A Few Good Fish

We are in the midst of a great stretch of night fishing from shore. There is a fair amount of bait in the area that has drawn in quality striped bass and bluefish that are eating our live eels like Tic Tacs. It has been a fun few weeks in the surf and I have a feeling there is more coming our way. The best part about it all is that every bass and blue was released to be caught again. 

  

Covert Operations

As a kid, bicycle was the main method of transportation for my fishing excursions. Whether I was pedaling to the Wepawaug River for stocked trout or to Milford Harbor for snapper blues, a trusty bike got me there. After reaching the driving age, however, there was a decade-long span where I forgot what a bike looked like. That was until my maiden voyage to the Cape Cod Canal earlier this year. With miles of paved pathways lining each bank, the Canal is a perfect venue for fishing with a bicycle. Canal anglers customize their rides with baskets, cargo racks and rod holders, and refer to them as Canal Cruisers. These tricked-out bikes keep them mobile, enabling anglers to cover much more ground than afoot.   

That trip also got me thinking about places closer to home that a bike would make more accessible--spots that are a long way from the truck; private neighborhoods that you could wheel into unnoticed and parks that close after sunset. I decided it was time to customize a bike that would help me fish locations that I normally wouldn't without one. A fellow Connecticut Surfcaster Association member learned that I was the lookout for a beater bike. Kevin told me a friend of his was getting rid of two and he let me pick the one of my choice for FREE. I couldn't refuse the offer and settled on a purple Murray mountain bike from Kevin's garage. Sure it was a woman's bike, needed a basic tune-up and a rear tire, but otherwise was in great shape. Some key modifications were also necessary for carrying the gear needed for night raid in the surf. 

Before

The first order of business was to lose the bike's purple coat. I peeled off all the stickers and took lighter fluid to remove their remnants. Next I purchased a $3 bottle of black spray paint made for metal surfaces. In just two quick coats the ride went from feminine to ninja-like. I then dropped it off at a New Haven bike shop for a tune-up and new tire. There I picked up a black Wald basket for the front end, which would carry my wetsuit and footwear. I also bought a rear cargo rack for holding my plug bag and eel bucket.

For the bike's rod holders, I picked up 10-feet of 1.5-inch PVC pipe from Lowe's, as well as some 2.75-inch hose clamps to help secure them. I took the bike to my buddy Mike's house, which has a man cave teeming with power tools. Mike turned what started as a simple PVC cut job into an all-out rod holder mounting project. He bolted strips of marine polymer sheets together on the rear cargo rack and then screwed the PVC rod holders into that. This polymer mounting system, coupled with the hose clamps, assured the rods holders weren't going anywhere. 

After mounting the rod holders, I bought another bottle of spray paint, this time one made for plastics and finished off the PVC and polymer with a matching black coat. The last purchases were a headlight and a red taillight for safety measures. Each light has various modes such a blinking setting for passing cars. The bike fits snug in my Jeep with the seats down, but a roof or hatch rack would make it easier to take another angler and their bike along. A strong bike lock and solid kickstand are still needed, but otherwise the she is ready to roll as is. One small drawback is that I have to pay attention of my rod angle with low-hanging branches, as my one-piece 10 footer is already one foot off the ground in the rod holder. 

After

The plan is for this ultimate fishing machine to add new locales to my rotation of spots, allowing me to sneak in and out of quiet neighborhoods without slamming car doors drawing attention. The bike will also make destinations like the Canal and Block Island easier to traverse and more affordable. Hopefully, it will also serve as an incentive for my fishing buddies to outfit bikes of their own too. I am glad that I tackled this project and I am very thankful for the friends that helped make it a reality. 

Two For Two

It is mid September and fall is in the air. Water temps are cooling down and local fishing is heating up. Spots that treated us well back in the spring run are showing signs of life again. There is a cornucopia of baitfish in the area and striped bass are taking advantage. My buddy Derrick and I fished hard Friday night and were rewarded for our efforts and lack of sleep. Gator bluefish put a dent in our eel supply, but persistence paid off and two quality striped bass were eventually caught and released. 

Derrick's catch almost didn't happen, as spot number one seemed lifeless when we first arrived. There was plenty of tiny bait around, but no signs of anything bigger feeding on it. For over two hours we hopped from rock to rock casting live without a touch. On the walk back to the Jeep, we made a last ditch effort and found two more rock perches to fish from. Not a minute goes by before D yells, "I'm on!" After a nice fight, she thrashed on the surface in front of us and I waded neck-deep to lip the 39 inch bass. The feisty striper kicked off strong after a quick measurement and photo.

Derrick hoisting a well-deserved striped bass

A half hour more went by without another sniff, so we left to recharge the batteries before the tide would be right for spot number two. After a quick catnap only a few hours of darkness remained. We exchanged our wetsuits for waders and set out again with renewed confidence. Between the two of us, we carried a silly amount of plugs, but live eels would once again be the ticket. A 41-inch bass slammed an eel right at my feet and a wild fight ensued in strong current. The fish got a little roughed up in the rocks, but she too swam away strong after posing for the camera. The final tally was two local spots and two respectable fish--I'll take those results any night of the week.



Is this the start of a memorable Fall Run? (Photo credit: Derrick Kirkpatrick)

Stone By Stone

The house where I grew up was built in 1723. The old colonial has a ton of character and is part of a great neighborhood, although the street is quite busy for a one-way. The original structure was smaller way back when it was moved on logs to its present location from around the corner. My folks moved there when I was just a baby and still live there today. They've done an impressive job with the upkeep of the aging house and big yard. My brother and I like to pitch-in when we can and we planned a big project for Labor Day weekend.

Lining one side of the driveway sat a poor excuse a stone wall. It had fallen victim to more than a few car tires over the years. The plan was to rebuild the wall and create another one like it on the other side of the driveway. We used the existing stone and added to it some quality field stone donated by a generous neighbor. The project was an enjoyable one and it was nice being able to see measurable results at the end of the day. It was also cool for my brother and I to work together on something that will still be there long after were gone. I love stone walls; they are part of the fabric of New England. It's great to have a respectable stone wall again at the family homestead; it's a perfect fit. 

Before

After

Before

After

Low Water Scouting

Governor Rell issued a drought advisory for the State of Connecticut last week. Many watercourses are at dangerously low levels and cold-water fish have been feeling the heat, literally. There are even reports about a 90% trout die-off in the Housatonic River. The recent soaking and cold front is a step in the right direction, but the region needs more where that came from.

At least one befefit to these conditions is being able to scout fish habitat that is usually underwater. Three of us took advantage of the situation and surveyed a local freshwater oasis that we frequent in autumn for trophy trout and walleye. Instead of fishing we combed the water's edge, which had dropped to where a good cast would have reached under normal conditions. The water level was at least 13 feet below normal, exposing countless crags where many a lure met its match. It was already well picked over when we arrived, but we still scraped together a decent sample of artifcial lures, as well as plenty of lead.

Some low-water finds (note the 'no-snagg' weight)

The most notable find, though, came in the form of a massive dead trout that washed ashore.  It was a seeforellen brown trout, a strain initially imported from Germany, which thrives in deep, cold lakes like this one.  Seeforellens can live to be 15 years old and have been captured in Western Europe up to 68 pounds.  Sadly, this specimen looked to be well its way to breaking the Connecticut brown trout record of 16 pounds 14 ounces.  We estimated the fish to be well over 12, probably in the neighborhood of 14 pounds.  It's not hard to connect the death to the drought conditions, but there is plenty of refuge in the depths here.  This beast had to be on in years, so death by natural causes can’t be ruled out either.

The smell was too bad to get a photo that did this trout justice

The low water also revealed the rocky makeup that makes it so welcoming to structure-oriented walleye.  Under the high-water line were erratic boulders, stone walls and old foundations.  Bait is in no short supply either.  The walleye and seeforellen, among other fish, thrive on its abundant population of illegally-introduced alewives.  Even so, the fishing is known to be notoriously stingy.  But knowing the size of the fish and how challenging it is to catch them keeps me going back.  Nevertheless, scouting missions like this always divulge new information and can improve angling success in the long run. 

The water's edge is normally above where my father (top) is standing

An old stone foundation within casting distance from shore