Generally, try to keep the lure about 2 feet below the surface with your rod tip near the water. For further information, contact the DEP Marine Fisheries Division by email at dep.marine.fisheries@ct.gov, by mail at P.O. Snappers are young-of-the year bluefish, which become a “catchable” size of about 5 inches long when they invade our waters in late July and early August. CT-10 becomes Sea Street. There was no 10-fish limit back then, and a bucket full of snappers fed the family fried-fish dinners for several nights. The other usual fishing spots include the Watch Hill area, Ram Island Reef (Fishers Island Sound), lower Thames River, the Race (by Race Rock and Valiant Rock), outer Bartlett Reef, the Sluiceway, Plum Gut, warm water discharge from Millstone Power Station, Hatchett Reef, Long Sand Shoal, Cornfield Point, Southwest Reef, Sixmile Reef, Falkner Island area, reefs off Guilford and Branford, New Haven Harbor, buoys #18 and #20 off Bridgeport, Stratford Shoal/Middle Ground, Penfield Reef, Norwalk Islands, Eaton's Point area on the New York side, Cable and Anchor Reef, Smith Reef and the reefs off Stamford and Greenwich. Fish in the 7-10 lb range are being taken on frozen herring & cut/chunk bait. Try targeting areas of cooler waters to reduce stress on fish. Whether it's for food, fun or both, snapper fishing is a great activity. Coming in contact with a set of these miniature scalpels will draw blood, so even these little critters must be handled in a manner which avoids those teeth. The trick is to reel it as slowly as possible while keeping the lure skimming the surface. The afternoon trip was with Robert Remin of White Plains and his son, Daniel of West Hartford. By Joe Cermele. They finished off the trip on the Connecticut side with schoolie bass and porgies. Striped bass and bluefish fishing has slowed down a bit from what it was a few weeks ago. Get the best deals on Snapper Blues Music CDs when you shop the largest online selection at eBay.com. When I think of snapper blues I think of my youth. Places to try include East Twin Lake, Highland Lake, Crystal Lake (target 25-30 feet), Mashapaug Lake (target 7-8 colors), West Hill Pond, Lake Wononskopomuc (target 20-30 feet), Beach Pond, Candlewood Lake and Colebrook Reservoir. Cast your line a little way out from the dock or jetty and wait. “These juvenile bluefish,” said Taylor, “also work great as live bait for large striped bass. and 5 oz, Cedar Plugs, Superchargers® ™ and the line of fishing hooks . Snapper pros experiment with different retrieve speeds to see what works best on a given day—faster speed keeps the lure near the surface, and slower speed allows it to sink a bit. You merely take them in hand and make a diagonal cut behind the head and gill covers, cutting through the backbone. “Catching your bait can be just as fun as catching your target species. Westport's Sherwood Mill Pond was always a good spot, but the Race at the Old Mill and on the other side; New Creek at Burial Hill Beach are top snapper spots. McEnroe: Stop celebrating, the pandemic isn’t over yet, Ansonia police still hope for safe return of missing toddler, What’s UConn’s future at XL Center? Your scribe noted several obviously stressed and some dead trout in the Natchaug River over the weekend. To fish a snapper live, some people prefer to place the hook in the back, just in front of the dorsal fin. KOKANEE (fish in the 12-15 inch range) are producing good fishing at West Hill Pond (day, trolling slowly, and at night, bait fishing over 40 feet of water) and East Twin Lake (18 inch fish, on slow trolled beads & grub/corn). Spawned in late May and early June, baby blues grow quickly, measuring 3 to 5 inches by mid-July when they move into tidal creeks and rivers, where there is a ready food supply of small baitfish and grass shrimp. Added By: protacanthopterix on 09/26/11 07:04 AM; Location: Rocky Neck, CT; Report Date: 9/25/2011 # of Hotspots: 1 # of Photos: 0 Robert "Bob" J. Bonola, 81, of Plainville, loving husband for 52 years of Grace (Maietta) Bonola, passed away peacefully on Friday, February 8, 2019, surrounded by … That said, snappers can play a big part during the remainder of this season's fishing fun. Many people don’t like eating bluefish, and therefore won’t eat snappers. Porgy action continues off Can 1 and buoy 24 near Cockenoe Island but fluking is better across the way on the Long Island side. Bigger blues require even more skill and should be handled by grown-ups instead of small children. “I use ultralight tackle,” said Taylor, “like a 6-foot 6-inch Ugly Stik Intercoastal and small reel spooled with 10-pound mono finished with a short 20-pound fluoro leader. They eat and grow at a remarkable rate, sometimes approaching nearly an inch per week. Search. Search. The family wanted to try fishing for another species, and he got them into fluke with a 5-pounder and 7-pounder among the many brought in (with a lot of 20-inchers thrown back.) Snapper Blue Tourney . Cutting was a seventh-round pick in 2019… Snappers are a food fish for larger predator species like stripers and fluke so one has to wonder about the impact of limiting recreational anglers, while predators ranging from fish to cormorants kill thousands of the small fish. A square mile oasis of structure off the Atlantic County coast. In the absence of traditional baitfish like porgies or bunker, snapper blues make good baits for slammer bluefish and even striped bass, but the main use for snappers as bait is for late-season doormat fluke. Other fluke pros “butterfly” the snapper bait by running a fillet knife from the tail up close to the head on both sides of the spine. This rig works equally well with live or dead snappers. My sister (Jessica) caught a Blue Crab, 3 Snapper Blues (we kept 1 of them) and a crab trap. You can add to the fun and challenge by bringing along a small fly rod. Mike Gallo, NEWS REPORT / By Capt. Suddenly, a large striper erupted inches from the boat, startling us, and taking a mouthful of bait and snappers with it. Other fluke spots include the Sandy Point area in Stonington, Stonington flats south of the breakwaters, Ram Island Reef to Latimer Point (Fishers Island Sound), south side of Fishers Island, Twotree Island Channel, Niantic River, Black Point, White Sands Beach, Long Sand Shoal, Falkner Island area, south of the New Haven breakwaters, the Norwalk Islands. Fishing Report For Connecticut. Some pros rig the snapper in the same manner you’d rig a shiner for largemouth-bass—from the bottom lip through the top, typically off a traditional fluke rig, either with a fluke bomb or off a three-way swivel. Bluefish are spotty throughout LIS but some places like Pigeon Rip (area just north of Plum Island) can provide some good top water action. An inexpensive, light and durable 5- to 7-foot, small spinning outfit and assortment of small metal lures are perfect for quickly loading up a limit on snappers. Snappers are a “snap” to clean. Some LARGEMOUTH BASS are being found in the coves and backwaters along the river from Wethersfield to East Haddam. Language + Settings Top. Lakes & Ponds- Many of our lakes are still producing good fishing. ... CT 06519. Significant management actions, including consideration of a five year ban on lobster harvest in this region, are being considered by ASMFC in light of the latest stock assessment which declared the stock depleted and in need of rebuilding. The bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix) is the only extant species of the family Pomatomidae.It is a marine pelagic fish found around the world in temperate and subtropical waters, except for the northern Pacific Ocean. Language + Settings Top. In areas with a large concentration of fish, a very small tin such as a Kastmaster, Hopkins or Deadly Dick is most efficient.”. Snapper blues have razor sharp teeth. Small tin lures are designed to tumble and flash, imitating a wounded or escaping baitfish, which draws any snappers within sight. Take I-95 north to Exit 44 and turn right onto CT-10 or I-95 South to Exit 45 and turn left onto CT-10. Be sure to check the Angler's Guide for size requirements. When I was younger, I spent many hours in the summer casting snapper poppers to tiny bluefish. New Snapper Pro S125XT B2552 Zero Turn Mower, 2019, part number 5901787, 25 HP 724CC Briggs and Stratton Commercial Series engine, mid back seat with arm rests, lap bar controlled dual Hydro-Gear ZT-3200 transaxles with 7" cooling fans, 52" 3 … Even the youngest of children can haul in a snapper and they’re so much fun to catch the grumpiest of old men can’t help but laugh as they fight these feisty fish. Summer flounder fishing remains fair to good in about 50 to 70 feet of water. That's where local fishing legend, William "Doc" Skerlick always did most of his snapper fishing, including the hundreds of fish he cooked up for his club fish fry every year. The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Marine Fisheries Division will be holding meetings to update lobstermen on the recent activities of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) American Lobster Technical Committee and Management Board. Bait is often the answer when small blues hesitate striking tin lures. After school in September and October, friends and I would catch the ravenous buggers with light tackle from the docks behind the Milford library. “You can find snappers close to shore, in estuaries and near structure like rock piles, docks and jetties where they chase bait like silversides, mummichogs and grass shrimp. Snapper fishing is consistently fast-paced, making it a quick cure for the fishing bug when other fisheries are slow in late summer.”. Free shipping on many items | Browse your favorite brands | affordable prices. Potential management actions proposed for the Southern New England lobster stock, which includes Long Island Sound and all other areas south of Cape Cod, will be discussed. WALLEYE are being reported from Lake Saltonstall, Coventry Lake and Mashapaug Lake. If the snapper is dead, however, don’t fish them with the flared gill covers and bent up head, typical of their rigor mortis position, because they spin in the current. Since then, I have landed several 15- to 35-pound stripers using snapper blues. While fishing the Middle Ground, George reeled in an 8-pound 12-ounce fluke using a snapper blue for bait. Tie in a 6-inch dropper loop at the mid-point of the leader, and attach a large, flashy teaser. This is a hotspot for snapper blues and fluke in the summer; bass and blues are taken here after dark. They’ll strike at any lure smaller than themselves, making them a great target for young or beginner anglers and anyone looking for fishing fun on the saltwater. Get the facts at ct.gov/coronavirus. August 30, 2019 I caught 8 Blue Crabs (we kept 3) & 6 Snapper Blues. It looks like a banner year shaping up for blue-shell crabs. Some of the very best trout action of the year comes during the 11th hour, and the 12th month! “They are great in the frying pan,” said Taylor, “just remove the head by making a diagonal cut behind the gill covers, cutting through the backbone.