Blackfish season's opening offset by pricey new fishing fees
By Tim Coleman
Published on 10/2/2009
There's good news and bad news on the fishing front this week. The good part is blackfish season opened. The bad is anglers from the area are just now becoming aware of the steep, new fishing licenses.
Red at Bob's in Uncasville told me that effective Thursday (Oct. 1) the cost of a resident saltwater fishing license is $30. An all-waters license is $50 and a one-day, resident saltwater license is $15.
The non-resident saltwater license is $60 and the freshwater is $80. An all-waters license for non-residents is a whopping $100, sure to discourage people from coming to our state on a fishing trip in their own boat. Area charter and party boats buy a blanket license for all their customers.
Please keep in mind these increases are good only to the end of 2009 and could increase even more for 2010. It remains to be seen what, if any, good will come from these new fees in the form of better fishing or better access. Or will the money disappear into the general fund as a budget balancer?
On the fishing front, Red said you can now legally fish for blackfish in state waters, keeping four per day at 14 inches. Bluefish prowl the Thames River, best right now up in Norwich, held there by schools of large bunkers. After dark, some big bass were caught along with bluefish, the biggest for the week was 36 pounds reported Red. Porgy fishing is over for small boat anglers and Block Island offers the best chance for a catch of legal sea bass. Most of those in the Sound are too small to keep.
Evan at J&B said the blue and bass fishing in The Race were steady, weather permitting for their charter boat. On some of the windier days they were forced to troll off Black Point, settling for smaller numbers in somewhat steadier seas.
Al Golinski said he caught a few albies behind Fishers Island one day while taking a break from dunking bunkers for bass. Capt. Ben DeMario and a friend cast live eels into the rocks on the south side of Fishers one night for six bass to 25 pounds - while watching rude people in a tin boat motor in between their boat and the shore after watching them catch a fish or two.
Don at King Cove reported the striper fishing on the reefs was decent one day and completely blank the next time. Bunkers are in Stonington Harbor with some snagged by people on the commercial docks who then live lined them in hopes of a striper. Albies are popping up from Watch Hill to Race Rock, sometimes hitting lures, sometimes ignoring even flies on a very light tippet.
Joe Balint at the Fish Connection said shore anglers have a chance to catch blackfish at the rocks at New London Light and under the Gold Star Bridge, Groton side. Norwich Harbor has large blues feeding on all the bunkers with a few bigger bass underneath the blues. Early in the morning, the bunkers are within range of the docks but move farther out as the sun gets higher. Wire-line jiggers are catching lots of blues in The Race, coming in for new parachute jigs after a couple trips. Look for ablies off Bluff Point or Isabella Beach.
Capt. Howard Beers at Hillyers Tackle said it was very busy in the shop Thursday for the blackfish opener. Albies are popping up along the Niantic shore, up inside the bay or at times on the north side of Plum Island. Blue fishing in The Race is steady, your choice of drifting with bucktails or trolling with wire.
Mark at River's End reported on plenty of blues at the Sand Shoal making it hard to drift a live bunker there for a bass. He got out one night after dark to plug up some small bass right in front of his home on Hatchetts Point. Shore anglers caught blues on chunks from Saybrook Point early in the day and small boat anglers find them on top at times around the mouth of the Connecticut River.
The Hel-Cat's regular e-mail reported another week of “great” blue fishing with a sprinkling of stripers. Last Saturday was the last of the ocean trips for blues and the big fish of the week was a 21-pound bass caught by Tom Masse. The boat remains on a daily schedule for blues, sailing at 9 a.m., returning around 3 p.m.
Tim Coleman may be reached at thewreckhunter@aol.com.
By Tim Coleman
Published on 10/2/2009
There's good news and bad news on the fishing front this week. The good part is blackfish season opened. The bad is anglers from the area are just now becoming aware of the steep, new fishing licenses.
Red at Bob's in Uncasville told me that effective Thursday (Oct. 1) the cost of a resident saltwater fishing license is $30. An all-waters license is $50 and a one-day, resident saltwater license is $15.
The non-resident saltwater license is $60 and the freshwater is $80. An all-waters license for non-residents is a whopping $100, sure to discourage people from coming to our state on a fishing trip in their own boat. Area charter and party boats buy a blanket license for all their customers.
Please keep in mind these increases are good only to the end of 2009 and could increase even more for 2010. It remains to be seen what, if any, good will come from these new fees in the form of better fishing or better access. Or will the money disappear into the general fund as a budget balancer?
On the fishing front, Red said you can now legally fish for blackfish in state waters, keeping four per day at 14 inches. Bluefish prowl the Thames River, best right now up in Norwich, held there by schools of large bunkers. After dark, some big bass were caught along with bluefish, the biggest for the week was 36 pounds reported Red. Porgy fishing is over for small boat anglers and Block Island offers the best chance for a catch of legal sea bass. Most of those in the Sound are too small to keep.
Evan at J&B said the blue and bass fishing in The Race were steady, weather permitting for their charter boat. On some of the windier days they were forced to troll off Black Point, settling for smaller numbers in somewhat steadier seas.
Al Golinski said he caught a few albies behind Fishers Island one day while taking a break from dunking bunkers for bass. Capt. Ben DeMario and a friend cast live eels into the rocks on the south side of Fishers one night for six bass to 25 pounds - while watching rude people in a tin boat motor in between their boat and the shore after watching them catch a fish or two.
Don at King Cove reported the striper fishing on the reefs was decent one day and completely blank the next time. Bunkers are in Stonington Harbor with some snagged by people on the commercial docks who then live lined them in hopes of a striper. Albies are popping up from Watch Hill to Race Rock, sometimes hitting lures, sometimes ignoring even flies on a very light tippet.
Joe Balint at the Fish Connection said shore anglers have a chance to catch blackfish at the rocks at New London Light and under the Gold Star Bridge, Groton side. Norwich Harbor has large blues feeding on all the bunkers with a few bigger bass underneath the blues. Early in the morning, the bunkers are within range of the docks but move farther out as the sun gets higher. Wire-line jiggers are catching lots of blues in The Race, coming in for new parachute jigs after a couple trips. Look for ablies off Bluff Point or Isabella Beach.
Capt. Howard Beers at Hillyers Tackle said it was very busy in the shop Thursday for the blackfish opener. Albies are popping up along the Niantic shore, up inside the bay or at times on the north side of Plum Island. Blue fishing in The Race is steady, your choice of drifting with bucktails or trolling with wire.
Mark at River's End reported on plenty of blues at the Sand Shoal making it hard to drift a live bunker there for a bass. He got out one night after dark to plug up some small bass right in front of his home on Hatchetts Point. Shore anglers caught blues on chunks from Saybrook Point early in the day and small boat anglers find them on top at times around the mouth of the Connecticut River.
The Hel-Cat's regular e-mail reported another week of “great” blue fishing with a sprinkling of stripers. Last Saturday was the last of the ocean trips for blues and the big fish of the week was a 21-pound bass caught by Tom Masse. The boat remains on a daily schedule for blues, sailing at 9 a.m., returning around 3 p.m.
Tim Coleman may be reached at thewreckhunter@aol.com.