MARINE FISHING REPORT
Water temperatures in Long Island Sound (LIS) are in the high 50’s to low 60’s °F. Check out the following web sites for more detailed water temperatures and marine boating conditions:
http://www.mysound.uconn.edu/stationstat.html
http://marine.rutgers.edu/mrs/sat_data/?nothumbs=1
http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/
http://www.wunderground.com/MAR/AN/330.html
Remember to check the 2009 Connecticut Angler’s Guide for tidal information (page 52) and pages 49-51 for saltwater trophy fish award information.
STRIPED BASS
fishing is sporadic but some cows have been taken by savvy anglers using live critters (bunker, eels, hickory shad, and scup) or chunk baits on three way or slider/fish finder rigs. Over this past week a 30 lbs (44 inch) striped bass was caught by an angler fishing off the DEP Marine Headquarters fishing pier on the Connecticut River. The Watch Hill reefs, the Race, Sluiceway, Plum Gut, outer Bartlett Reef, Millstone Point (power plant warm water discharge), Hatchett Reef, Long Sand Shoal, Cornfield Point, Southwest Reef, Falkner Island area, New Haven Harbor (Sandy Point), Bridgeport Harbor, the Norwalk Islands and the reefs off Stamford and Greenwich are other striper haunts.
BLUEFISH
fishing remains fair to good at the Reefs off Watch Hill, the Race, Millstone Point (warm water outflow), Plum Gut, New Haven Harbor, Charles Island area, Bridgeport Harbor, Norwalk Islands, Stratford Shoal/Middle Ground area, and the reefs off Greenwich and Stamford. Most fish are in the 4-6 lbs range but 10+ lbs choppers also have been landed. Snapper blues have showed up early in LIS but are about 3 inches in length.
Special notice to saltwater anglers concerning the marine waters fishing license:
Public Act 09-173, the legislation that includes a saltwater recreational fishing license requirement, was signed into law on July 1st. A marine waters fishing license is now required for fishing in the Marine District (this includes Long Island Sound and tidal rivers south of the freshwater demarcation lines as listed on page 46 of the 2009 Connecticut Angler’s Guide).
Environmental Conservation Police will be checking for licenses and will be initially focusing their efforts on education and outreach. Saltwater anglers need to purchase their license as soon as possible.
The new licenses are available online (www.ct.gov/dep/fishing) and at all current vendors and DEP offices where the existing freshwater fishing and hunting licenses are sold. Please refer to the DEP website for additional information.
HICKORY SHAD fishing is fair at best. Lower Niantic River remains your best bet.
SCUP
fishing is also just fair to good with better fishing in eastern LIS. Some reefs have been red hot where others are lame. Shore anglers have been scoring well at Hammonasset Beach State Park off Mieg’s Point jetty.
SUMMER FLOUNDER (fluke)
fishing is good off the Stonington breakwaters, Mystic River to Groton Long Point, Niantic Bay area including the river, Black Point, Hatchett Point area, lower Connecticut River on the flood tide, Long Sand Shoal, off Hammonasset Beach State Park, New Haven Harbor, Stratford Point to Bridgeport Harbor breakwaters and off the Norwalk Islands.
TAUTOG (blackfish) fishing season reopened July 1 and the daily creel limit is 2 fish per person.
Water temps are still on the cool side so these bruisers can be found in shallow water along breakwaters and other rocky reefs and structure.
For regulation updates, please check our website
www.ct.gov/dep/fishing.
Water temperatures in Long Island Sound (LIS) are in the high 50’s to low 60’s °F. Check out the following web sites for more detailed water temperatures and marine boating conditions:
http://www.mysound.uconn.edu/stationstat.html
http://marine.rutgers.edu/mrs/sat_data/?nothumbs=1
http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/
http://www.wunderground.com/MAR/AN/330.html
Remember to check the 2009 Connecticut Angler’s Guide for tidal information (page 52) and pages 49-51 for saltwater trophy fish award information.
STRIPED BASS
fishing is sporadic but some cows have been taken by savvy anglers using live critters (bunker, eels, hickory shad, and scup) or chunk baits on three way or slider/fish finder rigs. Over this past week a 30 lbs (44 inch) striped bass was caught by an angler fishing off the DEP Marine Headquarters fishing pier on the Connecticut River. The Watch Hill reefs, the Race, Sluiceway, Plum Gut, outer Bartlett Reef, Millstone Point (power plant warm water discharge), Hatchett Reef, Long Sand Shoal, Cornfield Point, Southwest Reef, Falkner Island area, New Haven Harbor (Sandy Point), Bridgeport Harbor, the Norwalk Islands and the reefs off Stamford and Greenwich are other striper haunts.
BLUEFISH
fishing remains fair to good at the Reefs off Watch Hill, the Race, Millstone Point (warm water outflow), Plum Gut, New Haven Harbor, Charles Island area, Bridgeport Harbor, Norwalk Islands, Stratford Shoal/Middle Ground area, and the reefs off Greenwich and Stamford. Most fish are in the 4-6 lbs range but 10+ lbs choppers also have been landed. Snapper blues have showed up early in LIS but are about 3 inches in length.
Special notice to saltwater anglers concerning the marine waters fishing license:
Public Act 09-173, the legislation that includes a saltwater recreational fishing license requirement, was signed into law on July 1st. A marine waters fishing license is now required for fishing in the Marine District (this includes Long Island Sound and tidal rivers south of the freshwater demarcation lines as listed on page 46 of the 2009 Connecticut Angler’s Guide).
Environmental Conservation Police will be checking for licenses and will be initially focusing their efforts on education and outreach. Saltwater anglers need to purchase their license as soon as possible.
The new licenses are available online (www.ct.gov/dep/fishing) and at all current vendors and DEP offices where the existing freshwater fishing and hunting licenses are sold. Please refer to the DEP website for additional information.
HICKORY SHAD fishing is fair at best. Lower Niantic River remains your best bet.
SCUP
fishing is also just fair to good with better fishing in eastern LIS. Some reefs have been red hot where others are lame. Shore anglers have been scoring well at Hammonasset Beach State Park off Mieg’s Point jetty.
SUMMER FLOUNDER (fluke)
fishing is good off the Stonington breakwaters, Mystic River to Groton Long Point, Niantic Bay area including the river, Black Point, Hatchett Point area, lower Connecticut River on the flood tide, Long Sand Shoal, off Hammonasset Beach State Park, New Haven Harbor, Stratford Point to Bridgeport Harbor breakwaters and off the Norwalk Islands.
TAUTOG (blackfish) fishing season reopened July 1 and the daily creel limit is 2 fish per person.
Water temps are still on the cool side so these bruisers can be found in shallow water along breakwaters and other rocky reefs and structure.
For regulation updates, please check our website
www.ct.gov/dep/fishing.