OT: fishing in New London

[Scottzer]

There's a zillion snapper blues (during the day), easy to catch with a basic lure - rooster tail, silver weight with a hook, or a smaller piece you usually put on a jig. Then, live line the "snapper blue" - no weight, and a fluke (usually keeper size) will hit.

Later in the day / early eve, the harbor and alligator blues moved in. Yesterday high tide was 11:26 am, so I'm guessing it's around 12:08 pm tomorrow or so. The snappers were always available, only bunker were peanuts, but, there was plenty to be had if you're not in a rush. End of the day I caught a large snapper (when looking for more fluke bait), and a harbor blue (17.5 inches).

I failed on my fluke mission (lost a keeper of about 18-19 inches) when I was bringing it up. But, plenty of fish - now. (Also - fluke season ends very, very soon). If anybody would like to meet me, let me know.

 

[Doheny]

What lure do you use to land a 6'9" PF/SF? Would it be the same or different for a 6'3" SG?

 

[Waquoit]

Can someone give me the gist of the OP in English? The only thing I understood was snapper.

 

[sledog]

You;re fishing in the wrong spot. Corner of Broad and Connecticut was hot last week

http://www.theday.com/local/20150910/storm-system-batters-region-with-heavy-rains-flash-flooding

 

[August_West]

Ive been killing it off westbrook the last few weeks. Behind Duck Island and mostly at southwest reef. Stripers and Blues are running hard and they have some size. Its only going to get better, peaking with the impending September triple bonus blood moon/harvest moon /eclipse.

What is really great is that Bunker are flooding the marina harbor (being chased) in numbers I havent seen in 20 years. Im snagging a bunch and then head out to the reef and live line them. I barely get them in the water and the reels start screaming.

The other night out with my brother I caught a 14 lb Blue (what a fight) and he caught a 32 lb bass. Problem is that I ate through like 60 bucks in tackle in an hour. We are using mono leaders as we really want to catch the monster bass rather than the Blues, and there are so many Blues running that they are slamming our lines and make short work of the mono. If I was fishing for strictly Blues Id be using wire. The bass wont hit bait on a wire leader. Smart bastids mouth it, and it doesnt feel right to them and let it go.

 

[Catsailor]

Just returned from week in Rhode Island (West Wall, Pt J.).....if you like to fish not much beats hook up with an ocean speedster, False Albacore ("Albie, Little Tunny") on a 9WT fly rod

 

[RichZ]

I fish 4 or 5 days a week. But I come here for Husky BBall info.

That being said, I'm waiting with bated breath for the albies to move farther west and get into easy reach for me. Peanut bunker were stacked against the fist break on shallow beach fronts from the mouth of the CTR almost to Niantic yesterday, but were not being molested by anything. Caught 36 blues to 15#, two smallish stripers and a fluke fishing deep reefs with soft plastics on jigheads. With an eye peeled for breaking footballs the whole time.

 

[Jaker]

I used to love fishing for blues at the race. Fillet those baby's up, and deep fry em into chips.

 

[Fishy]

http://i1./www.retroist.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Screen-shot-2011-12-24-at-2.47.37-PM.png?fit=770%2C999

 

[8893]

Love catching snappers, bunkers and blues.

Hate eating them.

 

[dennismenace]

Been fishing party boats from July until now. Mijoy not fishing bass and blues anymore but Helcat 2 out of New London
will be going on the next two Thursdays. Next Thursday the tide looks perfect. Best days have been catching the outbound tides either in the Race or over by Plum Island. Last time out (2 weeks ago) caught at least 10 blues that were all over 30". Some 35"-36" which is about 15-17 lbs. To find the tide I go to tides4fishing.com and plug in "Hunts Pt. NY" to compensate for the delay it takes for the change from New London/Niantic out to Fishers Island (Race) or Plum area.
Using 80 pound leader with braid and bucktail jig with pork rind. Sinkers vary with the current but mostly 14 oz. The important thing has been staying very close to the bottom. When drifting have to keep letting line out in order to keep it down.
Last trip ALL the blues caught on the boat were over 30"!!! Lots of sore shoulders and hands but a great time appreciating the awesome fighting and "no quit" attitudes by the blues!! Never seen so many consistently big ones. Glad to hear the bait is running wild. Have to find a way to get out there (looks like hooking up with a charter who needs another soul).
Know this is a BB blog but couldn't resist my other passion. Thanks for the OT info.

 

[August_West]

Love catching snappers, bunkers and blues.

Hate eating them.

terrible fish to eat. Striper on the other hand.............

Ive said this before here I think. But the only way I can eat blue is to pepper the ever loving $h1t out of it and smoke it sloooow in an electric smoker. Until its almost like jerky. I then make a whitefish salad type deal out of it which I use on my morning bagel with bermuda onion, tomato and chive cream cheese. Its not bad. even then Im done after a few days.
And NEVER keep the big ones for any type of eating. Terrible beyond terrible.The smaller ones are palatable but only in the scenario mentioned above. If I had a dime for every time someone said "you havent tried my bluefish recipe, though" Id be able to pay the Dr. for the treatment of the gastric distress caused by trying that horrible stuff. There is NO good bluefish recipe.

 

[8893]

If I had a dime for every time someone said "you havent tried my bluefish recipe, though" Id be able to pay the Dr. for the treatment of the gastric distress caused by trying that horrible stuff. There is NO good bluefish recipe.

Just had this exact discussion with my partner last week. He insists it is delicious if prepared properly.

We are both very stubborn, so we agreed to disagree.

 

[dennismenace]

Agree on the eating of blues. I wouldn't even eat striper until a chef said to carve out the red meat first.
I just give the blues away when I go. Just enjoy the fun of battling them and occasionally catching a striper.
Years ago the stripers were plentiful they have become much more scarce at least on party boats the past few years.
We don't seem to have had the migrations going through the Sound like before.

 

[Excalibur]

Just had this exact discussion with my partner last week. He insists it is delicious if prepared properly.

We are both very stubborn, so we agreed to disagree.

I'll put it in a Bermudian fish chowder, which is spiced like crazy, but only if it's small and I've bled it as soon as it's caught and cook it that night. The chowder works best with a more oily/fishy type of fish.

 

[Excalibur]

Agree on the eating of blues. I wouldn't even eat striper until a chef said to carve out the red meat first.
I just give the blues away when I go. Just enjoy the fun of battling them and occasionally catching a striper.
Years ago the stripers were plentiful they have become much more scarce at least on party boats the past few years.
We don't seem to have had the migrations going through the Sound like before.

The data on striper populations is not good. I'm not sure the numbers will come back unless we have another moratorium.

 

[August_West]

Agree on the eating of blues. I wouldn't even eat striper until a chef said to carve out the red meat first.
I just give the blues away when I go. Just enjoy the fun of battling them and occasionally catching a striper.
Years ago the stripers were plentiful they have become much more scarce at least on party boats the past few years.
We don't seem to have had the migrations going through the Sound like before.

no they are not there. But I have been fishing the sound off Westbrook since the mid 80's and compared to say, 86-95, they are prevalent. They were almost dead back then. 1 fish limit 36 inches long. If you caught one or two keepers a year you were lucky. They came back huge through the turn of the century and after but seem to be dwindling again at least in the sound. For a few years there a decade ago they were EVERYWHERE. I hope its just cyclical again, but who knows.
Which is why Ive been going out a bunch the last couple weeks. My father and brother fish a LOT. Because I have an insanely busy schedule I do not, but when September hits and that brief window of big fish running locally hits, Im right there with them. They make fun of me for it, call me the "fake fisherman" but what are you gonna do. I love just sitting on a boat with them sometimes, but if Im going to away from my family, I want to catch fish! When they tell me bass are hitting, thats all I need to hear. I make time. Its nice because I work in Essex, the boat docked in Westbrook, father and brother live in Westbrook. When the tides and/or moon match up with my afterwork hours I head straight from the office to the boat and can get from my desk to in the channel in less than 15 min. fish to the other side of the tide whenever that may be, and head in. I love fishing at night. The greatest catches Ive ever had seem to all come at night.

 

[Fishy]

Love catching snappers, bunkers and blues.

Hate eating them.

I don't consider bluefish to be edible.

Striped bass stock has definitely dropped over the past half-decade - in the early 2000's, during their spring run up the Hudson, you'd bounce a herring off of three striped bass before it landed in the water.

The moratorium saved the fishery - they're going to have to tighten up again.

 

[GemParty]

Would be awesome to do Boneyard day on the Mijoy or Blackhawk party boat.

My favorite bluefish recipe-

4 center cuts bluefish
Milk
Garlic
S/P.

Soak blues overnight in milk.

Heat pan, fry on both sides with s/p til golden brown. Then gently throw the fish in the trash.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Smoked bluefish, cream cheese, and a few pickled onions on toast is incredible. My parents live on the cape, in Chatham, and every time i visit them they've got smoked blue fish from a fish market in town that's really fantastic.

 

[8893]

Would be awesome to do Boneyard day on the Mijoy or Blackhawk party boat.

My favorite bluefish recipe-

4 center cuts bluefish
Milk
Garlic
S/P.

Soak blues overnight in milk.

Heat pan, fry on both sides with s/p til golden brown. Then gently throw the fish in the trash.

Very funny.

Just don't forget to bring the trash outside. That crap stinks to high heaven.

 

[RichZ]

The moratorium saved the fishery - they're going to have to tighten up again.

The problem is that commercial fishing interests have too much say in the regulations. They are overharvesting both the striped bass and the menhaden that represent about 40% of their diet.

 

[BlueDolphin]

Been fishing party boats from July until now. Mijoy not fishing bass and blues anymore but Helcat 2 out of New London
will be going on the next two Thursdays. Next Thursday the tide looks perfect. Best days have been catching the outbound tides either in the Race or over by Plum Island. Last time out (2 weeks ago) caught at least 10 blues that were all over 30". Some 35"-36" which is about 15-17 lbs. To find the tide I go to tides4fishing.com and plug in "Hunts Pt. NY" to compensate for the delay it takes for the change from New London/Niantic out to Fishers Island (Race) or Plum area.
Using 80 pound leader with braid and bucktail jig with pork rind. Sinkers vary with the current but mostly 14 oz. The important thing has been staying very close to the bottom. When drifting have to keep letting line out in order to keep it down.
Last trip ALL the blues caught on the boat were over 30"!!! Lots of sore shoulders and hands but a great time appreciating the awesome fighting and "no quit" attitudes by the blues!! Never seen so many consistently big ones. Glad to hear the bait is running wild. Have to find a way to get out there (looks like hooking up with a charter who needs another soul).
Know this is a BB blog but couldn't resist my other passion. Thanks for the OT info.

Is Brad Glass still running the Helcat II? He's got to be getting up there. About 55 years ago I fished with his father, the legendary George Glass, on the Helen II out of Montauk.

I was a mere lad and an inexperienced fisherman, but I won the pool on the last drop of the day with a 30 lb. cod. All those grizzled old fishermen wanted to throw me overboard.

 

[joober jones]

I used to love fishing for blues at the race. Fillet those baby's up, and deep fry em into chips.

Now I have a craving for a good old fashioned fish & chips platter.

 

[dennismenace]

Is Brad Glass still running the Helcat II? He's got to be getting up there. About 55 years ago I fished with his father, the legendary George Glass, on the Helen II out of Montauk.

I was a mere lad and an inexperienced fisherman, but I won the pool on the last drop of the day with a 30 lb. cod. All those grizzled old fishermen wanted to throw me overboard.

Yes. Capt. Brad is still running the ship and his mother (94) answers phone calls. The ship he has now is 114' and very comfortable even when kind of rough. I have frequently seen a first time fisherman or fisherwoman catch the fish of the day
and win the pool. Destiny!

 

[Scottzer]

Ive been killing it off westbrook the last few weeks. Behind Duck Island and mostly at southwest reef. Stripers and Blues are running hard and they have some size. Its only going to get better, peaking with the impending September triple bonus blood moon/harvest moon /eclipse.

What is really great is that Bunker are flooding the marina harbor (being chased) in numbers I havent seen in 20 years. Im snagging a bunch and then head out to the reef and live line them. I barely get them in the water and the reels start screaming.

The other night out with my brother I caught a 14 lb Blue (what a fight) and he caught a 32 lb bass. Problem is that I ate through like 60 bucks in tackle in an hour. We are using mono leaders as we really want to catch the monster bass rather than the Blues, and there are so many Blues running that they are slamming our lines and make short work of the mono. If I was fishing for strictly Blues Id be using wire. The bass wont hit bait on a wire leader. Smart bastids mouth it, and it doesnt feel right to them and let it go.

Oh wow, haven't seen the big schools of (adult) bunker over on my side so I might take a trip out to your neck of the sound. I think today is the last day of fluke season so I might try New London again today.

 

[TheRealKBuks]

Anyone do any blue crabbing? Im wondering if anyone was having luck in this area

 

[Scottzer]

While fishing, I was seeing a bunch in Norwich harbor a few days ago, but couldn't get my net on them fast enough. It seems like they're finally around now - after an awful season for them.