Damn, I checked all week..trying to find a good day during the week, before the holiday weekend. Friday looked picture perfect..these things can change by the day so I continued to monitor the weather up until 8 hours before I left this morning at 5am.
Arrive at Waterford and as I drive into the dock road parking lot I see the water..It's concerning because that boat launch is in a cove...and it looked pissed. I knew we had new moon extra tides to deal with, so I brought extra weight and equipment in case poles fouled...well, got out and headed north it and didn't take too long to start seeing some serious swells. I knew it was about 5 hours to high tide and the wind was pushing the waves straight into the boat...and in my face...too much planned ...30 bucks in gas..12 bucks in bait...on and on...I had my inflatable in the garage for a week prior to this with a patch on it..just to make sure..I was confident, but now I was hmmm, not feelin so good....
I did get out to long island sound depths of 90 feet which was my goal to shoot for one last fluke before the season was over...but by the time I arrived, things were too hairy and I was really hoping for the cover of Niantic bay....just as I broke into the bay, I landed a real nice Porgy, fattest one yet and great fight...and several more of his family..that brought my spirits up a bit....the current pulled me back out to Long Island sound quickly even with my mushroom anchor 15lb was a joke....so I was back to getting into the bay......Now the bay was becoming like Long Island sound because high tide was on its way in with swells and crashing waves...I headed for cover but there really was no place to hide....I considered finding a beach somewhere..maybe in front of someones house...but I figured it would pass shortly....waves were crashing out in the bay like they do on the beach.......so I had some crashing on me....not too many but enough to not be happy...the boat was riding up and elevator and dropping..normally I find his comforting, if it is a little bobbing..but this was more.....carnival.....and i sensed something I had no felt in as long as I could remember....I was nauseated.......I drank some water and hoped for a barf...A yakker passed me and I thought maybe it was Carp.....Once high tide was on, the fishing was over..and once high tide was over so was the fishing in my case....though I tried...I did catch something I've not seen before, looked like a sea sucker...
I just took a shower was my rods and hopefully they will not freeze up...I did this last time but one of them got dunked and not even half a can of wd40 helped.
I love coming home feeling like I learned something that makes me look and feel about fishing completely differently...even though today was not relaxing like other trips..with as much bounty.....the fact about the wind really will have me doing a lot more research before I ever leave the house again..
I think I caught a dozen Porgies...kept papa and two others that swallowed the hook...nothing I could do...I let the rest go...I know I hooked onto a couple fluke, but my timing seems to always be off...I foul hook them and lose them...or a shark gets them after the fact....but I now recognize their unmistakable "wobble" during the first few seconds followed by heavy weight....
I'll post some pics later....I wanted to post the swells but it was too dangerous.
Arrive at Waterford and as I drive into the dock road parking lot I see the water..It's concerning because that boat launch is in a cove...and it looked pissed. I knew we had new moon extra tides to deal with, so I brought extra weight and equipment in case poles fouled...well, got out and headed north it and didn't take too long to start seeing some serious swells. I knew it was about 5 hours to high tide and the wind was pushing the waves straight into the boat...and in my face...too much planned ...30 bucks in gas..12 bucks in bait...on and on...I had my inflatable in the garage for a week prior to this with a patch on it..just to make sure..I was confident, but now I was hmmm, not feelin so good....
I did get out to long island sound depths of 90 feet which was my goal to shoot for one last fluke before the season was over...but by the time I arrived, things were too hairy and I was really hoping for the cover of Niantic bay....just as I broke into the bay, I landed a real nice Porgy, fattest one yet and great fight...and several more of his family..that brought my spirits up a bit....the current pulled me back out to Long Island sound quickly even with my mushroom anchor 15lb was a joke....so I was back to getting into the bay......Now the bay was becoming like Long Island sound because high tide was on its way in with swells and crashing waves...I headed for cover but there really was no place to hide....I considered finding a beach somewhere..maybe in front of someones house...but I figured it would pass shortly....waves were crashing out in the bay like they do on the beach.......so I had some crashing on me....not too many but enough to not be happy...the boat was riding up and elevator and dropping..normally I find his comforting, if it is a little bobbing..but this was more.....carnival.....and i sensed something I had no felt in as long as I could remember....I was nauseated.......I drank some water and hoped for a barf...A yakker passed me and I thought maybe it was Carp.....Once high tide was on, the fishing was over..and once high tide was over so was the fishing in my case....though I tried...I did catch something I've not seen before, looked like a sea sucker...
I just took a shower was my rods and hopefully they will not freeze up...I did this last time but one of them got dunked and not even half a can of wd40 helped.
I love coming home feeling like I learned something that makes me look and feel about fishing completely differently...even though today was not relaxing like other trips..with as much bounty.....the fact about the wind really will have me doing a lot more research before I ever leave the house again..
I think I caught a dozen Porgies...kept papa and two others that swallowed the hook...nothing I could do...I let the rest go...I know I hooked onto a couple fluke, but my timing seems to always be off...I foul hook them and lose them...or a shark gets them after the fact....but I now recognize their unmistakable "wobble" during the first few seconds followed by heavy weight....
I'll post some pics later....I wanted to post the swells but it was too dangerous.
10-15 w/ Gust to 20 today on weather underground. 2-3 ft. seas. Starts calming down tomorrow through Monday. I went to Jordan Cove the other week for the first time. SW wind about 10. That launch sucks on a SW wind. You should try some place like 4 Mile River on a day like today. Really sheltered and shallow - great for yaks or your inflatable. It's west of Black Point. You can fish out towards Hatchet's Point.
http://www.lisrc.uconn.edu/coastalaccess/site.asp?siteid=531&maptool=4
http://www.lisrc.uconn.edu/coastalaccess/site.asp?siteid=531&maptool=4
10-15 w/ Gust to 20 today on weather underground. 2-3 ft. seas. Starts calming down tomorrow through Monday. I went to Jordan Cove the other week for the first time. SW wind about 10. That launch sucks on a SW wind. You should try some place like 4 Mile River on a day like today. Really sheltered and shallow - great for yaks or your inflatable. It's west of Black Point. You can fish out towards Hatchet's Point.
http://www.lisrc.uconn.edu/coastalaccess/site.asp?siteid=531&maptool=4
What is being caught thought this time of year...at least with Waterford at the right time, Ive been pretty much guaranteed a meal.
What is being caught thought this time of year...at least with Waterford at the right time, Ive been pretty much guaranteed a meal.
Take a look at the chart below.
http://sailvector.com/2221/Long-Island-Sound-Eastern-Part-Conn-Ny
There are lots of rocks and reefs. N & S Brothers, Blackboys. You can also go up along Hatchets Point. You could catch anything from porgies, black bass to blues, bass and albies. One of my best albies day was here, as schools were just circling the cove chasing bait. As I said, it's good for a SW or S wind as you get protected at the launch where as Jordan's Cove is pretty exposed. I like the launch at Niantic, but hate going through the bridges on weekends. That's not even an option in your boat. If the wind is from the N/NW or E, Jordan's Cove is nice and protected.
Take a look at the chart below.
http://sailvector.com/2221/Long-Island-Sound-Eastern-Part-Conn-Ny
There are lots of rocks and reefs. N & S Brothers, Blackboys. You can also go up along Hatchets Point. You could catch anything from porgies, black bass to blues, bass and albies. One of my best albies day was here, as schools were just circling the cove chasing bait. As I said, it's good for a SW or S wind as you get protected at the launch where as Jordan's Cove is pretty exposed. I like the launch at Niantic, but hate going through the bridges on weekends. That's not even an option in your boat. If the wind is from the N/NW or E, Jordan's Cove is nice and protected.
Nice day out. Loads of blues from 4-10lb. range to snappers on my fly rod. Went from Race Point at dawn, to East Point on Fishers, Stonington and down to Two-Tree and Millstone looking for albies. No luck there 
Wish I could have fished the ocean side of Fishers, as there were birds all over, but I don't run over there. This was by far the most water I've ever covered in the Gemma Rose. Dipped into my second reserve can of gas. Probably burned a whole 6 gallons in 8 hours!
Wish I could have fished the ocean side of Fishers, as there were birds all over, but I don't run over there. This was by far the most water I've ever covered in the Gemma Rose. Dipped into my second reserve can of gas. Probably burned a whole 6 gallons in 8 hours!
"Went from Race Point at dawn, to East Point on Fishers, Stonington and down to Two-Tree and Millstone looking for albies. No luck there Sad Wish I could have fished the ocean side of Fishers, as there were birds all over, but I don't run over there. This was by far the most water I've ever covered in the Gemma Rose"........................................No kidding! 
Nice day out. Loads of blues from 4-10lb. range to snappers on my fly rod. Went from Race Point at dawn, to East Point on Fishers, Stonington and down to Two-Tree and Millstone looking for albies. No luck there
That sounds like you had an awesome time! You'll have to add some pics!