TheDay, 9/16/05

• Jack at the Fish Connection starts us off this week with the news that Wednesday they hooked a dozen false albacore and landed six of them on Deadly Dick and flies. Some of the fish were in The Race, the others south of Fishers Island. This is welcome news for the growing number of light tackle anglers who eagerly await the arrival of these fish noted for their speed and power.
• In other reports, Jack said they had great casting on the Watch Hill Reefs on Tuesday morning then found some 10 to 12-pound bluefish prowling around Sandy Point at the mouth of the Pawcatuck River. The Thames River is full of small blues, some caught in boats, others by people along the shore from I-95 up past buoy 27. Last but not least is an Alaskan Seafood cookout at the shop tomorrow to celebrate 15 years in business. Stop by if you'd like a taste of halibut, different types of salmon or ling cod.
• Allen Fee at Shaffers Marina in Mystic also heard about some bonito in our waters. One fellow boated a 7-pounder on Tuesday on a bucktail between the Monastery and White Rock. The next day others spied the inshore speedsters breaking water off Napatree Point. Perhaps this is the start of some good fall fishing if Ophelia doesn't mess things up as she steams past well to the south.
• Allen and his wife stopped in The Race on Wednesday to jig up a quick catch of blues around Little Gull on diamond jigs. Greg Jankowksi had a great day casting for smaller bass and blues on Tuesday on the Watch Hill Reefs. Larry Strickland and Sean Ross got out the next day, returning with a 4-pound sea bass, two blues and a 20-inch fluke. Overall though, interest in fluke is waning and many are waiting on the opening of blackfish in state waters on Sept. 22. More and more small boat anglers with middle class incomes are concerned about the cost of even a trip to The Race with marina gas now selling for $3.60 to almost $4.00 per gallon.
• Al Golinski of Misquamicut told me about three good days of casting for bass on top around the Watch Hill Reefs. One of his friends did quite well using poppers to 34 to 38-inch bass. Al kept on with his tried and proven live porgies, landing 18 bass to 28 pounds in two days. He had reliable reports about jumbos of 56 and 63 pounds landed the last week on live bait, either from the reefs or Fishers Island waters.
• Don at King Cove said Nils Christensen got out in his kayak on Tuesday evening, trolling the tube and worm off Stonington Point for catch of bass to 46 inches. So far the shop weighed in bass of 39 pounds and bluefish of 12 pounds for the Swamp Yankee Fishing Tournament that runs into November. Fluking is about over for the year, replaced somewhat by catch and release black fishing around Latimers. With waters at their summer high temperatures. it's not surprising to hear about people landing small jack crevalles, a southern visitor that often makes its way this far north.
• Stephanie Cramer sent in her regular e-mail about loads of snapper blues and small bunkers in the upper Thames. She and Bill Kreuger made a trip to Newport where they caught some blues around Rose Island with their fly rods. They also went off to the Dump with Capt. Al Anderson for both mahi and skipjack tuna on 9 weight fly rods.
• Capt. Brad Glas of the Hel-Cat reported fishing between very good and excellent on all trips. Blues were thick and aggressive and bass limited to a couple drifts on just the right section of tide. However, the people with the right touch limited out with stripers even given the short amount of time they are available. The last night trip was also outstanding; drawing so many people they will continue sailing on them every Saturday night until the end of the month. Big fish of the week was a 16.8-pound striper caught by Paul Cumberliege of Wallingford.
• Hillyers Tackle said there are lots of snapper blues in the Niantic River and some large ones grabbing live bait or parachute jigs off Black Point. Tube and worm trollers landed some bass around the Bartletts Spindle and those drifting live shad or porgies deep caught bigger stripers. Large porgies are any rocky bottom between Hatchetts and Goshen Reef. Fluke numbers are dwindling, down perhaps to some catches made by the die-hards in deep water.
• Capt. Kerry Douton of J&B Tackle said the blue fishing in The Race is very good and bass catches not bad if you hit the right place at the right time. Sharking was good on the not-to-distant grounds. Biggest of the week past was a 256-pound mako by Dave Miko. Catches may take a dip as Ophelia churns the waters as she moves by.
• Sherwood Lincoln of East Lyme made another run to Charlestown, R.I., for a great number of mostly smaller sea bass and giant porgies on lumps and wrecks in deeper water. Live porgies drifted deep at Outer Hatchetts can produce some large bass if bluefish leave the bait alone.
• Pat Abate at River's End reported some very poor surf fishing around Hatchetts Point. Normally the surf scene is improving about now but it's late in starting so far this season. Clinton Harbor is loaded with bunker and hickory shad, providing bait to be used at Southwest Reef for larger stripers. Small boaters found sporadic topwater action for schoolies and blues in the lower Connecticut River chasing schools of peanut bunker on the ebb tide. The best bet right now for fluke would be a trip to the south side of Montauk Point where fish gather on the fall migration offshore.