Fishing Column: Enter Greatest Bluefish Tournament now
Martin Armstrong, Correspondent
The 2010 WICC Greatest Bluefish is just a few weeks away and a $25,000 cash prize is awaiting the lucky registered angler who catches the heaviest bluefish during the contest. Last year that honor went to Jason Bagdasarian on Long Island, NY. He won with a 13.92-pound chopper.
Can you beat that? There haven't been many big blues taken so far this year but the chopper season is still young. But remember this, you can't win it if you are not in it.
The top prize is $25,000. Second place is $10,000 and third is with $5,000. Fourth and fifth place is $1,000 each. The next 15 places (6th-20th) are worth $200 each. And, as in the past, there will be a Port Prize of $200 to the heaviest non-winning fish weighed in at each official weigh station.
This year the tournament will be held on the weekend of August 28 and 29. The entry fee is $40 which includes an official tournament t-shirt.
There are new registration deadlines for 2010. For credit card registrations the deadline is August 23 at 5 p.m. Check or money order registrations must be postmarked by August 23. Pay Pal payments via WICC600.com must be received by 5 p.m. August 27. And, registrations made at Official Registration Stations must be completed by 7 p.m. August 27.
You can register by going to WICC600.com or calling 203-366-BLUE. Or you can go to one of the 27 registration centers on both sides of Long Island Sound.
The following bait and tackle shops are the closest to the lower Fairfield County area. They are: Fisherman's World (Weigh Station), Liberty Square. East Norwalk (203) 866-1075; Fish Tales Bait & Tackle (Weigh Station), 379 Shippan Ave., Stamford, (203) 325-4775; Pete's Place Bait & Tackle, 124 Jefferson St., Stamford, (203) 356-9383; Rudy's Tackle Barn (Weigh Station), 242 South Water St., Byram, (203) 531-3168 and Sportsman's Den (Weigh Station); 33 River St., Cos Cob, (203) 869-3234.
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With the WICC Greatest Bluefish Tournament on Earth coming up soon anglers on both sides of the Sound are asking where are the fish?
Every year the same question is asked and every year the answer is the same.
The big choppers are coming.
Frankly with the hot weather we have been experiencing so far this summer I am surprised that chopper fishing isn't better than it is. The surface water temperatures are higher than usual for this time of the year.
At this time, the water temperature at the Norwalk Harbor station is 74.6F. At the Eastern Sound location, off New London, the water is 68.2 F. And, at Compo Beach the water temperature is 69.6F.
There are great temperatures for bluefish. And we know that the breading stock is here at the local creeks and inlets are loaded with snapper (baby) bluefish.
The DEP reports that fishing remains fair to good. Bluefish fishing appears to be better in western Long Island Sound no doubt due to the abundance of bunker (Atlantic menhaden) in many of the harbors and tidal rivers.
The usual fishing spots include the Watch Hill area, Ram Island Reef (Fishers Island Sound), lower Thames River, the Race (by Race Rock and Valiant Rock), outer Bartlett Reef, the Sluiceway, Plum Gut, Pigeon Rip, warm water discharge from Millstone Power Station, the "humps" south of Hatchett Reef, Long Sand Shoal, Cornfield Point, Southwest Reef, Six Mile Reef, Falkner Island area, reefs off Guilford and Branford, New Haven Harbor, buoys #18 and #20 off Bridgeport, Stratford Shoal/Middle Ground, Black Rock Harbor, Penfield Reef, Norwalk Islands, Cable and Anchor Reef, Smith Reef and Stamford and Greenwich Harbors.
Snapper blue fishing is good in the tidal creeks although the fish are still only 4 to 5 inches in length.
Even though last year's winning bluefish was on the small side (13.92-pounds) I would not be surprised if the winning fish this year weighed 16 pounds or more.
Summer flounder fishing season will be ending soon (August 25) and now is a great time to catch a few of these tasty fish.
Fluke fishing reports are about the same but with a lot of shorts being taken.
Good fishing locations include the Sandy Point area in Stonington, Stonington flats south of the breakwaters, Ram Island Reef to Latimer Point and around Seaflower Reef (Fishers Island Sound), south side of Fishers Island, Twotree Island Channel, Niantic River, Black Point, White Sands Beach, Long Sand Shoal, Southwest Reef area, Falkner Island area, off the New Haven breakwaters, off the mouth of the Housatonic River to buoys #18 and 20 off Bridgeport, south of the Norwalk Islands and across to the north shore beaches of Long Island.
On the positive side, black sea bass can be an unexpected bonus while fluking.
The usual spots include the Sandy Point area in Stonington, Stonington flats south of the breakwaters, Ram Island Reef to Latimer Point and around Seaflower Reef (Fishers Island Sound), south side of Fishers Island, lower Thames River, the Niantic River, Black Point, White Sands Beach, Long Sand Shoal, Southwest Reef area, Falkner Island area, off the New Haven breakwaters, off the mouth of the Housatonic River to buoys #18 and 20 off Bridgeport, south of the Norwalk Islands and across to the north shore of Long Island.
Locally, a couple of black sea bass have been taken at the Stamford Cows and Tod's Point.
Martin Armstrong is a member of the Fisheries Advisory Council, a lifetime member in Trout Unlimited and a member of the Outdoors Writers Association.
Martin Armstrong, Correspondent
The 2010 WICC Greatest Bluefish is just a few weeks away and a $25,000 cash prize is awaiting the lucky registered angler who catches the heaviest bluefish during the contest. Last year that honor went to Jason Bagdasarian on Long Island, NY. He won with a 13.92-pound chopper.
Can you beat that? There haven't been many big blues taken so far this year but the chopper season is still young. But remember this, you can't win it if you are not in it.
The top prize is $25,000. Second place is $10,000 and third is with $5,000. Fourth and fifth place is $1,000 each. The next 15 places (6th-20th) are worth $200 each. And, as in the past, there will be a Port Prize of $200 to the heaviest non-winning fish weighed in at each official weigh station.
This year the tournament will be held on the weekend of August 28 and 29. The entry fee is $40 which includes an official tournament t-shirt.
There are new registration deadlines for 2010. For credit card registrations the deadline is August 23 at 5 p.m. Check or money order registrations must be postmarked by August 23. Pay Pal payments via WICC600.com must be received by 5 p.m. August 27. And, registrations made at Official Registration Stations must be completed by 7 p.m. August 27.
You can register by going to WICC600.com or calling 203-366-BLUE. Or you can go to one of the 27 registration centers on both sides of Long Island Sound.
The following bait and tackle shops are the closest to the lower Fairfield County area. They are: Fisherman's World (Weigh Station), Liberty Square. East Norwalk (203) 866-1075; Fish Tales Bait & Tackle (Weigh Station), 379 Shippan Ave., Stamford, (203) 325-4775; Pete's Place Bait & Tackle, 124 Jefferson St., Stamford, (203) 356-9383; Rudy's Tackle Barn (Weigh Station), 242 South Water St., Byram, (203) 531-3168 and Sportsman's Den (Weigh Station); 33 River St., Cos Cob, (203) 869-3234.
• n n
With the WICC Greatest Bluefish Tournament on Earth coming up soon anglers on both sides of the Sound are asking where are the fish?
Every year the same question is asked and every year the answer is the same.
The big choppers are coming.
Frankly with the hot weather we have been experiencing so far this summer I am surprised that chopper fishing isn't better than it is. The surface water temperatures are higher than usual for this time of the year.
At this time, the water temperature at the Norwalk Harbor station is 74.6F. At the Eastern Sound location, off New London, the water is 68.2 F. And, at Compo Beach the water temperature is 69.6F.
There are great temperatures for bluefish. And we know that the breading stock is here at the local creeks and inlets are loaded with snapper (baby) bluefish.
The DEP reports that fishing remains fair to good. Bluefish fishing appears to be better in western Long Island Sound no doubt due to the abundance of bunker (Atlantic menhaden) in many of the harbors and tidal rivers.
The usual fishing spots include the Watch Hill area, Ram Island Reef (Fishers Island Sound), lower Thames River, the Race (by Race Rock and Valiant Rock), outer Bartlett Reef, the Sluiceway, Plum Gut, Pigeon Rip, warm water discharge from Millstone Power Station, the "humps" south of Hatchett Reef, Long Sand Shoal, Cornfield Point, Southwest Reef, Six Mile Reef, Falkner Island area, reefs off Guilford and Branford, New Haven Harbor, buoys #18 and #20 off Bridgeport, Stratford Shoal/Middle Ground, Black Rock Harbor, Penfield Reef, Norwalk Islands, Cable and Anchor Reef, Smith Reef and Stamford and Greenwich Harbors.
Snapper blue fishing is good in the tidal creeks although the fish are still only 4 to 5 inches in length.
Even though last year's winning bluefish was on the small side (13.92-pounds) I would not be surprised if the winning fish this year weighed 16 pounds or more.
Summer flounder fishing season will be ending soon (August 25) and now is a great time to catch a few of these tasty fish.
Fluke fishing reports are about the same but with a lot of shorts being taken.
Good fishing locations include the Sandy Point area in Stonington, Stonington flats south of the breakwaters, Ram Island Reef to Latimer Point and around Seaflower Reef (Fishers Island Sound), south side of Fishers Island, Twotree Island Channel, Niantic River, Black Point, White Sands Beach, Long Sand Shoal, Southwest Reef area, Falkner Island area, off the New Haven breakwaters, off the mouth of the Housatonic River to buoys #18 and 20 off Bridgeport, south of the Norwalk Islands and across to the north shore beaches of Long Island.
On the positive side, black sea bass can be an unexpected bonus while fluking.
The usual spots include the Sandy Point area in Stonington, Stonington flats south of the breakwaters, Ram Island Reef to Latimer Point and around Seaflower Reef (Fishers Island Sound), south side of Fishers Island, lower Thames River, the Niantic River, Black Point, White Sands Beach, Long Sand Shoal, Southwest Reef area, Falkner Island area, off the New Haven breakwaters, off the mouth of the Housatonic River to buoys #18 and 20 off Bridgeport, south of the Norwalk Islands and across to the north shore of Long Island.
Locally, a couple of black sea bass have been taken at the Stamford Cows and Tod's Point.
Martin Armstrong is a member of the Fisheries Advisory Council, a lifetime member in Trout Unlimited and a member of the Outdoors Writers Association.