It's feast or famine on the Sound
Updated: 08/07/2009 12:47:46 AM EDT
"It's been dead and I mean dead," said Jimmy Orifice as he untangled a knot of fat sand worms for a customer at Jimmy O's in Black Rock, "then yesterday it suddenly turned on with six- to-10-poundblues taking poppers off St. Mary's." That comment pretty much sums up the fishing in the first week of August. One day it is as if nothing lives in Long Island Sound and the next trout-sized bluefish are almost jumping into the boat.
SALTWATER
Striped bass -- Any angler who pulls in a bass in daylight can consider himself or herself among the luckier people in Long Island Sound. Even the night bass fishing has slowed, with a few lunkers being taken on chunks at the BH buoy outside Bridgeport Harbor. Boaters using the tube and worm technique will take an occasional striper if their gas holds out. Anglers willing to travel east will find fair bass fishing at the Watch Hill reefs and Fishers Island, the Race, Sluiceway, Pigeon Rip (area south of Plum Island), Plum Gut, outer Bartlett Reef, Hatchett Reef including the humps, Long Sand Shoal, DEP Marine Headquarters fishing pier, and Falkner Island.
Bluefish -- Schools of surface-hitting cocktail-sized blues are still popping up everywhere; great fun on fly and ultra-light tackle. Where more than two terns are seen to hover, chances are they hover over small blues feeding on silversides and peanut bunker. With adult bunker still hard to find so are the bigger blues. The aforementioned St. Mary's action was probably to most consistent of the week, but a few major league choppers were hooked at off the gun club at Stratford Point. Julio Herrera weighed in a 9-pound blue at Stratford Bait & Tackle. Jason at Bobby J's in Milford saw a pod of bunker off Bayview Beach. Some anglers have resorted to towing umbrella rigs to maximize their chances of finding larger bluefish. Last weekend's Interclub tournament yielded mostly eight- and nine-pound fish. Bluefish action above the I-95 bridge in the Housatonic at Caswell's Cover is spotty.
Fluke -- Steady is the word for fluking. The New Haven breakwaters and Stratford Point at the mouth of the Housatonic to the Bridgeport Harbor breakwaters and the Norwalk Islands in 90- to 100- plus feet of water have been yielding some larger fish. But for the most part it is about four shorts to every 19½-inch keeper. Fred Felicci weighed in a 2.20 pound fluke on Jimmy O's scale.
Porgies -- Find hard or even shell bottom and the scup are liable to be hanging about there waiting for a drifted clam or squid strip. The area from Charles Island off Milford to the Housatonic River has seen some good action.
FRESHWATER
Largemouth bass -- Inland Fisheries of the Department of Environmental Protection reports Candlewood Lake, Gardner Lake, Lake Saltonstall, Coventry Lake, Rogers Lake, and Lake Lillinonah (where a 4.8 lb largemouth was landed), are all reporting good Largemouth fishing.
Smallmouth bass -- Saugatuck Reservoir, Lake Lillinonah, the upper section of the Naugatuck River are experiencing good smallie action. Candlewood Lake is yielding many smallmouths in the four- to-five-pound range).
-- CHARLES WALSH
Updated: 08/07/2009 12:47:46 AM EDT
"It's been dead and I mean dead," said Jimmy Orifice as he untangled a knot of fat sand worms for a customer at Jimmy O's in Black Rock, "then yesterday it suddenly turned on with six- to-10-poundblues taking poppers off St. Mary's." That comment pretty much sums up the fishing in the first week of August. One day it is as if nothing lives in Long Island Sound and the next trout-sized bluefish are almost jumping into the boat.
SALTWATER
Striped bass -- Any angler who pulls in a bass in daylight can consider himself or herself among the luckier people in Long Island Sound. Even the night bass fishing has slowed, with a few lunkers being taken on chunks at the BH buoy outside Bridgeport Harbor. Boaters using the tube and worm technique will take an occasional striper if their gas holds out. Anglers willing to travel east will find fair bass fishing at the Watch Hill reefs and Fishers Island, the Race, Sluiceway, Pigeon Rip (area south of Plum Island), Plum Gut, outer Bartlett Reef, Hatchett Reef including the humps, Long Sand Shoal, DEP Marine Headquarters fishing pier, and Falkner Island.
Bluefish -- Schools of surface-hitting cocktail-sized blues are still popping up everywhere; great fun on fly and ultra-light tackle. Where more than two terns are seen to hover, chances are they hover over small blues feeding on silversides and peanut bunker. With adult bunker still hard to find so are the bigger blues. The aforementioned St. Mary's action was probably to most consistent of the week, but a few major league choppers were hooked at off the gun club at Stratford Point. Julio Herrera weighed in a 9-pound blue at Stratford Bait & Tackle. Jason at Bobby J's in Milford saw a pod of bunker off Bayview Beach. Some anglers have resorted to towing umbrella rigs to maximize their chances of finding larger bluefish. Last weekend's Interclub tournament yielded mostly eight- and nine-pound fish. Bluefish action above the I-95 bridge in the Housatonic at Caswell's Cover is spotty.
Fluke -- Steady is the word for fluking. The New Haven breakwaters and Stratford Point at the mouth of the Housatonic to the Bridgeport Harbor breakwaters and the Norwalk Islands in 90- to 100- plus feet of water have been yielding some larger fish. But for the most part it is about four shorts to every 19½-inch keeper. Fred Felicci weighed in a 2.20 pound fluke on Jimmy O's scale.
Porgies -- Find hard or even shell bottom and the scup are liable to be hanging about there waiting for a drifted clam or squid strip. The area from Charles Island off Milford to the Housatonic River has seen some good action.
FRESHWATER
Largemouth bass -- Inland Fisheries of the Department of Environmental Protection reports Candlewood Lake, Gardner Lake, Lake Saltonstall, Coventry Lake, Rogers Lake, and Lake Lillinonah (where a 4.8 lb largemouth was landed), are all reporting good Largemouth fishing.
Smallmouth bass -- Saugatuck Reservoir, Lake Lillinonah, the upper section of the Naugatuck River are experiencing good smallie action. Candlewood Lake is yielding many smallmouths in the four- to-five-pound range).
-- CHARLES WALSH