This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
12/19/2017 11:00 PMThe year 2017 generated a lot of fish talk, and you will see why when you read our upcoming Year in Review column. Right now, though, we are just a few days away from Christmas, and many of us are probably power shopping for those last few gifts, whether they were ones you forgot about or just ones you couldn’t previously find.
Then again, you just might be a last-minute shopper like the Captain. Finally, everything on my list (somewhat adjusted) has been checked off. Now, comes the not-so-perfect wrapping and then the clandestine attempt to sneak the gifts into place without debunking Santa. It always seems like there’s a fat chance of that actually happening, but somehow, it works out.
This recurring, hurried shopping spree reminds me of fishing a blitz—not a trip where the bite is steady and fish are being caught fairly regularly, but one where the feeding is so voracious and the commotion so intense that words do it little justice. Even though there’s a lot of online shopping on the Internet, there comes a time when that holiday activity slows to a trickle. Cutoff dates and questionable in-time deliveries are the culprits here.
Last-minute shoppers who rely on the brick and mortar shops must now take to the streets. That is where this old salt and many like him find ourselves. First one shop and then another. A quick stop to add to the red kettle, a wave to a Santa’s helper, and then it’s off to do more shopping.
Among the hustle and bustle, there always seems enough time to remember the real significance of the holiday season. Shopping can be frustrating at times, but gifting is fun, and this time of the year is typically invigorating.
With the holiday falling on a Monday, many could use that extra day before heading back to work. However, for most people, that probably is not in the cards. Relaxing by the fire, gazing at a snow-covered field, and scanning the open water might have to wait until the first day of 2018. That being said, Captain Morgan and crew would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, an enjoyable Hanukkah celebration, and a Happy New Year, as well as quick recovery from all the holiday excitement.
On the Water
More snow, single digits, and, for those of you who were looking to venture out into Long Island Sound, you were most likely greeted with stiff winds and pounding seas. Meanwhile, the inshore water temperatures between harbors have been fluctuating and are gradually getting colder, averaging around the mid-40s. These conditions were definitely signaling that the first day of winter, Thursday, Dec. 21, is upon us.
Until the cold snap, striped bass were feeding fairly regularly along the shore, where tidal rivers intersected with the Sound. There are still herring runs that are offering gullet-filling food supplies and plenty of protein. The herring are still around, but the striper bite switched off with the last Arctic blast. A good idea would be to rig up a Sabikli to try your hand at catching some Atlantic herring.
More than just a few die-hards have been casting from shore after noticing bait fish breaking the surface. The results were mixed, having more to do with stocking fish to be used for next season’s bait. Any wakes or subtle splashes were probably just the result of a curious seal out for a snack.
Once the weather settled down, anglers were back on the rivers and testing the waters. This time around, trout were feeding semi-aggressively due to increasingly lower water temperatures. A mix of rainbows, brookies, and browns were taking flies, floating swimmers, and small inline spinners. Check the anglers’ guide for closed or restricted areas. The broodstock Atlantic salmon in both the Shetucket and Naugatuck rivers have been seeing action, as have a few of the popular northern pike and pickerel waters. If temperatures stay on this trend, keep watching for a white perch and sea run bite to turn on.
Many of the deep lakes have turned or are in the process of turning. That is where the top layer (epilimnion) cools and becomes heavier than the bottom layer (hypolimnion), causing the two layers to exchange positions. As the top layer cools, it becomes heavier and more dense than the bottom one, then sinks. The thermocline divides these two layers and is where temperature changes more rapidly with depth than it does with the layers above and below. Fish above the thermocline, where dissolved oxygen that fish thrive on will be found. Below that level, sufficient oxygen generally will be lacking. Carrying along a fishing water thermometer will eliminate the guesswork.
Until we meet again for our Year in Review column, may your biggest fish of 2017 be your smallest of 2018.
Note: Email us pics of your catches to share with our USA and international fishing friends who keep up with the latest fishing news and frequent social media.
For all things fishy including reel repairs, 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...