Be prepared to pay more to fish
By Tim Coleman Published on 9/25/2009
As predicted by many area anglers when the saltwater fishing license went into effect, the fees are going up - in surprisingly short order, even for the most skeptical. It hasn't even been a year and already the state wants more money.
Joe Balint at The Fish Connection told me he got a notice from the state that effective October 1st the saltwater license will increase to $20 for residents. A freshwater license will go up to $30 and a combo all-waters license will be $50. Please keep in mind this 2009 license will only be good until the end of the calendar year. A new one will have to be purchased for 2010.
It remains to be seen what benefits residents will get from the license. It was hoped the state might open up new shore access points or perhaps bring back stocks like cod and mackerel, two fish long gone from our waters through mismanagement. Time will tell.
On the fishing front, Joe said bait dunkers at Fort Trumbull pier caught blues to nine pounds and smaller porgies. Those fishing upriver around buoy 27 landed mostly smaller blues, porgies and some small bass. You might find albies on the top off Bluff Point early in the day or try for bass on the south side of Fishers from the airport to Isabella if a bluefish doesn't get to the bunker first or a big porgy doesn't grab the tube and worm before a striper can get to it.
Al Golinski reported fair fishing for bass to 35 pounds this week on live or weighted bunkers on the south side of Fishers Island. The main problem though was not finding bass but keeping the bait away from a blue long enough for striper to grab it.
Over at Bob's in Uncasville, I spoke with a young man who said blackfish season starts on October 1, a date eagerly anticipated by many. There are large bunkers up in Norwich, drawing large blues into the harbor basin.
The rest of the river produced snapper blues to eight inches, small bass and other larger blues mainly down below the I-95 Bridge.
Captain Allen Fee fished on Sugar Reef early yesterday morning in his boat with Atom poppers for hard fighting, large blues and a 36-inch striper. He said that Porgy season closes in state water Sunday, leaving only today and Saturday to fish for them.
Albies are popping up at random from the south side of Fishers over to Weekapaug. Race Rock had blues for casters, but as of mid-week these were all on the small side.
You might find the albies on the surface on the north side of Plum Island reported Captain Howard Beers of Hillyers Tackle, or look for them on the south side of Fishers. They popped up for a time on Wednesday off Wilderness Point. There were a couple very slow days for daytime bass fishing but those conditions have passed, leaving charter boats with better scores.
Blue crabbing is making somewhat of a comeback in the Niantic River as evidenced by all the crab gear leaving the shop.
Mark at River's End said the light tackle boats only had limited catches of blues and small bass in the lower Connecticut River from Tuesday through yesterday morning. Other boats three-waying eels at the Sand Shoal had bigger bass.
Albies pop up from time to time at Watch Hill plus there's been casting opportunities in the mornings on both sides of Sugar Reef for large blues and some stripers.
The Hel-Cat e-mailed in a report stating they had another week of non-stop fishing for blues and a “mix of striped bass.” The big fish though of the week was a striper, 17.8 pounds caught by Anthony Quattronte. Their last evening trip for ocean blues sails Saturday at 6 p.m., and they also have two sea bass trips on October 2 and 15 at 7 a.m. See their web site www.hel-cat.com for details.
Tim Coleman in The Day's saltwater fishing columnist
By Tim Coleman Published on 9/25/2009
As predicted by many area anglers when the saltwater fishing license went into effect, the fees are going up - in surprisingly short order, even for the most skeptical. It hasn't even been a year and already the state wants more money.
Joe Balint at The Fish Connection told me he got a notice from the state that effective October 1st the saltwater license will increase to $20 for residents. A freshwater license will go up to $30 and a combo all-waters license will be $50. Please keep in mind this 2009 license will only be good until the end of the calendar year. A new one will have to be purchased for 2010.
It remains to be seen what benefits residents will get from the license. It was hoped the state might open up new shore access points or perhaps bring back stocks like cod and mackerel, two fish long gone from our waters through mismanagement. Time will tell.
On the fishing front, Joe said bait dunkers at Fort Trumbull pier caught blues to nine pounds and smaller porgies. Those fishing upriver around buoy 27 landed mostly smaller blues, porgies and some small bass. You might find albies on the top off Bluff Point early in the day or try for bass on the south side of Fishers from the airport to Isabella if a bluefish doesn't get to the bunker first or a big porgy doesn't grab the tube and worm before a striper can get to it.
Al Golinski reported fair fishing for bass to 35 pounds this week on live or weighted bunkers on the south side of Fishers Island. The main problem though was not finding bass but keeping the bait away from a blue long enough for striper to grab it.
Over at Bob's in Uncasville, I spoke with a young man who said blackfish season starts on October 1, a date eagerly anticipated by many. There are large bunkers up in Norwich, drawing large blues into the harbor basin.
The rest of the river produced snapper blues to eight inches, small bass and other larger blues mainly down below the I-95 Bridge.
Captain Allen Fee fished on Sugar Reef early yesterday morning in his boat with Atom poppers for hard fighting, large blues and a 36-inch striper. He said that Porgy season closes in state water Sunday, leaving only today and Saturday to fish for them.
Albies are popping up at random from the south side of Fishers over to Weekapaug. Race Rock had blues for casters, but as of mid-week these were all on the small side.
You might find the albies on the surface on the north side of Plum Island reported Captain Howard Beers of Hillyers Tackle, or look for them on the south side of Fishers. They popped up for a time on Wednesday off Wilderness Point. There were a couple very slow days for daytime bass fishing but those conditions have passed, leaving charter boats with better scores.
Blue crabbing is making somewhat of a comeback in the Niantic River as evidenced by all the crab gear leaving the shop.
Mark at River's End said the light tackle boats only had limited catches of blues and small bass in the lower Connecticut River from Tuesday through yesterday morning. Other boats three-waying eels at the Sand Shoal had bigger bass.
Albies pop up from time to time at Watch Hill plus there's been casting opportunities in the mornings on both sides of Sugar Reef for large blues and some stripers.
The Hel-Cat e-mailed in a report stating they had another week of non-stop fishing for blues and a “mix of striped bass.” The big fish though of the week was a striper, 17.8 pounds caught by Anthony Quattronte. Their last evening trip for ocean blues sails Saturday at 6 p.m., and they also have two sea bass trips on October 2 and 15 at 7 a.m. See their web site www.hel-cat.com for details.
Tim Coleman in The Day's saltwater fishing columnist
can we start a movement to let them kno we still are alive. 
I wouldn't mind so much paying that amount if I knew the money went back into the water. But we all know it will go into the general fund! The DEP is one of the least funded agencies in the state! It's a shame, we have some of the nicest parks and some of the greatest fisheries around. One thought I had for next year is to just get a inshore licence, and go salt water fishing out of RI!!!
