The Fall Classic

We are witnessing an exceptional 'fall run' in Long Island Sound by any measure. Fueled by incredible numbers of peanut bunker, there are birds wheeling over blitzing fish nearly every time I drive by the beach. A few feeds I have been fortunate to experience looked right out of a "Blue Planet" episode. It's been one of those stretches that part of me wishes I was 20 years younger without a real job, family, or any kind of responsibility for that matter. I'm thankful my local waters have been full of life this fall and I hope we can count on another one like this next year. 

 

Speak Up for Striped Bass

More than enough evidence has demonstrated that the striped bass population along the eastern seaboard is currently in trouble and has been for some time. Stripers have been in this spot before. Anglers helped put them there in the 1980’s and here we are again. Now things must change in order to right the ship.

The Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board has developed a draft addendum to Amendment 6 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Striped Bass with proposed changes to coastwide commercial and recreational regulations to address overfishing. This document presents background on the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (ASMFC) management of striped bass, the addendum process and timeline, and statement of the problem. Most importantly, this document also provides management options for public consideration and comment.

Public hearings to discuss and comment on the proposed regulation changes are underway. Connecticut’s two hearings took place this week. I attended the one in Bridgeport. There were approximately 30 anglers in the room, less than half of whom went on record. Staggeringly low in my opinion. I’m told there were about 50 people at the hearing in Old Lyme. Better, but still an embarrassingly small number of anglers. Kudos to those folks that spoke up in favor of stronger conservation efforts to protect striped bass. If you were there or couldn’t make it, you are still encouraged to submit written comments before October 7, 2019 at 5:00 p.m.

So please take a look at the document and proposed options. Make an informed decision on which options will best help get striped bass stocks back to where we need them to be. Whatever your opinion is, it’s important to make it known to the ASMFC. Comments may be submitted by email, mail, phone, or fax. Please use the following contact information. Email: comments@asmfc.org and be sure to use subject line of Striped Bass Draft Addendum VI.  Mail: Max Appelman, FMP Coordinator Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission 1050 North Highland Street Suite 200A-N, Arlington, VA 22201. Phone: (703) 842-0740. Fax: (703) 842-0741.

Thank you. 

Money Fish

The annual WICC Greatest Bluefish Tournament on Earth is less than a month away. Though I've never entered before (not owning a boat doesn't help), I have daydreamed about getting the $25,000 payday for reeling in a gorilla bluefish. The last four tournaments have seen winning fish weighing between 17 and 17.88-pounds. Those are serious choppers. The western Sound is usually in the running for the tournament winner and chunking with fresh bunker in deep water is a good way to connect with a contender this time of year. That's exactly what a friend and I did one night this week after a few days of stiff wind finally subsided. We had only two hits all night that resulted in one break off and one hell of a fish landed--a monster blue that pulled down my Boga comfortably past the 16-pound mark. A few more weeks of gorging on adult menhaden and that's probably a money fish in this year's tournament. After an incredible fight, I released it back in 60 feet of water somewhere in western Long Island Sound. Go get that $25,000 fish!

Summer Stripes

It was a great night to be a fly on the wall during a Reel Cast Charters trip. Captain Mike found the fish as usual and my buddies Rick and Matt from the Connecticut Surfcasters Association had a blast out there. Watching striped bass smack live bunker on the surface never gets old! 

Trials and Tribulations of Chunking

When the first adult menhaden invade my local waters around mid-May, it's hard for me to target striped bass with anything else. I love tossing flies and plugs in early spring and live eels when the dog days of summer kick in, but chunking bunker dominates my saltwater fishing for a good portion of May and June. While snagging this oily baitfish with a weighted treble hook, lopping off its head, and sending it to the bottom attached to a 10/0 octopus hook is far from glamorous fishing, it's a pretty damned effective method. For some reason, maybe the lack of big bluefish locally, the small pods of menhaden roaming out front haven't really concentrated yet, which means snagging, especially from shore, is no easy task. The other night, in fading daylight, a friend and I could barely make out the small circles of nervous water moving quickly from left to right about 50 yards out. A near perfect cast was needed, placed behind the school so not to spook them. We missed a few shots, but ended up with one lone bait between the two of us. A few beers and some whisky kept us busy as we hoped for more bunker to pass us by, but eventually it was time to soak what we had. After about 20 minutes, a healthy bass picked up the head piece and treated me to a great fight in shallow water. After a few photos, we sent the sea lice-laden fish back on her way. My only piece of bait was in the bass' belly and my partner's half soon fell off the hook during a retrieve after spider crabs had their way with it. We would have paid top dollar for a few more fresh bunker that night. Who knows how many stripers were prowling in front of us on that outgoing tide? Sometimes I take for granted large, concentrated schools of menhaden in close proximity to shore. It sure makes for easy snagging. This time I worked hard for one prized menhaden, and it payed off. 

Looking Back

I was very blessed in 2015 between watching my beautiful daughter grow, landing a new job and finishing grad school. While this past year won't be remembered for the most time I've ever spent on the water, I sure as hell made the most of each trip. Below is a look back at some angling highlights from a memorable 2015.

FRESH: The balmy winter weather we've been experiencing lately makes me appreciate 2015's ice season all the more. Friends and I had a blast in the Adirondacks jigging up lake trout and enjoyed great opportunities back home as well, like rare late-ice trips to Connecticut's largest lake. Spring brought with it our cherished Opening Day camping trip, strong mayfly hatches and several quality trout to the net. I also tagged along on a fun carp excursion on the Connecticut River, a pike float on the upper Housatonic and a small stream jaunt in the mountains. In the fall, I paid a few visits to my favorite reservoir for a handful of keeper walleye and hefty smallmouth. To close the year, I floated a river I'd never been to before and hooked (and lost!) a trout that will keep me going back.

SALT: What I'll remember most about the 2015 saltwater season was the copious amounts of menhaden in Long Island Sound and its tributaries. It wasn't limited to adult bunker either; for the first time in a long time, we experienced an incredible display of peanut bunker in our local waters, which helped attract all sorts of marine life from Humpback whales to a memorable run of false albacore. Speaking of false albacore, an unforgettable memory from this past year was catching a late-October albie five minutes from my home, in a shirt and tie before work no less! I also was lucky to witness some amazing bluefish blitzes, land a few nice bass from shore, and catch my first keeper fluke in a kayak. 

 Here's to a healthy and fish-filled 2016!