DEP Weekly report

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[left][/url][url "http://dep.state.ct.us/index.htm"][/url][/left][font "Times New Roman"]Weekly Fishing Report - Week of August 16, 2004 [/font][font "Times New Roman"][#004080]INLAND REPORT [/#004080][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]LARGEMOUTH BASS fishing is reported as good to excellent, although catches were off slightly due to the weather. Areas to try include: Congamond Lakes (5 pound 14 oz.), Lakes Lillinonah, Hayward (29 fish for two fishermen) and Williams, Candlewood Lake, Mashapaug Lake, Ashland, Long, Dog, Mudge (2.25 pound), West Side and Halls (4 pound) Ponds, and Moodus Reservoir (many bass up to 4 pounds reported from Lower Moodus and a 3.2 lb catch in Upper Moodus).[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]SMALLMOUTH BASS are reported at Lake Lillinonah (3.6 pound), Candlewood (4.5 pound), Gardner Lake, Highland Lake, and the Quinebaug (very good), Shetucket, Willimantic (very good) and Housatonic (excellent) Rivers.[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]TROUT [/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]Rivers & streams – Trout fishing slowed this last week due to the weather. Anglers are advised to move their efforts more toward terrestrial fly patterns. The Farmington River is in the upper 50’s to low 60’s°F with 190 cfs (above Riverton) of slightly stained flows. Insect hatches have been stable and unchanging over the past several weeks. Needhami (#24-26, early morning - For more information on using the Needhami, see the [url "http://dep.state.ct.us/burnatr/fishing/weekly/needhami.pdf"]Needhami Tips and Tricks[/url] - PDF, 54K), Isonychia (#12-14, fast water, evening), Blue Wing Olives (#16-20, mid-late afternoon), Sulphur duns (#18-20, still in Riverton area only due to low temperatures, mornings; afternoon to early evening for spinners), Caddis (tan #14-18, all day; green #22-26, evening; summer pupa #18-20 morning), midges (#22-32, morning), black ants (#14-20, mid day in fast water), black beetles (#16-18, mid day), flying ants (#18-22, mid day, when windy/humid), Stone Hopper (#8-12, mid day) and Golden Drake (Potomanthus, #10-14, late evening) are successful patterns. Evening brings out every bug on the water. The Housatonic River is 66°F with 1100 cfs of off color flows. The White Fly is still taking many fish. Use a White Wolf (#10-12). Other insect hatches include: Sulphurs (#14-16, evening), Blue Wing Olives (#18-22, early morning; spinner fall in evening), Isonychia (#12-14 evening), Light Cahill (#12-16, evening), and Black caddis (#16-18, early morning & evening). Midges and stoneflies are located at the mouths of streams. Golden stonefly nymphs hatch at first light and adults egg-lay after dark. Try Black/Cinnamon Ants (#18-22, mid day in fast water), Black Beetles (#14-18, mid day), Stone Hopper (#8-10, mid day) and Flying Ants (#18-22, mid day, when windy/humid). Don’t forget streamers (morning & evening). Patterns to try include: White Zonkers, Wooly Buggers, Muddlers, Micky Finn, Grey or Black Ghosts (#4-10). With ‘Run-of-the-River’ flows in effect anglers will find as early as this fall that fish will be concentrated closer to the bottom, edges of the river, shallower water and the riffles as the they adjust to the new environment. Using nymphs, weighted wet flies and large dry flies will be the way to fish. Areas of best trout fishing include: Farmington (19.75” brown), Pomperaug (15” brookie), Fenton (12 fish) and Housatonic Rivers. Anglers continue to report good catch-and-release fishing around dusk in Wild Trout Streams such as the Tankerhoosen River and Merrick Brook.[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]Lakes & Ponds – Some lakes are still producing good trout fishing. Areas of activity include: Crystal (Ellington), East Twin, Highland (very good) Lakes, Beach Pond and Colebrook Reservoir.[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]NORTHERN PIKE fishing has declined slightly due to cooler water which disperses these fish. Fishing is reported to be good in Mansfield Hollow Reservoir (near the rivers), Bantam Lake (37”), Winchester (34” on minnows) Lake, Hopeville Pond and Pachaug Pond. Anglers are finding KOKANEE in West Hill Pond on corn and grubs at night. Some WALLEYE are being reported from Lake Housatonic (18.75”), Gardner Lake, Saugatuck Reservoir and Squantz Pond (5 & 6 pounders trolling in the evening). CHAIN PICKEREL are being reported from Congamond Lakes and Silver Lake (Meriden). CALICO BASS action is reported in Highland, Nod Brook, Silver (Meriden) and Oxoboxo Lakes, Park Pond and Pachaug Pond. SUNFISH are providing excellent summertime action. Areas to try include: Crescent Pond, and Billings, Crystal (Ellington) and Mamanasco Lakes. Good YELLOW PERCH fishing reported from Mudge Pond, Crescent (12”) Pond, Red Cedar Lake and Tyler Lake.[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]Connecticut River – STRIPED BASS action remains good in the lower river on bait. NORTHERN PIKE fishing is very good in the coves and in the mainstem downstream from Hartford to Haddam and near Haddam Meadows. LARGEMOUTH BASS are being taken in the coves from Hartford to Middletown and in the lower river. SMALLMOUTH BASSare being caught in the north of the river (Enfield area & near the mouth of the Farmington River). CATFISH are available to anglers on cut bait (chunking) in the deeper holes of the river. Try just north of Hartford downstream to the Haddam area.[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][#ff0000]Boating Access Notes: [/#ff0000]The Boating Division also cautions boaters when using the Great Island launch in Old Lyme at low tide. Due to storm activity, access to the Sound from this launch is severely restricted during low tide.[/font] [font "Times New Roman"][#004080]MARINE REPORT[/#004080][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]The water temperature remains in the mid 60’s to low 70’s °F. Check out the following web site for more detailed water temperatures:
[url "http://marine.rutgers.edu/mrs/sat_data/?nothumbs=1"]http://marine.rutgers.edu/...sat_data/?nothumbs=1[/url] [/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]Also remember to check [url "http://dep.state.ct.us/burnatr/fishing/fishinfo/anguide.pdf#page=48&zoom=100"]page 48[/url] in the [url "http://dep.state.ct.us/burnatr/fishing/fishinfo/angler.htm"]2004 Angler’s Guide[/url] for tidal information and [url "http://dep.state.ct.us/burnatr/fishing/fishinfo/anguide.pdf#page=46&zoom=100"]page 46[/url] for saltwater trophy fish award info.[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]STRIPED BASS - Fishing for striped bass is excellent! Live-lining bunker, hickory shad, scup, snapper blues, and eels or trolling the tube and worm combo have yielded big cow bass in excess of 50 pounds. Any of the reefs, wrecks, and rips in LIS are worth trying even during daylight. The usual striper spots include the reefs off Watch Hill, Ram Island Reef, south shore of Fishers Island, the Race (Valiant Rock), the Sluiceway (area between Plum Island and Great Gull Island), the hump south of Bartlett Reef, Black Point, the humps south of Hatchett Reef, Long Sand Shoal, Cornfield Point, between the Baldwin Bridge (I-95) and the Amtrak RR Bridge (Connecticut River), Southwest Reef, Sixmile Reef, the reefs off Branford, Stratford Shoal/Middle Ground area, the reefs around the Norwalk Islands, and the Cows off Stamford.[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]BLUEFISH fishing is rated excellent throughout LIS. The reefs off Watch Hill, Ram Island Reef, the Race (which is red hot!), Millstone warm water discharge, lower Connecticut River (between the Baldwin Bridge (I-95) and the Amtrak RR Bridge), Long Sand Shoal, Sixmile Reef, Cornfield Point, Falkner Island area (North Rip), New Haven Harbor, Charles Island area, Penfield Reef, Norwalk Islands, and the reefs off Stamford. Alligator Blues, Choppers in the 36 inches range have been reported! SNAPPER BLUEFISH is also red hot in the tidal rivers and creeks. Fish range in size from 4-8 inches. Try fishing around an hour or two after slack high tide.[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]SUMMER FLOUNDER fishing is a little picky but you never know when a doormat may come a calling! Try fishing in deeper water (40+ ft.) with a live snapper on three-way or slip sinker rig. The usual fluke spots include the south side of Fishers Island (Isabella Beach), mouth of the Mystic River to Groton Long Point, the hump south of Bartlett Reef, Black Point, lower Connecticut River, Long Sand Shoal, Duck Island area, the Falkner Island area, New Haven Harbor including the outer breakwater area, and the Charles Island area.[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]TAUTOG (BLACKFISH) fishing is just fair to good at the reefs in Fishers Island Sound, Bartlett Reef, Hatchett Reef, Crane Reef, Southwest Reef, Kimberly Reef, the reefs off Branford, New Haven Harbor Breakwaters and oyster grounds, Charles Island area, Stratford Shoal/Middle Ground, and the Norwalk Islands. Reef Bullies prefer hermit, green and Japanese shore crabs.[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]SCUP fishing is good to excellent at all the major rocky reefs and wrecks throughout LIS with “Reef Slammers” reported up to 18 inches in length! Hooks baited with small squid strips on three-way bottom rigs or fish-finder/slip sinker rigs on light tackle work well and is fun for persons of all ages.[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]HICKORY SHAD fishing is fair to good in the Niantic River but is spotty in the lower Connecticut River and Mystic River.[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]BONITO and LITTLE TUNNY fishing is hit or miss but should become more consistent as the season progresses. Torpedo spots include the Dock Road, Pleasure Beach, Pine Island area (Groton), the Race, the Millstone Point area and the Stratford Shoal/Middle Ground area.[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]BLUE CRAB crabbing is definitely worth mentioning with reports of 15 crabs taken in a couple of hours by one crabber fishing in the Blackhall and Lieutenant Rivers over the weekend. Jimmies (large males) up to 8 ½ inches have been caught. Chicken parts tied to trot lines, and of a course a scoop net are all you need to catch these tasty critters![/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][#009900]Interested in participating in the [url "http://dep.state.ct.us/burnatr/fishing/fishinfo/anguide.pdf#page=44&zoom=100"]Volunteer Marine Angler Survey[/url]? Please see [url "http://dep.state.ct.us/burnatr/fishing/fishinfo/anguide.pdf#page=44&zoom=100"]page 44[/url] of the 2004 CT Angler’s Guide for contact information. Your participation is critical to effective fisheries management of your marine fishery resources. Thank you.[/#009900][/font]
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