Fun-Filled Fall 'Tog Tourney is a Big Success
Hard weather involving small craft warnings, four- to six-foot waves, and 30-plus knot winds interrupted what should have been 15 days of good fall blackfish/tautog fishing. Often, Long Island Sound was churned into murky, coffee-stained water with the bottom barely visible in only a couple of feet of water. Nevertheless, "white chin" hunters are a determined bunch and only the worst of days kept contestants of the 23rd annual Eddie Beauvais Blackfish Tournament at bay, and that was only because no lee side of anything was available to hide behind.
For most of the tournament, eight-pound fish topped the leaderboard. Since winners were determined by the weight of a single fish, many "'tog pullers" hooking into five, six, and seven pounders never made the scales, although numbers of these fish were caught. Next year's event will be different and winners will be determined by a combined weight of the heaviest of two fish weighed. This will offer greater opportunities at winning, more competitiveness, and open the doors for those not considered as experienced or lucky.
That said, anglers drifted in and out throughout the whole tourney to weigh their fish at Captain Morgan's. Whenever they could find a window of opportunity, they caught most 'togs in depths under 25 feet. However, on the last day, and shortly before the weigh-in deadline, Mitch Staschke of Guilford showed up, cooler in hand, with an 11-pounder, besting his previous 8.9 to win ($500). If his name sounds familiar, he just won the $25,000 bluefish contest. Dick Howd placed second with his 8.6 pounder ($300), followed by Sally Howd with her 8.2 ($200). Congratulations!
There were plenty of surprises at the awards ceremony, including an array of rods, reels, and blackfish gear, as well as a crab trap, knives, and other accessories. The T-shirts were a big hit! It seemed as though everyone was a winner. Lois Howd even won $50 for the smallest fish weighed at 5.4 pounds. And to round it off, $100 bills were unexpectedly distributed during the raffle. Compliments to the Guilford VFW for its marvelous, four-star restaurant-quality buffet spread, Ted Zuse for coming through with those in-demand tees, and special kudos to Michelle Beauvais McBride and husband Aven of Texas for all their support. Next year's event is already planned and promises to be bigger and better with even more surprises!
On the Water
Relentless wind thrust our Sound into a fury this past week, causing vessels to pound and waves to crash into bulkheads and jetties. One could label it small craft week! Air temperatures moderated more on the cooler side, yet central water temps remained around 63 degrees, a bit lower inshore. All of this added up to challenges for those anglers looking to land the big one in the Eddie Beauvais 'tog tourney.
Fishing talk has pretty much circled around white chin catches. In addition to 'toggers bouncing on the waves, 'togs have done their own jumping around accounting for hot/cold honey holes. Their movement has been partly caused by rough weather conditions and, perhaps, finding protection from feeding seals. Numbers of small 'togs in the five-pound range certainly outnumbered the "bulldogs," however, some double-digit prizes have been hitting the scales up and down the shoreline. Six- to 20-foot depths seem to be the most productive, including Guilford Harbor, Sachem's Head, The Thimbles and, at times, the walls in Clinton and New Haven.
Bluefish continue to feed throughout Long Island Sound, their bodies being noticeably thin. Some, but very limited numbers, of menhaden have come down from a few tidal rivers, creating both bass and blue frenzies. Old Saybrook, Clinton, Guilford, and Branford experienced some of these short-lived bursts. Unfortunately, until menhaden regulations are updated and enforced, these shortages will persist. Trolling Six Mile, chunking Faulkner's, or jigging Jeris's are but a few options that will produce choppers. This was not the week for poppers!
For all things fishy including licenses, swing by the shop (203-245-8665) open seven days located at 21 Boston Post Road, Madison. Until next time from your Connecticut shoreline's full-service fishing outfitter, where we don't make the fisherman, we make the fisherman better...
Tight Lines,
Captain Morgan
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