| Seasonal Fishing In The Long Island Sound |
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| Written by Stonercj58 | |
| Wednesday, 21 March 2007 | |
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We “Kayak Fisherman” have found out that a whole wealth of fishing exists just off the beaches, along the rocky shoreline, inside the many river system tributaries of Southeastern Connecticut and Rhode Island. This is not only true during the peak-fishing season of June through September, but also during the off-season months. We “Kayak Fisherman” have found out that a whole wealth of fishing exists just off the beaches, along the rocky shoreline, inside the many river system tributaries of Southeastern Connecticut and Rhode Island. This is not only true during the peak-fishing season of June through September, but also during the off-season months. Areas like the protected waters of “Little Narragansett Bay” located between Watch Hill, Rhode Island and Stonington, Connecticut that contains over 10 square miles of some of the most fertile estuary waters in New England, most of which are unreachable in larger watercraft. The miles of wandering coastline between Stonington Point, Mason Island, and the Mystic River; the many coves and bays between Mystic and Groton Long Point to the sheltered hunting grounds of Bluff Point, Bushy Point, Pine Island, and Niantic Bay. The rocky crags at Milestone and its magic warm water discharges that promise Blues and False Albacore well into late October and the discharge at the Montville Power Plant of the Thames that holds Stripers deep into the winter. The Winter Fluke beds at the Bluff Point inner salt ponds and the upper Mystic River area; and the excellent Fluke Fishing grounds of the Rhode Island Beaches, Noyles Shoal, Noyles Rock, White Rock, Mystic River, Pine Island Channel, Black Ledge, and Ledge Rock. There are Blackfish at Latimer Reef, Milestone, the Eastern end of the Inner Breakwall in Stonington Harbor, the rocky point at Stonington, and anywhere you can find rocks adjacent to deeper waters. The deep holes, at Sandy Point, the Western end of the Inner Breakwall in Stonington Harbor, under most bridges, and at Bluff Point that provide wonderful opportunities to drift an eels to an awaiting Cow. If protected waters is what you are looking for, then try out the salt ponds of southwestern Rhode Island. If one were to remove Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket Island, and Block Island from the map and the inner and outer waters of the Fishers Island Sound become the most fertile fishing grounds in all of New England and hold most species of fish with the exception of Yellow Fin and Mahi Mahi sometime during year. March see the first of the returning Striped Bass, as non-spawning schoolies make their first appearance at the West Wall of Point Judith sometime between 3 and 10 March each year. Early Spring also brings Ice-Out and the beginning of fish movement in mid-March. Atlantic Salmon begin to head to sea as melting waters increase river flows. White Perch and Winter Flounder move in to harbors and bays in major river systems such at the Connecticut and Thames. Tautog move inshore to their old stomping grounds for a brief period. Northern Pike move up into shallow coves along weed lines to fatten up after a long winter. Striped Bass the have been hunkering down in tight schools for the winter in Norwich Harbor begin to move out once river temperatures reach 47˚ F, sometime within the first two weeks of April. They move into the back bays and coves where spring creeks run into the system. The same can be said for the Connecticut River, where Stripers first appear in Wethersfield Cove, which also holds good numbers of Northern Pike. It is during this timeframe that the Spring Alewives run begins as they seek out the confluences of most freshwater creeks within these tributaries to spawn. The spawning activity just fuels the fire as the night bite begins to takeoff in the headwater bays. By daylight, the Alewives are moving to deeper protected waters. Once the Carp begin their spawning rituals, most of the Bass will head to sea, as does the Winter Flounder. The month of May brings the first of several waves of Stripers returning from the Chesapeake Bay and Hudson River wintering grounds to their summer feeding grounds of New England, filling up any area that holds Squid, Grass Eels, Sand and Grass Shrimp, Crabs, Lobsters, Blueback Herring, Rainbow Bait, and Bunker. Those famous worm hatches that everyone talks about occur in May around the New Moon. Although these hatches are more impressive on the Rhode Island Salt Ponds, they do occur here in Connecticut at Bluff Point and some of the back bays between Groton Long Point the Stonington Point. Towards the end of May and the beginning of June comes our biggest wave of fish, the first of two opportunities to land that fish of a lifetime, the second being, during the fall migration back to their wintering grounds, although over the past several years, I have begun to re-think the fall migration here. I have caught larger and more of them in May and June, than in the famous October Harvest Moon. Now is the time to hit it hard with many 30 to 50 pounders are now lurking around reefs, in the bottom of harbors, sitting in holes, and cruising points. Drift eels at night deep along rock walls, under bridges, and in deeps holes and eddies for that fish of a lifetime. Once located, these fish can be targeted for a couple of weeks and if you are willing to travel, you can follow them up the coastline north for nearly a month. July brings the heat, and with it the Bluefish, Fluke, and Porgies and the end of the northern migration of the Chesapeake Bay and Hudson River Striped Bass populations. Line lining Porgies at reefs can often result in large fish, as the new arrivals are hungry and looking for a big easy meal. Now the Bass begin to settle into their summer feeding patterns, laying in ambush along reefs, at chock points and points, moving with the tides all the while following the food source. With the heat comes a decrease in Striper activity, but no worry mate, the Fluke fishing is now ret-hot. Work the 40’ waters off the Rhode Island Beaches, the channels and ledges in the Fishers Island Sound and the waters off Avery Point for these tasty slabs. Once heat sets in, morning times on a rising tide with a moon at first light find birds working in conjunction with Bluefish along rips, sandbars, and shoals. Large Bass will quite often sit underneath them a wait for the pieces to float down to them. August means you need to start carrying a light spinning outfit with a small green Deadly Dick or a fly rod with a #4 Bay Anchovy Pattern. Bonita start making appearances off of Fishers Island, making runs through the Kitchen in Little Narragansett Bay, Pine Island Channel, and Milestone, that will smoke all but the best drag systems and take you deep into your backing in the blink of an eye. Mack sure you stay small of the lure or fly as they have small toothy months and are rather selective on what they eat. Although they have teeth, wire leaders are not required. If you intend to keep a Bonito to eat, ensure that you immediately bleed them to preserve the taste of this small tuna. August is also a renewal of Fluke fishing as all those under size ones that were so abundant in July are now legal. not large enough in most cases to keep and the False Albacore begin to arrive, noted for their dazzling displays of speed and their uncanny ability to empty spools these little torpedoes bring a whole new world to light saltwater angling. September, Labor Day, and the arrival of the False Albacore signal the winds of change and the end to the summer. False Albacore or Little Tunny are especially noted for their dazzling displays of speed and their uncanny ability to empty spools in a heartbeat. These little torpedoes bring a completely new prospective to the world of light saltwater angling. These Tunaoids will continue hang out until the waters start to turn cooler, then, as fast as they appeared, they are gone, although one can often find stragglers around the warm water discharge of Milestone, sometimes later into October along with big Bluefish. October is the big southern migration of Bluefish and Stripers and once again your opportunity to land a Cow. If Mother Nature cooperates with a limited amount of rainfall that doesn’t blow the baitfish out into deeper waters, the estuaries are now stacked with baitfish. The Harvest Moon of October has brought me many exciting nights of screaming reels from big Bluefish and Striped Bass that are now caught up in this frenzy of eating as much as they can before undertaking their journey south to the warm wintering grounds of New York, Maryland, and Virginia. This is the time for big baits, line lining Eels, and chunking Bunker. October also brings the big Tautog into the rocks again, giving one an opportunity to stock the freezer for winter with this great eating fish. By November things are tapering off for the winter, although Stripers can be found all winter long in Norwich Harbor and Hamburg Cove. November is the end of the season as Tautog fishing begins to rap up in late November just in time for Atlantic Salmon fishing to begin to heat up on the Shetucket River. This along with fishing shows throughout the winter months keeps me same until March… and the cycle begins again. |
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| Last Updated ( Tuesday, 12 June 2007 ) |
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