Connecticut Fishing Tips and News

Dazed Giant Squid Wash Up On California Beach After Earthquake

2009-07-14T22:53:00.001-04:00

Whoops! Saltwater licenses sold before Gov signed bill

2009-06-19T18:44:00.001-04:00

State environmental officials have stopped selling new saltwater fishing licenses, after realizing the bill creating them still awaits the governor's signature.

State lawmakers approved the bill on June 3 and the Department of Environmental Protection began selling the "marine waters fishing licenses" for $10 apiece two days later.

Officials say the DEP sold about 2,800 of the licenses before discovering its error and shutting down the sales. The DEP will wait to see if Gov. M. Jodi Rell signs the bill before issuing refunds, if needed.

The governor's office is not saying whether she'll sign the bill, which would require an estimated 100,000 people to get annual licenses to fish in Long Island Sound.

A DEP spokesman says staff members made a mistake, but had good intentions.

CT Tightens Laws on Drunken Boating

2009-06-19T18:38:00.000-04:00

Penalties for drunken boaters who cause a death are being boosted in Connecticut to mirror those faced by intoxicated motor vehicle drivers.

The state House of Representatives voted unanimously Friday for the tougher law, previously approved by the Senate. Gov. M. Jodi Rell pushed for the change and is expected to sign the bill, which would take effect July 1.

Currently, intoxicated boaters who cause someone's death can be charged with reckless operation of a vessel, a crime with fines up to $5,000 and up to two years in prison.

The new measure would let authorities charge those people with manslaughter with a vessel, making it a felony similar to motor vehicle law. Penalties include fines up to $10,000, up to 10 years in prison, or both.

Maine Cancels Salmon Season

2009-06-13T18:06:00.003-04:00

Maine officials canceled the month long fishing season for Atlantic salmon (May 22 to June 22) in the latest possible sign of escalating tension between the state and the federal government over the imperiled fish.

The sudden reversal came after federal regulators met with Gov. John Baldacci and the Atlantic Salmon Commission last week to discuss the pending decision about whether Maine salmon will be added to the endangered species list. During that meeting, representatives from the National Marine Fisheries Service apparently reiterated their strong opposition to a catch-and-release season for Atlantic salmon on the Penobscot River.

Federal officials are expected to announce in the coming weeks whether salmon in three of Maine’s largest rivers — the Penobscot, the Kennebec and the Androscoggin — will be protected under the Endangered Species Act. The Penobscot River is the only U.S. waterway that still sees a sizeable run of spawning Atlantic salmon. But more than 90 percent of the returning fish can be traced to two federal fish hatcheries, and the 1,000 or so fish that typically return to the river annually are a fraction of historic runs.

Friday (May 22, 2009) would have been only the second “opening day” for spring salmon fishing on the Penobscot in a decade. The state held an identical catch-and-release season last spring, again over the vocal objections of federal officials. While fewer than 200 fishermen participated last spring — resulting in a financial loss for the state — the commission and DMR staff said the season proved that the state could run a carefully monitored fishery without harming the population. Anglers were restricted to using single-pointed, barbless flies and were required to re-lease all fish immediately.

Saltwater Fishing Fans Will Soon Pay the Price

2009-06-12T19:07:00.002-04:00

Gov. Rell is expected to sign into law requring saltwater anglers to have a license. The only question that remains at this point is where the money will go.

Revenues from the licenses projected at about $1 million per year - will go to a DEP environmental conservation fund. That could change, however, depending on what's in the state budget once it's adopted. Rell's proposed budget calls for all DEP revenues to go into the general fund, which would include the license fees.
State Rep. Edward Moukawsher, D-Groton, who opposes the new fee wrote a letter to U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, asking for an investigation of new federal laws that prompted the state to impose the new license. State officials and others who supported the bill said the state license made sense as a way to keep revenues in the state rather than let them go to the federal government. Without a state license, anglers would be required to sign on to a national registry and pay federal fees to catch certain types of fish.

If the money goes into a general fund - they might as well rename it - Saltwater Fishing Tax To Help Pay For Things Connecticut Can't Afford.

Fisherman Reels in Live Military Missile

2009-06-09T16:21:00.001-04:00

He caught the fish, I mean 8' missile, while long lining in the Gulf of Mexico, 50 miles off Panama Beach. He thought it had already been detonated and wanted to keep it as a souvenir, so he tied it up to his fishing boat, the "Bold Venture". "For two days, I had lightning striking all over my boat and I had that on my roof," Salomon said. "Nothing happened."

The Case for the Saltwater Fishing License

2009-06-04T22:52:00.002-04:00

Bob Sampson makes the case for why Connecticut anglers need to support the saltwater fishing license. My understanding is a saltwater fishing fee or license is coming and it's only a matter of who get's that money - Connecticut or the Feds. Read Bob's article on this important matter.

600ft Jellyfish Crop Circle

2009-06-04T16:57:00.004-04:00

Apparently July to August is crop circle season in Britain. "I imagine this will not be the last one we will see this summer and it has already been a busy summer for spotting them as they are well ahead of schedule. In past years the crop circle season has typically run from July to August but already four have been found in barley fields stretching from Wiltshire to Oxfordshire this year.

Where'd they come from? 'Croppies' (crop circle theorists) believe the patterns are created by UFOs or by natural phenomena such as unusual forms of lightning striking the earth.

Watch out: "People believe they will increase in frequency up to 2012 where there will be some kind of cataclysmic world event."

Striped Bass & Bluefish Comsumption Alert

2009-06-04T11:36:00.002-04:00

The Connecticut Department of Public Health is issuing renewed warnings that young children, and women who are pregnant, nursing or of childbearing age, should not eat two types of fish.
Authorities in Connecticut and six other East Coast states — Maine, New Hamsphire, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland. — released coordinated warnings about the striped bass and large bluefish over 25 inches from their local waters. In Connecticut , both are commonly caught in Long Island Sound.

The fish contain polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, at levels that are of potential concern to the general public, according to the Connecticut Department of Public Health. PCBs can affect the endocrine system and brain development and can cause cancer in animals.

Wednesday's advisory reflected new data indicating that PCB levels have dropped. In the past few years, the state health department has recommended that the general public eat large bluefish and striped bass only once every two months, rather than every month as advised this year.

Children under 6 and women who are nursing, pregnant or of childbearing age are considered at higher risk and should not eat the fish at all. Everyone else should eat no more than one meal of the fish per month, according to the state health department.

The seven states released their advisories together so travelers would know to be cautious about the fish in all of the affected states, since the fish tend to move between states. "The species are migratory and many of the fish that are in Connecticut today could be in New Jersey in the fall," said Brian Toal, an epidemiologist with the state health department.

PCBs, which were used as coolants and lubricants in electrical equipment, have not been used in U.S. manufacturing for more than 30 years, but they exist in the ocean off the East Coast from past use, when they leaked into storm sewers and made their way into rivers and the ocean. Larger, predatory fish tend to accumulate higher levels of PCBs from eating smaller fish that have PCBs in them.

The health department is urging people to continue eating fish for their health benefits, such as omega 3 fatty acids. Other commonly eaten fish from Long Island Sound, including blackfish, winter flounder, fluke and scup, are low in PCBs and other contaminants.

$10 Saltwater Fishing License Coming Soon

2009-05-30T17:23:00.002-04:00

Oh great: Connecticut's House of Representatives has overwhelmingly approved a bill requiring saltwater licenses as of June 15. The proposal is before the state Senate.

Why?: The licensing program is intended to keep pace with federal law aka Because they said so that's why!

Read More: Bill Sets Fee for Saltwater Fishing and Saltwater Fishing license soon to be required.

Fishing Column - Conn Post 5/23/09

2009-05-23T22:18:00.002-04:00

Fishing column by Charles Walsh

The air temperature was running high, but the TMA area of the Housatonic River above the covered bridge in Cornwall was running low. It felt like a day better suited for sipping beer than for casting for smallmouth bass in a river that was no deeper than two feet in any given spot.

I reared back with my ultra-light spinning rod and chucked a small, yellow Rapala toward what looked like a deeper hole three-quarters of the way across the river. The lure landed far from its target but with one turn of the reel handle the water exploded like the lure had hit a submerged mine. Out of the spray shot a foot-long silver fish that, even from so far away, looked to be more angry than scared.

Smallmouth on! For the next two hours I forgot about the oppressive heat as smallie after smallie blasted my lures.

Hard to believe that it's been almost a month and a half since Opening Day of trout season in Connecticut. Hooking a nice fat brown or rainbow never gets really old, but by now many freshwater anglers are ready for a change of pace.

Our suggestion is to grab that ultra-light spinning outfit or fly rod and try for some of the aforementioned smallmouth or largemouth bass.

In streams and rivers largemouth bass tend to lie up on shallow rocks or just inside the weed lines. More often than not the fish are found in less than five feet of water. Smallmouth, on the other hand, can often be found hanging out above deeper weed edges.

Dropshotting is a particularly effective system for catching both largemouth and smallmouth in Connecticut's weedy lakes.

The dropshot rig uses a tear-shaped sinker suspended 12 to 18 inches below a hook that has been attached to the line using a Palomar knot that keeps it at a 90-degree angle to the main line, its point facing up. A three-inch soft plastic lure like a Bass Assassin shad is threaded on the hook through the nose so that it also hangs at a 90 degree angle to the line.

Stick baits also work well, while Texas-rigged soft plastic lures will do the job, too.

Spinner baits and crank baits are effective on both species. Lately, hooks tipped with three-inch Gulp minnows or grubs in black or natural colors have been doing well.

Male largemouths are stay-at-home dads building their nests at this time of year while the ladies cool their fins. Bass spawn when the water temperature is between 62 to 68 degrees, When the water temperature reaches 65 degrees the bass' metabolism speeds up as does their feeding pace. But bass don't spawn at the same time. The fish at the southern end of a lake or pond usually bed and spawn first.

Unlike trout, there is no need for state-run hatcheries and stocking programs - these fish maintain their own hatchery system.

In Connecticut the season for largemouth and smallmouth bass is open year round with a six-fish limit for both species. (Be a sport, return all fish to the water.) Bass caught in lakes and ponds or in the Connecticut River must be 12 inches long to be kept. Fish taken in rivers and streams can be any length.

Match the lure to the bait that is around. Jerk baits, white spinner baits with chartreuse blades, small, shallow diving crank baits, and spider jigs are killers now.

If you just can't get off the trout bandwagon the DEP says spoons, either Mooselooks in silver or a 4-inch flutter spoon in silver,, have worked well.

When fishing a Flutter spoon make a long cast and let the spoon fall on slack line. Slack line gives the bait its distinctive dying shad fluttering action. Once the bait hits bottom reel up your slack, holding your rod at the 9 o'clock position. Raise your rod to the 12 o'clock or even 1 o'clock position, pulling the spoon well up off the bottom. Some days the fish will hit the spoon when it is raised briskly. Other days a slow steady lift works better. [Charles Walsh, Connecticut Post]

Porgy (Scup) Facts

2009-05-22T18:31:00.007-04:00

Scup and black sea bass hovering around a reef ledge.

Scup undertake extensive migrations between coastal waters in summer and offshore waters in winter.
Scup migrate north and inshore to spawn in spring, with larger scup (age 2 and older) tending to arrive in spring first, followed by smaller scup.
Larger scup are found during the summer near the mouth of larger bays and in the ocean within 20-fathoms, and often inhabit rough bottom areas.
Smaller scup are more likely to be found in shallow, smooth bottom areas of bays during summer.
Scup migrate south and offshore in autumn as the water temperature decreases, arriving in offshore wintering areas by December.
Spawning occurs from May through August and peaks in June.
About 50% of age-2 scup are sexually mature (about 17 cm total length), while nearly all scup of age 3 and older are mature.
Scup reach a maximum fork length of at least 41 cm and a maximum age of at least 14 years, with a likely maximum of 20 years.

Greenwich weighs sale Steambot Rd Pier & Lot

2009-05-19T23:09:00.002-04:00

A popular fishing spot located at the end of Steamboat Road in Greenwich CT is at danger of becoming private. A pair of suitors have expressed interest in buying the small lot and pier from Greenwich. First Selectman Peter Tesei said selling the property could reduce public access to the waterfront in Greenwich, where most of the shoreline is dominated by multimillion-dollar mansions or town parks that charge admission. "We may not want to sell it," Tesei said. "I think that's a public policy issue that needs to be considered. Waterfront access is certainly important."

Native Plants return in Stamford's Mill River Restoration

2009-05-19T23:04:00.005-04:00

If a river herring had tried to swim up Mill River to spawn last spring, it likely would have been thwarted by a hulking concrete block beneath the Pulaski Street bridge -- a remnant of a dam dating to the 1800s. Today, the herring instead would encounter a riverbed engineered to encourage its life cycle. Part of the ongoing $7.9 million Mill River restoration project creating a 26 acre park & 3 mile greenway stretching from Scalzi Park to Long Island Soound.

Menhaden more critical than people think

2009-05-19T23:04:00.003-04:00

Bob Sampson in the Norwich Bulletin writes about the growing imbalance between predator & prey in our coastal ecosystems.

Because menhaden were not there in sufficient numbers to support the huge population of striped bass that was created back in the 1980s, every other possible source of prey has been devoured by this aggressive, omnivorous predator. The result is an imbalance balance between predator and prey in our coastal ecosystems.... While menhaden were functionally missing from the food chain, striped bass (along with bluefish and other predatory species) may have literally eaten once-large populations of river herring, American shad and contributed to the demise of winter flounder, fluke and other species through predation around the edges.

After 10 years, Oyster-ing returns to Greenwich

2009-05-18T23:02:00.004-04:00

From March 1, 2009 until the seasonal closing of the recreational Shellfish Beds at Greenwich Point, in early May 2009 (or as posted), the ban on taking oysters has been lifted and the taking of oysters is permitted.

Experience the Sound

2009-05-11T21:24:00.000-04:00

The Greenwich Shellfish Commission welcomes you with friends and family to "Experience the Sound" from 1:00pm - 4:00pm. Tour the Sound Waters Schooner and learn about its educational voyages in local waters. Visit the Atlantic Clam Farms Shellfish boat and discover how it collects clams from Long Island waters. Learn about scuba diving opportunities and talk with fishing experts from Sportsman's Den.

Herring Run in Weymouth

2009-05-11T17:04:00.003-04:00

Every year between April and June about 250,000 herring pass through Weymouth. The fish travel from the Atlantic Ocean and make their way to ponds via various streams including: Weymouth, Pembroke, Braintree and Plymouth.

The herring “run” through the start of June in several local places, including Thomas Reading Memorial Herring Run Park on Route 14 in Pembroke, Town Brook behind the Jenney Grist Mill on Spring Lane in Plymouth, and at the intersection of Water and Commercial streets in East Weymouth. The fish typically are most active – and most likely to jump – between 11 a.m. and noon.

The Calamari Causeway - Fishing for Squid

2009-05-08T23:09:00.001-04:00

Squid fishing on the causeway to Goat Island:

Stop the increase of ethanol to 15%

2009-05-08T11:56:00.002-04:00

Boaters Need To Comment Before May 21st: Strong pro-ethanol advocates are pushing the Obama Administration and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to increase ethanol levels in gasoline to 15% (E15). As you may have read in BoatUS Magazine, ethanol at the currently allowed 10% (E10) level has been shown to cause significant problems for some marine engines and boat fuel systems.

Click Here To read the BoatUS Article - A Serious Problem, A Corny Solution

Click Here To send comments (due before May 21) directly to EPA!

Free KFC Meal -download coupon today!

2009-05-06T16:36:00.003-04:00

Update: Promotion is over. I hope y'all had better luck printing it then I did.

Kentucky Fried Chicken is giving out coupons for a free Kentucky Grilled Chicken Meal (2 pieces, 2 sides & biscuit). You have to print it out today by 11pm. It's good until 5/19/09.

Stimulus Money Set for Long Beach West Cottages Demolition

2009-04-30T22:49:00.003-04:00

Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro announced $909,000 for the Barrier Beach Restoration on Long Beach West through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (aka Stiumulus money). This funding will allow for the demolition and clean-up of the 41 abandoned cottages on Long Beach West.

According to the press release this project meets one of the criteria for stimulus money: it will generate the largest number of jobs in the shortest period of time.

How many new jobs will this create? When will these new jobs be created? A worthy project but will it help a high value employer like CIGNA rehire the 1000 employees who recently got laid off?

Rell Seeks $12.6 mil Stimuls for Coastal Restoration & Marine Improvements

2009-04-30T16:14:00.002-04:00

$12.6 million dollars would be going to these four projects:

Removal of the Springborn Dam on the Scantic River in Enfield
Construction of a fish passage at the Tingue Dam on the Naugatuck River in Seymour
Construction of a fish passage at the Rainbow Dam on the Farmington River in Windsor
Restoration of tidal wetlands along the lower Connecticut River in the towns of Chester, East Haddam, Essex, Haddam, Lyme, Old Lyme and Old Saybrook

According to Rell these projects "will create jobs for engineers, construction workers and others".

While these projects may be worthy and needed is this really the best way to stimulate CT's economy? How many NEW jobs will be created? When will they be created? With more than 600,000 people losing their jobs every month is this the best way to spend our money? Will these projects hire the thousands of CT workers who have or will lose their jobs because of the cancellation of the F-22 & presidental helicopter programs? I doubt it.

Windsor & Holyoke Shad Derby's

2009-04-28T12:13:00.003-04:00

Here's the dates for the regional shad derby's:
Fishing Tournament Windsor Rod & Gun Club: May 2-4th
Holyoke Gas & Electric Shad Derby: May 9/10 & 16/17

Stop the EPA Push for 15% Ethanol Fuel

2009-04-27T18:44:00.002-04:00

Like many boaters in the Northeast I've suffered from ethanol fuel causing a couple of thousand dollars of outboard motor repair and a new custom fuel tank installed. That was only 10%, I can only imagine the headache and wallet-ache 15% will cause. Ethanol fuel is a bad solution to our energy problem. Ethanol diverts corn from food to fuel - raising the cost of food, causing food shortages, food riots and adds to world hunger. It also uses another precious resource water that we should not waste.

Today I received an email from Boaters World asking boaters to fight against the increase to 15% ethanol. Here's the link.

Quabbin Reservoir

2009-04-26T22:14:00.001-04:00

Another place I always want to go, but never go is Quabbin Reservoir. In the Ghost proves good bait for opening spring fishing season trip to Quabbin Reservoir on MassLive.com Quabbin looks very tempting: We no sooner anchored in 100 feet of water and let out live shiners down, propelled by barrel sinkers that allowed the little fish to swim free....than [we] started landing and releasing large lake trout."

Fishing for Stripers in the Thames

2009-04-26T22:08:00.001-04:00

Marc Folco writes a story about fishing for stripers on the Thames River in SouthCoastToday.com: Going fishing, Connecticut style

The Thames River is known for it's year-round stripers and I always plan on fishing there - one day - but after reading this article - that one day may be sooner rather than later. The fish can be found along the edges of the submerged rock walls found in the river downstream from Norwich Harbor toward the Mohegan Sun.

The water was 12 feet deep with four feet of fish stacked up over the bottom. But the water was still cool and the fish weren't turned on. After finding a shallow cove where the water was a few degrees warmer and the fish (schoolie stripers) were hitting with a vengeance.

A leadhead jig with a paddle-tailed shad body in the pearl color usually produces the most fish. The lure can be customized by cutting the head off the body so it fits flush against the jig head and then slicing the rounded belly off to make the lure thinner with a more streamlined appearance. This makes it look and feel more natural. Trolling small tube and worm rigs is also a deadly technique especially when trolled along the edges of the rock walls and through schools of suspended fish.

A change in weather from cold & winding to sunny & warm changed the fishing success. "It was sunny and warm in the lee of the cove, compared to the raw, biting wind that whipped down the open river. Because the water was warming up quickly in the cove, the fish were turning on and fighting over our lures on some casts.".

Fishing On The Farmington Hartford Courant

2009-04-24T22:58:00.004-04:00

by Steve Grant from Fishing On The Farmington, The State's Premier Trout Stream writes about the Trout Management Area in Barkhamsted and New Hartford.

The Farmington River may start as a cool trout stream but when it reaches "Avon, Simsbury and Windsor" the Farmington River become a favorable habitat for bass and perch. Past the Rainbow Dam in Windsor fishng is more varied and possible catches include: "smallmouth bass, white perch, northern pike, even striped bass, a species that migrates between fresh and salt water.... May is the month to fish the mouth of the Farmington for American shad, migrating in from the sea to spawn."

A hot tip from the DEP that Grant shares: "anglers looking for early season trout action in the waters from Barkhamsted through Farmington concentrate on the pools near road access points. Crews use those places to unload hatchery fish, and, early in the season, the newly stocked trout likely have not yet scattered up and down the river".

Seymour fish bypass & the stimulus money

2009-04-24T22:34:00.002-04:00

Connecticut is looking for $12.6 million dollars of stimulus money for various statewide marine projects including $3 million for a fish bypass in Seymour at the Tinque Dam. "Other projects the state wants to complete include restoration of tidal wetlands along the lower Connecticut River in Chester, East Haddam, Essex, Haddam, Lyme, Old Lyme and Old Saybrook; a similar fish passage at the Rainbow Dam on the Farmington River in Windsor and the removal of the Springborn Dam on the Scantic River in Enfield". The Seymour fish bypass will open up 26 miles of freshwater to fish such as salmon and shad.

Free Fishing Permits for Unemployed

2009-04-24T20:52:00.002-04:00

Aquarion Water Company is issuing free season fishing permits to three area reservoirs for free fishing to people over age 18 who have lost their job. Free permits will be issued on Tuesday, April 21 and 28, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the Aquarion Environmental Center, 714 Black Rock Road (Rt. 58), Easton.

Get Out Your Chum Pot Winter Flounder Are Here - Guilford Courier

2009-04-02T23:15:00.003-04:00

There was a time when flounder fishing resulted in a bountiful catch. Those days are gone, but the technique to catch them remains the same. article deals with the change in flounder fishing - gone are the days of unlimited catcheswriting in Guilford Courier notes the change in flounder fishing - gone are the days of filling up a burlap bag. One thing that hasn't changed is flounder chumming. Old tried and true chum receipes still work: "ground up soft baits like clams, mussels, and oysters mixed with processed pet food". Dragging the frozen chum "unsettles sea life that might either be resting on the bottom of just below creating a natural chum slick. Dragging a small lunch hook or hookless jig along the bottom would also create the same effect. Bait a few seaworms on a double flounder rig or a single #6 to #8 Chestertown hook, fish the bottom, or work the channel sides" and "consider painting your sinkers red or yellow".

Blog Stocking Time

2009-03-28T18:20:00.002-04:00

Stay tuned for new posts.

Before the season starts I'd like some feedback. What do you like about the blog? What kind of stories would you like to see? Do you like the look of it? My goal is a no-frills blog that presents the stories in a clear, easy to read format with a link to the original publisher and author.

Fish Advisory Council Inland Fisheries Update of 9/20/07

2007-09-23T15:21:00.001-04:00

Inland Fish Management & Fish Culture:

Completed an extensive 2007 stream electrofishing survey. A total 165 sites on 110 streams were sampled. Approximately 12 of these streams were sampled for the Habitat Enhancement and Conservation program, another 30 streams were for sampled for Water Bureau needs, and approximately 20 were sampled for the Stream Monitoring project.
Preliminary electrofishing results suggest that fish populations in many of the streams were impaired by this summer’s (2007) drought-like conditions, which began as early as July in some parts of the state and have continued through mid-September. Though there have been two minor rain events in September, these have not been significant enough to raise water levels substantially. Recovery of stream fish will continue to be monitored. See page 8 for some additional results.
Completed collection of pike fingerlings at spawning marshes. Fingerling production was 850 (averaging 3.7 inches in length) at the two Bantam Lake marshes, 4,760 (averaging 4.0 inches) at the two Haddam marshes, and 620 (averaging 5.4 inches) at the Mansfield Hollow Reservoir marsh. The Wyantenock marshes were not used in 2007 due to a planned renovation of outlet structures. Total production was lower than average (about 20,000 fingerlings per year). The fingerlings were stocked as follows: Bantam Lake - 820, Lower Connecticut River - 1,030, Pachaug Pond - 3,730, and Quaddick Reservoir - 620. Winchester Lake and Lake Lillinonah were not stocked this year due to lower than average numbers of fingerlings available. Mansfield hollow Reservoir was not stocked in order to determine the magnitude of any natural reproduction of pike.
Continued to perform a pilot study on Candlewood Lake in preparation for a full-scale angler survey. Angler counts were made over five summer days to determine relative angler use within four separate arms of Candlewood Lake. This work is required to assign proper proportional sampling effort within each arm. This pilot work has prepared us to conduct the full angler survey, but due to the loss of a staff member assigned to this project, completion of the survey remains problematic.
Completed the summer holiday stockings of the West Branch Farmington River (West Branch Reservoir to the West Branch TMA upper boundary). A total of 5,000 brown trout, 2,500 prior to July 4th and 2,500 just prior to Labor Day were released.
Completed the fall trout stocking schedule. A total of 49,000 trout were scheduled to be released into 26 lakes & ponds, and 22 rivers & streams. Areas to be stocked included 11 TMA’s, four Urban Fishing Areas, and nine Trout Parks.. Stocking was scheduled to begin earlier in the season (early September) and will be conducted over a more extended period than in previous years. This earlier start was designed to allow anglers to take advantage of longer days-and more enjoyable weather for fishing. The extended season will facilitate multiple stockings of a number of the more popular areas including the Trout Parks.
The current extended period of dry weather has affected fall stocking. Due to low flows, the planned beginning of stocking in western CT was delayed until September 13th (several trout parks were stocked earlier). In harder hit eastern CT, stocking of rivers & streams was postponed until September 24th to wait for possible rain events that would bring water levels and temperatures to more suitable levels. Further delays in stocking some rivers & streams are possible, and is likely that some fish originally scheduled for rivers/streams will be redirected to lakes, ponds and Trout Park ponds.
The 49,000 trout scheduled to be stocked this fall include the typical numbers (≈40,000) of adult rainbow trout. However, the additional 9,000 fish are large brown trout (>12” average). To provide a better quality fish, hatchery staff purposely held some slower growing brown trout from last spring’s cohort through the summer. With additional summer growth, these fish attained trophy size for fall stocking. We intend to continue, and improve upon this practice, so that larger brown trout can be stocked into special management areas (Trout Parks and TMA’s) each fall. Rainbow trout will continue to be stocked into major streams in early fall, and into selected lakes in late fall.

Habitat Conservation and Enhancement:

Assisted the Town of New Fairfield in sampling aquatic vegetation in Ball Pond to assess the efficacy of triploid grass carp stocked in 2004 and in 2006. Consistent with observations made in the summer of 2006, there should be no additional vegetation management actions implemented in the near future. It is recommended that any requests to stock additional triploid grass carp would be deferred pending the results of the 2008 annual aquatic plant survey. Sampling has been done annually since 1997 when Ball Pond was first stocked with triploid grass carp to control dense and vigorous growth of Eurasian watermilfoil, a non-native invasive aquatic plant. Fish sampling conducted to date by the Inland Fisheries Division’s Lake and Pond Survey has found no evidence that the triploid grass carp introductions have had deleterious effects on Ball Pond’s fish community. Through careful and deliberate stocking based on annual monitoring, triploid grass carp have proven to be an effective tool in managing Eurasian watermilfoil in Ball Pond.
HCE staff provided guidance in support of two fishing access proposals. As part of a neighborhood improvement project, the City of Bridgeport plans to convert to a recreational fishing pier an intact 120 ft long section of the derelict bridge that once connected to Pleasure Island. The Town of East Lyme plans to build a platform to improve fishing access along the Niantic River waterfront at Cini Park. Staff reviewed the proposals and made a number of recommendations that will facilitate fishing, including railing design guidelines and features that will enable most people, including children and those in wheelchairs, to fish effectively from the platform.
HCE staff along with a coalition of partners completed the Raymond Brook Dam Removal Project, Hebron. The project involved full removal of the 4 ft high by 20 ft. wide dam along with the restoration of 200 feet of stream channel within the former impoundment. Removal of this barrier opened up more than 16 miles of riverine habitat for diadromous Atlantic salmon and American eel as well as the native riverine fish community.
Assisted a ConnDOT contractor with the installation of a vortex rock weir in the Poland River at the Route 72 bridge, Plymouth. The rock weir is intended to create deep pool habitat within the river and was required as mitigation for the replacement of the Route 72 bridge.
Completed riparian plant installation along 1,000 feet of the project area at the Mount Hope River Restoration Project, Ashford. Planting included the installation of 252 bankers dwarf willow and 76 pussy willow within riparian zones along both sides of the Mount Hope River and Bassett Brook. Electric fencing placed along this section of the river now exclude cattle access thereby allowing the restoration of a natural riparian vegetative community.
Investigated conditions within the Nepaug River, New Hartford along with staff of the Farmington River Watershed Association and Metropolitan District Commission following complaints of excessive sediment deposition. Extensive deposits of sediments (up to a measured depth of 20 inches) were observed at a number of locations along the course of the river. At one location (approximately one-quarter mile in length) the sediments overtopped habitat utilized by the eastern pearlshell mussel, a State listed species. Several hundred dead mussels were observed. The sediment deposits likely resulted from runoff during heavy precipitation in April. A point source or sources for the sediments could not be found.
Completed and submitted to the Environment Committee of the Connecticut General Assembly a report titled “An Assessment of the Impacts of Commercial and Recreational Fishing and Other Activities to Eelgrass in Connecticut’s Waters and Recommendations for Management.” This multidisciplinary report found that commercial and recreational fishing are not having a significant effect on eelgrass and were likely not responsible for the long-term decline of eelgrass that occurred during the 20th century. The report includes recommendations the agencies can implement to ensure that fishing will not adversely affect eelgrass in the future, and it evaluates other potential sources of impacts to eelgrass and contains recommendations for addressing potential threats. It is available on the DEP website at http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?a=2696&Q=322718&PM=1

Diadromous Fisheries Restoration:

Transported 585 American shad from the Holyoke Dam Fishlift on the Connecticut River in Massachusetts to sites in Connecticut to promote shad restoration. Receiving rivers included the Naugatuck, Quinnipiac, Farmington, Shetucket, Quinebaug, and Little Rivers.
Captured the last of the returning adult Atlantic salmon at the Rainbow Fishway (total of 6) and Leesville Fishway (total of 4). The run was considerably less than that of 2006 when 42 salmon were captured at Rainbow and 11 at Leesville. A total of 134 salmon were counted in the CT River in 2007, down from 214 fish in 2006.
Implemented repairs and maintenance to a number of fishways across the state including general maintenance to the Rainbow and Leesville fishways, a complete replacement of baffles in the culvert at Latimers Brook, replacement of a flood-damaged baffle at Clarks Pond, replacement of rocks at flood damaged Dorr’s Mill and at culverts at Nod Brook and Sandy Brook, modification of the entrance at Jordan Millpond, repairs to the entrance of Versailles Pond, maintenance in the canal at Moulson Pond, and repair/improvement to the eel pass at Lee’s Pond.
Continued to work with the Department’s engineering staff, the Department of Public Works, and consulting engineers on an engineering study of the Rainbow Dam Fishway. Macchi Engineering was hired to study the existing fishway.
Fin-clipped 24,000 sea-run brown trout at the Kensington State Fish Hatchery in preparation of fall stocking in study streams.
Begun extensive population sampling statewide to assess numbers of Atlantic salmon, sea-run brown trout, American eel, and sea lamprey.

Preliminary 2007 stream survey results:

West Branch Farmington River TMA- A total of 622 trout were sampled within four standard sample areas. The estimated trout population in the TMA is 2,962 fish. This estimate is probably low due to fluctuating water levels prior to and during sampling. The trout population was dominated by 12-16 inch stocked adult trout. The composition included: 22.5% wild brown trout (140 fish 6 cm-59 cm), about 1% wild brook trout (7 fish) and 7.4% rainbow trout (46 fish). There were many large trout present in the river with 24.8% of the fish sampled being greater than 16 inches and 4 fish in excess of 20 inches. The largest fish observed was a 59 cm (23.25 inch) wild male brown trout. The majority of the larger fish were spring 07-stocked survivor strain browns.
Additional large trout were sampled while collecting broodstock for the Survivor-strain brown trout program. Over 100 trout greater than 16 inches were handled in the Sparetire, Deadman's and Woodshop pools including several wild female brown trout over 20 inches long. Just over 100 brown trout were selected for use as broodstock during the two days of sampling. These fish will be returned to the river in early December after spawning and reconditioning.
Housatonic River TMA- Conditions were good for long-term survival of trout that had been stocked in 2006 and 2007. The summer of 2007 was relatively cool, much like the cool summer of 2006. Natural flows also persisted through both years. The total number of brown trout collected in mid August 2007 was relatively good (145), but numbers varied greatly between sampling locations. As for the adult browns that had been marked for study purposes, 25 were 2007-fish (11.2 inches after having been stocked at an average size of 9.8 inches). Another 12 fish were last year's 2006-adults (13.8 inches after having averaged 11.6 inches in summer 2006). The 12 (2006) to 25 (2007) ratio suggests a high annual survival rate for the marked adults. However, numbers of sampled fish are much too low to provide a reliable survival estimate. Still, the ratios of marked fish relative to the number of unmarked fish suggest that our sampling of study fish was representative of all fish at large, and that the survival of adult brown trout was probably high (albeit not exactly 50%). We should be able to get a much clearer picture of survival next year, when three year classes of trout will be present.
Housatonic Bulls Bridge Trout and Bass Management Area- Sampling indicated an average number of trout present (93 sampled). Wild trout streams- Nearly 50 wild trout streams were among the streams surveyed. Sampling was to determine the relative abundance of wild trout and trout that had been stocked into selected streams as fry or fingerlings. The abundance of wild trout was found to be highly variable from stream to stream. Stocked fry generally survived well with a few exceptions, but streams not stocked with fry still have low abundance of trout, mainly due to the abnormal weather conditions that occurred from summer 2005 through spring 2006.

CT DEP Fall Trout Stocking

2007-09-23T15:15:00.000-04:00

The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced that its autumn trout stocking will begin September 13th. From mid-September through mid-October, DEP expects to release nearly 49,000 trout into selected waters throughout the state. Among the areas scheduled for stocking this fall are twenty-six lakes and ponds, twenty-two rivers and streams including eleven of the Trout Management Areas (TMA), four “Urban Fishing Areas”, and nine Trout Parks.

URBAN FISHING AREAS:
Bunnells Pond Mohegan Park Pond & Keney Park Pond Lake Wintergreen

TROUT PARKS:
Black Rock Pond Mohegan Park Pond
Chatfield Hollow Southford Falls Pond
Day Pond Valley Falls Park Pond
Great Hollow Pond (Wolfe Park) Wharton Brook (Allen Brook Pond)
Natchaug River

TROUT MANAGEMENT AREAS (TMA):
Farmington River TMA Salmon River TMA
Hammonasset River TMA Saugatuck River TMA
Mianus River TMA Sleeping Giant TMA (Mill River-Hamden)
Mill River TMA Yantic River TMA
Moosup River TMA Willimantic River TMA
Naugatuck River TMA

RIVERS AND STREAMS (see Trout Parks & TMAs for additional locations):
East Aspetuck River Pequonnock River Sandy Brook
Farmill River Pomperaug River Saugatuck River
Hammonasset River Quinebaug River Scantic River
Norwalk River East Branch Salmon Brook (Granby)
Shetucket River
Pachaug River Salmon River (Colchester) Yantic River

LAKES AND PONDS (see Trout Parks for additional locations):
Amos Lake Crystal Lake (Ellington) Rogers Lake
Bashan Lake Horse Pond Squantz Pond
Baummers Pond Long Pond Stillwater Pond
Beach Pond Mashapaug Lake Tyler Pond
Bigelow Pond Mohawk Pond Wauregan Reservoir
Black Pond (Middlefield) Moosup Pond West Hill Pond
Black Pond (Woodstock) Mt. Tom Pond West Side Pond
Cedar Lake Pattaconk Lake Wyassup Lake
Coventry Lake Quonnipaug Lake

Monarch butterfly migration will soon peak in Connecticut

2007-09-22T23:06:00.000-04:00

Monarch butterflies, which often come from Canada, are on their way south to their wintering habitat in Mexico. The migration is expected to peak in the coming weeks. After abundant sightings last year, observers statewide said early reports indicate that monarchs will be plentiful. "So far, it looks pretty good," said Dori Sosensky, president of the Connecticut Butterfly Association, who maintains a butterfly and bird garden at Lighthouse Point Park in New Haven.

After many years of sparse sightings, the migrating monarch population appears to have rebounded, observers said. "Last year was probably the best year in 30 or 40 years in New England," said Chip Taylor, a University of Kansas professor who runs Monarch Watch , a Web site that tracks monarch butterflies. He predicted another good year for New England, particularly because butterflies and their favorite food, milkweed, thrive in summers such as the one ending now - not too hot. "I expect you're going to see a bigger than normal migration in Connecticut, especially along the shoreline," Taylor said.
Greenwich and other coastal communities often host the migrating monarchs that prefer to travel along the Eastern seaboard on their way south, observers said. They face unique challenges on the coast, Taylor said. A wind from the west could steer the butterflies toward the ocean so far that they are unable to make their way back inland and on track toward central Mexico, Taylor said. Boaters have reported monarchs landing on their vessels in the ocean, he said.
Not all butterflies are found along the coast. Some seek the gardens at the Audubon Greenwich. "I've been seeing them regularly through the summer, flying around the property and feeding around a variety of our flowering plants," said Ted Gilman, an Audubon Greenwich naturalist who helps run a butterfly count.
A count of monarchs on the Fourth of July, just as adult butterflies were emerging from their cocoons, yielded about eight sightings in a few hours, about as many as last year, Gilman said. "They were in good numbers in the count and easily observable pretty much throughout the summer," he said.
The migration northward for the summer takes place over several generations of monarchs, but the journey south in the fall usually is completed by a single generation. As the weather cools, the last generation of monarchs born will make the flight to Mexico, some traveling 3,000 miles. (Hoa Nguyen, Greenwich Times)
The above picture shows a Monarch Butterfly tagged with an RFID. Read more at Monarch Watch.

Summer loses its sting as jellyfish fail to show up

2007-09-20T20:50:00.000-04:00

Swimmers in Long Island Sound had didn't have to sweat out the invasion of the jellyfish this summer. The stinging blobs barely showed up.
"I didn't see a single one, which is odd because the water is so warm," said Greg Ryley, who has worked at Waterford Beach for 10 years. "I've never seen a year without jellyfish."
The months of July and August usually mean a swarm of jellyfish on the shores. Not this year. Many experts aren't quite sure why but also are not alarmed. "My answer is: I don't know," said Patricia Kremer, an associate research professor in the marine sciences department at the University of Connecticut. Ocean wildlife,
As with any ecosystem, ocean wildlife depends on a series of factors and environmental conditions that can affect how a particular species thrives, or in this case does not. "A lot of time temperature or food makes a difference to marine animals," Kremer said.
The most common type of jellyfish found along the Connecticut coast is the lion's mane jelly that exists in two different forms, Kremer said. They are the medusa stage, which swimmers are painfully familiar with, and the larval form, when the jellyfish are basically polyps that attach themselves to rocks and shells.
"The population of the (lion's mane) jellyfish is dependent on how many have been produced by that bottom-dwelling form," Kremer said. "My guess is that very few were produced this year for some reason."
The dearth of jellyfish comes a year after a particularly active season in 2006, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection. "Just because there's been one bad year doesn't mean it's a harbinger for more to come." said Catherine Ellis, curator of fish and invertebrates at the Mystic Aquarium and Institute for Exploration.
UConn's Kremer agreed. It's a phenomenon not worth panicking over just yet. "I don't think anyone should get too excited," Kremer said. "We have next year to look forward to." (AP story from The Day).

Millstone Bad for Fish?

2007-09-20T20:47:00.000-04:00

The Connecticut DEP is still trying to figure out what to do about the water that the Millstone nuke plant, in Waterford, draws in from Long Island Sound for cooling. In January, a federal court ruled that power plants had to figure out a better system, because too many fish were being killed. Read more at sphere.

Local oyster harvest rebounds as festival celebrates the oyster - The Advocate

2007-09-08T20:16:00.000-04:00

The Connecticut oyster industry is rebounding according to David Carey, director of the Connecticut Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Aquaculture. "Last year, the harvest numbers went from about 25,000 bushels to about 53,000 bushels." According to the Connecticut Department of Agriculture, there are more than 70,000 acres of shellfish farms under cultivation in the state's coastal waters, with 43 firms engaged in shellfish cultivation, 15 of which are active in oyster harvesting. The state leases a total of 336 shellfish beds, which generate nearly $1 million in state revenue

The Norwalk Seaport Association Oyster Festival: The 30th annual event, today through Sunday at Veterans Park, will feature fried and raw oysters as well as entertainment by the Village People, Jay and the Americans and Arturo Sandoval.

Lobstermen are candidly looking for sex

2007-09-04T11:25:00.000-04:00

I'll come right out and admit it: I have the hots for an animal. She's a curvaceous creature, with a tough exterior but tender and irresistible innards. I've been chasing tail among her kind for years. So have most of my former colleagues, the rugged, manly lobstermen of Main What kind of sick people are you, you might ask, to have intimate relations with lady lobsters of childbearing age? We're, um, conservationists. And now so are you.
That's right: This year, Maine's peculiar lobster preservation practices are being officially imported to Long Island Sound. It may sound like the arrival of something raunchy from the sticks, but don't worry, it's actually cutting-edge fisheries management. And after the death and destruction that the Sound's lobsters have suffered, a healthy obsession with sex might be just what the doctor ordered.
It's been eight sad years now since Mother Nature and mankind conspired to unleash a hellish calamity on the Sound's lobsters. Experts still debate the causes, but what we do know is that between 1998 and 2000, below the rippling surface, a "perfect storm" of fiendish forces swirled together in the depths - sweltering temperatures, oxygen depletion, hurricane rain, toxic pesticides and an infestation of nasty, parasitic amoebas. To this day, those events are known simply as The Die-Off. In the blink of an eye, crowds of helpless lobsters perished, and the Sound's lobster industry was wiped off the map.
Today, the few lobsters that remain in the Sound survive in a precarious situation. They live on the southern edge of the American lobster's range, in waters that are a bit too warm, secluded from the larger gene pool, their numbers decimated. Nearly a decade has passed with little improvement. Under these circumstances, importing the sex-obsessed habits of Maine lobstermen seems worth a try.
In Maine, when a lobsterman hauls in a trap, he looks up the lady lobsters' skirts. If he finds a female laden with eggs, he grasps her appreciatively with one hand, and with the other, reaches for his knife. With two swift thrusts, he slices a tiny triangular nick out of one of the flippers on her tail. The nick is shaped like a V, so he calls it a "V-notch." If you're visiting Maine, this term can be used in a sentence, such as: "She has a real nice V-notch."
When the lobsterman is finished cutting the notch, he gives his lady lobster a look full of longing, then slips her back into the sea. Once she is notched, no fisherman can violate this lobster's right to life - even if she isn't bearing eggs next time she's caught. She's become a kind of fertility goddess, and the V-notch is her free pass to more procreation.
Outside of Maine, other lobstermen also toss back egg-bearing lobsters. But the peculiar act of marking a female lobster with a notch, to protect her beyond that initial pregnancy, is an invention unique to Maine's craggy coast.
So yes, I do find these nicely notched females rather arousing. That's not simply because I'm excited by the idea of underwater hanky-panky. It's also because I worked for a couple of years on a Maine lobster boat. I witnessed this V-notching routine regularly, sometimes several times a day. And I saw the results, both through my own eyes, and through the eyes of scientists studying the lobster population.
Thanks to V-notching, the floor of the ocean in the Gulf of Maine is teeming with gangs of large mother lobsters. Many factors affect the health of a fishery, but lobstermen in Maine can take pride that their fishery has not lacked for a supply of fresh eggs.
While stocks of other sea life have been obliterated by overfishing, the lobster fishery in Maine has thus far replenished itself and been a story of sustainability. Lobstermen in other American states and Canada have taken note. A few years back, lobstermen in Rhode Island began V-notching females in the hope of reviving the population there after a crash.
And now Connecticut lobstermen in Long Island Sound have decided to start V-notching - not just egg-bearing lobsters, but 60,000 lucky ladies, regardless of whether they're pregnant. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, the combined federal and state governing body that administers regulations for the Northeast lobster fisheries, approved the plan last month. State funds have been designated to help in the effort, as will an army of high-school interns, who are scheduled to go out on the boats at the outset of the fall run in late October.
So far, lobstermen from New York aren't required to cut notches of their own. But everywhere, notched lobsters must be thrown back. Penalties for keeping them range from fines to confinement to license suspension.
Is this plan to boost the population of fertile females a cure-all? No, it's not. No plan could be, after what the lobsters of the Sound have suffered. But there are glimmers of hope. Lobstermen are reporting more baby lobsters at the eastern end of the Sound, and it's not a stretch to speculate that Rhode Island's V-notching program may have contributed to the improvement.
Another benefit of V-notching is that it's likely to populate the Sound with larger females - capable of producing eggs more often and in vastly greater quantities than smaller lobsters. A notch can prevent a lobster from ending up as dinner for a couple of years, allowing her time to grow.
A flaw inherent to V-notching is that each time the lobster sheds her shell to grow, the notch becomes less distinct. Eventually it will disappear. Many lobstermen in Maine re-cut a fading notch when they find one, to extend the lobster's grace period until the creature exceeds Maine's maximum size for legal consumption. Once there, the lobster is protected by the law forever and will continue making babies for decades. A similar size cap might be worth trying in Long Island Sound, too.
In the meantime, I hope Connecticut's young females are fruitful and that they multiply. And perhaps the lobstermen of New York, too, will discover the pleasure of grasping a tail, reaching for a knife and then commenting with admiration, "She has a real nice V-notch." (Trevor Corson, NY Newsday)

Number of hunters falls, worrying some

2007-09-02T21:17:00.000-04:00

"It's hunters who are the most willing to give their own dollar for wildlife conservation," said Gregg Patterson of Ducks Unlimited.

Compounding the problem, the number of Americans who fish also has dropped sharply — down 15 percent, from 35.2 million in 1996 to 30 million in 2006, according to the latest version of a national survey that the Fish and Wildlife Service conducts every five years.

Of the 50 state wildlife agencies, most rely on hunting and fishing license fees for the bulk of their revenue, and only a handful receive significant infusions from their state's general fund.

"They're trying to take care of all wildlife and all habitats on a shoestring budget," said Rachel Brittin of the Washington-based Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. (by David Crary, AP National Writer).

Click on the post title to read the article.

Feet Up, Fishing and a Few Beers - WestportNow

2007-09-01T13:01:00.000-04:00

These fishermen on Westport’s Saugatuck River had a relaxing time today as they put up their feet and had a few beers. Meanwhile, roadways were busy and trains were crowded as people got an early start on the Labor Day weekend. Phyllis Groner for WestportNow.com

DEC Closes NY Fluke Fishery

2007-08-30T17:03:00.000-04:00

DEC TO HALT RECREATIONAL FLUKE SEASON TUESDAY Federal Quota Likely Already Exceeded Citing overfishing, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis announced today the closure of the summer flounder (fluke) season effective Tuesday, Sept. 4.

Tournament Brings Out the Blues

2007-08-24T19:52:00.000-04:00

The summertime blues, blue skies, blue crabs and bluefish are all part of the late summer fishing smorgasboard. Bluefish action will only improve between now and late fall, when cold water temperatures drive them off shore and south for the winter.
This year blues have been present throughout the region in good numbers and in a wide range of size classes, with a higher than usual number of big, mid-teen sized choppers being reported from area shops since late May.
This weekend thousands of fishermen will be scouring the waters of Long Island Sound in search of the largest bluefish, a monster menhaden chopper that could be worth $20,000 in Connecticut's longest running bluefish contest, "The Worlds Greatest Bluefish Tournament" which is celebrating its 25th birthday this summer.
This major event is limited strictly to the waters of Long Island Sound, so don't expect to find a parking place at state launch ramps or very much room on the major reefs and bluefishing grounds, especially in the western end of Long Island Sound where most of the participants will be concentrated.
This event, which was started in 1982 by WICC Radio in Bridgeport has thousands of participants kicking in the $35 entry fee which buys them a t-shirt and a chance at the big bucks with a hook set into the right fish.
This year should be interesting, particularly, for anglers fishing in this end of the Sound. In the past, most of the tournament winners have come from contestants fishing in the western half of the Sound. I can only recall one first-place winner from this area a woman named Rendiero, daughter of a well- known Stonington commercial fisherman who caught a first place bluefish off Wicopessett Passage during the early or mid 1990's.
With a couple of exceptions when there were not many big blues in the Sound, it has taken monsters weighing 18 to 19 pounds to capture the first-place cash.
Even though many anglers talk about catching or seeing 20-pound bluefish, the fact is 20-pounders are very rare as this huge event has proven over the years. When working for the state of Connecticiut on their marine recreational anglers survey during the late 70's and mid 80's, I can only recall weighing in two or three bonafide 20-pound bluefish out of many thousands of fish measured during this major survey.
This year, due to the presence of adult menhaden in the Thames River since May, Captain Jack Balint of the Fish Connection said there are potential prize winning bluefish right here in the Thames River. He said they've seen bluefish weighing 17-pounds recently at the shop and there's more big choppers in the river to catch.
Jack added some sage advice for anglers looking to catch their $20,000 bluefish in the Race. Due to the fact that the flat, fishable water stacks up "in front" of the rips when the tide is running, the ebb tide, the best one to fish in the Race is the time to hit these riled waters. But be aware, the border line is a straight shot from Gull Island to Race Point, so if you cross it while playing a fish or get sucked through the rips, you may be disqualified. So fish honestly and wisely both in the Race and the Fishers Island / Watch Hill Reef Complex.
The key to winning this year's event will be finding a school of menhaden that is being preyed on by jumbo choppers, live lining or tossing fresh cut chunks into the fray and being lucky enough to hook that fabled 19 or 20- pounder, which is what I think it will take to go home with a check for $20,000 this year.
Bluefish Trivia:
Swimmers have been bitten by bluefish in Connecticut waters. In all cases the victims were swimming in schools of bait (menhaden) that had bluefish feeding on them --- a very stupid move to begin with.
The red band of muscle on a bluefish's side is what gives them their incredible endurance and long term fighting ability, while the white meat muscle provides short burst speed.
This red muscle also adds to their strong flavor.
It is possible to smell a school of bluefish. There is a distinct "cucumber like" scent with a hint of fishyness to it in the air, that is easily recognizable once its been experienced.
Big "chopper" bluefish earned this name because they can take cookie cutter like bites out of a two pound bunker, another bluefish, fluke, or small striped bass. I even saw one bite a small, but legal sized blackfish in half a few years ago in the lower Thames River.
Eating Bluefish
For the best quality bluefish fillets, keep smaller rather than larger fish for the pan, one to three pounders are the best.
Bleed any fish you plan to take home and ice them immediately.
Remove the red muscle from fillets.
To minimize any PCB's or other bad stuff from the meat don't eat belly meat, remove the skin from all fillets and broil or cook over an open fire so the meat is not sitting in juices. (Bob Sampson)

Russian Pres Putin shows off his man boobs while fishing

2007-08-23T13:11:00.000-04:00

Russia has been flexing it's 'we're still a superpower' muscles lately by doing all sorts of horrible things (Russian nuclear capable bombers violating US & British airspace, dropping a bomb on Georgia, cyberattack on Estonia and cutting off gas to Belarus). Now comes the half-naked Putin can fish pictures that illustrate he is the leader for the new tougher Russia (even though he can't run for President again).

Cabela's will open Friday Oct. 19th

2007-08-22T19:12:00.000-04:00

Nebraska-based outdoor outfitter Cabela's announced Monday that it has set Friday, Oct. 19, as the opening date for its first New England outlet, located in East Hartford. The hunting, fishing, and outdoor gear store at East Hartford's Rentschler Field will be the company's 22nd retail location in the country.

Nature preserve improvements could be under way in fall

2007-08-18T09:59:00.000-04:00

Improvements to the Hoppers-Birge Pond Nature Preserve (Bristol, Connecticut) may startsoon, according to the co-chairman of the city committee overseeing the area. The work will include a boat launch for canoes and kayaks onto Birge Pond, a parking area for people with disabilities, a bridge over the dam and a new fishing pier. There also will be new lighting and improvements to the trail around the pond, Letourneau said.
In addition to a recently dredged pond that attracts a variety of wildlife, the preserve includes a large, hilly, wooded area that contains fragile geological "kettles" formed during the Ice Age.
"We're the first nature preserve" in the city, Letourneau said. The committee puts on at least a couple of events each year to attract people to the nature preserve. One is a fall foliage walk to catch the season's colors and another celebrates Earth Day every spring. Committee members are considering adding an event in February to draw attention to the preserve and highlight activities there that take advantage of the cold, snow and ice.
The Hoppers-Birge Pond Nature Preserve is a 200-acre area in the north-central part of the city. It is under the jurisdiction of the Bristol Parks and Recreation Department but is categorized as open space and is to be used for passive recreation such as hiking, bird-watching, snowshoeing, canoeing and fishing.

Manmade island plan heads to feds -- Newsday.com

2007-08-18T09:48:00.000-04:00

A proposal for a manmade island south of Long Beach to process and distribute shiploads of liquid natural gas moved forward a notch Thursday with word from the Coast Guard and the U.S. Maritime Administration that the promoters' 5,000-page application is complete and ready for processing.

The 60.5-acre island is proposed for a site 13.5 miles south of Long Beach and, while it has raised concerns in that city, is considered by some environmentalists to be less risky than the floating natural gas terminal proposed for Long Island Sound by Broadwater Energy. Atlantic's plan is to feed its processed gas into an existing pipeline that runs from New Jersey to Long Beach. "We can tap into the pipeline five or six miles offshore and the gas will flow both ways," Bovers said. (Tom Incantalupo)

Manta Ray found in Salem Mass

2007-08-14T20:46:00.000-04:00

Marine biologists from the New England Aquarium were stunned when they set eyes on the corpse of a giant Atlantic manta ray, weighing more than 600 pounds and boasting an 11-foot wing span. Locals saw the sea beast’s lifeless body floating under Salem’s Essex Bridge yesterday. Jet skiers dragged it to a nearby dock. “It is very unusual to get this kind of animal in New England. I was surprised when I first saw it,” said Dan Laughlin of the New England Aquarium. He said it is impossible to determine the exact cause of the creature’s death without an autopsy. “To me, this animal looks very thin and it is half the size of a fully grown adult so it certainly didn’t die of old age,” Laughlin said. Environmental police planned to tow it out to sea last night to “let nature take its course.” (Mike Underwood, Boston Herald)

Oy-vey it's Gilligan's 'Oy-Land'

2007-08-14T13:13:00.000-04:00

Lost in a fog so thick and dark that they might well have been in the belly of Jonah's whale, six Hasidic fishermen drifted off the eastern end of Long Island for 14 hours before they were finally rescued early yesterday.

Throughout the damp night, two of the men, who'd gone on the trip wearing only their bathing suits, kept warm by sharing the traditional Hasidic garb in which their four pals were dressed.

"It was very frightening. We were just afraid of the unknown," said Levi Kirschenbaum, 22, a Brooklyn resident. Besides Kirschenbaum, the group included Aharon Goodman, 25; Alex Levin, 23; Meni Ben-Shachar, 21, and Mendy Steni, 20, all of Brooklyn, and Motti Chazam, 22, of Italy.

Kirschenbaum and his pals went to Montauk Tuesday and hired an 18-foot motor boat from Uihlein's Marina for a two-hour fishing trip on Long Island Sound. Everything was fine until about 5 p.m., around 20 minutes before their sojourn was due to end. "All of a sudden, the fog came in and we were lost," Kirschenbaum said.
At one point, the group came across some buoys attached to lobster pots, and figured following them would lead to land. That didn't work out, so the group decided to drop anchor and wait for help.
They prayed and huddled together to keep warm, advice Kirschenbaum said he'd read in a National Geographic magazine article. As the night wore on, waves rocked their little boat, and the men feared it might capsize. "This is the shark capital," one of them joked. A light rain made it harder for the men to stay warm, but luckily, they were spared the violent weather that struck New York City.
Finally, at around 5 a.m., the sun began to rise and they heard horns from other boats. "We blew our whistles, and finally someone found us," Kirschenbaum said. A Coast Guard boat picked them up around 6 a.m., eight miles off shore.
"They were pretty scared," said Henry Uihlein the marina owner, who rented the boat to the men and alerted authorities on Tuesday night that they were missing. "To not be able to see in the fog in the middle of the night is terrifying," Uihlein said. "They are just lucky the seas were calm and that they made it out OK."
Kirschenbaum said, "We want to thank God for this. If it wasn't for our belief in Him, I don't think we would be here."

208lb Marlin caught in 14' Tin Boat.

2007-08-10T18:26:00.000-04:00

My boat is so small ... -- South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com Jasoon Chockley caught a 208-pound swordfish fishing 17 miles offshore from his 14-foot aluminum boat. Chockley was fishing last week southeast of Haulover Inlet (Florida) with his brother-in-law Efrain Soto. They took turns fighting the swordfish and needed just over two hours to get the fish to the boat using a Penn International 50 TW spooled with 65-pound Power Pro braided line.
I found this post on Florida Sportsman by DreamCatcher14 which includes more photos. Do you think this is real?

Local blue crabs are abundant

2007-08-09T22:28:00.000-04:00

Blue crabs are one of the nastiest, most ill-tempered and mean-spirited organisms on the planet. Loose in the bottom of a boat, a 5-ounce blue crab can hold a grown man at bay. Pound-for-pound, they make a great white shark seem like a choir boy. If they grew to a couple hundred pounds, you wouldn't be able to safely play in the water during the summer, because they would be plucking people off the decks of boats with their front claws. A mature, hard-shelled male crab has powerful pincer-like claws that can easily rip and cut skin. I have many permanent scars on my hands to prove this point. Blue crabs are, in my opinion, the best-eating critter in the sea and my absolute favorite meal served with fresh corn and a salad. They're well worth all the pain and bloodletting over the years.

Too tempting I've passed up shots at more deer than I've tagged, released trophy-class stripers, freshwater bass, pike, muskellunge, even fluke up to four or five pounds, but never have -- and never will -- release a single legal-sized blue crab. They are simply too tasty.
During the mid 1990s, when my son, Jared, was just growing big enough to handle a crab net with ease. Three of us were in a small boat, armed with powerful spot lights and long-handled crab nets on a serious, nighttime crab hunt.
The early part of that decade had brought with it winters that started early and ended late, with numerous heavy snow storms. It's a combination of conditions that can literally wipe out most of our local blue crab population as they have during the first few years of this decade. That year, there were a few local survivors around to catch and, as always, late-summer and early fall brought a migration of blue crabs into the area from the south. If these transients and their offspring survive the winter, they provide seed for the recovery of our local populations, which will peak two seasons later.
That year, both local and migratory crabs had been around for two seasons, so blue crabs were abundant throughout the region. Because there were mature survivors in the population, there was a higher-than-usual number of giant finger-crushers around the area.
As in any sort of hunting and fishing, catching big ones is icing on the cake of success. That particular trip in the '90s had a great deal of frosting on it in the form of numerous seven-inch plus crabs, a couple of more than eight inches and a chance to net the largest blue crab I've ever seen. During that trip, my son, Jared, was perfecting his crab-netting technique, so he was initially relegated to practicing on the small ones until his catch-per-attempt ratio was close to perfect. After we had a good supply of keepers in our pails, he was allowed to catch some of the bigger crabs to build his skills and confidence. In fact, that night he caught his largest trophy-sized blue crab -- an 1 1/2-incher. Shortly before he caught that monster blue-clawed male, I missed one that made it look small.
Jared has always had hunter's eyes, which means he's a natural at spotting things in the wild. For this reason, he was given his own spotlight long before he could actively participate with a crab net. It was fun and exciting for him, because he was a good spotter and therefore always contributed to our overall effort. I could tell by the tone of his voice when he excitedly went "Whoooh!," as he was scanning the water for the telltale white underside.
Big catch: I really couldn't believe my eyes. This crab was inches wider than any I'd ever encountered including my personal record, an incredible 91¼4 -inch behemoth that came from the same area four or five years before Jared was born. I use a wooden-handled crab net with a heavy metal frame that is about 12-13 inches across at its widest point. This crab, sitting with its elbow's out, was at least an inch wider than the net on each side. I knew it wouldn't fit into the net from any angle, so I tried to half scoop and half flip it into the boat. Bad plan.
I lifted the net with a hard, fast-raking swoop, while shaking it the entire time in an effort to entangle the crabs points or claws in the mesh. Initially, the water pressure held it and balanced across the net frame. As it cleared the surface of the water, the crab simply spread its claws, slipped off the frame, bounced off the side of the boat and was gone. I'm still ticked off about losing that one. It had to be at least 10 inches across its points.
Crabs are a short-lived species that lasts only about 18 to 28 months, so a monster like that missed 10-incher was either a pituitary giant or it had an extra molt or two of growing. Crabs grow rapidly during the summer, shedding their shells every few weeks throughout the growing season. Those poker chip-sized crabs that were so abundant in the Thames River late last fall are the 5-inch keepers people are catching right now. There apparently was a recent molt, because most of the crabs I caught last week were just barely keepers and many were soft or paper shells. The biggest was not even 6 inches.
A crab's shell is essentially like a kid wearing a snowsuit with longjohns underneath. Think of the longjohns as an internal layer of skin that will eventually become a new shell. As crabs grow (lobster and insects go through the same process) they fill their shell with muscle and internal organs like a kid outgrowing his or her clothes.
When they reach the bursting point, a hormone is released that causes the shell to split along its back edge and the crab -- now soft and helpless in its longjohns -- literally pulls itself out of its old shell and finds a safe place to hide. During this period, crabs are vulnerable to predation from about anything that can get to them. It is also when hard-shelled males mate with soft-shelled females. After shedding its old shell, the crab then pumps up its soft flexible outer skin by filling itself with water. This new shell, which is equivalent to those longjohns noted earlier, is about 20 percent larger in order to make room for new muscle growth.
There are a good number of crabs present that apparently survived last winter. Early signs indicated that they had not made it through the winter. Bear in mind that in additional to these local crabs continuing to grow sometime soon, their numbers will be boosted by an influx of migratory crabs from out south. The end result will be excellent crabbing throughout the fall. (Bob Sampson)

Crabbing can be as simple as you make it

2007-08-09T21:52:00.000-04:00

No license is required to catch crabs and crabbing has few rules. Hard -shell crabs must be 5 inches across the tips of their shell points, while soft shells need only be 1 1/2 inches. Females that are bearing a spongy egg mass on the underside of their carapace under their wide abdominal flap, must be released regardless of size.

You can not possess more than two claws per crab, so wise guys can't break the claws off egg-bearing females. There is no number or catch limit on crabs, because we are at the northern extent of their range, so a hard winter can literally wipe them all out. Check page 44 in the Connecticut Anglers Guide for all details about crabbing.
Crabbing is as simple or complex as you make it. Bear in mind that crabs, like lobster, are nocturnal, so even though they can be caught by day, they will be three to 10 times more abundant after dark. The trick is being able to catch them depending on water depth and clarity.
Spotting and scooping: During daylight hours or after dark with a spotlight, it is possible to walk docks, shallow estuaries or tide creeks or float in these same areas in a small boat. You can spot, then scoop up crabs with a long-handled net as they hang near the surface on rocks, pilings or as they walk along the bottom.
Baiting: Many people call this chicken-necking, where the crabber uses some sort of bait, either chicken parts (necks and thighs, uncooked are excellent) or racks from filleted fish that are tied to lines and thrown out into the water with one end weighted on a float or tied off some where on shore or to a boat.
Crab traps: Traps work best in deeper channels and off docks and piers, where the crabs can't otherwise be efficiently caught using other means. There are a number of commercial crab traps available at local tackle shops. All are the same idea. Bait is tied or wired into the bottom of the trap.

(Bob Sampson).

Mumford Cove's eelgrass recovery

2007-08-08T20:29:00.000-04:00

Usually the phrase “canary in the coal mine” is used to describe a danger sign, often of something going wrong in the environment. But marine scientist Jamie Vaudrey talks about a metaphoric canary that's singing loud and sweet in one of southeastern Connecticut's scenic coastal inlets on Long Island Sound, signaling not danger but an environmental success story of international significance.
This harbinger of ecosystem health — the waist-high, sinuous green blades called eelgrass — grows in abundance at the bottom of Mumford Cove, forming a perpetually swaying underwater meadow where young scallops, crabs, winter flounder, and other juvenile fish and shellfish like to live and grow, and older fish like to feed. Such was not the case 20 years ago, and the story of how the eelgrass that had historically flourished in the cove fell into a 40-year decline, then regenerated from a few surviving shoots to its current lushness is one Vaudrey loves to tell. It's also one without parallel in the Northeast, and very rare worldwide.
“When I present this information to the scientific community, people get very excited about it,” said Vaudrey, who's been studying the recovery of eelgrass beds in the cove for the last seven years from her base in the Marine Sciences Department at the University of Connecticut's Avery Point campus, just a few miles from the cove. “This is definitely a big issue.”
Worldwide, many types of seagrass have been in a long decline, and along much of the East and West coasts of the United States, eelgrass is the once-dominant species that many environmental managers would love to see recover. Mumford Cove is one of only a handful of places worldwide where natural recovery of seagrass has been documented, Vaudrey said. The process began when the town moved its sewer outfall pipe out of the cove in 1987, and has continued unabated through the present as the cove continues to cleanse itself of the high levels of nitrogen and other nutrients from the effluent.
“Eelgrass is used as the canary in the mine, as an indicator of the kind of system we want to see, and that's why as ecosystem managers we focus on it,” said Vaudrey one morning last week aboard a small power boat she and research assistant Kaitlyn Shaw took out into the cove. They were collecting some fresh eelgrass samples, pulling them up roots and all with a special long-handled scoop and a six-pronged hook.
That same day Vaudrey, who holds a doctorate in oceanography from UConn, submitted a research paper on the eelgrass recovery in Mumford Cove to “Estuaries and Coasts,” a leading academic journal in her field. She co-wrote the paper with James Kremer, who lives near the cove and is a marine sciences professor at Avery Point, and Brett Branco, who did earlier research on the cove while he was a student at Avery Point and who now teaches at the University of Western Australia.
In the conclusion, the authors say: “Mumford Cove has undergone a distinct transformation. ... Not only is there a need to highlight the success stories, but also a need to understand why mitigation efforts at a particular site were successful in order to increase the likelihood of future success.”
Town Councilor Paulann Sheets was a relatively new resident of the Mumford Cove neighborhood in 1982, when the town was still putting more than 3 million gallons a day of effluent into the cove. She led an effort of homeowners to bring a lawsuit that ultimately forced the town to move the pipe, which now empties into the Thames River near Electric Boat.
“In 1982,” Sheets said, “you did not swim in the cove. That body of water had turned into spinach soup, and there was an atrocious stench in August.” But once the pipe was moved in 1987, the water started becoming cleaner. The eelgrass leaves that now wash onshore provide fertilizer for gardens, Sheets said. She and many of her neighbors once again enjoy swimming there, and Mumford Cove became a very desirable address. “It transformed summer life here,” she said. “There was an explosion of development here.”
The fact that Mumford Cove now supports vigorous eelgrass beds isn't as significant to most residents as the fact that they can now enjoy clean, swimmable water, said Howard Root, president of the Mumford Cove Homeowner's Association. But since the two go hand-in-hand, managers who figure out how to bring back eelgrass are achieving something that is both good for wildlife and humans, Vaudrey said.
Eelgrass not only provides critical habitat for many marine animals, it also helps stabilize the sediment where it grows, keeping the water clearer, said Paul Stacey, division director at the state Department of Environmental Protection's Water Bureau. Stacey has been working with Vaudrey on another eelgrass research project.
Historically, Stacey said, eelgrass flourished in the eastern half of Long Island Sound beginning at Clinton harbor, but the only remaining beds are in the far eastern end starting at the Thames River. A fungal disease attacked the beds in the 1930s, and they were unable to recover to their former prominence because nitrogen and other nutrients flooded into the Sound from sewage-treatment plant discharges. Also, increasing development created more polluted runoff that made its way into the Sound.
“For a long time we've been grappling with the issue of what's going on with our eelgrass beds in Long Island Sound,” Stacey said. “Eelgrass beds are a key part of the near-shore ecosystem, but we're continuing to lose them. “
Mumford Cove, he noted, is the only place in the Sound — and in all of New England — where the opposite is true. Determining how and why the recovery occurred there naturally could provide key information for restoration projects elsewhere. Clearly, removing the sewage effluent was key, but other details need to be understood, he said. How clean does the water have to be for eelgrass? What range of nitrogen levels can it do well in? What role does water temperature play? What about levels of tidal flushing and salinity?
Development and the polluted runoff that comes from it is another factor, Stacey said. Mumford Cove has an advantage over many other coastal areas, because one side is part of the Bluff Point Coastal Reserve and so remains undeveloped.
“It would be great if the recovery just required nitrogen removal,” he said, because the technology to improve sewer-plant effluent exists. Curtailing polluted runoff from myriad driveways, roads and lawns is a much more complicated task.
Eelgrass grows best in clean, clear water uncluttered by the thick algae blooms that thrive in nutrient-rich waters and block light from reaching young eelgrass shoots. Vaudrey's research documents the changeover of Mumford Cove from one smothered in green algae to one dominated by eelgrass beds, with data showing the extent and volume of seagrass and the algae at four different parts of the cove over the last decade.
The lesson of Mumford Cove, she said, is that “if you fix the root of the problem, nature will help you along to get you where you want to be.” (Judy Benson).

Rock Snot found in Batten Kill

2007-08-07T18:17:00.000-04:00

An invasive algae considered a serious threat to Vermont's trout fishery has been spotted in the state's landmark fly-fishing trout river, the Batten Kill.
State officials said Monday that a small amount of the invasive algae Didymo, nicknamed rock snot, has been discovered in the upper Batten Kill, which winds south from Dorset through Manchester and Arlington and then heads west into New York. It also recently has been found in the upper Connecticut and White rivers.
This is the first time that the algae, which clogs the river bottom and smothers aquatic life, has been found in the Batten Kill, long considered one of Vermont's prime fisheries for native brown trout, as well as a popular river for paddlers and tubers.
Brad Wright, the information specialist for the agency, said Monday state officials are very concerned about the discovery, especially since it comes one year after their counterparts in New York found a two-mile-long bloom of the algae on the New York side of the river.

Fish in deep, dark waters to avoid critters

2007-08-06T19:56:00.000-04:00

When isopod and other organisms come out in abundance, swarming near the surface and the bass become hard to catch as they slurp them down, anglers are better off finding other areas with few bugs.
Try fishing in strong currents, deeper waters (such as the Race) or after dark. Persistence will usually catch a few fish, but the numbers caught will not be what they should be, could be or will be after the no-see-um's disappear. That's what happened last Wednesday during my trip with the Guyots.
We quickly left those first few schools of filter-feeding stripers for more fertile fishing grounds, but encountered similar problems along the entire island and only managed to catch a small bluefish and a half dozen stripers. Two of those fish, one a 29 incher, were caught on top of a reef using Salt Shaker's.
At sunset, we pulled into the shoreline for one final pass. Mark Guyot had yet to land a fish, so this stop was a last effort before heading home. The first troll through this new spot produced a hard strike on Mark's rod, while Luke Guyot landed another schoolie bass and his dad a footlong porgy. We decided to make one run before giving up.
Seconds after the lines were set and the boat was pointed in the opposite direction, the three Guyots all hooked up at the same time. Everyone took their time and calmly figured out what needed to be done. The end result was an 8- or 9-pound bluefish for Luke, a 33-inch striper for Mark and a 39-inch, 25-pounder for Bruce. (by Bob Sampson, Jr.)

BassPro Shops to open in Foxboro, Ma

2007-08-04T10:10:00.000-04:00

The Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World is under construction at Patriot Place, the 1.3 million-square-foot "super-regional lifestyle and entertainment experience" under construction next to Gillette Stadium on Route 1. The store - equivalent in square-footage to 3 Gillette Stadium football fields, and slightly larger than a typical Bass Pro - is scheduled to open Nov. 15.
Foxboro's Bass Pro store will feature an expansive boat showroom with boats built by the Tracker Marine Group, the world's largest manufacturer of fishing boats. A wide selection of fishing, hunting, camping and marine clothes, gifts and footwear will be available, too.
Bass Pro expects to hire 250 to 300 associates for the Foxboro store, MacDonald said. A job fair will be held Aug. 27 to 29, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Taking on the Weeds in Taunton Lake

2007-08-03T10:24:00.000-04:00

Taunton Lake, a 127-acre spring-fed body of water.

Gerald Smith, head of Aquatic Control Technology, Inc, aided by two assistants, sat at the controls of the air boat, which repeatedly crossed the southeast corner of the lake, spreading an aquatic weed killer on the lake bottom to control the growth of the pesky invasive weed known as milfoil. A network of tubes extending from a storage tank onboard the air boat spread the liquefied herbicide known as Renovate 3 (triclopyr) into the lake, where it will be absorbed by the milfoil, killing it.

Milfoil, an invasive plant that originated in Eurasia, has infested many lakes and ponds in North America. In this area, there are sizable milfoil infestations in Lake Zoar, Lake Lillinonah, and Candlewood Lake. The weed recently was discovered at Taunton Lake.

The discovery of milfoil at Taunton Lake will require regular lake inspections to check for the weed's presence and extent. If left unchecked, the spread of milfoil can damage the ecosystem of a lake. The lake has an 850-acre watershed. Taunton Lake feeds Pond Brook, which carries water to Lake Lillinonah. (Andrew Gorosko, Newton Bee).

Shetucket River Angler catches a Toothy Pacu

2007-08-02T22:45:00.000-04:00

Anglers, it is safe to go back to the Shetucket River. The toothy, nearly 3-pound fish Norwich angler Jeff Breault snagged Monday evening is not the much-feared, sharp-toothed piranha.

It's a pacu. Despite being a freshwater native of South America, the fish aren't complete strangers in Connecticut's waters thanks to desperate pet owners illegally dumping a particularly fast-growing member of their fish tank. "They're attached to the animal and they don't want to kill it," Neal Hagstrom, a senior fisheries biologist with the Department of Environmental Protection, said.
A 2-inch pacu can grow to about a foot long in a year, according to Gus Stout, a senior aquarist at Mystic Aquarium, and up to 3 feet at maturity.
In the wild, Stout said the fish swims through the forest floor during the Amazon River's seasonal floods and grinds fruits, nuts and vegetables with its flat teeth. In Connecticut, Hagstrom said it snacks on water plants and the occasional worm on a fisherman's hook.
Or, in Breault's case, an oatmeal ball originally meant for a carp. The 20-year fishing veteran landed the fish at the bottom of Roth Street. "It was fast, but it wasn't strong," he said.
The fish lived for a few hours in river water in a five-gallon pail, Breault said, but it did not survive the transfer to a buddy's tank. Both Hag-strom and Stout agreed the warm-water fish would have died in Connecticut's chilly winter waters. Still, Breault said the pacu is a keeper. "That's too bad that somebody would let it go like that," he said. "I'm going to get it mounted anyway." (Erica Jacobson)

What you can't see can hurt you

2007-08-02T12:08:00.000-04:00

There's no such thing as too much fishing, though lately I've been coming close to the saturation point where one trip blends into the next. Over the last week, friends and I have fished both fresh and saltwater in four different states for large and smallmouth bass, northern pike (in three of those states), tiger muskies (but failed to connect), pickerel, sunfish, fluke, bluefish, blue crabs and striped bass. That's a major angler's binge, if there's ever been one.

There is not enough room here to relate all the stories, so we'll go with the most pertinent, which took place last Wednesday during a striper fishing trip with my lifelong buddy, Bruce Guyot, and his sons, Mark and Luke. It was a beautiful, calm evening, so the trip to the reefs and Fishers Island was fast and dry.
Right off the bat, to the east of Wicopesset Island, we spotted diving terns and surfacing fish. They proved to be school stripers that were feeding on something small that was just under the surface. They were keyed in so intently on whatever it was that all but one of the hundreds of visible surfacing stripers totally ignored our offerings.
We were facing predatory fish feeding on a tiny, but superabundant food source, one we call the "no-see-ums," a situation that can be difficult to deal with. Realizing our efforts were futile, we went searching for a place where these little bugs were not so concentrated, so we'd have a better chance of catching a few stripers or bluefish.
Every year sometime in July or early August, a free living species of isopod that is in the class Crustacea (along with lobster and crabs), comes out in force. They swarm near the surface, by the millions, in what is probably a spawning event. When this takes place, they attract the attention of a large percentage of the stripers and other species away from their normal prey, making standard fishing methods nearly ineffective in areas where these "no-see-um's" collect.
These tiny critters were so thick last Wednesday that Luke actually snagged a big one on the point of a hook. I keyed out in a great reference, "Marine Animals of Southern New England and New York," by Howard Weiss as a Valiferan isopod. This particular isopod is a small, multi segmented, grayish-tan organism, about the size of a pencil eraser that looks similar to the pill bugs or armadillo bugs that live in damp places, such as under rotting logs. At other times, in other areas, similar swarms of lobster larvae, crab larvae and other members of the huge and very diverse Phylum Arthropoda have the same sort of negative effect on catch rates wherever they occur.
These annual events are nothing new. Captain Don Cameron of Captain Don's Tackle on Route 1 in Charleston, R.I., says he remembers seeing and hearing about no-see-um's frustrating anglers 30 or 40 years ago.
When these incredibly abundant organisms swarm, striped bass and other species target them for an easy meal. It is like trout fishing during a mayfly hatch. The natural bait is so abundant and the predators focus in on them so intently, they ignore everything else. The dilution factor, where the real thing outnumbers flies or lures by hundreds or thousands to one, makes it nearly impossible to catch a fish. Exciting, but often very frustrating, angling experiences are the end result.
About a decade ago, while trolling a tube and worm along the south side of Fishers Island, we constantly saw the noses, dorsal fins and tails of surface-feeding stripers that would spook at the approach of the boat, then reform a short distance off the stern, after we passed.
A week earlier, trolling with Fish Connection red licorice tubes was producing 15 to 30 stripers per outing, up to about 30 pounds. On this night, when the bass were feeding on no-see-um's, all we had to show for our efforts was a couple of small schoolies and a bluefish. At one point, a striper of about 20 pounds came swimming lazily towards the boat, mouth gaping about halfway open. It totally ignored the lures and even a whole live sandworm that were cast and pulled right in front of its nose. It changed direction and lazily swam right through a cloud of the small, insect-like organisms I'd noticed earlier that evening around floating mats of eel grass. Finally, it spooked when a soft plastic lure it normally would have slurped down landed too close.
Putting two-and-two together, it became obvious as to what was taking place. Those striped bass that normally hit our tubes with wild abandon were filter feeding on those little isopods that are so small they're difficult to identify and even see. I'd been dealing with this phenomenon for years without completely realizing exactly what was happening and why suddenly, for two or three weeks, the fishing would become less productive, despite the presence of many often visible fish in the area.
As of Wednesday, no-see-um's included a sand worm hatch and lobster larvae along the south shore beaches of Rhode Island, according to Captain Don's. (Bob Sampson, Jr, Norwich Bulletin).

Boaters are wrecking local lakes

2007-08-01T11:12:00.000-04:00

As a kid, a couple of highly anticipated weeks every summer were spent at Pine Point Day Camp, located along the northeastern side of Gardner Lake, between St. Thomas More School and the Hopemead State Park access area. Camp was fun with new friends and new things to do outside. But the primary reason I wanted to attend was the free time we had each day, which was spent fishing along the rocky shoreline north of the day camp.
Every day I saw big smallmouth bass cruising along the shoreline in 6 to 10 feet of what was then crystal-clear water.
Unfortunately, the days of clear water in Gardner Lake and most other developed bodies of water in the region are over. The reason is a high level of human presence both on and around the shores of this and other popular lakes. Some days it's difficult to see a white dinner plate on the bottom in 3 or 4 feet because of the turbid conditions that have developed on this lake over two or three decades.
Unfortunately, at the present time, this is the situation on just about every developed lake in the region. Any lake rimmed with homes and run frothy by outboards is faced with the degradation of its water quality because of the addition of nutrients (in the form of phosphates and nitrates) from septic system seepage along with fertilizers used on lawns, gardens, and farms.
Blend this all together by millions of rotations from the propellers of boats and nozzles from jet skis, which mix exhaust from their engines like a blender into the water and serious water quality problems are inevitable. Four-cycle engines are much cleaner burning, because no oil is burned with the gas, so all they add is fuel emissions, a far cleaner option.
It all adds up over time. Green lawns unfortunately also create green lakes. Light, pea soup green is not the color the water in our lakes is supposed to be. Hydrocarbons from exhaust along with some potentially dangerous toxins created from the combustion of gasoline and oil, are constantly being added directly to the water via engine exhaust.
If you want to open your eyes to this huge problem, read a book by Andre Mele, published in 1993 by Norton Publications, called "Polluting for Pleasure." It is an in-depth look at the horrendous oil pollution problem that is being created by huge numbers of two-stroke recreational boats and gas-burning engines.
To quote Mele, boats are injecting or "spilling 15 times more oil into our waters than the Exxon Valdez -- every year. Unregulated powerboats are creating a national disaster." Anyone who rides on the water contributes to this problem. Nothing burned is good for the environment, though the primary culprit here are two-cycle (two-stroke) engines. The primary reason is they are dirty, requiring the addition of oil into the gasoline.
Each stroke of every piston blows partially burned gas and oil directly through the exhaust pipe into the water. According to "Polluting for Pleasure," the result is an oil emulsion in the water, 55 to 65 percent of which evaporates, leaving roughly 35 to 45 percent remaining in the water. Doing the math, roughly 2.6 ounces per gallon of gas burned from each pint of oil that's mixed in a standard 50:1 ratio with six gallons of gasoline in older outboard engine remains in the water in the form of emulsified oils that is essentially like a toxic bathtub ring on a given body of water.
Ficht technology and oil injection systems on more modern two-stroke outboard engines have improved their emission levels to half of that level with the best producing a 100:1 oil to gas ratio, but certainly have not even come close to eliminating this invisible, but insidious, pollution problem.
Solar or battery power is the only way to totally eliminate this dangerous form of water pollution, one that many people do not even think about as they bounce along in their boats. At this point in time, clean means traveling at a much slower, quieter pace, which lake dwellers would appreciate.
Using Gardner Lake as an extreme example among our local lakes and ponds, there are too many boats permanently sitting on this 529-acre body of water. Gardner Lake has about four major clusters of boats at small marinas or campgrounds and dozens of others moored to private docks around its perimeter. Boats are always leaking something into the water, plus handling two-stroke oil and simply pouring gasoline from gasoline containers into boats is never a clean job, so minor spills and splashes of oil and gas occur constantly on a lake.
The biggest polluters are older two-stroke engines and pretty much all the jet skis, which are essentially filthy, despite their slick, clean looks.
Mele's eye-opening book was published prior to stricter clean-water regulations that have been put in place since the late 1990s. Despite improvement in technology forced by this legislation, the problem still exists and continues to increase.
Oil emulsions physically cloud the water, because they are mixed in like a blender by the action of the propeller, but they tend to remain near the surface because oil is less dense than water. The result is a layer of turbid, toxic water.
In addition to runoff into the water shed and the oil pollution in a place like Gardner Lake, extremely high levels of boat traffic create constant wave action that breaks along the shoreline, stirring up fine particulate matter from shallow water into suspension. These suspended particles further lower the water clarity, add nutrients to the water column and can contribute to loss of healthy macrophytic plant growth because light penetration into the water is reduced. It's all a vicious cycle.
The result, after decades of such abuse in the form of nutrients and oil pollutants constantly being added to lakes, is numerous lakes that turn green every summer with algae blooms, while others may literally clog up with emergent plant growth or both.
High levels of nutrients in the water act as fertilizer for aquatic plants and algae. The result is proliferation of nuisance plants such as milfoil, to the point that boats can't run through the mats of vegetation that may totally cover the lake surface. Water chestnut, milfoil, and parrot feather are three plants of most concern.
In the future, cleaner, more efficient forms of propulsion for boats along with more efficient hull designs will be developed, further reducing the pollution and damage to our waters.
Add central sewer lines for lakeside houses, ban fertilizing lawns, slow everyone down and there could be some significant improvements in water quality over time, especially in smaller lakes that have less water volume to absorb the various forms of human abuse they must withstand. (Bob Samspon, Jr. Norwich Bulletin).

Testing the Waters

2007-07-31T09:42:00.000-04:00

This series of articles, videos, and photos examine the Hudson River and the Long Island Sound. It's worth a click especially for the "Crabbing in the Hudson" video.

State tightens Squantz Pond access after another drowning

2007-07-30T13:51:00.000-04:00

In the wake of the latest drowning at Squantz Pond, the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection announced it is planning to temporarily limit the number of people it admits to the Squantz Pond State Park in New Fairfield.

DEP Commissioner Gina McCarthy said the parking lot at Squantz Pond would now be closed once 250 cars have entered the park. DEP had been allowing 500 cars to enter the parking area. The new policy will have the most significant impact on weekend park attendance, including fishermen. With less people in the park we will be in a better position to manage the situation there while we conduct a comprehensive review of exactly what measures we can put in place to help ensure the public's safety. (Martin Armstrong, Stamford Advocate)

Remaining seed oystermen tough it out

2007-07-30T13:48:00.000-04:00

So goes the life of a seed oyster fisherman — a dying breed these days. Where once there were nearly 200 like Spease, today only a couple dozen seed oystermen work Connecticut's rivers, according to the state's Bureau of Aquaculture in Milford.

Where once the public scooped up 700,000 bags of 100 Connecticut oysters annually, last year only 52,861 bags sold at between $45 to $55 each, according to the bureau's statistics. Yet for nine hours a day, six days a week, nine months a year, Spease and Catalino will cruise the Housatonic River in Stratford from the Merritt Parkway bridge to the breakwater edge of Long Island Sound.

Every 30 minutes or so their metallic mesh net scoops up several bushels of seed oysters. These are young oysters that must be transplanted in designated clean water areas. So at the end of the day, Spease sells his boatload to Norman Bloom and Sons of Norwalk. On a good day, he said the haul could bring as much as $1,500. On a bad day, it's $500. To some that may sound like a boom particularly when compared to the dire days of 2003-05.
That came thanks to two parasites, Dermo and MSX, which flourished in the state's oyster beds in 1997 and 1998. At that time, oystermen were selling 180,000 bushels annually, according to the state Bureau of Aquaculture. In 1993-95, the number was closer to 700,000 bushels. But because of the parasites and the resulting oyster die-off, those numbers plummeted to just 23,041 bags of 100 oysters in 2005.Not only did the oyster harvest plummet, the number of harvesters also dropped from a couple hundred to two dozen, said David Carey, director of the Aquaculture bureau.
The epidemic was so bad that the federal government provided $1 million in disaster aid to 23 oyster farmers. "Things have been pretty bad for about 10 years," said state Rep. Terry Backer, D-Stratford, the soundkeeper.
"We're just starting to see a recovery."Carey said last year's oyster sales of 52,851 bags generated about $2.2 million — both more than double the previous year. He believes this year's figures may double those of 2006."We believe Connecticut's oysters are premium oysters," said Carey.
"They are bigger, meatier and have a longer shelf-life because of the colder water temperatures."Oysters are dual sex. They spend their first year as males releasing sperm into the water. As they grow into their second and third years, they portray females releasing eggs into the water. Once the eggs are fertilized, they develop into larvae which can swim free for 14 days as they find a shell to settle on.
The shells come from ostermen and agencies like the Stratford Shellfish Commission, which return them to the water. Within two years, they reach an edible size. They are captured in devices like the metallic mesh net on Spease's boat. He turns a pulley, which lifts and then lowers the cage-like net which drops some 20 feet into the Housatonic. He can troll it another 85 feet."It's like dragging an anchor," he said.
After about 15 minutes, Spease wheels in the catch [and separates] the seed oysters, those 2.75 inches and smaller, from the rocks, crabs, fish and garbage. This goes on every day from Oct. 20 to July 20 during the leaf laden winds of fall, the biting icy winds of winter and the rain driven winds of spring.
The state prohibits harvesting the Housatonic during that time frame so as not to disturb oyster spawning. The Housatonic shuts down a month longer because its waters are warm enough to support a second spawning, according to Carey.
State law requires Bloom to transplant the purchases that day. Once that crew leaves Stratford they'll travel to one of the five oyster lots Bloom runs on Long Island Sound between Branford and Greenwich. The load will be slowly dumped overboard. These oysters must then remain there a minimum of six months to as much as two years determined by their size, before they can be harvested and sold to the public. (excerpted from an article by Michael P. Mayko, Connecticut Post)

How to Remove a Very Large Dam

2007-07-28T18:02:00.000-04:00

Ever wonder how they remove really big dams? Admit it, you have. I know I have. At 47 feet high, the Sandy River's Marmot Dam will be the largest dam ever removed in Oregon and the tallest removed in the Northwest in 40 years.

The process began in July 2007 with the construction of a shallow earthen "coffer" dam upstream from Marmot Dam. This step creates a dry work area and exposes the concrete dam for demolition crews.

The tunnel that takes water from Marmot Dam to the Little Sandy River will also be removed in 2007.

Actual dam deconstruction will be performed with large, pneumatic hammers connected to front-end loaders, equipment similar to that seen working on concrete roads.

Demolition will continue throughout the summer, one piece at a time.

Once the concrete dam is removed, the coffer dam will be extended across the river, blocking the bypass channel. It will disappear when high water flows in the fall gradually wash it downstream, eventually restoring the river to its natural state.

Great care will be taken during demolition. PGE is working with the State Historic Preservation Office to protect any archaeological resources, while impact on riverbanks and vegetation will also be remedied to preserve the scenic beauty of one of Oregon's most beloved areas.

State Strikes Back At Marsh-Invaders

2007-07-27T23:50:00.000-04:00

Phragmites in a Connecticut salt marsh is a little like the most aggressive weed imaginable in a flower garden, the kind that would smother the snapdragons and rose bushes, leaving once-lush beds unattractive to hummingbirds, bumblebees and butterflies.

When phragmites — the tall, non-native grass that has invaded thousands of acres — comes to dominate a salt marsh, what is supposed to be a highly diverse and productive habitat for many varieties of plants, birds and juvenile fish becomes a monoculture. Also called common reed, phragmites can grow up to 20 feet tall, reproducing both through a network of rhizomes and from seed-laden plumes to choke out the native wildlife.
That's what happened in the marshes in North and South coves at the mouth of the Connecticut River. Now, though, the battle to win back these marshes from phragmites' clutch has begun.
Thursday marked the official start of a unique three-year herbicide spraying and mowing project to rid 113 acres in the two marshes of phragmites. That will let the native bulrushes, cattails, cord grass, switch grass and pygmy weed return, and with them the salt marsh sparrow, king rail, migratory ducks and shortnose sturgeon that use the marshes to feed, forage, breed and nest. (Judy Benson, The Day)

Connecticut Protects Coastal Waters and Long Island Sound Banning Boat Discharges

2007-07-27T12:24:00.000-04:00

All of Connecticut’s waters in Long Island Sound are now part of a “No Discharge Area,” making it illegal for boaters to discharge sewage from their vessels anywhere in the state’s portion of the Sound.
A “No Discharge Area” is a designated body of water in which the discharge of treated and untreated boat sewage is prohibited. Boaters in “No Discharge Areas” are required to use pumpout facilities or pumpout boats to dispose of any waste. Today's “No Discharge Area” designation means that all of Connecticut's coastal waters are protected.
To qualify as a “No Discharge Area,” an area must have enough pump-out facilities where boaters can get their holding tanks pumped out. In its application for the Branford to Greenwich portion of the Sound, the DEP identified a total of 43 available pumpout facilities including 31 fixed shore-based facilities, five portable facilities, and seven pumpout boats

US lobstermen embrace catch limits | csmonitor.com

2007-07-26T12:37:00.000-04:00

Fishermen from Massachusetts to North Carolina are trying to keep lobster from becoming another fish story – the kind that ends up with stocks collapsing.

Borrowing a page from the thriving lobster industry in Maine, they've pushed through new rules that limit the size of the lobsters they catch. The idea is to protect the breeding stock for new generations of the shellfish.

sphere: Broadwater Says It Has Set Up a Fishermen's Committee to Help Fishermen, But the Fishermen Say they've Never Heard of Such a Thing

2007-07-26T12:34:00.000-04:00

Broadwater has discovered the LNG facility will have no impact on commercial fishing. This they discovered through the imaginary commercial fisherman committee they formed. Oops! I mean virtual committee - using the lastest high-tech IBM XT computers available.

Read Tom Andersen's post and the original story from reporter who figured it out.

Gardner Lake

2007-07-26T11:44:00.000-04:00

Gardner Lake:
Despite the fact it's as busy as a race track and has a building pollution problem, Gardner Lake still supports a pretty good population of fish to chase. I live three miles from this lake, but only fish it on rainy days, because the boat and jet ski traffic is so aggravating.
Access: Access to Gardner Lake is difficult from shore, because of the fact that private homes and campgrounds, like most of the larger lakes in the world, own the majority of lake shoreline. Public shore-based access is through a small access point at the dam, Hopemead State Park, a short distance south of there in the northeastern corner of the lake and at the DEP launch site, along the southern shore of the lake.
Fishing:It is a deep-water lake that has bluegills, pumpkinseeds, calico bass, yellow perch, large and smallmouth bass, brown bullheads and is stocked with trout and walleye, so there are many angling options in this lake, if you can put up with the boat traffic. (Bob Sampson, Jr., Norwich Bulletin)

Fishing Tips from Westport Outfitters, Norwalk

2007-07-20T14:42:00.000-04:00

Check out these and many more "pro tips"
Locating fish
• Generally, outgoing tides move fish closer to the estuary's mouth. Incoming tides move fish further inside the estuary.
• Inlets are great spots to fish. Fish the mouth, the channel (throat) and the corners.
• Fish are creatures of habit. They tend to move along the same route. So, take some time today to observe their path when they are coming in or moving out. Chances are good that you'll find them passing by the same exact spots tomorrow.
• If you have success in saltwater, try the same spot about 50 minutes later. This is called the "hour after" principle.
• Changes in the weather produce changes in fish. Shallow waters are most sensitive to changes in barometric pressure and approaching weather fronts.
• If you see the formation of a parabola shape on your fishfinder, you are most likely running into a school of tuna in a feeding frenzy.
• Fish prefer to feed on moving prey. Finding the right retrieve is the key for more hookups.
• In calm waters and bright skies, a fish is capable of seeing objects that are 20 degrees above the horizon. Try to stay below the 20-degree angle to reduce the chance of being detected.
• Hydraulic currents are created by structure. Learning structure can help you to better understand hydraulic current and increase your catches.

Boaters should check for harmful species

2007-07-19T20:45:00.000-04:00

Fishing and launching boats in weedy lakes gives every boat owner the responsibility to help prevent the spread of invasive nuisance species of aquatic vegetation and algae.
Boaters are required to clean weeds off their trailers, outboards and anything else they dip into the water or face the potential for significant fines up to $100 per plant in Connecticut, so a cluster of water chestnut or water milfoil hanging from the rollers of your boat could cost a hefty price.
Didymosphenia geminata can, during the heat of summer, cause serious environmental problems. Didymo blooms create thick mats of a gray, white or brown cotton substance that can literally cover the bottom of shallow, rock-bottomed streams, smothering plants, insects and mollusks and destroying fish habitats.
It's a microscopic organism and can stick to the bottom of boats, kayaks, canoes and wading boots, thus being spread unknowingly by otherwise environmentally conscious individuals.
The DEP recommends everyone who enters the water, check, clean and dry.
Check:For clumps of algae (or muck) and rinse boats, boots and other gear off as cleanly as possible before leaving. Don't rinse this stuff down drains.
Clean:Soak and scrub all items for at least a minute in 140-degree or hotter water in a 2 percent bleach solution or 5 percent solution of salt antiseptic hand cleaner or dishwashing detergent, when possible.
Dry:If cleaning is impossible, dry everything, including felt soles completely and wait an additional 48 hours (two days) before using them in a different stream or lake.
This algae is more dangerous to streams, especially shallow rocky streams than lakes. But like any invasive species, don't play around if you care about the environment. Standard check, clean and dry procedures will also protect against the spread of other undesirable organisms. (Bob Sampson, Norwich Bulletin)

Bass are lurking in the Weeds

2007-07-19T08:05:00.000-04:00

Summertime and the living is easy. Bass are jumping and the corn's getting high -- or something like that, according to composer George Gerschwin's classic blues song. Anyone who fishes the region's many shallow, lily-filled, bog-type ponds during the summer, often see bass jumping out of the water to catch dragon flies as these insects patrol for the smaller insects on which they prey.
Bright sun and high water temperatures during the summer doldrums often foil the efforts of mid-summer and daytime anglers. By now, trout are par-boiled, sunfish are in their glory, catfish are feeding well and bass are sporadically active. In deep-water lakes, they are pretty much on a dawn, dusk and rainy day feeding schedule.
Shallow, weedy ponds are a different story.
I call them dragon-fly days, those hot times of the summer when the dragon flies are out and about in squadrons, with largemouth bass, usually smaller fish in constant pursuit, often doing aerial maneuvers in an effort to grab a chance meal out of the sky.
From a nutritional point of view, it seems like a great deal of expended energy to maybe catch a single, though large insect. But bass in shallow bog-type ponds feed constantly on dragon flies and other prey they capture on or near the surface of their shallow, weedy habitats.
It makes sense, because in shallow, weed-choked lakes, where there may not be any deep cool water in which to spend a hot summer afternoon, the bass are literally driven into the shade under expanses of lily pad and other emergent species of vegetation or get sunburned.
As a child, I once spent a couple bucks out of my hard-earned Norwich Bulletin paper route money to purchase a dragon-fly lure after observing a huge bass nab one in mid-air at Bog Meadows. It cast poorly, never produced a fish and mercifully broke off in the pads, so I had to stop using it. Since I fished this shallow bass and weed-filled lake almost daily, my inability to harvest those weed beds for its bassy treasure had me trying every species of weedless lure in creation.
This was at a time when plastic worms were new on the market and the only lures that effectively fished weeds -- but only sparse ones -- were a classic Johnson's Silver Minnow and another spoon called a Hawaiian Wiggler by the Fred Arbogast Co. Both cast well, but snagged weeds constantly and missed most of the fish that struck.
Whippy fishing rods and monofilament that stretched like an elastic band in those days were good parts of this problem. Whatever the excuse, I was constantly frustrated by the weedless lures available at that time.
I happened to see a fishing show on TV that featured a Massachusetts angler named Bill Plummer. On camera, he was filmed catching numerous largemouth bass in the 6-pound to 10-pound range from Quabbin Reservoir, a famous fishing destination across the state border on a lure called a Bass Frog. It was a truly weedless, fish-catching lure that he invented and began marketing in the 1960s.
By chance, while shopping in a department store in Shrewsbury, Mass., called Spag's, I saw and immediately bought my first weedless Bass Frog lure around that time. On its maiden trip to the old bog, my new lure unceremoniously busted off my line by a bass that was at least 6 pounds. I saw that lunker jump out of the water and down on top of the frog, mouth wide-open, so it made a loud "bop" when it hit the water. Like a small explosion, it blasted away, wrapped a few pounds of lily stems and broke off in less time than it took to read this passage. I was devastated, ticked off, but excited because I'd finally found the key to fishing the weeds.
It took a little practice and tweaking, but after replacing the frog with a half dozen more, I racked up a number of 3-pound to 5-pound largemouths that summer and have caught a couple of more than 7 pounds on this lure throughout the years. From that time on, a mid-summer, daylight style of bass fishing I called "bass frogging" evolved.
After several permutations and changes in weed fishing lures, we now call it salad spooning or slopping the pigs, depending on which of three excellent weedless lures are being cast. The primary is a Salad Spoon (made by Lunker City, the makers of Slug-Go's), fished with a size 3/0 Texposer Hook or a pair of larger, weedless top water musky/pike lures from Oddessey Lures called the Sloppee Pig, a 9-inch-long monster that can plow through dinner-plate sized pads like a small boat and its son, the Sloppee Pig Jr., that is about 6 inches long and fishes well in small-to-medium pads.
The point is all three of these lures are designed with upturned hooks, so they swim or skim over the tops of most species of weeds and are particularly deadly in dense beds of small lilies. In fact, I use Salad Spoons, which have a large twister tail that gives them a very soft, lifelike gurgle for most of my open water surface fishing instead of the much more popular buzz baits.
Weed fishing is a crude, barroom brawl-style of surface fishing that requires heavy-duty tackle. Yet there is a certain amount of finesse involved to be consistently successful. I use the same -- or even heavier -- gear for weed fishing than I do most of the time for striped bass. A 7-foot medium heavy-action rod spooled with 20-pound test Fireline or Diawa's new Saltiga braid is a near necessity to consistently land bass.
The rig must be heavy and powerful enough to set the hook into the jaw of a big bass, through the drag of lily stems and then be capable of extracting and hauling in fish of 2 pounds or less. Bigger fish must be quickly retrieved before they gain leverage and enough slack line to shake the hook.
The finesse part of salad spooning comes from working these surface lures weed-free and making accurate casts that thoroughly cover every patch of lilies, while making pinpoint casts to spots where fish have been observed jumping or moving in the weeds.
Any finesse in this game ends with the strike. When a fish approaches, don't set the hook until it has taken the lure down and its weight is definitely felt. Set back hard and maintain pressure until the bass is landed.
The fun and excitement in this style of fishing comes from visible surface strikes and being able to catch bass during the heat of a summer day, long after other anglers have gone home. (written by Bob Sampson, for Norwich Bulletin).Check out Bob Sampsons' podcast here.

Fort Trumbull Fishing Pier

2007-07-17T22:56:00.000-04:00

People on the fishing pier at Fort Trumbull in New London at dusk last week. (photo by Dana Jensen, published on theday.com).

Seymour Land Trust to celebrate 80 yrs of Legion Pool

2007-07-17T22:48:00.000-04:00

Memories are abundant at Legion Pool on Chatfield Street. The swimming hole turned trout fishing pond has tiny reminders of its past stitched throughout the landscape of the 3.5-acre park.

The various buildings and decks that volunteers from the Seymour Land Trust have added throughout the years are named after early contributors. The metal bar that once supported the diving board is now part of a concrete bench for fishing. An old rock with the names Sherry and Ron carved into it has been used in a stone walkway along the dam at the pond.

The memories are likely to flow, too, on July 25, when the land trust celebrates the 80th anniversary of the dedication of the swimming pool. (Jodie Mozdzer, Waterbury Republican American)

Duck stuck under bridge

2007-07-17T21:19:00.000-04:00

Okay not a real duck, but a rubber ducky in the Loire River, France.

Penfield Lighthouse for sale

2007-07-15T22:16:00.000-04:00

The federal government is seeking a buyer for the Penfield Lighthouse off the coast of Fairfield, which comes with panoramic views of Long Island Sound and tales of hauntings by the ghost of a former property keeper. Local legend has it that Frederick Jordan's apparition appeared at the lighthouse several times after he drowned when his boat capsized near the structure in 1916. The US General Services Administration wants to sell it for one dollar to a local, state or federal government agency or a nonprofit organization. The town of Fairfield says it's very interested in the property and has had discussions with local groups about their helping with maintenance. The 51-foot-tall lighthouse was built in 1874 in Long Island Sound about a mile from Fairfield Beach and is on the National Register of Historic Places. It is attached to a two-story keeper's residence.

Cabela's East Hartford store hiring blitz starts July 16th

2007-07-15T21:57:00.000-04:00

Readying for a mid-October grand opening, Cabela's will start a hiring blitz on Monday, July 16, for 450 new employees. Go to there website for more information.

'Rock snot' found in Connecticut River's Vermont & New Hampshire

2007-07-15T21:08:00.000-04:00

Alarmed by reports about an invasive algae found in the Connecticut River, biologists from Vermont and New Hampshire will meet tomorrow with representatives of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and river groups to make plans for combatting it, authorities said yesterday. At issue is the spread of Didymosphenia geminata, also known as didymo and "rock snot," which has been found in two locations of the White River and in northern reaches of the Connecticut River, which separates Vermont and New Hampshire.

The microscopic algae result in thick mats on river and stream bottoms in infested waters. The algae can stick to fishing gear, boats and boots and can live in car trunks for weeks. There is no known treatment. "As didymo's presence in Vermont's waters has been confirmed, it is imperative that scientists and experts from across the region come up with a way to prevent its further spread in our waterways," Vermont Natural Resources Secretary George Crombie said.
A fishing guide who found evidence of it in the Connecticut River says it could spell doom for Vermont's wild trout. "It will destroy the aquatic insect population and in turn will destroy the wild trout population because there will be nothing to feed on." (AP Story from the Concord Monitor).
above photo from "Mysterious alga threatens rivers (in both hemispheres)" published by the Christian Science Monitor

Colchester river reopened to fishing following sewage spill

2007-07-13T20:49:00.000-04:00

The state Department of Environmental Protection today reopened the Jeremy River to fishing and recreational activities following a June 24 sewage spill which had raised health and environmental concerns.
Colchester Health Director Wendy Mis said today the DEP-hired contractors have completed remediation in the area of the spill off routes 2 and 149 and river sampling has been completed. Test results indicate water quality in the Jeremy River, as well as downstream in the Salmon River to the Comstock Bridge have returned to acceptable levels.
Officials estimate 50,000 gallons of raw sewage spewed into the nearby waterways in the June 24 spill caused when a pressurized sewer main failed. The Salmon River had previously reopened to fishermen.

These Fluke fishing tips will reduce damage

2007-07-12T21:26:00.000-04:00

Anglers can reduce damage to short fluke by fishing with release in mind and by following these tips: Always hold the rod to detect strikes and set the hook as soon as a strike is detected to lessen the odds of hooking smaller fluke.
Use large hooks (3/0 or larger) and large baits to filter out the smaller fish before they become hooked.
Bring dehooking tools along. A simple jaw spreader and Baker Hook-out are inexpensive, extremely easy to use tools that readily to remove hooks from any species with a minimum of stress and damage.
Fluke recipe:Fluke fillets are among the most delicate, flaky white meat fish in our waters. A simple way to prepare an excellent meal is to cut fillets into pieces, dip in a combination of egg and milk, then coat with Bisquick, flour or bread crumbs.
Let the breaded fillets sit for a few minutes on a paper towel, to allow the coating to set so it doesn't fall off while cooking. Then top with spices, a squeeze of lemon and a pat of butter to help brown and place in the oven at 375 degrees or fry in a light oil until golden brown.
Leftover fillets can be chilled, then mixed with mayonnaise to make a delicious fluke salad. Add lettuce, tomato, cheese and anything else you like to create a terrific sandwich or wrap. A good fluke salad sandwich makes canned tuna taste like cat food.
Fish story. Mark Lewchik of River's End Tackle said he was at the Department of Environmental Protection fishing pier in Lyme earlier in the week when a fisherman at the end of the dock caught into a 40-pound striped bass. The odd thing was this fish had broken another angler's line and the lucky angler's hook had managed to hook into the eye of the swivel on the first angler's leader.

Serious fluke fishng is fun

2007-07-12T21:15:00.000-04:00

One of the most popular species in our marine waters is fluke (Paralicthys dentatus), that sharp-toothed aggressive squid eating summer flounder. They are a fun, relatively easy species to catch on rod and reel that are excellent eating and worth a bundle in the markets. This combination of favorable traits is a triple whammy that a couple decades ago drove this species to the brink of disaster because of overharvesting.
Conservation measures since the early 1990s have restored the species to fishable -- though not historically high -- levels.
When fluke first began filtering into the region from their wintering grounds in May, local anglers were wondering how the fishing would be this season, because they were faced with a mish-mosh of different regulations in the tri-state area. These regulations, in my opinion, will most likely kill more fluke because of hook mortality than they will ever save. Like it or not, all we can do as anglers is follow the rules and hope next time regulations come up for change someone adds a dash of common sense to the mathematical matrices that govern the management of this species.
By now, anglers are used to the larger length limits and, to my surprise, not many anglers are crying at this point in the season. In fact, reports from all the fishing areas from Rhode Island, the south side of Fishers Island and eastern Long Island Sound all indicate there's a pretty good crop of fish around with a good percentage of fluke in the 4- to 8-pound range being caught throughout the region. It sounds like fishermen are catching these fish at a rate of about one keeper to every three to five throwbacks. That's a keeper-to-short ratio that is far better than the ratio many anglers were reporting by this time during the 2006 season.
The reason is fluke are a fast-growing species, so those 17-inchers that survived the gamut of hooks and trawl nets over the last year are back as 19- to 20-inchers this season. Fluke fishing is a much more laid back and easy-going style of fishing than pounding your guts out in the Race for stripers and blues that may be 100 or ;more feet below the bottom of the boat or slinging eels along rocky, propeller-eating shorelines after dark. You can go fluking during bankers' hours and still expect to catch a few decent fish.
Serious fluke fishers throughout the region are usually up and on the water, drifting in their favorite locations as the sun rises. Generally speaking, regardless of the tide the early morning bite always seems to be better for fluke than later in the day. However, many successful fluke fishermen rely on playing the tides and wind drift than the time of day for their successes.
In my opinion, there are two major factors that determine how successful or unsuccessful a fluke fishing trip will be -- drift and presentation of baits. The fresher the better. Of these two factors, the most important is the drift.
Fluke are an active predator that do not take stationary baits as readily as other bottom species such as winter flounder, porgies or blackfish. They are as aggressive as any top predator. I've seen them chasing bait on the surface in 25 to 30 feet of water and caught fluke of 4 pounds on a fast-moving "Rattl' Trap" crank bait that had been cast to working birds, assuming they were overstriped bass or blues.
Plan ahead: The secret to consistent fluke fishing success is planning the when and where to fish for these summertime flatfish, based on the tide and the prevailing wind.
Shore-based fishermen will do best in most areas to fish around the top of the flood tide and through the ebb by casting baited jigs in breachways, off-points and into channels wherever possible. Along the beaches, find small bait, either sand eels or peanut bunker and cast small jigs baited with a strip of squid and a minnow of some sort beneath the schools, providing you can get them below the bass and blues to the bottom.
Boat fishermen have to plan their fishing based on two factors -- the direction the water will be moving with the tide and how it orients with the prevailing winds. Ideally, you should try to fish an area when the wind and tides move in the same direction. Bring a drift sock to slow boat speed in cases where the wind is so strong it becomes difficult to hold and drag bottom.
Ideally, fishing lines should be at a 30- to 45-degree angle and spread out to cover as wide a swath of bottom as possible. I use an electric trolling motor to keep the boat perpendicular to the current. Otherwise, experiment by orienting the position of the boat and angle of the motor to keep the boat drifting as close to perpendicular to the drift direction as possible.
A brisk, fast drift of a couple miles per hour is far better and much more productive most of the time over a slow one, when lines are straight down to the bottom with little or no movement. A fast current seems to stimulate all fish with fluke being no different. When the tide is pulling bait past them, they don't have as much time to check things out and often, like more popular predators, can be teased into making a reaction strike as a moving hook passes by.
When there's little or no drift and all you're doing is feeding crabs and skate, try turning on the motor and kicking the boat along slowly in order to keep baits moving along the bottom.
An ideal fluke fishing setup is a light stiff 6- to 7-foot rod spooled with some sort of no-stretch super line. I prefer Fireline on spinning rods and Power Pro, Whiplash, or Diawa's new Saltiga Braid on bait casting tackle. Keep lines light, a 10- to 20-pound test is plenty.
The light stiff rod provides a degree of sensitivity that will help any angler catch more fish. With this kind of a fishing rig, it is possible to feel the bottom type and distinguish bumps from rocks with the slightest tug from a fish. With practice, experienced anglers can distinguish the tap of a fluke and the ratta-tat-tat of porgies or small seabass from the sloppy, slow pull of a squid. Plus, it's possible to feel the difference in weight and drag on baits when a piece of junk fouls the hook, making it useless.
Fluke are not a difficult fish to catch if you plan trips around the tides and prevailing winds, use time-tested rigs that reach and hold bottom in the right area. (Bob Sampson Jr., Norwich Bulletin)
Check out Bob Sampson's podcast.

Putin catches a "helluva striper"

2007-07-04T23:41:00.000-04:00

NBC's Brian Williams reports on Putins' 30 inch Monster Striped Bass:

Pootie and the Bluefish: I saw the pool video feed come into the building this morning, and I noticed 41's boat "Fidelity III" was idling just off the rocks at Walker's Point in Kennebunkport, Me. That can usually only mean one thing, as veterans of New England salt water fishing well know: striped bass. Apparently, Putin caught the only striper (a helluva fish -- an estimated 30-incher), which led someone at our editorial meeting to speculate that KGB divers actually hooked it for him under the boat.

Connecticut Environmental Goals Not Met

2007-07-01T08:27:00.000-04:00

Several reports came out this week concerning Connecticut environmental matters. According to The Hartford Courant the state's Council on Environmental Quality said that Connecticut is failing to meet its own environmental goals. The Council believes that we've all just turned our eyes away from the environmnent and become complacent. As always the problem can be remedied by more money, more forced enthusiasm and more commitment.

The council's report comes on the heels of two separate accountings that paint a sobering picture of the future of Long Island Sound. One, a federal assessment of estuaries around the nation, says the Sound is in poor condition, with too many contaminants in its fish and its sediments, and too little life on the bottom.

The other report, from the Long Island Sound Study, argues that despite progress on many fronts, the state will have to spend billions to clean up the Sound. The report urges the state to adopt more sustainable development to better preserve open space and curb polluted runoff.

Thomas Harrison, chairman of the Council said. “The message we want to leave today is that we have to do something working together to crank up the level of awareness on these issues. We've met the enemy, and he is us.”

CT Party Boat Middlebank Busted In NY Waters with Short Fluke

2007-06-29T22:57:00.001-04:00

Connecticut Party Boat MIDDLEBANK II Caught Concealing Undersized Fluke in NY State Waters

NOTE: THIS IS NOT A MADE UP STORY, IT WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON WWW.THEFISHINGLINE.ORG (click on the post title to see original) FROM THE NYS DEC. Unfortunately all the posts are anonymous or without an email address, including the one from "Captain Lauren Griffith". I am willing to offer the Middlebank an opportunity to publish their side of the story but without an email address (there was none at their website at publishing time) it is impossible.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced the results of an enforcement detail led by several Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs) at approximately 11 a.m. on June 9th 2007. The investigation was organized in response to numerous complaints regarding Connecticut party boats allegedly taking undersized fluke in the Long Island Sound.
Lt. Dallas Bengel* accompanied by ECOs Chrisman Starczek and Matthew Blaising* boarded the Connecticut party boat MIDDLEBANK II* Captained by Timothy Griffin* by Buoy 10 on the Long Island Sound between the towns of Mount Sinai and Port Jefferson. ECOs inspected ship personnel for proper permits and checked coolers for fish size; all permits were present and fish within regulation size. Captain Griffin was asked if any other fish were on the boat and ECOs received a negative response.
ECOs requested to inspect the bait station and* following a quick search* found eight hidden undersized fluke. Every fluke was over 18" long* compliant with Connecticut regulations* but under 19.5"* below New York fishing regulations. If the party boat was able to return to Connecticut waters uninspected* no charges could be filed due to the shorter size regulations of Connecticut although the fish were caught in New York waters. The boat was boarded approximately two nautical miles off of Sound Harbor* approximately four nautical miles away from Connecticut waters.
The party boat was charged with possession of undersized fluke* and due to the its commercial status* can be charged up to $500 per undersized fish.
The party is to appear on July 23 in Suffolk County First District Court in Islip to face the charges. Individuals spotting illegal activities are encouraged to call DEC’s Environmental Conservation Officers at (631) 444-0250 during business hours* and 1-877-457-5680 at all other times to report suspected illegal activities.
This post was originally published on The Fishing Line. Click on post title to see original post.

Tomcod Fishing in Connecticut

2007-06-29T22:28:00.000-04:00

Bulletin reader Richard Lester e-mailed a very valid question that has been asked of me many times in the past few years: "Where have the tomcod gone?"
Lester talked of fishing for tomcod as a young boy and how good they were to eat. There hasn't been much written or spoken about them in recent years and he was wondering what has happened to the tomcod.
Also called frost fish, because they generally show up when the first frosts occur during the fall and stay till shortly after ice-out in the spring, tomcod are one of the few species whose demise, in my opinion, can not be blamed on mismanagement and overexploitation.
Tomcod are not simply a baby cod, in the way that a snapper bluefish is a juvenile bluefish, even though they look similar. Tomcod are a different species -- Microgadus tomcod in the books.
Young Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) and tomcod look generally alike in that both have similar coloration, three dorsal fins and small barbells. The Atlantic cod has a bigger mouth and a more robust body. The simplest way to differentiate the two species is a subtle difference in the caudal (tail) fin. Atlantic cod have a squared-off or slightly concave tail, where a tomcod's tail is slightly rounded or convex.
Lester didn't mention when he was a young kid, but my guess is his memories of good tomcod fishing, like mine, are during or prior to the late 1970s. The 1980s was a decade of heat and drought. It was during that warm time that many of our local cold-loving species -- tomcod, mackerel and winter flounder -- mostly disappeared from local waters.
Tomcod are a short-lived, coldwater species that seldom grows to much more than a foot in length or a pound in weight. The warm spell of the '80s affected spawning success of winter flounder, drove mackerel out of the warming waters of Long Island Sound for the most part and decimated our local tomcod population. (Bob Sampson, Norwich Bulletin)

DEP lifts advisory against fishing in Salmon River

2007-06-29T22:21:00.000-04:00

The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Thursday lifted an advisory against swimming or fishing in the Salmon River – from its confluence with the Jeremy River downstream to the Rt. 16 crossing in East Hampton – that had been posted earlier this week following a raw sewage spill from a sewer main break.

The DEP is, however, maintaining its advisory against swimming or fishing in the Jeremy River in the vicinity of the spill site.

sphere: Catching Lobsters

2007-06-29T22:12:00.000-04:00

The V-Notch Program has received $1 million in financing from the state of Connecticut. The funding will help give a part-time salary to participating students from aquaculture schools in Bridgeport, New Haven, and New London, and the rest of the money will be used to compensate the lobstermen.

Tom Andersen of this Sphere ponders if the lobster population is making a comeback.

Signs of Life: Gowanus Canal Black Crowned Heron

2007-06-28T23:49:00.000-04:00

Read more about the Gowanus Canal at Forgotten NY. This is an excellent website full of great photos and information about forgotten NYC.

Sewage cleanup continues at Salmon River

2007-06-27T22:20:00.000-04:00

Until further notice, the Department of Environmental Protection advises residents to avoid swimming and fishing in the Jeremy River and a portion of the Salmon River due to Sunday's sewage spill.

Areas to avoid include:

The spill site in the vicinity of routes 2 and 149 in the Westchester section of Colchester downstream to the Salmon River.

From the Salmon River at its confluence with the Jeremy River downstream to the Route 16 crossing in East Hampton. (Greg Smith, Norwich Bulletin).

Excerpts from CT DEP Diadromous Fish Report

2007-06-27T18:03:00.000-04:00

The shad run is showing signs of slowing down but daily lifts are enough to provide fish for trucking and yesterday we hauled a load from Holyoke to the Naugatuck River. Today, we will do a double trip: one load up to New Hampshire (above Vernon Dam) and one trip to the Farmington River. The run has slightly surpassed last year’s figure. The Connecticut River may be a bright spot—the run on the Susquehanna is 22,000+ (it was 200,000 six years ago) and the Merrimack has also been slow. The counts at Turners Falls are being made off a digital imaging system and the counts are way behind. You can see that they’ve counted more fish at Vernon (next upstream dam) than at Turners Falls. All data for Turners Falls should be considered preliminary. The counts at Vernon and Bellows Falls are also lagged behind. The Vernon data is through June 4. Clearly, more salmon than one have passed through Vernon since two radio-tagged salmon were detected on the West River, an upstream tributary. Earlier today, the Army Corps of Engineers trapped one of those salmon at the blind fishway at Townshend Flood Control Dam and transported it upstream.
The distribution of trapped salmon is curious. I don’t think you can compare numbers for individual fishways, 2006 vs. 2007. I suspect that many salmon bound for Connecticut fishways (especially Rainbow) missed their turn and ended up at Holyoke. When the storm in late May surged the Connecticut River flow, it missed the Farmington River and the Rainbow Dam was generating for only a few hours a day. So Holyoke may have more fish than it should and Rainbow and other tributaries may have fewer—which means the entire river is running behind last year’s numbers. But the water temperatures remain unseasonably cool (18C/64F at Holyoke) and more fish may be on their way. We saw the first Argulus parasites on a sea-run trout this morning at Leesville—which is very late due to the cool water temperatures. Flows have come up in the Farmington and Salmon rivers as of late due to the recent rains. One interesting occurrence was the passage of a shortnose sturgeon at the West Springfield fishway on the Westfield River. Not only was it a first for that fishway, it may be one of the first reports of a sturgeon using a Denil fishway! The sea lamprey run seems stronger than the last few years. The new digital system at Vernon is now able to record passage overnight and Jay McMenemy of VTDFW expects the number of lamprey to be very high this year, perhaps only because we can now count them all.
The river herring runs seem like they are just about over. Dave Dembosky of The Nature Conservancy reported a few more herring at the Wood Dam on the Saugatuck River. We did not get a report from Greenwich on the Mianus Pond fishway but expect that is winding down, too. Our staff saw no fish anywhere in the state (all areas) during the past week. Young-of-the-year alewives were observed leaving Brides Lake. Many fishways have been closed down for the season to prevent the lowering of the headponds. Moulson Pond Fishway (reported in the Connecticut River section) was closed last week, which is earlier than normal, so that the Lyme Land Conservation Trust can replace the headgate for the millrace. The existing gate constricts the opening even when fully opened and during certain conditions it restricts fish passage. The new valve will be a custom-made butterfly valve that will eliminate that constriction and allow full passage at all conditions. This project, funded by a National Fish & Wildlife Foundation grant (and perhaps other sources that I am forgetting), is a great project and an example of a fishway owner taking its responsibility for fish passage seriously. The LLCT should be commended for taking on this project.
Although it is old news by now, I am happy to report the conversation some fellows from New London County had with seasonal employee Bob Hobbins. They were talking about fishways and they said that they visited the new Jordan Millpond Fishway on Jordan Brook in Waterford one night and witnesses “hundreds” of alewives moving through the fishway and out into the headpond. Those are the kinds of reports we like to hear! We are often limited in our observations to daytime and can’t be everywhere so it is good to have interested members of the public provide us with these reports. Particularly for new fishways for which we lack data! To read an article about the dedication of this fishway, see the June 3 edition of the New London’s The Day, page C1.
We are still behind on passage data on the Shetucket River. The runs at Greeneville have been tapering off fast but hopefully there are still fish to pass at upstream fishways. The eel pass at Occum was just opened and is passing eels. The Greeneville Eelpass is expected to be opened shortly. The Kinneytown Fishway is passing lots of suckers and smallmouth bass and is having a good year for sea-run brown trout and sea lamprey.
The Fishing Brook Eel Pass is still passing eels, although the pace has slowed down. In its inaugural season, it has passed over 41,000 eels, more than any other eel pass in Connecticut—perhaps more than all of the others combined! If you want to read and see photos of this eel pass and the adjacent steeppass fishway, check out today’s New London’s The Day, Monday 11, page C1. A great photo of an elver sliding down the ramp into the trap.

Warning after sewage spills into rivers

2007-06-27T13:59:00.000-04:00

A warning for swimmers and fishers. A raw sewage spill in Colchester has environmental experts telling people to stay out of sections of two rivers. It's one of the state's top recreation area's. The Salmon River in Colchester and East Hampton is a favorite, especially for fisherman.
The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection says about 50,000 gallons of raw sewage poured into the water after a sewer main between East Hampton and Colchester failed early Sunday morning. They're now testing the water and deciding how best to clean it up. DEP workers are posting signs to keep people from swimming or fishing in this part of the Salmon River or at the Jeremy River.
DEP officials believe most of the sewage has washed away, but to be sure they're testing the water today for e coli. Those test results won't be in until Wednesday, so for the next 24-hours they don't want people to fish or swim here until they get those results and they know for sure there is no contamination.

Hewitt Pond Bridge:Boon to Fishermen

2007-06-27T13:36:00.000-04:00

Stonington: A new, 40-foot-long bridge at Hewitt Pond has made the popular trout-fishing spot more easily accessible to fly-fishermen and returned the Narragansett Trail to its earlier route. The bridge, over the spillway of the pond's dam, replaces an old walkway that the state DEP declared unsafe two years ago, said Deborah Fitts, a member of Oldhaven Associates, a group of descendants of Brower and Antoinette Hewitt.
The group owns Oldhaven Farm, a former dairy farm on which the private Hewitt Pond is located, at the foot of Cossaduck Hill Road and Route 2. Fitts, a Richmond, Mass., resident, said the pond is about an acre to acre-and-a-half in size and has for decades been leased to the state for trout fly-fishing.
The state stocks the pond with trout every spring, Fitts said. Following removal of the walkway, there was a temporary walkway, but without a permanent one, Fitts said the pond was difficult to access “for older, less mobile fishermen.”
Lack of a walkway also forced a rerouting of the Narragansett Trail, which connects to trails in the Pachaug State Forest, according to Mike Goodwin of Gales Ferry, who is president of the Thames Valley Chapter of the nonprofit Trout Unlimited. Fitts said Goodwin came up with the idea to apply for a state grant to install a bridge where the walkway had been.
The total cost of the new bridge, including volunteer labor, was $33,443, Fitts said. The bridge was installed June 7. (by Jenna Cho, The Day). 6/23

Weakfish strikes have been pretty weak

2007-06-27T13:20:00.000-04:00

Weakfish catches have been declining since the 1940s, but every 15 years there seems to be a year or two when numbers spike upwards. The last time weakfish showed up in Long Island Sound in significant numbers was in the early 1980s. After more than a decade of slim pickings, anglers suddenly started seeing large schools of weakfish offshore feeding on top. In 1982 the place for weakfish was Milford. The next year they were off Fairfield, where waders on Penfield Reef reeled then in by the hundreds. Then began the fish's rapid decline that continues to this day. Now when someone lands a weakfish larger than five pounds, it is big news all along the coast.
In 1986 June Andrekco of Bridgeport set a IGFA women's world weakfish record that stands today when she landed a 17.8- pound fish while live lining a bunker of Fayerweather Island. Andrejko's weakfish remains the biggest ever caught in Connecticut by either man or woman.
"There were times in the '80s when all you had to do was toss a jelly worm and you'd catch a weakie," said John Posh of Stratford, who recalls fishing with his dad and uncles in Bridgeport Harbor in the 1950s. "We'd catch these small fish he called yellowtail, but they were really weakfish." Even though weakfish numbers have been down for more than 20 years, Posh thinks the decline is mostly cyclical. Someday he expects to see them come back strong.
Generally, marine biologists blame overfishing for the drop in weakfish populations. But recently The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission passed regulations that require shrimp trawlers in the southeast to use new nets that reduce the bycatch mortality of the weakfish that get caught in their nets. The new nets are expected to reduce the finfish bycatch in shrimpers nets by 30 percent. Spring is the best time to go for weakfish, which tend to hang out in inshore areas with strong tidal movement.
Weakfish spawn in April and May in or near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay or other large estuaries and bays. The young fish stay in brackish rivers until they are about six inches long. At that time they migrate into saltier estuaries and open ocean. By the time they are 2 years old, weakfish have reached their full maturity. Weakfish can live as much as nine years and reach a length of 30 inches.
When the weakfish are around (a few decent-sized fish were reeled in last year near Charles Island and at the West Haven sandbar) quarter to half-ounce bucktails jigs cast on light, even ultra-light, rods is generally the top methods for hooking them. Trolling a bait-tipped bucktail very slowly works very well. It is important to keep the jigs close to the bottom. Take care not to horse a hooked weakfish. They don't call them weakfish for nothing. The fish's soft mouth parts tend to break when pulled too hard.
They are a great fish on a fly rod. Fly selection is not vital as weakfish are not known as finicky eaters, although weighted Clousers do very well.
In Connecticut weakfish must be at least 16 inches long with a 10 -fish per angler limit. The season is open year round. (by Charles Walsh, Connecticut Post Online). 6/24

EPA's Estuary Report Says that Toxins are Still a Problem in the Sound

2007-06-27T13:10:00.000-04:00

Tom Anderson in this sphere writes about the findings of the EPA's National Estruary Progam:

toxins in the sediments of Long Island Sound are still a serious problem. That's a surprise to me, because 22 years ago, when the Long Island Sound Study was just getting underway, the original focus was on low concentrations of dissolved oxygen and toxic contamination. Read more....

Plenty of good spots around the area for catching carp

2007-06-22T00:13:00.000-04:00

Carp are a finesse fish to catch. They are an extremely popular fish in Europe and growing in esteem here. Carp, the largest member of the minnow family, is a much harder fighting and difficult-to-catch species than any bass, trout or pike. I am far from an expert in this realm, but at one time did a bit of fishing for them in the Thames River and a few other spots in this area.
Spinelli has tried the Connecticut River, where the big coves and backwaters would be the place to look for them. The Thames River's major coves and pretty much all the impoundments along the Shetucket and Quinebaug Rivers hold populations of these fish.
Trading Cove and Poquetanuck Cove both fill up with carp at various times of year. The pool and stretch of river below the Greenville Dam is a popular and productive spot for local carp fishermen.
The most common method to catch carp is with oatmeal, wet and compressed into bite-sized balls and whole kernel corn, strung on a on a light wire hook with minimal weight.
Some of the catalogs are selling commercially produced carp baits that would probably be worth trying if catching the biggest minnow on the planet is your goal.
Striper fishing: Right now is a great time to get out on the water. It is right around the peak of the 2007 spring striper run. There are tons of fish around. As usual, most are small schoolies, from 18 to about 24 inches, but the percentage of much larger fish is on the increase and usually peaks during the first week or so of July.
We have had reports of 50-pound fish chasing bunker in Narragansett Bay. There are big bass in the 30- to 40-pound range being caught in the Race, off Block Island, along the Rhode Island beaches, and along the Connecticut shoreline, wherever there are menhaden to attract and hold them. Last report, there were still some bunker in the Thames River with keeper bass to 40 inches or more chasing them around with every change of the tides.
Because of the recent cooling rains and last week's chilly evening temperatures, there are still some stripers well up inside the major rivers munching on menhaden, herring, American shad and hickory shad opportunistically wherever they may be encountered.
Captain Eric Covino has been doing well for stripers around Fishers Island as well as inside Long Island Sound and Covino's son, Jimmy, caught a 43-inch, 35-pounder during their traditional Father's Day fishing trip last Sunday. (Bob Sampson Jr, Norwich Bulletin)

Catfish pop up around region

2007-06-22T00:09:00.000-04:00

In a recent conversation with Bill Foreman of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, he noted that 750 channel cats were dropped into the pond and that some of the fish were well above that 18-inch publicized size, which makes them close to four pounds. This is a very good and interesting development for area fishermen.

Channel catfish are slow-growing species that can live for 25 years. Typically they average two to six pounds, but in time can grow to 20 in the north, while southern fish may hit the 50-pound mark. Channels are different from the white catfish and bullheads that live in this state. Bullheads have dark-chin barbells and almost squared-off tails. White catfish have white-chin barbells and deeply forked tails.
Channel cats have dark-chin barbells, deeply forked tails, speckles on their sides, a goldish hue to their side coloration and a proboscis (sort of nose) that over hangs their lower lip. White catfish have a basic c-shape when viewed from above where the channel cat profile from the same view has a convex shape overhanging the lower jaw that is more pronounced in large specimens.
Channel catfish are a southern species that has had an established population in the Connecticut River for decades. These original channel cats were, I believe, based on conversations years ago with biologists from Massachusetts, dropdowns from stockings in that state.
Illegally, anglers have caught and transported these fish randomly into many lakes across the state. The current Connecticut state record -- a giant 29-pound, 6-ounce monster -- was caught by Appleton Barrows while competing in a bass tournament on Mashapaug Lake in 2004. The only way this channel cat could be in Mashapaug is if someone illegally stocked it. There have also been channel cats caught, to my knowledge, in the Thames River below Greenville Dam (small stuff to about three pounds), Mohegan Park Pond a couple years ago when a fisherman caught one of about 19 pounds, and Gorton Pond in Niantic, where a handicapped angler caught a monster of about 21 pounds.
All of these surprise channel catfish had to be the result of "Johnny Appleseed," anglers who stock species they like into ponds throughout the state. This is not a good practice because it's against the law and biologically wrong. Without the proper biological knowledge, dropping fish any place that is convenient can do more damage than harm.
This year, Mohegan Park Pond, because of its public accessibility, was designated as an "urban fishing area" by the state, which also designated it as a "trout park." Being a trout park, the fishing rules are different. Anglers are allowed two trout per day, rather than the usual five. The tradeoff is trout parks are stocked more frequently to allow for the heavier angling pressure they may draw. Mohegan Park is a small pond, something like 10 or 15 acres, with almost complete shoreline access. It's a factor that is great for anglers, but tough on the fish, because it puts all of them in jeopardy of eating a hook at any given time.
The studies my students and I have conducted at Mohegan Park Pond during science classes at Thames River Academy indicate the bass population is not in very good shape at the present time, despite the fact this pond is designated as a bass management area. Our statistics indicate a slight improvement in population structure since 2004. However, catching largemouths in this pond is a challenge.
Bass management areas -- all of which are listed in the 2007 Connecticut Anglers Guide -- all have special regulations designed to protect their bass populations. At Mohegan Park, the regs are that anglers can't keep a bass less than 16 inches (the statewide limit is a foot) and only a two-fish per-day creel limit (where the state rules in most lakes allow six).
This bass management designation for Mohegan Park Pond was a result of 10 years worth of data generated by Thames River Academy student efforts who visited DEP Natural Resources Bureau Chief Ed Parker in 2000 with a recommendation for tighter regulations on this body of water. Hopefully, they will have a positive effect over time.
Our studies also indicate the bluegills in the pond are growing slowly and have increased in abundance over the past couple years since they were decimated by an influx of cormorants four or five years ago. The recent slow growth problem is most likely because of the lack of predation from largemouth bass, which causes over crowding of these fish. Channel catfish feed heavily on bluegills in the south, so their predation will probably help balance the bluegill population.
Mohegan Park is a jewel in the crown of the Rose City like Central Park is to New York. The City of Norwich owns the core of the woodlands surrounding what is technically named Spaulding Pond, but listed in the Connecticut Anglers Guide as Mohegan Park Pond. The park itself is about 500 acres, with adjacent private woodlands. Combined, these woodlands are a beautiful oasis for the people of Norwich that supports a host of wildlife that includes deer, wild turkey and even an occasional pack of coyotes.
As a youngster who lived on the perimeter of the park, I spent a great deal of time harassing its then-excellent population of bass, bullheads, catfish and panfish. The kids from Ox Hill Road and myself would ride our bikes to the pond after dinner a couple of times a week, stash the bikes in the brush and cast our baits for catch bullheads and white catfish (up to about five pounds) at dusk when catfish of all species begin feeding.
Even in those days, Mohegan Park closed at sunset. Even though fishing after dark is the best time to catch catfish and bullheads, anglers must be aware they need to leave when the light disappears in the west. The reason for this city regulation is because, according to a recent conversation with Joel Loyacano (who is an avid fisherman himself) and head of the Norwich Public Utilities Department, there is no way to separate law-abiding fishermen from the vandals who frequently destroy public property after the sun goes down. Bob Sampson Jr. Norwich Bulletin

New Millstone Point Dock Aids Coast Guard, Police

2007-06-20T00:18:00.000-04:00

State environmental staff members enforcing lobster-catching rules and state police or U.S. Coast Guard vessels requiring access to Millstone Power Station in an emergency now have a new floating dock from which to work.
The state Department of Environmental Protection spent two years getting permits for the 50-foot by 8-foot dock, which floats without pilings on a “helix mooring” and moves up and down with the tides, said DEP Spokesman Dennis Schain.
“It is in a protected cove that is one of few sites on the coast permitting ready access to water 365 days a year,” Schain said.
Located at Millstone Point on the southwest part of Niantic Bay, the dock cost $72,000 and was paid for with money from a National Marine Fisheries Service grant program intended to support state efforts to enforce marine and marine-fishing laws, according to Schain.
The dock will also be available when equipment is shipped in by barge to the nuclear-power complex and makes access for security reasons possible, said Pete Hyde, spokesman for Millstone owner Dominion.
“In the event of an elevated threat, if the DEP wanted to, they could place a vessel at this dock and have immediate access to Niantic Bay,” said Hyde. “Strategically, it's a vital area, especially in terms of the ability to respond quickly to any threats from the water.”
An old dock at the site fell into disrepair some time ago, Hyde said.
The DEP's Environmental Conservation Police division is in charge of enforcement of boating-safety and fish and game laws at all DEP properties. The DEP's 42-foot Guardian patrol boat enforces commercial fishing laws and can serve as a rescue boat. Another 29-foot vessel is dedicated to enforcement and homeland security, Lewis said. A heated command-post trailer with full communications gear has also been installed at the foot of the dock, Schain said.
The state will be “in and out of there on a daily basis,” Lewis said. “It is a federally recognized federal security zone. Eyes and ears will be out there.”
DEP also regularly patrols in Old Lyme at the mouth of the Connecticut River, he said, but the Millstone Point dock now provides a quick response to eastern Long Island Sound and the Fishers Island area.
The new dock was first used for a security meeting on June 6, Lewis added.
DEP obtained permits from its Office of Long Island Sound Programs and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the project. (New London, The Day)

Gowanus Canal Oysters

2007-06-18T19:57:00.001-04:00

Oysters doing their part in cleaning up the Gowanus Canal - which hasn't been clean for over 100 years. The Gowanus Oyster Garden Stewards' motto is "Oyster gardening for restoration, education and community on the Gowanus Canal. While I'm happy the canal is getting cleaned up, I have mixed feelings about it. Let's face it, it's getting all this attention because the surrounding neighborhoods are becoming more affluential and these folks want clean playgrounds. As the canal gets cleaner and becomes more useable, housing prices will keep rising forcing out the working class and middle class residents. Next thing ya know expensive condos with 'water views' will be built .

So it's great it's getting cleaned up - but for whom is it getting cleaned up for? Luxury hotel among new Gowanus developments

Slim hope for rezoning Carroll Gardens quickly

and
Locals worry about losing Brooklyn waterfront to developers.

Fishing Area striped bass fishing shaping up as the best in years

2007-06-18T11:46:00.000-04:00

State environmental staff members enforcing lobster-catching rules and state police or U.S. Coast Guard vessels requiring access to Millstone Power Station in an emergency now have a new floating dock from which to work.
The state Department of Environmental Protection spent two years getting permits for the 50-foot by 8-foot dock, which floats without pilings on a “helix mooring” and moves up and down with the tides, said DEP Spokesman Dennis Schain.
“It is in a protected cove that is one of few sites on the coast permitting ready access to water 365 days a year,” Schain said.
Located at Millstone Point on the southwest part of Niantic Bay, the dock cost $72,000 and was paid for with money from a National Marine Fisheries Service grant program intended to support state efforts to enforce marine and marine-fishing laws, according to Schain.
The dock will also be available when equipment is shipped in by barge to the nuclear-power complex and makes access for security reasons possible, said Pete Hyde, spokesman for Millstone owner Dominion.
“In the event of an elevated threat, if the DEP wanted to, they could place a vessel at this dock and have immediate access to Niantic Bay,” said Hyde. “Strategically, it's a vital area, especially in terms of the ability to respond quickly to any threats from the water.”
An old dock at the site fell into disrepair some time ago, Hyde said.
The DEP's Environmental Conservation Police division is in charge of enforcement of boating-safety and fish and game laws at all DEP properties. The DEP's 42-foot Guardian patrol boat enforces commercial fishing laws and can serve as a rescue boat. Another 29-foot vessel is dedicated to enforcement and homeland security, Lewis said. A heated command-post trailer with full communications gear has also been installed at the foot of the dock, Schain said.
The state will be “in and out of there on a daily basis,” Lewis said. “It is a federally recognized federal security zone. Eyes and ears will be out there.”
DEP also regularly patrols in Old Lyme at the mouth of the Connecticut River, he said, but the Millstone Point dock now provides a quick response to eastern Long Island Sound and the Fishers Island area.
The new dock was first used for a security meeting on June 6, Lewis added.
DEP obtained permits from its Office of Long Island Sound Programs and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the project

(Stamford Advocate)

Where do those squid go?

2007-06-16T23:15:00.000-04:00

From the Squidfish Forum Topic: Newport, Ri 2007 Squid Season (NeverBlanked, 6/15/07). Well from what I have learned about long fin and short finned squid
through reading scholarly journals there may be a few factors to help you out.The species is sensitive to water temp there is an adequate spawn temp they go for generally in a range of 47F-57F degrees. Seeing how we are quite past that the big spawn is over and that is why the pier fishing has died off. Probably the reasons there are still getting caught by trawling is due to the amount of food in the area and arrival of predators. As more stripers and blue fish move in there will be less and less squid caught. Another thing the species is sensitive is water clarity and cleanliness so after a rainstorm isn’t probably the best time to go. If you don’t get any on the trawl and you opt to snorkel dive for them you probably want to target sea grass beds as they provide excellent cover and spawning area. I know there is a fairly large sea grass bed off of 3rd beach in Newport but you would need a boat to get to it. And is only in about 10-20 foot of water and good luck on catching them I would be interested how that would be done. Other than that general fishing info is go on a moving tide either low to high or high to low. Lunar phases are always preferable. Night could still produce with help of a lantern as an attractant. But best of luck I hope this info helps you out if you have any questions or anything else I will be returning from a vacation in a week and provide a hand and as I
can only assume you are a URI student maybe RWU, as an URI alumni I am only happy to help so feel free to ask away.