Printer Friendly Version - It’s Time to Head South

Bill and Heather Strawbridge Platt of Madison enjoyed a day aboard the Marathon Lady for a catch of reef fish including mutton snapper, grunts, and even a released grouper. Photo illustration courtesy of Captain Morgan

While some anglers in Long Island Sound’s fishing crew remain up north to weather the storms (so to speak), others take a breather and set a course due south. Hopefully, this means that fair winds and flowing seas are in their future. However, as anyone who’s familiar with the Atlantic coastline can tell you, these hopes often prove to be nothing more than wishful thinking.

A cruise down the Intracoastal Waterway may or may not be pleasurable. When navigating the outside waters or perhaps an ever-changing inlet, the adventurous are rarely disappointed. Sudden weather changes or a bump on the bottom can easily add a few days to the travel log.

Have you ever heard of being dislodged from a shifted bar by a moldable chunk of C-4? I have—and firsthand! No tow lines. No waiting for the tide to rise. Just a well-placed charge that gently popped the cockpit bottom of a 53 Viking right off the sandbar. The expressions on the faces of those aboard were classic when this casual looking diver in a rough skiff initially pulled alongside and the vessel’s hull rose from the bottom. You never know when a trip will be interrupted and what will interrupt it. Bless you, North Carolina.

There are the picturesque stretches of the Intracoastal, navigation aids that could have a dual meaning to a transient, and some truly great chow stops. Ultimately, anglers travel south for a change of pace, although this funky weather pattern has wreaked havoc from the West Coast to the East Coast and from southern latitudes to the northern ones. From the bone-chilling cold of the Midwest to many of the southern climes that got drenched, weather certainly plays its part.

Unlike New England, fishing continued from the piers, popular reefs, and offshore. At times, wind and a soaker intervened, but all in all, fishing in the Keys pretty much carried on as normal. Finding a flat and fishing solo in the backcountry has its rewards, as does signing up on a for-hire trip to the Dry Tortugas. Maybe, weather permitting, a swing through the Boca Grande channel or a stop at Marquesas Keys to clear the thoughts will spice up your trip.

If time is on your side, a return trip back north will occur when things eventually warm up. If that’s the case, then Feb. 2, Groundhog Day, might have helped you in your decision—that is, if predictions have an influence. For 133 years, Punxsutawney Phil and his predecessors down at Gobbler’s Knob have made their predictions as to whether there will be an early spring or six more weeks of winter.

This year, Pennsylvania’s Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow. Tennessee’s Chattanooga Chuck: no shadow. West Virginia’s French Creek Freddie: Sees shadow. Ohio’s Buckeye Chuck: no shadow. New Jersey’s Essex Ed: no shadow. Wisconsin’s Jimmy the Groundhog: no shadow. Massachusetts’s Ms. G: Sees shadow. New York’s Charles G. Hogg (aka: Staten Island Chuck): no shadow. Connecticut’s very own Chuckles IX did not see his shadow, either.

So there you have it. Out of nine popular state groundhogs, seven did not see their shadows this year, thereby predicting an early spring, while only two opted for six more weeks of winter. Meanwhile, this Captain’s prognosticating parrot squawked one time, also joining the consensus of an early spring, along with the start of a fabulous fishing season.

It definitely got a little chilly as temperatures dipped into negative zero territory prior to the weekend. That thickened the ice already forming on lakes and ponds that were relatively protected from the wind and not subjected to subterranean streams. Erring on the side of caution is always best when it comes to ice. Don’t assume that it is safe unless convinced otherwise.

Meanwhile, Long Island Sound temps hovered around the mid-30s, with inshore stretches icing up. During the deep freeze, gale-force wind gusts reached 45 knots and beaches became decorated with ice formations. Any productive marine fishing during this period just about came to a standstill. However, some cod trips are back on, while local shellfish beds should be checked for closures.

There were more areas on which to set tip-ups and, when the wind did not cause false flags, fishing between fronts was rather productive. Increased catches of largemouth bass, yellow perch, pickerel, pike, and even walleye were iced. Even a few schoolie bass jigged through the ice formed in coves off key holdover tidal rivers.

Several spots along the shoreline saw more ice fishing activity and ice anglers enjoying this popular winter activity. Because of tentative early ice, jigging sticks was more prevalent, rather than spreading gear out too thin. However, as ice thickened, more of the traditional flags were seen dotting it. If cold temps persist, February should see a marked increase of both jigging and tip-up action throughout the state now that a good ice base has had a chance to establish itself. Time will tell.

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 crabbing supplies, 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...

Patricia Connolly of Clinton scratched the Guilford beds, catching her first clam of the 2019 season. Photo courtesy of Captain Morgan