Thursday, July 22, 2010

Hitting for the Cycle

Today I hit for the cycle; porgy, fluke, blues and bass. There is the way you think it will fish on a given day, and the way it fishes. Went out at 3:30 to hit the incoming tide, and as expected, picked up some schoolies and a fluke at Harkness. Started on slack tide about 7:30, so I started working back towards Niantic to get the end of the outgoing tide on the way back. Stopped by the outflow (cheating, I know), and was blanked. West wind really began to pick up, so I threw in the towel on Black Point. I always finish with a pass or two past Wigwam Rock/Beach on the way in, not expecting much as it hasn't produced the past two weeks. Since I didn't want to be scupped to death, I trolled a tube and worm with a stinger (see video). Wham! Thirty inch blue. A few scup (lucky for them I wasn't heading back to TwoTree). Another blue? Nope. Keeper striper at about 11:00. Another blue and I had to call it a day. The trip home was not uneventful, as I had a flat on the trailer going through a construction zone. At least it was on the way back. Good Day!

Friday, July 16, 2010

Niantic Report for 7/14

Went out of Niantic w/ Meatloaf this morning. We were on the water by 4:00 and had outgoing tide until about 7:30. ML hooked up early with a striper near the restricted zone of the power plant on a 3" green/translucent sluggo, but lost it around a crab pot. I should have done a better job of maneuvering. Ran out to Goshen Beach/Harkness, where these was little activity. A few stray blues (lost a sluggo), but no real action. The birds that had been in the last week on big bait schools were nowhere to be seen. On the way back towards the outflow, we caught a scup to drop down in Twotree, but had no real luck there either. Caught a couple of blues on the smaller side back at the outflow. Finished up trolling near Wigwam rock, but got nothing and so we headed in. A slow day fishing, but enjoyable none the less.

Friday, July 9, 2010

Slow Fishin'

Went out Tuesday 7/6 and again today (7/9). Left from Niantic at 3:30 am both days headed towards Harkness. Tuesday provided a really brief window at dawn with about 15 minutes of breaking stripers by the sanatorium, but the slack tide almost coincided with sunrise, so it shut down quickly. A couple of blues at the outflow, and then I baked in the 100 degree heat until about 11:00. Would have gone in earlier, but saw some schools hanging around Wigwam Rock area. Wasted an hour trying to get a bite and getting chewed up by scup. Figured today would be better, with a tide change a few hours after first light. Had to creep along by GPS to Harkness, but by first light, birds were diving on really small bait along Goshen Beach. I tied on a 3" sluggo and had 2 hits, but lost both. No big numbers of fish despite the bait. The fog actually got worse as the sun rose, limiting visibility to 100' at best. As I began picking my way back around the jetties using GPS and crab pots, I notices a big school of blues moving through and birds working just about at the edge of my visibility. The first blue flattened out the smaller hook I had on, and by the time I grabbed a big plug they were gone in the mist. So was any visual reference. While I had a GPS, I wasn't wild about chasing schools in Twotree Channel where I might get run over in the fog. Finally skirted my way back to the outflow, where nothing was happening. On some days, I would have fished harder until I got something, anything, but today I just said screw it and went in by 7:30 am. Monday I will be out fishing with Jack Balint, so I'm hoping for better luck. For those fishing the night ebb tides in the Race and other rips, I did see a 40+ fish brought in as I was going out.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Fishing on the BlackHawk, Niantic CT, 6/30/10

Went out with Capt. Greg Dubrule and crew on the Blackhawk as I had a pass I won in their raffle and a day to fish. I knew it would be hit or miss as the night bite was on for the bass, but the blues had yet to show in size and numbers in the LIS. On this particularly beautiful Wednesday we only had a small showing, not the post 4th numbers once the blues are in and the summer really begins. Most boats would have said sorry, have to try another day. However, Captain Dubrule and his crew took us out, knowing it wasn't going to amount to a payday for them. All of those who fished were rewarded with the first arrival of big blues this summer! I've been on lots of party boats from the Carolinas up to New England, and I have to say, the Blackhawk is one of the most fun. Where most captains sit in the wheelhouse and let the crews run the decks, Capt. Dubrule takes a hands on approach to make sure everyone has the best opportunity to catch fish. In his words, "I'm not yelling at you, I'm instructing loudly!" Whether they are words of encouragement, congratulations, whoops of excitement or to let you know you are screwing something up and better correct it to catch fish, there is no doubt that he is out there having fun and working to ensure a great day for all. We caught big blues at Plum Gut and then on the rips between Plum I. and Black Point. The birds were working big schools of bait. All of us caught fish, but the big winners were the two kids on the boat. Hunter out fished us all landing half a dozen big chopper blues and another kid reeled in a nice mid-30s keeper bass. These kids are on their way to being fishermen for life. BIG THANKS to Captain Dubrule and the crew of the Blackhawk.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Bass fishin' is Good

Local bassin' has been good. Most of the shallow ponds are covered with snot, which is OK because it scares some potential anglers away. This time of year, the banks are fished to death in the easily accessable areas. No worries, just take anything that will float out of casting range and target those bass that are hanging in the grass beds. I could fish most of the shallow ponds around here all year Dean Rojas style. Give me a pumpkin frog and I'm good to go.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Fishing Harkness

Some fishing from around Harkeness, including a few tips. Sorry for the vid bouncing, first time with the I-Kam.

Store Rigs, Save a Few $$$


Cabelas and other shops sell devices to store hooks with long leaders, 3-way rigs etc. Here's the RNA answer. Your kid won't even know his/her float tube is a foot shorter!

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

First Day of Summer!!!!

I've finished the school year, and Tuesday was my first day of summer. I decided to kick off my season with an early am trip down to Niantic. I put in at about 3:00 on a tide coming in until 7:30. The plan was to fish eels off of Harkness pre-dawn, but Things got a bit sidetracked as I caught two keepers on a few trolling runs (tube and worm) right in Niantic Bay. The second was 37", 20+ lbs. Still determined to fish Harkness, I began the trip over about 4:45. Watched a cool sunrise passing by the power plant, and began working my way up Seaside, along the jetties by the sanatorium, and eventually to Harkness/Goshen Point. By the time I reached Harkness it was about and I had not caught any more fish. Finally caught a schoolie, but I was on the slack tide. I was getting picked apart by scup. Should have stayed where the fish were biting!

I tried out my new I-Kam Extreme glasses, and learned a few things. They don't work at night without a lot of artificial light. I also didn't realize how much I am constantly scanning around while fishing. I'm always on the lookout for indications of fish, be it birds, bait schools, rips, etc. This kind of gets annoying when watching the I-Kam footage. The wind also gets picked up a lot in the audio. However, the quality is on par with a Flip video, and the first person perspective is pretty cool. I hope to wear them while fighting some bigger fish in daylight hours.

Anyway, a decent start to what I hope will be a productive summer of fishing!



I-Kam Video

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Milford and LIS (Sugar Reef to Fisher's Island)

Started out on the Housie Friday evening for a low tide scouting trip. First the area for the first time last Monday, and wanted to get a better idea of the layout. Put in at Stratford. Didn't realize the launch was not state owned and picked up a nice $100 fine for not having a town permit. Won't be putting in down there any more this year. Better for wading than using my little boat anyway. Not worth the hassle of trailering down there. Went out Sunday from Stonington with Jack Balint who runs The Fish Connection in Preston. We fished the reefs from Sugar in to Fishers. No winches and broomsticks, all light tackle. G. Loomis and Shimano 8-17lb., 7'ish rods, 12-16lb. mono. Makes a 15lb. bass seem like a lot of fight. Kept 2 nice bass in the low 30's for fillets. Had a total of six, and about as many broke off or spit the hook. Jeff had a handful as well, so it was a pretty fun day.


Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Milford CT Report 6/7/10

Went to the mouth of the Housie last night. Fished a few locations, but found bass out the ass in one marsh area that I shall remain unusually cryptic about due to restricted access. There wer 30+ inch bass breaking the surface all around us just after sunset. Tons of bait. Problem was getting the bass to hit anything. A flyfisherman might have had a chance, but these were BIG bass ignoring all of our Gag's Poppers, sluggos, swim baits and everything else we threw. I had a school of bait swim right past me with a large striper's wake following behind. I was so frustrated I literally smacked at the back of the striper with my 7 ft. pole. It was that close. In the end I got skunked with probably 100 keepers within casting distance. Of course I left the eels and sandworms at home as we were planning to wade. Still made for an exciting evening.