to the Leheigh Oil Company area, which is typical for this time of year.
6. Typically, most of the bass in the river are small fish. There are tens of thousands of them piled up in massive schools the likes of which you will never see in the ocean. They stack so tightly when the barometric pressure is high and rising that the schools’ gray lines on depthfinders have fooled the uninitiated into thinking they were viewing the bottom and not a 20- to 30-foot-thick mass of striped bass. No kidding!
7. This fall, with all the heavy, flooding rains that literally washed the peanut bunker and other small bait out of the river prematurely, the normal movement upriver and its resulting blitzes never really materialized. When heavy rains occur late in the fall, and we had a number of them this year, they seem to reduce the total number of stripers that are observed overwintering. This is just speculation based on observation of school sizes and numbers over the years, but no one really knows for sure.
8. One year I used an Aqua-Vu underwater camera in an attempt to estimate how many fish there were in a typical dense school in the upper river at that time. We estimated that one school we were over was about 200 yards long, 25 to 30 yards wide and 15 to 20 feet deep, tapering to 10 feet toward the downriver end. After running over the school to get its length and width, we noted the depth readings of the fish. Then, with the camera, stripers in the viewing range were noted numerous times. Using a high figure, low figure and an average, the number of stripers was estimated by multiplying these parameters by the volume of the school.
9. The estimate came out to around 30,000 fish, using the average figure, and ranged from about 12,000 to 60,000 using the other parameters. On that day we fished three schools about that size in the upper river, so there could well be nearly a quarter of a million bass in the upper Thames River on a good year. Half or a quarter of that number of fish is a whole bunch of bass to be concentrated in such a small area.
10. So knowing these kinds of statistics, anyone can see why the fishing can be so good at times, but like fishing everywhere, there are never guarantees. We’ve had days when many hours of drifting through schools 10 to 20 feet thick only produced one or two small bass, though our jigs bumped hundreds with their mouths frozen shut. Snagging these fish is unethical and illegal, though I see bozos doing it intentionally all the time. Wait until the weight of the fish is felt, then lift gently and reel into the fish to avoid sticking hapless fish.
11. The bass are predictable, moving up and stacking thickly in Norwich Harbor with the flood tide. This is the tide that, when it occurs after dark, the shore-based anglers like best. It’s when they often catch their highest numbers and largest stripers that are normally reported every winter.
12. The average striper is 12 to 22 inches, with 28- to 32-inchers being caught on a regular basis. One time I went over the catch stats for a few years on the Thames and determined that at least during that time frame, which was the mid 90s, one fish in every 50 or so was over 30 inches. Because these are schooling fish, we might catch four or five hundred under 26 inches, then catch two 20-pounders and three others in the low 30-inch range in a trip or two.
13. You never know when a bigger fish will hit. I have noticed a definite increase in larger fish when we were catching really tiny striped bass because I think the big ones eat the dinkers. We’ve had foot-long and smaller stripers grabbed by bigger fish on a few occasions over the years. The “river rats” who fish all night on the right tides catch fewer fish overall, but on average catch a much higher percentage of 28-inch-plus bass, including some top-end catches each winter that weigh over 30 pounds.
14. Tagging information from the American Littoral Society gathered and analyzed by Captain Al Anderson was quite informative in a recent issue of The Underwater Naturalist, the organization’s publication. The tagging data he analyzed from the fish he’s personally caught indicated that, as one would expect, the Thames is a nursery for immature stripers. Captain Al believes they may be genetically programmed to seek out this or possibly other similar estuarine wintering grounds rather than crowd the spawning population in the Hudson River every winter and spring.
15. Based on the comparatively small number of tags (300 to 400 with 12 returns) my science classes have added to the Thames River and about 200 Thames River returns published by the ALS, there seems to be a direct connection between the wintering of smaller bass in the Thames and summering off Cape Cod to as far north as Maine. Homing to wintering grounds of some sort is definitely not out of the question. If it is a programmed behavior, Al is right and it’s locked into the fish’s DNA, which makes sense, being that fish are basically programmed organisms with tiny brains.
16. His hypothesis is based on an old account he came across while doing research for his excellent report for the ALS. In 1729, the Thames River’s ice broke up early due to a warm rain. Fishermen pulled a large haul seine up onto Chelsea Landing, which in those days was probably about where the restaurant of the same name sits today, some 200 yards from the present water line at the town docks. Over a couple of days of fishing, they reportedly caught 20,000 striped bass, which would indicate that my wintering population estimates might not be too far from reality. These bass tend to drop downriver with the tide, often so rapidly you can temporarily lose a school with 10,000 or more fish in it between drifts.
17. The trick is staying on top of the biggest concentrations. Most of the armada that’s turned on to this productive and fun fishery drift downriver, with small soft-plastic jigs, 4.5-inch Fin-S Fish, Zoom Flukes, Slug-Gos and other narrow-profile soft plastics under 5 inches. Jigheads will need to be changed as tide and drift speeds increase, from 3/8 to as much as ¾ ounce or more, depending on the diameter of line being used. I prefer 6- or 8-pound-test Fireline on a 6-foot spinning rod for this kind of fishing because so many of the fish are “dinks.”
18. Usually we will drift down through the schools with jigs, then run back upriver trolling small 4-inch-long Bomber Deep As in chrome/blue or chrome/black back. A few anglers are trolling successfully with mini spreader rigs that absolutely slay the fish on a small wire-line rig with 20-pound-test monel or a super braid line.
19. Cold, blustery, high-pressure days when the barometric pressure is rising will be slow, even when drifting through literally a half-million fish. A bad day on the Thames for two guys is anything under 20 fish, and a good one is hundreds. Last year my buddy Eric and guys in two other boats caught over 300 fish per boat in a single tide, and they were the only crazies fishing on that day because a storm was predicted. When a storm is approaching with dropping pressures and overcast skies or after sunset, the bass come out to play. When they do, a tide in the upper Thames anytime in the next month can well be the most productive five or six hours of fishing you will ever experience.
20. Joe Balint also noted that some of his salmon fanatics are still catching a few fish from the Shetucket River from Scotland Dam to Baltic when the water flows are right. No specific catches, but the last of the fish for the year were stocked last week, bringing the total to about 1,700 adult broodstock salmon that have been released into the Shetucket and Naugatuck rivers since late October.

Conn Post 12/16/05

• The state Department of Environmental Protection completed its fall stockings of surplus Atlantic salmon broodstock last week. About 130 more salmon were split between the Shetucket River and Naugatuck River. This final stocking brings the total number of broodstock salmon released this fall into the two rivers to 1,780 fish. According to the DEP, the state's Kensington Salmon Hatchery produced 980 of the salmon and the other 800 salmon were obtained from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Hatchery in White River Junction, Vt.
• Those anglers braving the cold weather have enjoyed the salmon fishery. The only problems on the Naugatuck River right now are severe cold, lack of parking and freezing rod guides. Snow plows have blocked a good number of the better parking areas. Anglers fishing the river should dress for the elements and be prepared to walk some distance to access the larger pools. You can also spray your rod guides with silicone lubricant or cooking spray, like PAM. These lubricants prevent ice from sticking to your rod guides and reel. Ice fishing season has started in the northwest corner of the state. Currently the activity is confined to the smaller ponds, such as Dog Pond in Goshen, Wood Creek Pond in Norfolk, Burr Pond in Torrington, Park Pond in Winchester, Mt. Tom Pond in Litchfield and Mudge Pond in Sharon.
• Fishers need to be very careful when ice fishing right now. Remember, it is still very early in the ice fishing season. Thus the ice varies greatly in thickness. Also, the recent snow cover insulated the pond ice to slow its thickening. Anglers must check the ice thickness before leaving the shore. You can look for other anglers on the pond or tracks in the snow to indicate safe passage. Another alternative is to drill test holes as you venture away from land.
• Three inches of ice will support one ice angler. But ice that thin leads to suspect variation of thickness that could lead to an accident. Four inches of ice is much safer. Ice at five inches thick will hold two anglers as they team up for fish. Wait for six inches of ice before bringing the family out on the frozen pond.
• The DEP reported several winter lake drawdowns. When you review your lake charts, factor in the depth changes as follows: Gardner Lake, Ashland Pond, Billings Lake, Lower Bolton Lake, Middle Bolton Lake and Bashan Lake are down about three feet. Pachaug Pond is scheduled to drop down five feet. Beseck Lake will lower six feet. Lake managers are planning a 10-foot drawdown on Candlewood Lake, which should be completed by the end of the year.
• Other important reminders are that Bunnells Pond, Great Hollow Pond, Lake Saltonstall, the Maltby Lakes and all the designated "children-only" fishing ponds are closed for the season. The Saugatuck Reservoir will be closed after Dec. 31. Winter flounder and porgy seasons are also closed. Blackfish season ends Tuesday. [Connecticut Post by FRANK MCKANE JR. ]

On The Water 12/8/05

1. Although a few hard-core anglers are still at it in a few locations along the coast. Conditions are now prime in the Thames River for anyone who needs a striper fix, but the fish are dinky, under 20 inches for the most part. Western Long Island Sound has the herring coming in, which usually means some big bass are on their tails, yet there haven’t been the big bass catches that should be occurring. This is due partly to the holiday season, partly to weather conditions and maybe the fact that the fish don’t seem to be where they have been in past years.
2. Don at King Cove Outfitters, Stonington heard from one angler who was on the beach for a few hours over the weekend and didn’t catch anything.
3. Rennie of The Fish Connection, Preston on the Thames said the stripers suddenly seemed to move up into Norwich Harbor and have apparently done so since the cold snap. Most of the fish are typical winter fish, averaging 14 to 20 inches, but there are always fish ranging from 28 inches to maybe even 30 pounds mixed in and probably eating the small stripers. Rennie said the “river rats” have been doing well after dark on small, narrow-profile, soft plastics, but from a small boat with a fishfinder, you can catch them all day long as well.
4. Atlantic salmon fishing for the excess breeders is still going on in the Shetucket River, but there’s been no word of anglers actually doing any catching. Rennie said the salmon fans were reporting regular catches and hookups about two weeks ago, but some of the recent hard rains and other storms have slowed things down. Plus, the action always slows down a great deal once water temperatures start getting down into the low 40s, which is where they are now, or maybe even lower, after the snow and a couple of 20 degree nights. Shallow water in rivers cools more quickly than the deep water of lakes and in the Sound.
5. Hillyer’s Bait and Tackle, Waterford is open Friday 9 to 3, Sat 9 to 4 and Sunday 9 to 3 for the winter. Another indication the Fat Lady has sung.
6. Mark Lewchik of River’s End, Saybrook said he’s been hearing of a few small pike being caught up the Connecticut River in the Haddam area. These fish are apparently on the move, with the dropping water temperatures, and at least one or two of the folks he’s talked to have reported catching some fish on a regular basis. Over the weekend a few blackfish were caught from the local rock piles, but no one has been out since. Mark also heard about the improved striper catches at night up in Norwich Harbor.
7. For a different “fish story,” Mark said that a friend stopped by the shop one day after fishing in a local marina basin for schoolie bass. The basin had some skim ice on it, and apparently the bass were pushing a school of silversides up toward the surface, beneath the ice. A striper blasted into the school, crashed through thin ice with its tail and left a few unlucky silversides stranded and flipping around on top of the ice for the seagulls to pick up. A sign of the times, because this was the best fish story we heard this week.
8. Captain Jerry Morgan of Captain Morgan’s Tackle, Madison said there are a bunch of seals and plenty of herring around but no anglers going out to play with them. The captain, who always has a humorous slant on things, said the seals are catching most of the fish at the present time. And, I might add, they obviously aren’t telling him where.
9. Chris Fulton, owner of Stratford Bait and Tackle, Stratford said nothing much is happening other than a few schoolie stripers and some drop-down Atlantic salmon caught at the Derby Dam on the Housatonic. Excess broodstock Atlantic salmon are commonly caught in the pool below the dam after being stocked in the Naugatuck River. Anglers are catching them on some of the smaller lures they are tossing for schoolie bass such as soft plastics and smaller spoons.
10. Nick Mola, at Fisherman’s World, Norwalk said that angler activity levels have slowed a good deal in his neck of the woods, mainly because of the bad weather. The herring are moving in, which usually means a week or so of “big bass” catching. But it hasn’t happened yet to his knowledge, and it’s getting late. Nick said that his partner in the store, Rick, went to City Island last week, jigged up some herring and had a big bass on but lost it. Later on he caught a 30-incher, and that was it. A disappointment. Nick speculated that because there are still some fish being caught at Montauk Point and his contacts in New Jersey haven’t had their usual run of big stripers either, the big bass may not be here yet. The other scenario that Nick suggested is what some of the folks at Montauk Point are saying, and that is that the bigger bass for some reason are moving past the Sound and the point, about 12 miles out to sea. Who knows? The fish passing outside of Montauk Point are Chesapeake Bay and Delaware River fish. However, the fish that pass through Norwalk and the Sound are headed for the Hudson River and would not take a route outside and around Montauk Point, so there may be some truth to both of these ideas.
11. The various runs this season have been late for the most part by two or three weeks in many cases, generally messed up this year, so anything is possible. Nick and the crew at Fisherman’s World are still hoping for their annual, mid-December run of herring, complete with 30-pound-plus stripers that they are looking forward to catching for a week or so.
12. Temperatures are around 42 in the western end of the Sound, which is getting to the point where the fish will physically begin to shut down, so who knows what will happen over the next week or so?
13. Best bet this week for action is mackerel off The Causeway at Newport or schoolie stripers in the Thames River. Fish small soft plastics such as Fin-S Fish, Salt Shakers, small twister tails or Slug-Gos on enough of a jighead to reach the bottom. Best action will take place after dark from shore or boat. But from a small boat that can be launched in Norwich, simply find the schools and drift through them with jigs or troll them up with small deep-diving swimmers or small multiple-hook spreader rigs.
14. Freshwater anglers may want to look for broodstock Atlantic salmon in the Shetucket or Naugatuck rivers, or pike in the Connecticut River in the Haddam area and around any of the larger backwaters and inlets.

Capt Morgan Madison 12/8/05

1. If holiday preparations and tree lighting ceremonies aren't getting in the way, there are still some bass to be caught and togs to be pulled from the Sound. Typically though, this time of year is predictably unpredictable. The winds and the weather seem to be dictating what fishermen are doing more than the fishery. So except for those few bonus December days, it might be time to yield and let the seals and herring have their snowy wintry playground all to themselves.
2. Smaller stripers have begun to move into their holdover pattern and into the rivers, most likely those that spawned them. Colder water temperatures are certainly further inducing them to get a move on. A soft plastic or jig, slowly retrieved near the bottom, could easily bring a river strike. Also, deep trolling a small tube or scaled down umbrella rig could do the trick. Slow down the retrieve or troll.
3. The Shetucket and Naugatuck rivers continue to draw salmon anglers to their banks. Fishing has been good and even though one fish may be kept per day, the majority caught are being released. Freshwater licenses as well as combos for the 2006 season are now available at the shop.
4. Check out the Connecticut River for northern pike. A small live shiner baited on a number-six hook and fished on light line can yield surprising results. There have also been a number of largemouth bass caught from area lakes as well as trout from local rivers. Can ice fishing be far off?
5. In spite of the recent rainfall, several clamming beds in both Madison and Guilford have remained open. Many folks find this time of year particularly rewarding in that clams generally taste better and the crowds have dissipated. It is a good idea to check with the local towns before venturing out for a day of gathering round clams and/or steamers since this activity is weather-dependent. [the day written by capt morgan]

Capt Morgan Madison 12/1/05

1. Pick your days and you'll still hook into a striped bass, bluefish, and/or tautog. With some warm days left ahead (in spite of the recent blast of cold), the fishery in the Sound is refusing to totally yield. There is an emotional clash going on between fishermen that hunt and hunters that fish. Certainly, there are very few plausible excuses for empty space in the freezer this year as fish fillets are readily being packaged, fowl dressed, and venison processed.
2. No doubt, the weather will continue toward a wintry trend and dipping water temperatures will eventually bring this fishing season to a somewhat dormant state. I say "somewhat dormant," because there will still be activity in the Sound although limited. Moreso, of course, in the upper reaches of the tidal rivers where stripers can be coaxed into taking a lure or two once the contents of their stomachs have undergone a much slower digestive process.
3. For now, eels, chunks, and/or diamond jigs are working on any given bass or blue outing, weather conditions being the key. Successful eel and plug casting from shore depends also on the elements with smaller bass being caught at the base of the main tidal rivers. Look for striper fishing to continue into December or until such time as the water temperature dips below the mid-forties.
4. Fish for tautog, on the other hand, until Dec. 13 when the 2005 season officially closes for the year. Madison and Southwest Reefs have been the hot spots locally with fish in the four- to six-pound range now being caught. Hatchett's, as well as the walls in New Haven, have also been producing togs with many rock piles in-between holding fish.
5. Broodstock salmon fishing in the Shetucket continues to be good and, as mentioned earlier, is worth a trip or two. Some sizeable fish have been introduced into that waterway and it is the hope of most anglers who fish it that many will be returned so fishing for them will be prolonged. The largest caught to date has been 25.75 pounds.
6. Both the Naugatuck and Shetucket Rivers should have approximately 1,800 broodstock Atlantic salmon stocked this fall. Fish for them with only one free-swinging hook or single fly without additional weight added to the line. The limit is one salmon per day per angler from Dec. 1 through March 31—through Nov. 30, catch and release is the only game in town [The Day, Captain Morgan]

Norwich Bulletin 11/27/05

Last week, another 400 fish were added and another group of spawned-out breeders will be added to the total, bringing the final tally up to 1,000 2- to 10-pound or larger broodstock Atlantic salmon.

Joe Balint at Fish Connection said despite the rains there are a few bass moving up river to Norwich Harbor already. However, the lower Thames from the Interstate 95 bridge out to Ocean Beach has been loaded with fish and working birds for the past week or so. Expect these fish to be around and eventually begin working their way up river to spend the winter. Look for Ocean Beach to turn on at the end of the ebb tide as the bait and feeding striped bass, which average 14 to 22 inches, drop out of the mouth of the Thames with the tide. [norwich bulletin, by bob sampson]

On The Water 11/25/05

1. It’s getting close to the end of the fall fishing but it’s not quite done. At this point there is some serious space between the schools of bass and bluefish. When you find them though, the numbers may be impressive. There seem to be a lot of anglers in our region who are still waiting for the big fish to come through but the reality is that it may have already happened, or worse, maybe there just aren’t as many big bass around these days as people think. You’re welcome to come to your own conclusions about why that may be…
2. Joe Balint of The Fish Connection, Preston on the Thames has been hearing about tons and tons of bass from Ocean Beach to Pine Island. There are a some bass in the Thames, though not many of them are as far up as Norwich. They are all schoolies but fun to catch if you are interested in putting up some big numbers. Sunday my buddy Eric Covino and I landed 105 fish, all under 22 inches and one 9-pound bluefish that was either eating the three inch long bunker the bass were chasing or eating the bass themselves.
3. Richard at Hillyer’s Bait &Tackle in Waterford said blackfishing was hot but the boats were blown off the water early in the week, so no new reports have come in over the past few days. There are small bass all over Ocean Beach. These are the hordes of small stripers that will eventually be running up into the Thames for the winter. Expect them to run out of the river and along either side, which is right along Osprey and Ocean Beaches more toward the end of the ebb. Richard said the only decent fish they’ve seen in over a week was a bona fide, 16-pound bluefish that was caught over the weekend. The people who caught it were very closed mouthed and didn’t say where they caught it. Funny thing is, the way everything is on the move, the blues could be fifty miles from where that one was caught by now so it really doesn’t really matter where the hell that chopper came from!
4. “Q” over at River’s End Tackle, Saybrook said the Connecticut River is not so hot since the last flooding rains. He said that Pat Abate told him that on Monday there were schoolies on Long Sand Shoal and that’s about it in general vicinity of the lower river. Odds are, there are probably some small fish cruising the shore in widely separated schools but nothing can be counted on for very long at this point in the season.
5. Captain Jerry Morgan of Captain Morgan’s Tackle, Madison also said the winds have kept people off the water this week so far. Anglers are into different stuff, like talking ice fishing. Blackfish to 6 pounds are being caught off Southwest Reef and Madison Reef on crabs. Bass are still around but the Sound is holding fewer migratory fish with each passing day. The good news is that herring are very abundant in his area, which are drawing and holding the fish for the time being.
6. Chris Fulton, owner of Stratford Bait and Tackle, reported that things have really slowed due to the rains, winds and the holiday. There are some small schoolies and “rat” bluefish showing up but no fish have been weighed in this week. Things are slowing down, more due to the lack of angler activity than perhaps a total lack of fish.
7. Rick Mola of Fisherman’s World, Norwalk said on Wednesday there were still a ton of blues and smaller bass off 11-B. Blackfishing is still holding up but not quite as good as two weeks ago. To the west off Hempstead, Long Island, the fish are hitting pretty well. There are not any herring around yet. Remember, the bass will be moving westward following the Atlantic herring any time now, a scenario that always brings with it a burst of big bass catches in the western end of the Sound. The herring generally show up when the temps suddenly drop. These are Atlantic herring, not the protected “river herring,” which are alewives and blueback herring that run during the spring. These winter run herring are fair game to catch for use as bait, with no limits on the catch numbers at this point in time.
8. This week, the best concentration of stripers we heard of was around the mouth of the Thames River, but these are all small fish. Look for some larger bass to be caught out at Block Island any time now. Wherever there are herring, some larger bass and bluefish won’t be far away. Blackfish catches have waned lately but will still be found around the deeper reefs throughout the region.

TheDay 11/25/05

1. With the first snow flurries of the fall in the forecast, it's time to wrap up our fishing column for the 2005. But, we still have some news to write about, primarily schoolie fishing in and around the lower Thames and the last schools of bass moving past the Rhode Island beaches west to Long Sand Shoal.
2. Capt. Al Anderson made four charter trips to the lower Thames River this week in his small boat, totaling 400 bass from 15 inches to 15 pounds. All the fish were caught south of the Gold Star Bridge: around the ferry docks on the west side, the boulder field around Eastern Point and the mouth of the river one trip on the last of the ebb tide. In seven years Al and his charters have fished the Thames he's tagged an amazing 10,000 striped bass.
3. These have shown up in various places like Pleasant Bay on Cape Cod in early May after being tagged in the upper river in the winter. He also had a tag come back from an osprey nest overlooking the Westport River in Massachusetts in June. That fish was tagged in the early spring off Montville; made its way to the east but was eaten by an osprey, the rack and tag found in the nest during routine inspection by a game warden.
4. Al said the fish caught off the West Wall in early April are coming from rivers like the Thames, the first of the migration heading east and then north, mainly to other river seasons like the Merrimack almost on the Massachusetts/New Hampshire border.
5. Right now the water temps in the lower Thames are 48-49 degrees. As it drops next month we'll see more fish more up past the bridges but right now there's little quality fishing from Montville to Norwich.
6. On another note about river boating, Al maintains a department head at the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) told him in 2004 the DEP would keep the floating docks in place around the Gold Star ramp and others through November. That was not the case and last weekend there were some very made boaters who had to launch and retrieve their boats the hard way. Included was a group of Navy people trying to launch two very large hard-body inflatables.
7. Capt. Don's in Charlestown reported a bluefish blitz at the Weekapaug beaches last Friday that was enjoyed by both locals and Connecticut fishermen. This writer landed 14 blues from 5-11 pounds and eight small bass on top waters. Over the weekend there was a pick of fish, both blues and small bass, at daybreak and dusk from Misquamicut through East Beach. Included in the catch was a 23-pound bass caught at Weekapaug on Saturday during the day and a 37-inch bass by the same angler later on near Watch Hill. The storm at mid-week roiled and dirtied the surf but all the locals are betting the fishing has at least one more week to go.
8. Don at King Cove Outfitters in Stonington said you get catch blues and small bass from the Rhode Island beaches and schoolies from inside Napatree Point in Little Narragansett Bay through Stonington Harbor then west along the bridges that border Route One. Blackfish can still be caught on most of the rockpiles if you want to brave the wind and cold.
9. Jack at the Fish Connection noted the store traffic dropped way off as people head indoors for another winter. As of this report the best bet for small stripers is down below the Gold Star Bridge with out a few caught around Norwich and buoy 27, the latter spot offers blues that are much bigger than the stripers. In this cold weather, people are also fishing bait on the bottom around Dahl Oil, able to sit in their warm vehicles and watch their rods for signs of a bite. You might also try off the Fort Trumbull pier for chance for a schoolie striper.
10. Stephanie Cramer sent in her last e-mail until next spring. She continues to enjoy good schoolie fishing in the lower Thames with Capt. Anderson. Their best day was last Sunday when they caught, tagged and released 120 small bass; most caught trolling small tubes on small umbrella rigs. One of the fish was bitten in half, a sure sign bluefish are still around even in the chilly water.
11. Capt. Joey Devine of the Mijoy also sent an e-mail about their blackfish trips last Saturday and Sunday. On the first day the fish bit well with local sharpies from Niantic, Calil and Camran Rahman, ages 12 and 9, doing a very good job. Their trips were paid for by a proud mom who rewarded the two for good report cards. Kyle Wilson, age 10, of Gales Ferry was also aboard to catch blackfish of 9 pounds and a 15-pound bluefish that took a crab on the bottom. The next day the fishery was in a “state of lockjaw” with slow fishing for all except Dave S. from Groton. They also caught a small cod while anchored up off Race Rock and heard about a keeper cod landed on the Lady Margaret also out black fishing in local waters. They will sail this coming weekend, both days at 6 a.m. then call it quits for the year.
12. Richard at Hillyers Tackle in Waterford said some of the fly fishermen wading the beach at Ocean Beach landed small bass but also saw very large swirls presumably caused by big bass feeding nearby. And, in one case the young man watched in awe as a big striper swam right past his legs. You still have a chance for blackfish in the weekend weather is hospitable.
13. River's End observed most of the local blackfish pros are heading out to deeper water, the shallow spots offering throwbacks or nothing. Schoolie bass can be caught from time to time along the Old Lyme beaches. One day a large flock of gulls was over a school of bigger stripers at Long Sand Shoal but they moved through by the next day. Some of the tidal creeks have small stripers and hickory shad, caught with light rods and small jigs.

Conn Post 11/18/05

1. Anglers got a bonus this week with warm weather and great fishing, especially for striped bass and Atlantic salmon. Many saltwater enthusiasts are reporting double- digit catches on stripers in western Long Island Sound. Atlantic salmon are attracting plenty of attention now that the Naugatuck River has returned to normal flows and water levels.
2. The state Department of Environmental Protection stocked 280 salmon into the Naugatuck River and 283 salmon into the Shetucket River last week. These stockings bring the total number of salmon released this fall to 1,650 fish. While most of the salmon weigh between 3 and 20 pounds, hatchery personnel released one fish weighing nearly 26 pounds.
3. Because of the stockings and good water conditions, salmon enthusiasts are reporting excellent fishing. The Litchfield portion of the river north of the Thomaston Dam has been producing very well. Anglers are also finding fish in the river between Naugatuck State Forest along the railroad tracks and the Route 67 bridge in Seymour. Another good bet for salmon is the tailrace of the Derby Dam at high tide when the water levels are deeper.
4. Striped bass fishing seems to get better and better as the autumn progresses. Most of the fish are below the 28-inch size minimum. But on standard freshwater bass tackle or light saltwater tackle, these fish will test your wits. The smaller bass are taking soft plastic shad, imitation herring, small crankbaits, bucktail jigs, tube-n-worms and small herring chunks. If you are looking for larger bass, in the 28- to 40-inch class, switch to bunker heads, diamond jigs and deep diving crankbaits.
5. Shoreline bassers are finding fish off Lighthouse Point, the West Haven sandbar, Bradley Point, Andersons Landing leading into Milford Harbor, the state boat launching ramp in Devon, Caswell Cove off Bic Drive in Milford, Bonds Dock behind the former Shakespeare Theater in Stratford, both the east and west ends of Seaside Park, and the various shore points along the Saugatuck and Norwalk rivers.
6. Offshore bass hunters will fare well off Southwest Reef, Six Mile Reef, the mouth of Branford Harbor, the channels leading into New Haven Harbor, around Charles Island, off the Stratford Shoal, Buoy 20, in Bridgeport Harbor, off the end of Fayerweather Island, at the mouth of Southport Harbor, throughout the entire Norwalk Island Chain and in Greenwich Harbor. When fishing around any island, look for the bass on the island tips where the tides run strongest.
7. Yellow perch continue to thrill anglers in Bantam Lake, Winchester Lake, East Twin Lake, Tyler Pond, Gardner Lake, Lake Zoar, Lake Lillinonah, Lake Housatonic and Rogers Lake. The perch seem to prefer weedbeds, gravel points or mudflats for their autumn feeding activities. While you can catch yellow perch in deep water, you will fare better in depths of three to 10 feet. Natural colored marabou jigs, small jigging spoons and tiny tube lures are the best perch lures. Live pinhead minnows and bite-size pieces of nightcrawler are the top baits.
8. Boaters should note that the winter drawdowns of Gardner Lake, Pachaug Pond, Lower Bolton Lake, Middle Bolton Lake, Glasgo Pond and Bashan Lake are currently underway. Launching large bass boats may be difficult. [FRANK MCKANE JR.]

On The Water 11/18/05

1. The hot spots are in the Madison/Guilford area in Connecticut waters. Wherever there are herring, hickory shad or bunker of any size, there will be some stripers and bluefish.
2. Cheryl Fee of Shaffer’s Marina, Mystic said they have been seeing lots of blackfish. They are out of rigs, sold all their crabs and are closing up for the winter this week. Her group of anglers is having fun with the tautog at Ram Island Reef, Ellis Reef and North Hill. Shaffer’s will reopen in April. They always do a great job letting us know what’s happening around Fishers Island Sound. Thanks for all your help with this report Cheryl and Al! Talk to you in the spring.
3. Rennie, of The Fish Connection, Preston on the Thames in Connecticut, told us the Thames River has been slow in the upper reaches. A friend said there are good numbers of stripers at the mouth of the river around I-95 and New London Harbor, and spread out on either side of the river mouth from Pine Island and Bluff Point to Ocean Beach. They are mostly smaller schoolies with bluefish mixed in, but the numbers of fish are pretty high.
4. My friend Eric Covino fished Millstone Outflow last week and caught small stripers and huge bluefish up to about 15 pounds on Fin-S Fish and a jighead. He noted that the blues were apparently feeding on the stripers because he had a couple of small fish chopped up and had to reel the smaller fish in quickly to avoid them being cut up by giant choppers.
5. Salmon fishing in the Shetucket River has been slow due to the high water.
6. Richard at Hillyer’s Bait and Tackle, Waterford said he’d heard the blackfish are still around in good numbers, so are the bass.
7. Mark Lewchik of River’s End, Saybrook said nothing much is happening down their way. A few schoolies have been caught off the causeway and Lyme beaches. Mark said that Long Sand Shoal seems to have dried up over the past few days. Blackfish action has been good in this area when people are able to launch their boats. Water temperatures are still warm at around 55, but the river is cooler in the mid-40s because it drains colder areas to the north in Vermont. Mark has heard there are still stripers to the north at the Vineyard, so it (striper fishing) may not be over quite yet. We are in that period when the fish are moving in pulses, with ever-increasing “spaces” between schools. A few hickory shad have been caught off the state fishing pier at the DEP headquarters and off the causeway.
8. I’d try looking in the warmwater discharge at Millstone for albies, but it may be hard hooking up, even if they are hiding there, due to all the bluefish. Warm falls like this one usually trap a few albies and bluefish well into December. They survive as long as there is food and the plant doesn’t shut down.
9. Captain Jerry Morgan of Captain Morgan’s Tackle, Madison said that green crabs and blackfish are about all he’s been seeing coming into and going out of the shop. The blackfish bite is always excellent in this part of the Sound, and this year it’s been as good or better than normal. Menunketesuck Island, south of Falkner, and its north rips, Southwest Reef and all the local rock piles are holding fish. Of the lot, Southwest Reef is the best place for blackfish. Bluefish are still around in good numbers and some are big, 14 or 15 pounds, off Kimberly Reef. Sachem Head has been producing good ones when the tides are right. He’s seeing a few 30- to 40-pound fish feeding on herring like crazy, although, like elsewhere, most of the stripers being caught are small. Captain Morgan has been seeing bunker, herring and shad. He said there are no signs of it ending quite yet and that it will take a real cold snap to shut things down quickly. He suspects there will be striped bass around in December. Eels, tube and worms, and plugs in the surf are all working.
10. Chris Fulton, owner of Stratford Bait and Tackle in Stratford, had a customer report a good blitz of bluefish up to 10 pounds off Seaside Park in Bridgeport on Tuesday evening that responded to casting poppers from the beach. Good blackfish are still being caught in the area. The best last week was an 8.5-pounder. Brian Thornill caught a 20-pound striper off Bond’s dock on a mackerel chunk over the weekend.
11. Nick Mola from Fisherman’s World, Norwalk said they are still seeing a strong run of blackfish off Buoys 28-B and 11-C, with top-end fish averaging from five to seven pounds. Diamond jigs fished deeper, off the Obstruction Buoy have yielded blues up to 15 pounds, along with small stripers of 30 inches. Fishing is improving and will begin yielding much larger bass in December when those herring that are now off the south shore beaches push their way into the western end of the Sound.
12. Best bet this week will probably once again be blackfish, around pretty much any rock pile or reef. Stripers and bluefish will be where the bait is, so some searching will likely be required. However, once located, the effort will be worthwhile. The waters from Quonny Breachway to Charlestown Breachway, around the mouth of the Thames River, and around the reefs and rip lines in the Madison and Guilford areas were holding the most stripers as of midweek. Chunks, eels, and tube and worms are best if you can get the sand worms. If not, use Berkley Power Sandworms instead. For the blackfish, fiddler crabs will work magic, otherwise the greenies will take their share of fish.

Capt Morgan Madison 11/16/05

1. The call of tautog (blackfish) has been attracting tog pullers to the reefs where fish in the 10-pound plus range have been caught. Inshore as well as offshore reefs, including favorite rock piles fished by the locals, have been dotted with small craft. Tack a chart to the wall and toss a dart and chances are the closest reef will have blackfish feeding on it.
2. At the time of this writing, a few helpful hotspot hints must include Southwest Reef, Madison Reef, Goose Island, inside Netties Reef, and various spots in and around The Thimbles. Two launches are available in the area of Madison/Guilford that are fairly close to these fishing grounds. Of course, there are several other reefs and rocky structures along shoreline that are also worth fishing but these score high marks based on the number of recent catches made. The tog's short menu reads crabs, clams, and seaworms.
3. Stripers with some big blues mixed in. Although several bass in the 45- to the 50-plus pound range have been caught earlier on out by Fisher's Island, mid-November has traditionally been a time for some big fish to surface farther west. Somewhere between the Connecticut River and Guilford Harbor, there are usually a few cows.
4. Live bait—as in eels, bunker, seaworms, etc.—are the fall time fishing delights for stripers. Effective both from shore or boat, the only limitations have to do with timing and location. Not to diminish the effectiveness of chunk bait or artificial lures—they will catch boasting-size bass as well—live bait does get the attention of those fined-tuned senses stripers are known to possess. With a full
5. moon phase upon us, bass fishing ought to prove productive for those anglers ready to do battle with the season's typically unpredictable elements. [org pub theday.com by Captain Morgan]

The Day 11/19/05

1. For those who want to stay active as long as possible, there is some good surf casting going on now along the Rhode Island beaches, very active school bass in the lower Thames River and black fishing on all the local rockpiles when the weather moderates. While some anglers are still on the water a glance at the calendar lets us all know fishing season will soon end. Next week will be the last column published by The Day written by Tim Coleman.
2. Capt. Al Anderson fished the Thames three times since last report, his parties landing roughly 240 bass to tops of about 26 inches though most were 15 to 19 inches. All the fish were caught casting a pearl white Zoom Super Fluke on a 3/8-ounce head or flies on 8wt rods with a 350-grain, fast sinking line or trolling small tubes on mini umbrella rigs. On of one the mornings they had exceptionally good action right off the Amtrak Bridge at Shaw's Cove. Al saw some false albacore break water at the mouth of the river and they continue to lose a few schoolies each trip to large blues that grab the fish as they are reeled in. Stephanie Cramer fished with Capt. Al Anderson during the week, finding schoolies in most of the river coves and off Eastern Point Beach, all south of the bridges. She is looking for these fish to move upriver very soon. Water temperatures ranged from 49 to 51 depending on the tide.
3. Lou over at Hillyers Tackle in Waterford said people saw some big stripers breaking water at Ocean Beach in Wednesday's wind. Jack Balint at Fish Connection said you should be able to catch schoolies from Ocean Beach up to the I-95 Bridge over the Thames, concentrating on the west side of the river.
4. From time to time there have been a few large bunker in close at the old light at the mouth of the Thames and small bass caught from the beach at Harkness Park. Shore casters also caught some keeper blackfish from the stone jetty at Pleasure Beach. Instead of casting out, drop a green crab on minimal terminal tackle right by the rocks after chumming with a few cracked crabs. People on the beach also landed schoolie bass at Pleasure Beach at sunrise and also last Sunday at McCook's Point Beach.
5. Out in the boats, there are blackfish if the wind isn't howling. The biggest of the week was a 13-pounder caught on the hump about 50 yards west of Seaflower. On a windy morning a small boater fished in the lee of Three-Foot Rock for both keepers and throwbacks.
6. Black fishing is still very worthwhile if we get a window in the storms.
7. People casting small swimming plugs around Pine Island landed tiny stripers and black fishing is fair to excellent when the small boats can safely get out and back. Big blues are mixed in with the schoolies, often feeding on them instead of all the small bunkers in the lower river. The latest Jack ever saw a bluefish landed in the Thames was Dec. 21, that fish took a chunk on the bottom opposite buoy 27.
8. Capt. Joey Devine of the Mijoy is still black fishing, weekends only for two more weeks, catching a steady number of keepers along with a few sea bass and lots of throwback porgies. If you lack a boat, this may be a way to get in that last trip before the weather closes in for good.
9. Capt. Kyle Douton over at J&B said one of the kids who works in the shop had a nice catch of blackfish in Niantic Bay, fishing in the lee of the stiff southwest wind.
10. There should still be some bass in The Race on the downside of the full moon but after that, the season will likely end until spring.
11. Sherwood Lincoln of East Lyme hasn't been able to get out black fishing but still has a boat in the water ready to go. The water temperatures in the eastern Sound were around 51 to 52 last time he checked which means we should have another week of so of fishing left to us.
12. Pat Abate at River's End in Old Saybrook noted his customers are telling him about throwback blackfish or nothing or all on some of the shallower spots that were productive a few weeks back.
13. Blues and scattered bass are still being caught on the west end of the Sand Shoal. Schoolies can be caught around the bridge openings and at times from the Sound beaches.

Norwich Bulletin 11/19/05

• Many years ago, there would have been a month or so of great "surface blitz" fishing for bluefish and striped bass in the Thames River during September and October. That just did not materialize like it usually does this season.
• Unfortunately, the 10 days of rain last month nearly ruined this event by washing most of the bait out of the river. Without any large concentrations of peanut bunker, adult bunker and hickory shad to attract predatory fish up into the Thames in large numbers, the schools of larger fish that would normally be bustling around in the shallows simply are not there.
• Also, there appears to be a correlation between lack of bait later in the fall due to flooding and a noticeably reduced population of stripers in the upper river during the winter fishery.
  
• According to the Fish Connection, the upper river from Horton Cove to Norwich, isn't holding much in the way of bait or stripers. However, as is typical for November there are large numbers of bass and scattered bluefish feeding in New London Harbor and around the beach areas off its mouth.
• If things progress as the usually do, a good portion of these stripers currently holding off the mouth of the river will probably begin moving up into the Thames as water temperatures drop through the next couple of weeks.
• Surf fishermen were doing very well off both the Charleston and Quonny breachways. Quonny reportedly had both small and medium bunker as well as some herring. The presence of these larger prey also had a large number of 35- to 40-inch class stripers concentrated off the Quonny Breachway earlier this week.
• A friend said there were some small stripers and big bluefish in the Millstone Point warm water discharge last week. He said the bass were so small that they were being chopped in half by monstrous bluefish up to about 15 pounds, if they weren't reeled in quickly enough.
• No word on what's happening out in the Race, around the Watch Hill/Fishers Island Reef Complex or the island itself due to the miserable windy weather.
• The Race typically holds stripers until Thanksgiving or beyond during warm falls, while the island and reefs will run hot and cold as slugs of fish migrate through the region this time of year.
• Right now water temps are in the mid-50s out in the Sound, which is warm for this calendar date. The fish are not being forced to move by rapidly dropping temps like last year, so they will remain in any area that has a concentration of forage.
• The fall migration is on, so there are constantly pulses of stripers and some bluefish moving into and through this area, sometimes in very large schools. However as time goes on, the amount of space between these schools of fish will increase, which means higher odds of taking a skunking with each trip.
• The gannets are reportedly working over the herring off Rhode Island's south shore beaches now. The presence of these birds is always associated with ocean herring (which are legal to catch and use for bait) and the end of the fall runs. [Bob Sampson]
  

CT DEP: 11/14/05 - Weekly Fishing Report

1. ATLANTIC SALMON: Broodstock Atlantic salmon fishing is red hot on both the Naugatuck River (many reports of hook-ups and many big fish are resulting) and the Shetucket River.
2. TROUT: LAKES & PONDS –Trout fishing continues to be variable, with reports from Crystal Lake (Ellington), Great Hollow lake (mixed reports), Saugatuck Reservoir (26” brown), Hogback Reservoir, Colebrook Reservoir (fair), West Hill Pond (fair), Squantz (good, many 17-20” trout) and Beach Pond (mixed reports).
3. RIVERS & STREAMS -Fall fishing can produce good results for those equipped for challenging weather conditions. Streamers and nymphing dominate the early morning,late afternoon, and mid-day under low-light conditions. Typical fall colors for streamers are white, yellow and brown. Patterns include White Wooly Buggers, Muddlers, Micky Finn, Grey or Black Ghosts (#4-10). Typical Bottom bouncing nymphs include Tan and Winter Caddis pupa (#16-18), Serendipity (#14-16), Pheasant Tail (#12-20), Prince (#6-18) and Hare’s ear (#8-20).
4. Farmington River- West Branch water temperatures are in the upper 40’s °F. Flows are currently high (450 cfs from Hogback, and about 1,000 cfs below the Still River) due to Wednesday night’s rains, but should drop to more fishable levels by the weekend. BWO continue to be the dominant hatch, with Midges and Caddis mixed in. For best action try Blue Wing Olives (#16-20, late morning) and Winter Caddis (#16-18, early afternoon). Expect most of the action to be between 11:30 am and 3:00pm.
5. Housatonic River- Morning TMA water temperatures are in the upper 40’s °F. The river is still fishable although flows have again increased (about 2,300 cfs at Falls village and 3,400 at Gaylordsville as of Thursday morning). Flows are relatively clear, and should drop to more comfortable levels during the weekend. Current hatches include Blue Wing Olive (#18-22, early morning) and Winter Caddis (#16-20, early morning and late afternoon).
6. LARGEMOUTH BASS open-water fishing is winding down, with reports from Coventry Lake (a 7.1 lb bass by David Dodd), Crystal Lake in Ellington (a 5.5 lb by Tom Phelps, Vernon), Highland Lake (fair), Congamond Lakes (fair), Candlewood lake (fair), Lake Zoar (good), Lake Lillinonah (good), Dooley Pond (some action on cookie-cutters), Mudge (slow), Black Pond in Meriden (fair).
7. SMALLMOUTH BASS are reported at Highland (good), Gardner, Candlewood lake (mixed reports), Colebrook Reservoir (mixed, includes a 3.5 lb smallie) and Squantz Pond (good, catches in the 17-21” range)
8. Some NORTHERN PIKE catches reported from Bantam Lake and Winchester Lake.
9. Fall WALLEYE remains good for some anglers, with reports from Saugatuck Reservoir (4 fish up to 8.7 lbs for one experienced walleye angler) and Squantz Pond (7 fish up to 8.1 lbs).
10. YELLOW PERCH are being caught in good numbers. This favorite of ice fishermen is already teasing anglers with some really larger specimens. Reports include Candlewood Lake (including a 2 plus pound monster), Bantam Lake, Gardner Lake and West Side Pond.
11. Connecticut River – BLACK CRAPPIE are still putting on a good showing on jigs & shiners at White Oaks Cove and in the lower river. Mixed reports for NORTHERN PIKE. Pike have been caught from in Wethersfield Cove, the mouth of Chapman’s Pond and near Salmon River Cove.

Capt Morgan Madison 11/10/05

• What a fall! Bass, blues, and blacks top the list of seasonal fish to be caught. Stripers are hitting, bluefish are attacking, and togs haven't yet figured out there are fishermen at the other end of the line. It is the time of year when popular reefs are bombarded with anglers especially on a bonus weather day. Tog pullers are looking for elbow room, drifters are looking for a clean shot, and you can bet your last piece of chunk that someone will squeeze their way in and proceed to launch heavy metal in the direction of an anchor line prompting a variety of reactions.
• Diving birds in the Sound are filling themselves full of herring, alerting some fishermen to a short (but perhaps sustained) run of these irresistible bass baits. Often close to shore, these fish often bring on the biggest and the best of the fall run of linesiders. Live-lining, partial rigging, or chunking will often bring immediate and dynamic hits. Short casts in the wash or long distance hurls may be necessary in order to reach the target zone. Similarly created plugs that imitate these fish are scoring both at night and during the daylight hours.
• Anxiously awaiting the run of the cows, anglers have been gearing up all along the Connecticut's striper coast. As a prelude to this annual event, 20- to 30-pound class fish are serving as a warm up. Tidal river basins have been serving as a cauldron for these feeding stripers, especially on falling tides. The more aggressive bass are swimming farther upriver pursuing menhaden and herring, remaining there until the tide forces them from the feeding grounds.
• Recently, a fresh class of 30- to 35-pound bass has entered the Sound. Feeding on fresh bait, these fat bass are putting a bend in the heartiest of rods. Carl Asman of Guilford along with Aaron Karlak of Seymour had a striper morning off of Faulkner's Island. With bass to 35 pounds and measuring 42 inches, the duo hit pay dirt using chunks on the start of an early morning rising tide.
• November is considered by many to be the month of the eel. Or should it be said, the month of striper eels. Slinging a hefty one from shore or drifting snake candy across your favorite rip generally proves to be a successful tactic when looking for the bass of the season.
• As stripers move down the coast through Block Island Sound, past the Race and into Long Island Sound to feed, most reefs and shoals along the way become stopping points. Reefs like Bartlett's, Hatchett's, Cornfield, Crane, Six, Southwest, Kimberly, and the Beacon come alive. Long Sand Shoal becomes a magnet and if hit right, you ought to have a scale on board that can register greater than 50 pounds.
• With all of the fuss being made about togs and bass, bluefish almost seem to be overlooked. However, some of the best fights of the year are going on right now. Gators (and those looking to grow into ones) are on the prowl, slicing into schools of baitfish and imitation look-alikes. They are cruising the depths with the stealth of a barracuda one minute and in the next, turning a calm water surface into a foaming turmoil. The fight is on and likely to continue well into the month of November.

On The Water 11/12/05

1. It’s typical late-fall fishing throughout the region. The migration is on. There are still fish to the north that may or may not be available for us to catch here in Connecticut and Rhode Island, depending on bait distribution and temperatures when they arrive. But there are fish still around, and with temps in the high 50s, they should be for anywhere from a week to maybe three before things really shut down. The slugs of fish do have a great deal more “daylight” between them right now, so don’t despair if your favorite spot is dead two or three nights running because the mother lode could be waiting on the next trip. Blackfish have been the most consistent species lately, when the armada that chases them can get out over their favorite reefs. A few decent fish have been taken from docks, jetties and rocky shorelines, but this fish is definitely more suited for fishing vertically from a boat anchored on the edge of a reef than it is for casting horizontally out into the rocks from shore.
2. Rennie of The Fish Connection, Preston on the Thames said on Wednesday he started fishing off Smith’s Cove then went to the State Hospital and near the casino, across the river, and managed to catch six fish to about 18 inches, along with a few hickory shad – not the normal fall blitzes that the Thames River is famous for. The river has generally been slow in the upper reaches to Norwich.
3. The problem is that there’s not much – if any – bait in the river since the heavy rains a week or so ago. The tons of peanut bunker were evidently washed out to sea, so the normal fall blitzes are not going on throughout the river. There are a few more bass around the mouth of the river near Mamacoke Island and Smith’s Cove, but you have to work for them. Blackfishing has been excellent off the mouth of the Thames and nearby rock piles such as Sara Ledge and Goshen Reef.
4. Rennie fished Gardner Lake for walleyes and couldn’t catch one earlier in the week. He said that he hasn’t caught one this year and has not heard of anyone else catching them, either. However, some small ones have been coming from Coventry Lake and Beach Pond, but these fisheries are too new for the walleyes to have reached the minimum size of 18 inches. Next year these newly stocked lakes will begin producing keepers. Remember, the limit is two fish per day, a restriction that is long overdue and the reason the once great fishery at Gardner Lake is so depleted – three winters of heavy ice-fishing pressure wiped them out!
5. Richard at Hillyer’s Bait and Tackle in Waterford said the blackfish action has been pretty much the whole story in his area. Rich Wilson, who works at the shop, and some friends caught a dozen nice blackfish one day last week, with the top-end fish a whopping 9.5-pounder. Rick caught his fish on hermit crabs, which he says is like “cheating,” they work so well.
6. Ocean Beach, Harkness Park and the Waterford Town Beach still have decent numbers of bass and blues up close to the rocks after dark but not out on the Niantic River.
7. Pat Abate of River’s End, Saybrook said there are a few bass around but it has been spotty down in his “neck of the woods.” Pat made three trips in two days under good conditions but didn’t get a single strike, saying: “There’s lots of room between fish, but you never know when they will be at your spot.” Napatree Point is a good example. He said that last week it would be good one night and dead for the next two. The causeway and lower Connecticut River have bass and hickory shad around to catch. Out off the river mouth, Long Sand Shoal was red-hot for bass and bluefish the past few days, with the western end the better producer. The top-end stripers taken have been up to 30 pounds. Bartlett Reef has produced a few fish lately, as well. The Race has been slow, but Pat wasn’t sure if it was lack of fish or a lack of fishermen that’s caused a reduction in reports from this popular fishing area. Blackfishing is still good but seems to have tapered off this past weekend. Pat heard one report from the Vineyard that a bunch of fish showed earlier in the week, which means there are still some fish up north to come through. How fast they move through will depend on the amount of bait in an area and the water temperature. “Things have been shut down for a good deal of the time lately, due to the weather.”
8. Captain Jerry Morgan of Captain Morgan’s Tackle, Madison was not there when we called, probably due to the miserable weather on Wednesday. We will try to reach him earlier next week.
9. Chris Fulton, owner of Stratford Bait and Tackle in Stratford, reported that not much has been happening around the Housatonic River and Stratford beaches. He noted that the best fishing they’ve had so far this fall took place during the nine days of rain, and things have tapered off ever since.
10. Like in the Thames, there isn’t much bait around, hence few fish feeding on them. Monday and Tuesday, Chris said he fished locally and didn’t get a bump. He’s heard that Rhode Island is red-hot, and there are still some fish up off the Cape, like others to the east have reported this week. Everything shut down this week, but there will be more fish coming. Anglers with bait are still taking bluefish on chunks. For some reason, plug casting has not been producing very well. During one of his local trips to Charles Island, he said one guy fishing near him was catching bluefish after bluefish on chunks while he couldn’t get a touch on poppers or metal lures.
11. Nick from Fisherman’s World, Norwalk said diamond jigging at 11-B and the Obstruction Buoy are hot for both bluefish and striped bass – nothing big, but good overall action in these two spots. Fish along the shore up to 20 pounds are still being caught. Penfield Reef produced decent fish one night for a customer, and they were literally gone on the next. But that’s the way it is this time of year, hot and cold, though apparently turning mostly cold in many areas for now.
12. Here, as to the east, blackfishing has been very good and the mainstay and most consistent fishery. Customers are reporting fish to about seven pounds – no real monsters in the typical catch but good numbers of shorts to keep the action factor up. There are many smaller fish in the catches but not a high percentage of shell crushers in the average catch. However, Nick said, like the folks to the east, that the blackfishing this year is the best it’s been in quite a while.
13. This weekend the best bet, if the winds allow, will be to set up over a reef or rock pile and send crabs down for blackfish. Then after you catch your fill, hit the shoreline for striped bass. If stripers are your thing from the surf, the epicenter of the best fishing as of midweek was and probably still is the three breachways and their respective salt ponds. Charlestown, Quonny and Weekapaug breachways accounted for the best striper and bluefish reports we heard of this week, and live baits such as chunks have been the ticket for the big bluefish being taken.

The Day 11/11/05

• While many put their boats away, others are still out catching blackfish on the deeper spots, traveling to Rhode Island for some good surf fishing or looking on the local reefs and The Race for the next school of bass to pass by. I also had a report of some great sea bass fishing and large porgies caught on the southwest corner of Cox's Ledge for any one with large boat willing to burn his or her fuel to get there.
• Al Golinski of Misquamicut said there are still bass around, maybe around the airport at Fishers or the reefs. He'll give it one more try this coming weekend then haul the boat for the winter.
• One of my surf fishing friends fished the Fire District Beach for four mornings, catching blues in the 4-8-pound range and schoolie bass on leadheads with white plastic worms. The only down day he had was yesterday when the surf was high and dirty from the Wednesday southeaster. The fish are not showing, breaking water as they usually do but have been there for the catching if you want to get out of bed for sunrise. There have been some fish at sunset but not in the numbers of early in the day. Chunkers, fishing frozen bunker or mackerel on the bottom, are catching blues during the day along with a few striped bass.
• One of the people who took advantage of the good surf fishing was Susan Lloyd, who fished Weekapaug with her boyfriend Ray to catch her first bluefish, an 8-pounder on light rod and 10-pound line. Many people have switched from the traditional 10-foot surf rods to lighter 7- and 8-footers which provide much more sport.
• Capt. Don's in Charlestown said several Connecticut surf anglers got into a blitz of blues and bass along East Beach in Charlestown. It started about 11 a.m. Wednesday and continued right through the afternoon. Don got out in his boat one calm morning to catch a 30-pound striper casting a plug into the Quonnie rocks east of the breachway. Mackerel chunks fished on the bottom during the day are working on blues from 4-12 pounds at various locations between here and Watch Hill. If it's too windy to get out of the breachway, you can catch mostly small bass right in the pond, and maybe a 20-pounder under them.
• Capt. Al Anderson of Snug Harbor is now fishing the Thames River for schoolie bass either trolling small tubes on small umbrella rigs or casting flies or lures on spinning tackle. Over the weekend they totaled over 200 small stripers. They didn't see a lot of surface activity nor birds working over the fish but the bass are there all the same, mostly in the lower part of the river at this time.
• Don at King Cove Outfitters said there was a load of school bass and blues off Watch Hill in Wednesday's day rough weather but out of range of the shore fishermen. Black fishing is well worth your time if the wind drops enough to let you safely ride at anchor around Wreck Island, West Breakwater or any other well-known tautog spots. If you don't like to cast while surf fishing, you can sit in a beach chair and let a chunk of bunker or mackerel rest on the bottom, waiting for bluefish to come by and pick it up.
• Over in Preston, Jack at the Fish Connection said he went clamming at Bluff Point during Wednesday's storm. Black fishing is hot now anywhere from Ledge Light to Latimer. Blues are still in and out of the Millstone outflow along with school bass in the morning somewhere between Groton Long Point and Jordan Cove. Two of his customers couldn't get out in the mid-week storm so they anchored up around the I-95 bridge over the Thames, fishing chunks on the bottom for larger blues and schoolie stripers.
• Stephanie Cramer was one of the people out with Capt. Al Anderson, fishing the lower Thames, doing her part to catch and release 121 stripers in one day. During that trip, they had a bluefish grab a hooked schoolie and bite the back end of it off before they could wrestle it away from the blue. The next day she herself boated and released 64 small stripers south of the I-95 Bridge. So far she noted there is very little going on up in the river around buoy 27.
• Capt. Brad Glas of the Hel-Cat has wrapped up the 2005 season, sending his last e-mail about Tommy Harrington of Killingworth catching the largest bluefish of the year and Tom Duchesneau of Manchester, the largest cod. Both received a custom rod and reel as prizes.
• Jimmy “The Greek” Koutalakis of Ayer, Mass., trailered his 31-foot center console to our waters last weekend. Launching in Point Judith, he ran out to the southwest corner of Cox's Ledge. Anchored and chumming heavily in 120 feet of water he and friends caught a load of sea bass to 7 pounds, jumbo porgies, a couple large blues and many pesky dogfish. On the next tide they ran over to Southwest Ledge and drifted eels on a hump up-tide from the main ledge for a quick limit of striped bass.
• Hillyers Tackle reported good black fishing dependent on the weather and schoolie bass in and out of the shoreline, taking poppers when they were in close enough. Blues are moving past also, providing fast action at times, nothing on other days. Bass fishing in The Race was about the same, great one tide and barren the next. On some of the slower days in The Race, boats did find a few bass in the low 20s at Bartletts.
• J&B Tackle heard about better black fishing now in deeper water. Prior to that, their customers had all they wanted in 10-15 feet, but now are fishing 30-50 feet; one fellow used a 20-ounce sinker to catch blackfish on a 90-foot hump. Their charter season is done for the year, ending on a sporadic basis: outstanding one tide, then nothing at all six hours later.
• Sherwood Lincoln said most of his friends are catching blackfish from New London to Old Saybrook. On the nicer days some of the more popular locations have 10 boats on them. Water temps in the Sound were around the 55-56-degree mark offering fishing for a couple more weeks.
• Pat Abate at River's End said the shore fishing was just so-so at the Causeway and along the beaches. Black fishing was generally good but he heard, for the first time this fall, about two different groups of fishermen talking about a tough time landing keepers in some of the shallower spots. [by Tim Coleman]

Conn Post 11/11/05

• The alphanumeric designation for the region's saltwater fishing is "H3B," meaning hot bluefish, bass and blackfish angling. All three fish species are cooperating with enthusiasm throughout the western end of Long Island Sound. Inland fishers also are enjoying sizzling action as the autumn crappie and yellow perch runs get under way. Right now, if you have the time and desire to go fishing, you are almost assured of catching something.
• Bluefish are falling into their autumn patterns. Anglers fishing with bunker chunks or diamond jigs on the deeper reefs and breaklines are scoring well with bluefish in the 6-to 10-pound class. Only a few fish over 14 pounds have been reported. Some noteworthy bluefish spots have been Buoy 11B, Buoy 28C, the channel edge off Penfield lighthouse, Buoy 20 and the breaklines offshore from Stratford and Milford. Trolling in the Housatonic River also has produced a bluefish or two.
• Striped bass action is excellent with improvements expected as the bigger fish continue to migrate into the Sound from Cape Cod and the Massachusetts islands. Lately, fish in the 15- to 20-pound class are common close to the shoreline near Calf Pasture Beach, Compo Beach, Penfield Reef, Seaside Park, Seabright Beach, Short Beach, Bonds Dock, the Devon power plant, Milford Point, Gulf Beach, Fort Hale and Lighthouse Point. Larger striped bass, often pushing the 30-pound mark, have been caught in all the above bluefish spots, as well as around Sheffield Island, Shea Island, Pecks Ledge, the mouth of Southport Harbor, Buoy 18, the Thimble Islands, Six Mile Reef and the Madison shoreline.
• Blackfish are holding tight to almost every breakwater and rock pile between Norwalk and Rhode Island. The fish are even holding around navigation aid anchors and dock pilings. Remember, the creel limit on blackfish is only four fish over 14 inches. The state Department of Environmental Protection also has a "no culling" rule on these fish. When you catch your fourth blackfish and put that fish in your bucket or livewell, you are done fishing. Some anglers are now only keeping three blackfish and then holding out for one big brute as their fourth.
• Blackfishermen are likely to catch porgy on the offshore reefs. Porgy season is closed. Release these fish immediately.
• Freshwater anglers are reporting routine double-digit catches of crappie and yellow perch, especially in the lakes along the Housatonic River. Lake Zoar, Lake Lillinonah, Lake Housatonic, and the small impoundments in New Milford, Kent and Falls Village offer good panfishing. Crappie are holding very tight to hard vertical structures, like bridge abutments or small brush piles. Concentrate your crappie efforts in water between eight and 15 feet deep.
• Yellow perch seem to prefer weedbeds, gravel points or mudflats for their autumn activities. While you can catch yellow perch in deep water, you will fare better in depths of three to 10 feet. Both panfish species are taking small live minnows, natural colored marabou jigs, small jigging spoons and tiny tube lures.
• Atlantic salmon are beginning to attract more attention now that the Naugatuck River has returned to normal flows and water levels. Several salmon enthusiasts reported decent action in the Litchfield portion of the river and the portion of the river between Naugatuck State Forest and Seymour. Another good bet for salmon is the tailrace of the Derby Dam. Try the dam area at high tide. [by FRANK MCKANE JR.]

CT DEP: 11/7/05 - Weekly Fishing Report

1. ATLANTIC SALMON:This week DEP again stocked the Naugatuck and Shetucket Rivers twice, with 280 salmon released into the Naugatuck River and 283 salmon into the Shetucket River. These stockings bring the number of salmon stocked this fall up to 1,650 fish. They weigh between 3 and 20 pounds and average out at 10.6 pounds per fish. DEP currently expects to stock some additional salmon in December.
2. TROUT: LAKES & PONDS –Trout fishing remains variable, with reports from Amos Lake (fair), Highland Lake (fair), East Twin Lake (very slow), Colebrook Reservoir (slow), Crystal (Ellington) Lake (slow), Squantz Pond (slow), West Hill Pond (good) and Beach Pond (fair).
3. RIVERS & STREAMS -Fall fishing is producing good action for those willing to brave the weather and the leaf fall. The good reports include the West Branch Farmington, Housatonic, Scantic, Salmon, Shetucket and Naugatuck Rivers, Mashmoquet Brook and Roaring Brook (Stafford). Streamers and nymphing dominate in the fall, and are generally best during the early morning and late afternoon. Streamer anglers using 2X tippet are having success (9a.m. – 1p.m. during low light periods/overcast days). For streamers try white, yellow and brown colors. Patterns to try include White Wooly Buggers, Muddlers, Micky Finn, Grey or Black Ghosts (#4-10). For nymphs, bottom bounce with Caddis pupa (#14-16), Serendipity (#14-16), Pheasant Tail (#12-20), Prince (#6-18) and Hare’s ear (#8-20).
4. Farmington River-The West Branch is quite fishable. Flows are clear and only somewhat high, about 430 cfs from Hogback to Riverton and about 600 cfs below the confluence of the Still River. Water temperatures are somewhat high for this time of year, around 50°F. The expected insect hatches are somewhat delayed due to these warmer temperatures (the fall bugs are looking for 45°F). Right now BWO continue to be the dominant hatch, with midges and caddis mixed in. For best action try Blue Wing Olives (#22-26, late morning) and Caddis (winter & tan #16-18, early afternoon). Expect most of the action to be between 11:30 am and 3:00 pm.
5. Housatonic River- Morning water temperatures in the TMA are around 50°F. Flows are somewhat high, but clear, currently about 1,200 cfs at Falls Village and 2,200 cfs at Gaylordsville. Streamers and nymphs continue to be the way to go. Hatches include Blue Wing Olive (#18-22, early morning) and Tan & Winter caddis (#16-20, early morning & late afternoon).
6. LARGEMOUTH AND SMALLMOUTH BASS fishing continues to be variable, ranging from slow to good, with reports for LARGEMOUTH from Lake McDonough, Lake Kenosia (fair), Winnemaug (good), East Twin (slow), Candlewood (slow), Maltby Lakes, Gardner Lake, Highland Lake (fair including a 6.75 lb), Coventry Lake (slow), Crystal Lake (Ellington) (slow), Branford Supply Ponds(fair), Hatch Pond (good) Pachaug Pond (fair) and Beach pond (fair, including a 6.4 lb fish). SMALLMOUTH reports are from Lake Lillinonah (good action, no big ones), Candlewood (good), Gardner Lake and Squantz Pond (slow, but catches include a 4 lb smallie).
7. NORTHERN PIKE action reported from Mansfield Hollow Reservoir (mixed reports- several up to 27”), Bantam Lake (fair) and Pachaug Pond (good).
8. Good catches of CHAIN PICKEREL reported from Lake McDonough (6 lb pickerel), Branford Supply Ponds, East Twin Lake, and Gardner Lake (15 fish for one angler).
9. Good WALLEYE action at Squantz Pond (30”, 9.6 lb and 10.8 lb fish among the catches) and Lake Saltonstall (including a 8.9 lb 28.5” beauty).
10. YELLOW PERCH put on an impressive showing at Maltby Lakes (30 fish) and Gardner Lake (50 fish).
11. Late season catches of nice-sized KOKANEE SALMON continue to be reported from West Hill Pond.
12. Connecticut River – BLACK CRAPPIE are still putting on a good showing with a 17” fish among the catches this week. Jigs & shiners are producing, Best reports from Wethersfield and White Oaks Coves, and from the lower River. NORTHERN PIKE fishing is reported as good. Recent catches in the Wethersfield Cove, Harbor Park (Middletown) and Salmon River Cove areas included several pike up to 34”.

MA Salmon Stocking Underway

Fall stocking of retired broodstock salmon from the White River National Fish Hatchery by MassWildlife has begun and is anticipated to continue through the calendar year based on fish availability, staff scheduling and weather conditions. The fish range in weight from 4-18 pounds. To date, fish were stocked in the following waters: Southeast District-Little Pond and Long Pond in Plymouth and Peters Pond in Sandwich; Central District-Comet Pond, Hubbardston; Connecticut Valley District-Lake Mattawa, Orange; and Western District-Windsor Pond, Windsor. Updates on further stockings can be obtained in the Fishing area of the MassWildlife Web site or by calling MassWildlife District offices.
Anglers are reminded that Wachusett Reservoir will be open for fishing through Nov. 30. The Stillwater Basin area upstream of the railroad trestle is open while it's ice-free. Hunters wishing to hunt on Wachusett Watershed lands are required to apply for a free five-year permit from the Dept. of Conservation and Recreation's (DCR) Division of Water Supply Protection. Send a self-addressed, stamped envelope requesting an application to: DCR Division of Water Supply Protection. Wachusett/Sudbury Operations Center, 180 Beaman Street, West Boylston, MA 01583. Hunters dropping off applications at the office are reminded that their applications will not be processed that same day. For more information call (508) 792-7423 ext. 210 or visit www.mass.gov/dcr/waterSupply/watershed/documents/wachhunt.pdf.

CT DEP: 10/31/05 - Weekly Fishing Report

INLAND REPORT:

• ATLANTIC SALMON: Wiith fishable flows and more salmon in the water, anglers are beginning to report catches (especially from the Naugatuck River). No really big salmon yet. DEP stocked the Naugatuck and Shetucket Rivers twice this week, with each river receiving a total of 400 broodstock Atlantic salmon. The salmon released this week are from the federal hatchery in Vermont, and typically weigh 5-6 pounds each. These stockings bring the number of salmon stocked this fall up to 1,087 fish. DEP currently expects to stock the first group of spawned salmon from its Kensington Hatchery during the week of November 7th.
• Reminder - Anglers are reminded that catch-and- release fishing is in effect through November 30, 2005. From December 1, 2005 to March 31, 2006, anglers may keep one fish per day. Fishing for Atlantic salmon is limited to use of single-fly or lure with a single free-swinging hook.
• TROUT: LAKES & PONDS: Trout fishing remains variable, with reports from Wonoscopomuc Lake (good, including 3 trout over 7 lbs on the last day of the season), Great Hollow Pond (fair including a nice 15 rainbow), Crystal Lake (slow), Hogback Reservoir (some nice browns reported), Highland Lake (mixed reports, best in Second Bay, about 15 feet) and Beach Pond (good).
• TROUT:RIVERS & STREAMS -With flows in most areas at more fishable levels, this weekend is a good time to get out and enjoy some late fall trout action. Anglers last weekend had mixed results with reports from the Scantic River (several nice rainbow), West Branch Farmington TMA (good, 20 browns for one pair, 22 for another group, also some nice rainbow) and Salmon River (slow, some nice rainbows). Anglers are also finding nice catches of beautifully colored brook trout from some of the wild trout streams. Streamers and nymphing are the way to go in the fall and best during the early morning and late evening. For streamers try white, yellow & brown colors. Patterns to try include Wooly Buggers, Muddlers, Micky Finn, Grey or Black Ghosts (#4-10). For nymphs, Bottom bounce with Caddis pupa (#14-16), Serendipity (#14-16), Pheasant Tail (#12-20), Prince (#6-18) and Hares ear (#8-20).
• Farmington River- West Branch morning water temperatures are around 50F. West Branch flows are clear, quite fishable and only somewhat high, about 430 cfs from Hogback to Riverton and about 600 cfs below the confluence of the Still River. Current hatches include Blue Wing Olives (#16-20, mid-late afternoon), Caddis (tan #14-18; winter #18-22, winter pupa #16-20 morning), Midges (#22-32), Black Ants (#14-20). Nows the time for streamers.
• Housatonic River- Morning water temperatures in the TMA are in the upper 40s Flows are high, but clearing and dropping, currently about 1,650 cfs at Falls Village and 2,800 cfs at Gaylordsville. The river should be quite fishable this weekend! Time for Blue Wing Olives (#18-22), Black Caddis (#16-20), streamers and nymphs.
• LARGEMOUTH AND SMALLMOUTH BASS fishing continues to be variable, ranging from slow to good, with reports for LARGEMOUTH from Bantam (good- including a 6.98 lb bass), Lake Saltonstall (8 bass in the 3-6 lb range for one angler in the last two weeks), Amos Lake (good), Hatch Pond (good action, no big fish), Billings Lake (good, including a 6-lb bass), Highland (slow), Pierrepont Pond (good), Mudge Pond (slow), Crystal Lake (fair), Rogers Lake (slow) and Pachaug Pond (fair). SMALLMOUTH reports are from Gardner Lake (fair), Highland Lake (generally good, several 3-plus lb smallies among the catches) and Candlewood Lake (fair).
• Chain pickerel catches from Amos Lake, Lake Wonoscopomuc (now closed) and Lake McDonough
• Good WALLEYE action at Squantz Pond (30, 9.6 lb and 10.8 lb fish among the catches) and Lake Saltonstall (including a 8.9 lb 28.5 beauty).
• NORTHERN PIKE catches reported from Hamilton Reservoir (37) and Mansfield Hollow Reservoir (10 lb, 38 pike). With Connecticut River flows returning to safe and fishable levels, pike action should be picking up (pike action is typically good in late fall on the river).
• MARINE REPORT Striped bass: The water temperature in Long Island Sound (LIS) ranges from the mid to high 50s Now is time for the three Bs, BLACKFISH, BLUEFISH, and BASS BLUEFISH fishing is excellent, about near peak in LIS.
• STRIPED BASS fishing is also in high gear as the fall migration continues and should only get better as water temperatures drop and bluefish move out of LIS. STRIPER and BLUEFISH spots include the Watch Hill reefs, Ram Island Reef, the Race, Plum Gut, Millstone Point, Bartlett Reef, Black Point, the humps south of Hatchett Reef, Long Sand Shoal, Cornfield Point, Southwest Reef, Sixmile Reef, the reefs off Madison and Branford, Milford Harbor breakwaters to Charles Island, Milford Point area, Stratford Shoal/Middle Ground, Penfield Reef, Compo Beach, the Norwalk Islands, and Greenwich Point.
• SCHOOLIE STRIPER action remains good in the tidal rivers along with HICKORY SHAD.
• BLACKFISH (tautog) fishing remains hot and heavy on the major reefs and should continue well into November as long as the weather holds out.
• LITTLE TUNNY and ATLANTIC BONITO fishing is hit or miss. The usual inshore tuna spots include Plum Gut, the Sluiceway, the Race, Pine Island area off the Thames River, Millstone Point and Pleasure Beach in Waterford, and Hatchett Reef.
• PLEASE NOTE: SCUP FISHING CLOSED NOVEMBER 1ST