What's On Tap?

So your salt water fishing season is pretty much over, or at least the fast pace fall action has died out and you alone believe you could win the fishery powerball despite the odds...  Well in Connecticut the DEEP has many Trout Management areas, seasons for bass and pike might be still open on certain waters or are catch and release, or you can take roll call on your gear, replace what is missing, upgrade, or build the gear yourself.  Maybe dust off the tip-ups, sharpen the auger, and re-spool some lines.  For myself, this upcoming weekend is showing some promise... or maybe the recent powerball thinking infected my mind as well.

The first time I put my boat in the water this year was November 18th HAH!  It cost me approximately 30 dollars to run my boat this year, between boat registration and half of the two year trailer registration fee.  Sounds embarrassing as a fisherman right?  Not really, I had a great year all around with my feet firmly planted on the ground. Shore, wading, and wet-suit almost exclusively.  Fishing for trout comprised my time on the water from before opening day to mid June.  I did not post as much as I could have about trout this year.  I will say that long walks pay off big when fishing places everyone wants to go to but very little do. Then June came and I got married, bottom line best thing ever.  Enjoyed a Hawaiian honeymoon and got to swim with giant Manta Rays during a night dive.  Came home and decided to put my salty pants on and fished the remainder of the season for Striped-bass and Bluefish.  Fish from CT's LIS shoreline proved a difficult target for myself, which is why I found myself in places like South County Rhode Island, Martha's Vineyard, and Cuttyhunk all of which were beautiful places and some decent fishing.  The best fishing in LIS I found was in the lower CTR for bluefish, giant nasty, snotty yellow eyed fighting bluefish.  So now that I have desalinated my gear, patched my waders, hung up the wetsuit for this season... What is next?

We have had some better outlook for ice this year with the temperatures where I believe they should be at this time of year.  Coming into the first week of December however, it looks like a bit of a warming period.  Keep your fingers crossed for ice.  In the meantime, this weekend I'll be fishing with my friend Jon in my boat's 2nd trip of the year for Northern Pike and Largemouth Bass in Northeastern CT.  It is going to be an all day affair with some snow/rain mix forecasted during our outting.  I have not been in the fresh water much since early this year, but my offerings and technique will be based on conditions.  My number one indication for what to use and how to use it will be water temperature.  Probably slow trolling spinnerbaits and use of long-pause Rapala Xraps will be employed, how slow will depend on the actual water temperature.  Think ice, & see you out there.

Tourney Results: Part II

Sleeping in your car in waders, Saturday's fishing, and the winners to follow....   So where was I?  Oh yes, in the Walmart parking lot at 3am taking video of what I thought was ridiculous rain.  It is funny how the mind thinks one thing is set in stone and then nature disproves that idea in an instant.

After Ian packed his fish on ice in a foam cooler, I drove back to camp and was so tired I slept in my waders (in the car).  Woke up at 5 and saw the other cars I parked between still there.  Thought might as well keep sleeping, others aren't fishing.  Woke up again 2 hours later to find the cars were gone... ok time to rally, I made my way to Watch Hill, hiked down the path and turning the corner I see huge rollers breaking against the rocks.  I fished working around the point casting into the wind without a bump, then I tried the calm side hoping for a bluefish but again I had no luck.  Realizing that I was hungry, tired, and sore with no fish for my efforts I drove back to camp again for a non-wader "nap."

I am going to fast forward through Saturday night's fishing, it was a lot of casting, the waves were even worse than Friday night's and all I had was two hits at "Q" breach.  Sunday morning all of the participating clubs meet-up for an all-you-can-eat banquet hosted by the Andrea Hotel on Misquamicut beach.
 The main dining area was filled with men, women and children all belonging to different surf-casting clubs from up and down the east coast.  The best part was that we were all in the tournament in the name of charity, ok and some fishing too.....without further ado... here are the result of the tourney.  Weights are combined 3 largest Striped-bass plus 3 largest bluefish in lbs.

Results 2012 Surf Fishing Club Challenge




1). Connecticut Surfcasters ----------------------------------------------------- 100.01 lbs.



2). Rhode Island Mobil Sport Fisherman ------------------------------------ 71.1 lbs.

3). Narragansett Surfcasters ----------------------------------------------------- 65.2 lbs

4). Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Assoc. --------------------------------- 64.54 lbs.

5). Pioneer Valley Boat & Surf Club -------------------------------------------- 64.5 lbs.

6). Weekapaug Surfcasters -------------------------------------------------------- 56.25 lbs.

7). Hartford Surf Fishing Club ------------------------------------------------------ 2.12 lbs

8). Striped Bass Dot Com ---------------------------------------------------------------- 0 lbs.

Largest Striped Bass ----------- 24.5 lbs ------ Richard Morris ------- Conn. Surfcasters

Largest Bluefish ------------------- 14.4 lbs.------ Gil Bell ---------- Weekapaug Surfcasters

2012 STATS

28 Striped Bass --- Average Weight -----16.94 lbs.

12 Bluefish ----------- Average Weight ------9.88 lbs.

Over the past 10 years the average weight of Striped Bass has been ------- 16.9 lbs.

Over the past 10 years the average weight of Bluefish has been ---------------- 8.88 lbs.

DONATIONS

Connecticut Surfcasters

Grumpy'sTackle

Mike's Custom Plugs

Connecticut Outfitters

Bob Kelley

Rhode Island Mobil Sport Fishermen

DC Custom Plugs

Pioneer Valley Boat & Surf

Charity -------- $1330.00 was collected and will be sent to M/S


Facts ------- 95 men, women and children attended the breakfast at the Andrea Hotel

A Proud CT Surfcaster's President Billy D!

Repeating Champs, Connecticut Surfcaster's Association!  Pretty cool!!!  What was not cool is that a few weeks later the Andrea Hotel along with the rest of Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, & etc's shorelines would be battered and beaten to hell by Superstorm Sandy.  

I sat in this very room along with everyone else and had a great breakfast with friends and co-anglers.  Yet, the chappy-faced people of the shoreline communities are strong willed and will rebuild. 

Update: Sandy (Short Post)

Sorry to take so long, we got hit by a hurricane and suffered technical difficulties.  Will post soon with Tourney results, etc...  Just would like to say that there are people who are still without power, telephone, internet, and some without homes altogether.  If you can help, please do.  Thank you.