Westport Outfitters, 5/13/09

Stripers from Milford to Greenwich have moved into spring holding grounds. By boat or shore anglers fishing the shallow waters should have good fishing. Baits include: top water lures, soft plastics (ie 6-9" sluggos on offset hooks weedless and weightless). In water between 5-10 feet cast a lure. In deeper water use a plastic bait rigged with a lead jig head. Westport Outfitters as a video demonstrating these techniques on their website.

Stripers can still be caught at the mouth of the Housatonic but most stripers are now spread out along the shoreline from Milford to Norwalk.

Anglers caught stripers around Norwalk Island fishing in 4-8' of water.

"Bunker schools can be found in virtually every harbor right now with some being thick enough to net and snag. This bodes well for the upcoming season to say the least".

Some anglers are reporting catching bluefish.

The DEP stocked the Saugatuck, Norwalk and Mianus Rivers with brook, brown and rainbow trout. These fish are catchable with a Mepps spinngers, Phoebe lures, trout worms & powerbait.

"The Saugatuck Reservoir is producing some big walleye as of late and also some large brown trout, mostly using a slip bobber rig and shiners but also on crocodile lures casting the shorelines".

Blues Should Arrive Any Day Now, C. Walsh 5/9/09

The bluefish have arrived on Long Island's North Shore, but not on the Connecticut side. However it is believed "they just haven't turned the corner yet" to get here and no one is quite sure when or where that corner turn is.

Though some anglers are predicting the bluefish will arrive at the West Haven sandbar with the next tide swing due to bunker pods in the harbor. Last year the blues came during the second week of May.

When there are no gulls visible, keep an eye out for the occasional splash of a breaking fish. Cast a popper or some other substantial plug like an Atom or Yo Zuri (soft plastics work, but they rarely survive the teeth of one hit) toward the area of the splash and chances are something nasty will explode behind your offering.

Since Bluefish will attack anything that moves - catching them involves putting a popper infront of them. When feeding on the surface (which attracts gulls & terns from all over) approach the blues from the uptide side with the engine off before hitting the blue school. Driving you're boat over the school will cause the blues to go down and cause other anglers to wish you were following the fish.

If there's a school with no birds working it, throw a big plug (Atom or Yo Zuri) or a soft plastic at any surface splashes you may see and you should hook up.

When June comes and the blues are big (10-18 lbs) your best bet is to jig for them in deep holes. Sometimes these can be found near the buoys just outside the mouth. An unbaited diamond jig or baited with a mackerel or bunker chunk, or a circle hook with a 5 ounce weight are all you need.

[Charles Walsh, Connecticut Post]

River's End, Old Saybrook

STRIPED BASS-- The lower Connecticut River has been good this week. A good indicator has been reports of bass hitting on the incoming as well as the usual outgoing tides. Sizes are getting larger and this year the numbers of smaller fish were never great enough to say that the quantities are getting smaller. The bass are scattered and may need a bit of searching to locate them. Fortunately they are hitting surface offerings and you can work a fairly large area in short order. The rockpiles between the channel and Great Island are holding some bass, but for the most part the bass are on no particular structure. Slug-gos and stick type plugs such as Zara Spooks and Yozuri Hydro Pencils are getting some of the larger bass. This is the last week to safely use soft plastic baits before the toothfish come into the River.

There hasn't been any word of bass on the reefs and that again should change this week. Bunker have arrived in the Connecticut River and are pretty much along the entire Sound. Anglers fishing the tributaries are reporting consistent herring sightings, and those are the guys who are catching the larger bass.

Bait casters on the DEP Piers and Saybrook Point are catching mostly smaller bass on worms and a few larger ones on mackerel chunks.

BLUEFISH-- Not yet but Peconic Bay is loaded.

River's End Tackle is giving mom's a break this Mother's Day - check out their website or head on over to the store at 440 Boston Post Rd, Old Saybrook for more info.

Bluefish in on Western Long Island Sound

Bluefish have arrived in large numbers in the western most part of Western Long Island Sound. Best bait is bunker chunks.

New London Area T.Coleman The Day

Tim Coleman writing in The Day notes the abundance of bunker & schoolie bass in the Thames River up to where Dow Chemical is. Shore anglers using zoom Super Flukes or worms on the bottom are catching.

No Squid in the area but some were caught at the Causeway and other Newport Squid spots.

Reports of success from Mason Island Bridge using small lures. Shore anglers are having success on the west side of the river by River Road under the I-95 overpass using worms.

Mystic river is filled with bunker up to the downtown Mystic.

Not much in Niantic River - a few flounder and schoolies. Millstone outlfow saw a keeper caught with lead head with a sand worm piece. The Niantic River above Route 1 bridge past Camp Rell saw some flounder caught.

Connecticut River, from the Baldwin Bridge to the mouth reports some bass caught -some by tube & worm trolling. Some flounder caught by the breakwater at the mouth.

On The Water

WEEKEND BEST BETS: Herring are in the major rivers as well as invading western Long Island Sound, and large striped bass are right behind them. It’s time to break out the trolling gear or pick up some chunk bait. Blackfish season is over, so focus on flounder in western Long Island Sound where the best action seems to be at the moment. School bass are moving into the Rhode Island salt ponds and hints of squid are in the air. Trout fishing continues to be good throughout the region with excellent water conditions expected for the weekend. Recent stocking should provide fish for those that venture out.

From The Fish Connection in Preston, Captain Jack Balint reports adult bunker in the Thames River, drawing in some larger fish, generally in the upper areas where the “3-rivers” empty into the estuary. No giant bass have yet been reported, but the number of keeper fish has risen dramatically over the past week. School bass are particularly thick in the Gales Ferry area of the Thames River, but no reports yet of any bluefish, and no reports yet of any squid locally. Flounder fishing in the area continues to be very slow going. The trout fishing however, has been very good in the area, with the Shetucket River and the Yantic River being excellent, producing good numbers of nice trout consistently.

John Hillyer at Hillyer’s Bait & Tackle in Waterford reports a bit of a slowdown in the flounder action over the past week. The action was hot when the weather was hot, then tapered right off. Fishing for school bass is good in the Thames River and around the discharge plume at Millstone. Some bunker have just shown up in the area, so expect to see some bigger striped bass show up real soon at Bartlett Reef and at The Race.

Good numbers of school bass are to be found in the lower Connecticut River, and there are numerous keeper-sized bass mixed in, according to Pat at Rivers End in Old Saybrook. Some larger striped bass are to be found upriver, as far up as Rocky Hill and even to Hartford, chasing herring, with mainly school bass around the CTDEP dock at the river mouth. Bunker have moved into the lower river, so expect a run of large stripers any day now.

Captain Jerry Morgan at Captain Morgan's Bait & Tackle reported that despite the soggy weather, anglers are out and about and taking fish pretty consistently throughout the Madison and Guilford areas. School bass are common all along the shoreline, and some keeper-sized fish are being taken as well. Small bluefish, to about 18 inches, are also in the area and providing some topwater action at times. Flounder fishing remains hit-or-miss, but fish are around for those who are persistent. Trout waters continue to be restocked, keeping trout fishing in the "good-to-great" category, with stream conditions improving with recent rains. Largemouth bass are on the beds in the shallows.

From The Bait Shop in Rowayton, Art reports flounder fishing as “OK,” with best bets for this species in the area around the Manresa power generation facility. School bass are showing up here and there all along the shoreline now, and shoreline anglers are taking fish on a more consistent basis as time marches on. The Housatonic River continues to produce good numbers of decent-sized striped bass.

Chris at Westport Outfitters in Norwalk reiterated that the Housatonic River continues to produce great fishing, with some of his trips finding fish up to 40 inches on 12-plus-inch herring patterns, but other areas are now improving as the bass move into Long Island Sound from the rivers. Along the shore, try sand eel patterns and chartreuse Clousers. Bunker are to be found throughout the area, but the bigger, migratory fish have not yet arrived and so there aren’t as many fish under the bunker schools yet; you can expect this to change very soon. Jamaica Bay in New York is red hot for striped bass at the moment, so expect Connecticut waters in western Long Island Sound to turn on within a week or so.

Rick at Fisherman’s World in Norwalk reports fair-to-good flounder fishing around the Norwalk Islands, but says lots of school bass are mixed in with them. Sand worms and clam chum still reign for this species. Bass as big as 24 pounds are being taken along the shores of Long Island, and fish up to 38 inches are being taken in Hempstead Harbor on chunked or trolled bunker, so there is reason to expect the fishing will improve. There are lots of bunker in the Saugatuck River and Norwalk Harbor now, so watch for the push of big striped bass. Trout were stocked late last week, so trout fishing is excellent throughout the area. The Saugatuck Reservoir is producing good catches of walleye and some big brown trout, both on shiners and/or Krocodile Spoons.

At Valley Angler in Danbury, John reports excellent fishing conditions on Candlewood Lake. Largemouth bass as big as 9 pounds and smallmouth bass to 6.5 pounds have been taken. Anglers coming back into the shop are reporting good numbers of smallmouths in the 5-pound range, and nearly limitless numbers of 3-pounders. John reports that Squantz Pond is seeing big brown trout as big as 5 pounds chasing alewives. [Alan Desbonnet, On The Water]

Bluefish: The Season’s First Surprise

An early stretch of hot summer weather gave way to more spring-like temperatures as showers and wind embraced Long Island Sound. After a few 80-degree plus days, things began to settle down to where early morning temps slipped into the 40s and then gradually climbed to the 60 and 70s. Shoreline water temps hovered around the 50s; mid-Sound ones were about the same.

As rain and run-off from the tidal rivers mixed with the salty pond, more anadromous fish sought those avenues and filled the rivers. Bait numbers increased, as did the numbers of striped bass and bluefish. The springtime striper bite is on with both schoolies and keeper-size bass mainly being caught from shore and within running distance of Faulkner’s Island.

Kayakers are jumping on this early bass bite casting and tube’n worming in key tidal rivers. Local reefs and shoreline structure are likely spots for hook-ups. Be prepared for a tow or two especially when one of those 35- to 40-inch holdover linesiders takes a liking to your bait. Mixed in will be some early Hudson fish that have made their way down. Most though, are still in New York waters. Soon, the “Chessies” will follow.

Harbor blues have been showing up with a few of the bigger boys tightening up the ranks. Shad and menhaden have been the draw along with river herring so it’s time for some chunk bait and look-alike artificials. Stripers have been taking seaworms, eels, soft plastics, and jigs.

White perch catches also reported.

Westport Outfitters

Lots of bait from the Housatonic to the far Western Sound. The weather has been inching the water to the low 50's - the striper turn on temp. Large schoolies were caught from the Housatonic Mouth to the Mianus Dam & Westport Harbor. Schoolies are in the estuaries.

Reports of sand eels from Milford and west. Reports of large bunker schools in Bridgeport area.

Milford Point saw a 32" striper taken on a fly.

Stripers up to 26" reported around the islands - numbers are less than last year.

The Fishing Line 5/6/09

Fishing Line reports lots of Striper action in rivers & bays -with most keepers caught at either the far eastern or western end of CT. Stripers are being caught on plastics, shad bodies & small poppers. Some Bluefish but nothing big. Some flounder continue to be caught.

Westernmost CT: Good weather brought good fishing with stripers between 25-28". Larger fishing coming in from the east. The mouth of the Housatonic River saw keeper bass caught with bucktails & light colored plastics. Fly fishers catching with herring pattern, Clouser. No trolling catches reported.

Bridgeport to Stratford: Branford Harbor, mouth of Housatonic & Quinnipiac Rivers is packed with schoolies right now. Small poppers in light colors including chartreuse & white being best. Not much in the bluefish catches & flounder is floundering.

In the area of New Haven to Madison, only Norwalk and New Haven have decent striper action. Sandworms are catching bass & small numbers of flounder, but for legal size use shad body or calms. Overall this area has the least amount of bass action, but should improve as fish come in from the West & East.

Eastern CT:
CT River and the Race: Schoolie bass are numerous. CT River Mouth & Great Island are good with more keeper caught. Look for improvement as water heats up. One local shop reports overall Bass numbes down as compared to last year. Best baits: small surface poppers. Very little flounder action which will disappear when bluefish move in.

Niantic Bay and Thames River: Almost legal schoolie bass are numerous in the Niantic and Thames River. Best bait is bunker & bucktails at the mouth of the rivers. Flounder limits caught at Jordan Cove & the shallow depths in Niantic River using sandworms & clam chum.

DEP Weekly Fishing Report #3 Saltwater 5/3/09

Water temperatures in Long Island Sound (LIS) are in the mid to high 40’s °F

STRIPED BASS: fishing is good to excellent (best spots) in the Saugatuck River and the Housatonic River. Other spots include the Pawcatuck River, upper Thames River (Norwich Harbor down to Montville), lower Connecticut River from Hamburg Cove down to the DEP Marine Headquarters fishing pier and from the Lieutenant River down to the breakwaters, New Haven Harbor (Sandy Point), Bridgeport Harbor by the power plant warm water discharge (Breezy Point/Seaside Park), and around the Norwalk Island.

WINTER FLOUNDER:fishing is pretty good in western LIS especially from Norwalk to Darien.

HICKORY shad are also in the tidal rivers mixed in with school stripers.

DEP Weekly Fishing Report #3 Freshwater 5/3/09

TROUT
Rivers & streams - Anglers are finding many rivers are producing good to excellent fishing, with reports from the West Branch Farmington (excellent fishing here) and Farmington Rivers (over 20 fish caught & released by one angler), Housatonic River (many trout over 20”), Saugatuck River TMA, Natchaug River, Wepawaug River, Mianus River, Mill River, Ten Mile River, Pomperaug River, Willimantic River TMA, Blackberry River, Eightmile River, Hammonasset River, Latimer Brook, Merrick Brook, Moosup River and Naugatuck River. Anglers have been finding comfortable weather and flows for fishing recently, with varying amounts of precipitation forecast for the next week, flows may increase in many streams throughout the state.

Farmington River - Water temperatures are in the low 50’s °F. Flows are clear and moderate, with the West Branch contributing 160 cfs (Riverton) and the Still River adding an additional 130 CFS. Hatches consist of Blue Wing Olive (a.k.a. baetis or vegans; #16-#18) in a parachute or emerging dun (noon to 5pm), Hendrickson (a.k.a. red quill; #12-#14) in a parachute, comparadun or emerger (1 pm or yellow egg sac pattern around 6 pm) and Blue Quill (a.k.a. paralep; #18) in a parachute or emerger (midday). Also try Rusty Spinners (#16-18), Mahogany Duns/Blue Quills (#18-20), Tan Caddis (#14-18) and Winter Caddis (#18-22). Nymphs (#18-22) are always a good go-to fly. Try Bead Head, Midge Pupa, Brassie, Zebra Midge or Copper John patterns. Streamers are also producing. Use White Zonkers & Buggers (#4-12) as well as Muddlers, Micky Finn, Grey or Black Ghost.


Housatonic River - Conditions are great for trout fishing. Flows are clear and moderate, about 700 CFS at Falls Village and 1,100 cfs at Gaylordsville. Water temperatures are in the mid to upper 50’s°F. Adams (#12-14) in the evening are producing. Hendrickson (#12-#14) are on the water in the afternoon with Green Caddis Pupa (#14-16) soon to show up. Anglers using Pheasant Tail (#12-14), Copper John (#12-16) and American Pheasant Tail (#12-14) are finding nymphing to be very productive. Try streamers (Yellow/White Zuddlers or Gray Ghost) around 6:30 pm.
Anglers Can Expect Good Fishing in western CT on the Naugatuck River (including the TMA), East Branch Naugatuck River, West Branch Naugatuck River, Hall Meadow Brook, Nepaug River, Pequonnock River (including Trophy Trout Area and Beardsley Park), Pomperaug River, Pootatuck River, Sandy Brook, Saugatuck River and Still River (Colebrook). In Eastern CT, good fishing can be expected at the Bigelow Brook, Branford River, Coginchaug River, Farm River, Fenton River, Five Mile River, French River, Hop River, Jeremy River, Moosup River (TMA only), Mount Hope River, Natchaug River, Quinebaug River, Salmon River (including the TMA), Shetucket River, Skungamaug River, Still River (Eastford) and Whitfords Brook.

Lakes & Ponds – Trolling your favorite lures at 5-7 colors (15-20’) has produced some excellent fishing in many lakes/ponds throughout Connecticut. Some anglers are also targeting big fish in deeper water with bait. Good reports from Highland Lake, East Twin Lake, Quonnipaug Lake, Rogers Lake, Crystal Lake (Ellington), Mohawk Pond, Mt. Tom Pond, Black Pond (Meriden/Middlefield), Wononskopomuc Lake and Ball Pond.
Anglers can expect good fishing at Amos Lake, Beach Pond, Beaver Brook Park Ponds, Bigelow Pond, Billings Lake, Black Pond (Middlefield/Meriden), Gardner Lake, Hewitt Fly Pond, Hyde Mill Pond, Lake Saltonstall, Lantern Hill Pond, Long Pond, Mashapaug Lake, Quonnipaug Lake, Shenipsit Lake, Wangumbaug Lake (Coventry Lake) and Wyassup Lake in eastern CT, and at Ball Pond, Baummer Pond, Bunnells Pond (Beardsley Park Pond), Black Rock Lake, Hop Brook Lake, Mohawk Pond, Mt. Tom Pond, Huntington Park Pond, Stillwater Pond, Twin Brooks Pond, Tyler Pond, West Hill Pond, West Side Pond and Wononskopomuc Lake in western CT.

Trout Parks - These areas are designed to be easy to fish, with excellent access and amenities such as picnic areas nearby, and are stocked frequently. The Day Pond, Mohegan Park Pond, Natchaug River, Chatfield Hollow and Wolfe Park (Great Hollow Pond) Trout Parks were all stocked this week.

LARGEMOUTH BASS fishing is fair to good with reports from Saugatuck Reservoir, Moodus Reservoir, Crystal Lake, East Twin, Candlewood Lake (A 9 lb largemouth was caught at a recent tournament), Lake Wonoskopomuc, Rogers Lake, Amos Lake, Bashan Lake, Gardner Lake, Lake McDonough, Lake Zoar, Lake Waramaug, Silver Lake (Meriden), Tyler Lake, West Hill Pond, Mansfield Hollow Reservoir, Messerschmidt Pond, Ball Pond and Glasgo Pond.

SMALLMOUTH BASS action is excellent at Candlewood Lake (catches this spring include a 6.7 lb monster and numerous catches in the 4-5 lb range). Some fair smallie fishing reported from Lake Zoar, Beach Pond, Bantam Lake, Highland Lake and Coventry Lake.

NORTHERN PIKE catches reported from Bantam Lake.

WALLEYE are being reported from Lake Saltonstall, Saugatuck Reservoir and Mashapaug Lake.

CHAIN PICKEREL are being caught at Moodus Reservoir, Saugatuck Reservoir and Pachaug Pond.

CONNECTICUT RIVER – STRIPED BASS are in the river to the Windsor area. Mostly school size (16-25”) fish. Some adults are showing up in the lower to mid river. Sand & blood worms, and big plastics like 9” Houdini Shad, 7” Bombers & swim baits are working.
Some SHAD are reported up to Holyoke, MA with many reported up to the Essex, CT area. ctfishingreports.blogspot Anglers catching them for striper bait are reminded that the only legal method of harvesting American shad is angling.
NORTHERN PIKE are reported in the Wethersfield and Middletown areas. Knowledgeable anglers are targeting
CATFISH in the Hartford to Middletown area. Sandworms and cut bait are catching fish this week up to 10 lbs.

FRESHWATER TIPS & TRICKS
SHAD – The shad run is now. Some fish have been seen as far north as Holyoke, MA. In the lower Connecticut River there are many fish up to the Essex area. As the major slug of fish moves up the river fishing will get better. These fish are great fighters for their size.

Trolling
*A weighted willow leaf or shad dart is producing well.
*Use 8-10lb test fishing line. Set boat speed to 1.5 - 2.0 mph. Use a 1/4 - 3/4 oz weight depending on conditions. Tie a 6 foot - 6lb or 8lb leader above the lure. Silver, white and gold are your go to colors. Other colors that work include pink, chartreuse, red & green. The drag should be set light as shad have a delicate mouth.
*Try trolling against the current. Vary your speed until the correct presentation is found.

Shore Fishing or Wading
When shore fishing or wading, cast your lure across & up stream. The correct depth is when the lure just ticks the bottom. Let it drift downstream and expect the fish to hit just before the line straightens out and hang on.

Jims Bait & Tackle, East Cannan CT

Twin Lakes & Lakeville: Troll with top water about 6-10' down in the oxygenated water or troll a spoon deep. Catch Rainbows with meal worms, crawlers & worms.

Housatonic River: Smallmouth: 3" white power grub on a yellow jig head. Pike: blue fox #4 in rainbow trout color, gold ,copper ,or silver.

Western Sound

Saltwater: Good news - The first school of bunker has been reported in Norwalk Harbor. Seems like the Western Sound action is getting hot with schoolies. Winter Flounder was also being caught in okay numbers.

A 36" striper was caught off the Cove using mackerel chunks.
Schoolies (20" & 26") were caught in Dyke Park with sandworms. Two other

Darien saw alot of action with stripers in the 27-29" caught with mackerel chunks and larger fish (up to 34") caught with 10" Finesse lures.

Greenwich Cove saw lots of schoolies caught with bucktails. A Clouser Minnow worked well for fly-fishers.

Todd's Point saw a bunch of stripers caught with sandworms.

Before Blackfish season closed it picked up. Sound Reef saw 7 blackfish caught with Asian crabs & clams.

In Norwalk winter flounder were being caught near Can 9 and some keeper were cauhgt from the Calf Pasture Pier.

Norwalk pier saw winter flounder caught with sandworms and lots of clam chum.

Freshwater:
Rippowam River saw rainbow & brown trout caught on nightcrawlers.

In Upstate NY steelhead salmon were caught in Salmon River with lures, meal worms & earthworms. [taken from Stamford Advocate by Martin Armstrong]

New London Area Saltwater Fishing Report

New London and surrounding coastal areas as reported by Tim Coleman of The Day:

Boat anglers in the Thames River are catching schoolie stripers with a tube and worm and shore anglers are catching them on worms or Zoom Super Flukes on the bottom. Some flounder were caught "around Junk Island, the boathouses, and maybe in the week ahead on the sandy bottom outside the river mouth". A school of bunker were seen outside the river.

Slim pickings in the Mystic area with the late arrival of stripers. Not much boat action but shore anglers were catchin from "Mason's Island Bridge in the mornings and people dunking worms from the river banks might have a chance at catching a weakfish between now and the end of May as well as a small striper"

In Preston, schoolie stripers caught north of Dock Road boat launch and near the boat houses on the east side. Very poor flounder fishing during the day with a report of better success after dark near Bluff Point.

Niantic River & Jordan Cove saw some flounder caught with sandworms and clam chum. Schoolies caught from the Millstone outflow and Harkness Park shore. Some bunker seen off Millstone Point.

Mouth of the Connecticut River schoolies are less numerous than past years. Some flounder caught near the breakwater and The Brothers. Bunker were seen in the lower river and Mumford Cove.

The Fishing Line 5/1/09

J.R. Warnet writing for "The Fishing Line" notes the warming weather brings better fishing in most locations. Stripers are up, flounders are down and blackfish is over. The Fishing Line TV show episodes are available online.

• CT River and the Race: Schoolies are being caught on plastics and shad bodies (look for schools of baitfish to find stripers).
• Niantic Area: Some flounder can be caught with sandworms but only if accompanied by chumming. Blackfish were being caught in Niantic harbor & by the Branford Railroad Bridge.
• Thames River mouth at dusk & night will land some schoolies using lead heads, shad bodies & bucktails. Not much flounder action. Good sized Blackfish were caught near the rocks & bridges before the season closed.
• The Housatonic is loaded with bass - mostly schoolies - caught on sandworms and clams.
• Westport: Burial Hill is productive for schoolies. Flounder is okay but look for warm water to turn it on.
• Bridgeport to Stratford: With no flounder action anglers were going for Blackfish. Try The Breakwaters off of New Haven, where many anglers limited out all week. Bass fishing is better after dark with a shift to plastics instead of bait. Try using an X-Rap or a small Wind Cheater after dusk to land that first keeper bass of the season.
• New Haven to Madison: Low schoolie catches with most caught on small plastics. Hot spots for the week include Branford Point and West Haven. Flounder numbers have decreased significantly over the past few days, but may jump back up with all this sunshine warming up the water.

Rivers End Tackle, 5/1/09

STRIPED BASS_- Well its May and the schoolies are in the Connecticut River with a few larger ones. Casting from the Old Lyme shoreline to the channel edge is producing. The numbers are not up to previous years and unfortunately this seems to be a trend for the last five years. Catching a dozen or so bass up to two feet is not uncommon for a tide. Last year it might have been twenty and the year before that thirty. Enough gloom! Best strategy is to drift and cast and then try to repeat your drift without going over the fish. Anchoring is discouraged since it blocks other boats from drifting. A few anglers have been trolling tube and worm in the lower River with some success, and thats a good way to find the bass. They are hitting surface lures now.

Up the Connecticut River we're getting reports of some schoolies and larger bass than we are getting at the mouth. A few schoolies are also being caught along the Old Lyme beaches, bait casters at the DEP Piers are getting some also.

No word yet of any bass on the reefs but that might change by the end of the week. We have had first hand reports of bunker at Millstone, Mumford Cove, Bridgeport Harbor and Peconic bay.

BLUEFISH_- Not here yet, its still safe to use Slug-gos for the next two weeks. They have shown up on the south shore of Long Island.

WINTER FLOUNDER_- The season is open until the end of the month. A few flats are still being reported from the Niantic area, but its a long shot.

NETTING LIVE BAIT SEMINAR_ - Tomorrow, May 2nd at 11am is our last seminar of the season. "Q" will demonstrate how to use a cast net and gill net.
If you're intending to use live bait and get your own this demonstration will get you started.

On The Water, 4/30/09

Best Bets: Herring are in the major rivers as well as invading western Long Island Sound, and larger striped bass should be right behind them. Blackfish season is ending, so focus on flounder in western Long Island Sound where the best action seems to be at the moment. School bass are moving into the Rhode Island salt ponds and hints of squid are in the air. Trout fishing continues to be good throughout the region with excellent water conditions expected for the weekend. Trout stocking is slated to occur late this week, which should provide good fishing for the weekend.

For the complete Rhode Island report go to On The Water. Not much squid in Rhode Island except for a report from Ninigret Pond. The breachway finds the most consistent quantity of school bass with most activity in the early morning. Some worm hatches going on in RI salt ponds.

In Connecticut starting at the Western Long Island Sound at Prestons' Fish Connection: continued improvement in striped bass fishing as the weather warms and the fish continue to spread out and move downriver. High tides and evenings have been best, with shad bodies being the most productive offerings. Norwich Harbor is beginning to produce some larger striped bass. Flounder fishing remains relatively poor throughout the area, and not many reports of blackfish, but from the sounds of things few anglers have been targeting them. Trout fishing continues to be good, with Captain Balint hearing the best reports coming back from the Thames River.

From Hillyer’s Bait & Tackle in Waterford, Lou reports good flounder fishing in the Niantic River, a report that bucks the trend for most of the rest of the immediate area. Blackfishing also is pretty good, but not great. The warmth has improved catches from shore, with a 13-pound fish taken from shore along the Niantic River. School bass continue to be available in the area, and Lou reports more keepers mixed in with the school bass. Bunker have been reported at Millstone Point and in the Thames River.

From Rivers End in Saybrook, good striped bass action in the Housatonic River, in the upper portions of the Connecticut River, and in Norwich Harbor on the Thames River. Herring are reported in all three waterways and larger striped bass are now being taken in each as the big fish take advantage of this new food source. School bass are to be found lower in the rivers. Mark reports good blackfishing on the reefs in the Westbrook area, while flounder fishing has just not been making a showing.

Captain Jerry Morgan at Captain Morgan’s Bait & Tackle in Madison reports intermittent blackfish action all over the area, but the season closes on the last day of April. Winter flounder are making a decent showing in Guilford Harbor and Madison Harbor. Clams are your best bet if you’re looking to target these fish. Striped bass to 40 pounds are now being taken in the Connecticut River as the herring draw in the big fish. The first bluefish of the season (small ones in the 2 -pound range) have just shown up in the Madison area, as well as in Guilford and Clinton waters.

Art at The Bait Shop in Rowayton reports striped bass off the Norwalk Islands, as well as fish, mainly school bass though, from shore. The biggest striped bass are being taken under herring in the upper Housatonic River. Some flounder are being taken in the vicinity of the power plant at Manresa, but the catching is sporadic. No reports of blackfish taken in the area over the past week.

From Fisherman’s World in Norwalk, Rick reports good fishing for flounder around Sprite Island, with fish to 3 pounds being landed. Can 9, south of the power plant, and Calf Pasture Pier have also been producing decent catches of flounder, with the best reports coming from the incoming tide. The Housatonic River is producing good catches of striped bass, though mostly school bass in the lower sections. Bunker are being found in Norwalk Harbor, and in the Saugatuck River, and anglers are doing okay to larger fish on chunk bait. Blackfish action has been okay on local wrecks, with most fish being reported at 5 pounds or less, but there is not much season left for this species. [by Alan Desbonnet, On The Water 4/30/09]

Westport Outfitters, Week of 4/25/09

Eric Johnson reports several factors that show the fishing season progressing right on time: increasing water temps (finally breaking 50 degrees), bunker in Norwalks' Cove Marina and schoolie stripers being caught. This past weekend a report from Little Neck Bay that a keeper striper was caught and bunker in big schools just not sticking too tight, which would indicate no big threats yet.

The mouth of the Housantonic saw several anglers catching stripers using a bucktail and a very slow retrieve. Keep in mind, even though the bass are starting to leave the Housatonic River, they are still a bit lethargic and a slow retrieve on either flies or swim baits fished down deep where the tide is the weakest.

Near the mouth of the Saugatauk River & island small schools of bunker were seen and a striper was caught.

As for flounder & blackfish: local party boat captains that I know and they have confirmed a pretty decent season thus far. The first keeper flounder was caught off of Calf Pasture Beach with a fresh Westport Outfitter sandworm. Sand eels were also seen swimming about.

In all these fishing reports this is the first time I've read of schoolie stripers caught with a GULP sandworm on an offset hook in Fairfield which shows it catches more than just anglers.

FRESHWATER
Westport Outfitters reports good fishing in the Housatonic & Farmington River and recommends using a tandem rig. The Hendrickson hatch is going on and BWOs as well as green bead head caddis larvae are working.

Westport Outfitters have weekly seminars and various fly fishing classes going on. They can be found at 609 Riverside Ave, Westport.

Captain Morgan, Madison 4/29/09

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

DEP Weeking Fishing Report #2 4/23/09

INLAND REPORT: Anglers enjoyed good Opening Day weather and good fishing in many areas last Saturday. Eight of the Trout Parks were also stocked on Opening Day and the many kids present enjoyed helping us stock. DEP’s in-season stocking is underway with nearly 300,000 additional trout scheduled to be stocked between Opening Day and the end of May.

Anglers can expect good fishing at Black Pond (Woodstock), Branford Supply Pond, , Horse Pond, Lake Saltonstall, Mansfield Training Ponds, Norwich Pond, Paine Pond, Rogers Lake, and Saw Mill Pond. Trout Parks should all fish well. Black Rock Pond, Chatfield Hollow State Park, Southford Falls State Park, Stratton Brook State Park, Wharton Brook State Park, Mohegan Park Pond, Valley Falls Park Pond and Great Hollow Pond/Wolfe Park were all stocked on Opening Day and the Day Pond, Chatfield Hollow, Kent Falls, and Natchaug River Trout Parks were all stocked this week.

TROUT
Rivers & streams - Flows are quite fishable in most areas throughout the state, and there are plenty of trout to be caught. Good reports from the West Branch Farmington & Farmington Rivers (including a 28” Seeforellen brown trout), Salmon River, Natchaug River (9 lb brown among the many catches), Mill River (Easton/Fairfield), Scantic River, Mianus River, Saugatuck River (24” brown), Salmon River, Mill River (Hamden; very good), Housatonic River, Wepawaug River, Naugatuck River TMA, Norwalk River, Blackberry River, Yantic River, Shetucket River, Skunkamaug River, Fivemile River, Hammonasset River, Eightmile River (Haddam/Lyme), Hockanum River, Moosup River, Willimantic River TMA, Furnace Brook, Latimer Brook, Bigelow Brook, Leadmine Brook and the Trout Parks at Kent Falls State Park, Stratton Brook State Park (11.5 lb brown trout), Black Rock State Park and Wharton Brook State Park,. Many anglers are having success using earthworms or mealworms & corn.

Farmington River - Water temperatures are in the low 40’s °F. Flows are clear and quite fishable, currently 190 cfs at Riverton plus an additional 290 cfs from the Still River. Successful fly anglers are using Blue Wing Olive (#16-20), Hendricksons (#12-14, afternoon), Blue Quill Duns (#16-18), Winter Caddis (#16-20), Midges (#22-28) and a variety of nymphs. Hare’s Ear (#14-16), Yellow Prince (#14-16), Wooly Buggers and streamers are also producing. Surface activity will increase as temperatures rise.

Housatonic River - Water temperatures are in the high 40’s/low 50’s °F. Flows are clear and fishable (actually somewhat lower than typical spring levels), currently 91,180 cfs at Falls Village and 1,800 cfs at Gaylordsville. Hendrickson (#12-14), Parachute Adams (#12-14), Midges (#20-28) and black/brown stoneflies (#12-14) are the current hatches. Anglers Can Expect Good Fishing in western CT on the West Branch Farmington River TMA, and both TMA’s (Housatonic River TMA, Bulls Bridge TMA) on the Housatonic River.

In Eastern CT, good fishing can be expected at Beaver Brook, Bigelow Brook, Blackledge River, Branford River, Chatfield Hollow Brook, Eight Mile River, Farm River, Fenton River, Hammonasset River (including TMA), Hunts Brook, Indiantown Brook, Jeremey River, Middle River, Mount Hope River, Natchaug River, Raymond Brook, Roaring Brook (Stafford), Salmon River (including TMA), Shetucket River, Still River (Eastford), Susquetonscut Brook, West River, Willimantic River, Yantic River (including TMA).

Lakes & Ponds – Good fishing and some excellent catches were found in many lakes/ponds throughout Connecticut including Colebrook Reservoir, Wononscopomuc Lake, Crystal Lake (Ellington), Mashapaug Lake, Coventry Lake, Cedar Lake, East Twin Lake (6 lb brown), Coventry Lake, Highland Lake, Quonnipaug Lake, Tyler Lake, Bashan Lake, Candlewood Lake, Cedar Lake (5 lb rainbow), Mt. Tom Pond (a beauty of a rainbow trout, just under 13 lbs), Mohawk Pond, West Hill Pond, Walkers Reservoir, and the Trout Parks at Wolfe Park (Great Hollow Pond, 8 lb rainbow), Chatfield Hollow State Park (very good), and Black Rock State Park.

ATLANTIC SALMON catches were reported at Mashapaug Lake (12 lb beauty caught by 10 year old Julia Kelley), Crystal Lake and Beach Pond (several 2-3 lb salmon reported). Broodstock salmon fishing should be especially good at Beach Pond and Mashapaug Lake, the two lakes were each stocked with 200 surplus broodstock salmon in early April.

LARGEMOUTH BASS fishing is generally fair with reports from Aspinook pond (including a 4.8 lb bass), Lake Zoar, Lake Wononskopomuc, Amos Lake, Eagleville Lake, East Twin Lake, Pachaug Pond, Scoville Reservoir, Saugatuck Reservoir, West Hill Pond (good, including a 8 lb bass), Candlewood Lake, Bantam Lake, Highland Lake, Moodus Reservoir and North Farms Reservoir. Powers Lake was slow. Target dark bottom warmer back water coves.

SMALLMOUTH BASS are fishing well with best reports from Lake Lillinonah (including a 5.5 lb smallie) and Candlewood Lake (some 4-5 lb smallies among the catches). Other places to try include Saugatuck Reservoir, Highland Lake, East Twin, Tyler Lake and Squantz Pond.

WALLEYE are being caught at Mashapaug Lake (11.1 lb walleye among the catches), Lake Housatonic, .Lake Saltonstall, Coventry Lake and Squantz Pond (4.5 lb walleye). Target near shore rocky cobble areas with stick baits, Shad Raps and live bait.

CONNECTICUT RIVER:
STRIPED BASS are moving up the river up to Windsor. Schoolie size (14-24”) fish and adults up to 27-28” (lower river) are showing up. Anglers are catching schoolies on a variety of plastic baits on jigs. Sand & blood worms work best in early season stained water. A single report of SHAD indicates that these tasty treats are starting to make their annual trip up the Connecticut. CARP are being caught on homemade bait.

NORTHERN PIKE fishing is good in the Middletown – Haddam Meadows area.

TIPS & TRICKS:
TROUT IN LAKES – Trolling got off to a great start with many big fish being taken. Experienced anglers used stick baits, spinners, rooster tail, flash kings (orange/gold), DB Smelts (blue/silver), streamers & live bait. Lead line, flat line and down rigger presentations were reported as being effective. Fish were found from 0 to 12 feet. Slower boat speeds of 1.5 – 1.9 mph were found to be the best as fish are still sluggish with the colder water temperatures and lower light levels. Bigger fish can typically be found in 45-50ºF water. Lure color can be very important and bright colors (reds, oranges, or yellows) below 40 feet of water usually don’t work. Black and silver work at any depth and should be the go-to colors.

MARINE FISHING REPORT
STRIPED BASS FOR SCHOOLIES: is fair to good along the coastline with tidal rivers being the better spots. Striper locales include the Pawcatuck River, upper Thames River (Norwich Harbor down to Montville), lower Connecticut River from Hamburg Cove down to the DEP Marine Headquarters fishing pier and off the woodlot at Great Island, Housatonic River from Derby down to Devon (the upper river is yielding keeper bass to the mid 30 inch range), Bridgeport Harbor by the power plant warm water discharge (Breezy Point/Seaside Park), and Norwalk Harbor including around the islands.

WINTER FLOUNDER: fishing is on the slow side. Flounder spots include Bluff Point State Park (Poquonock River), Pine Island area in Groton, Niantic Bay including Niantic River, and Norwalk Harbor (Calf Pasture Point).

Water temperatures in Long Island Sound (LIS) are in the low 40’s °F.