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08/22/2019 12:00 AMSome people were made to fish. Others were made to catch them. And some just live for the love of fishing. Anyone with experience on the water and who is skilled with hook and line can spot a youngster who has that special gift. For many, it starts off at a young age with the help of dad, as in this skipper’s case. For others, it may be another individual like mom, another relative, or a family friend.
No special outlandish gear is ever they key—just a special touch, good instincts, a fearless and curious nature, and a vivid imagination. Invariably, the earliest of adventures begins in the sweet water before matriculating to the briny. By preschool age, the local pond is where eager neophytes meet up with their sunfish as it nibbles at their baited hooks. Now, the only things the separate fish from the small fisher are a makeshift tree branch acting as the first fishing rod, a simple drop line, or a store-bought beginner’s setup.
At this point, is it the fish or this little budding fishers who are being hooked? If it’s the latter, then the love-fest for fishing begins. They will learn with each cast—first the ponds, then the lakes, and finally the rivers. All fish will be exciting to catch with the next one as inspiring as the last. As the seasons meld, our little fishers have now had a couple of birthdays and are learning that there are more fish to catch out on the Sound.
The fish are bigger and scrappier. After flipping through books and watching videos, they are naming all of the fish and telling you about them. Each fish caught is another adventure and each one has a special place in their memory. And as the years creep by, they will become a skilled and experienced fisher with great memories of the journey that got them there—not necessarily the fish caught.
On the Water
In a flash, August is drawing to a close, yet fish keep entering the Sound. Inshore Long Island Sound water temperatures have been around 73- to 74 degrees, tempered by early morning fog that generally tapered off by mid-morning. Recently, the rainy pattern gave way to fair weather as we head into hurricane season. So, for those mariners whose vessels are on moorings, please take heed, especially if you’re traveling.
While striped bass action is on pace with the season and schoolies are mixing it up with some of the larger ones, fishing is still best during early morning and late-day tides. The recent Full Sturgeon Moon brought on some good fishing primarily when using live eels, jigs, and plugs. As in previous weeks, seeking out the school at the right tide is key to success. Faulkner’s North Rip has been hit or miss, Six Mile has been just OK, while many of the inshore bays eased. Lower tidal rivers picked up during the dropping tide as bass took advantage of food being washed down during the full moon cycle. Weakfish, though, are being caught as fishers look for larger finicky bass.
Small blues are more apt to be caught as more menhaden and silversides make their way into the Sound. Still, catching them has not been steady. These little choppers have been spread out throughout the shoreline, so shore casters and boaters have equal shots at success. Keeping a topwater plug or spoon handy, rigged with wire leader, is a good idea. The jury is still out as to whether or not numbers of gators will materialize, although a few more double-digit ones are showing up than last year.
Flukers have a few more smiles on their faces this week. Snapper blues are running! They usually bring on the bigger fish and, even though doormats are being caught in deep water, some minimats are feeding on snappers close to shore. There are still plenty of shorts around the inshore shoals, but fishing is improving for the bigger fish. If you are looking for black sea bass and don’t mind near keepers or catching throwbacks, then inshore is where you ought to be. On the other hand, the humpbacks are harder to come by and more than 100 feet is where you need to be—even 125 feet. In both cases, squid is the bait and drifting the bottom is most productive. Overall, this marine grouper is plentiful.
Porgy (scup) fishing remains good on practically all reefs and humps along the Sound. Worms, clams, squid, and some artificials are attracting large- to medium-size porgies, many of which are being caught from both shore and offshore. A few more ‘togs are being caught, but few fishers are targeting them now. Sea robins remain active, more northern kings are being caught, and four- to five-foot sand sharks are towing kayakers around. If hooked up with a sturgeon, be sure to release them unharmed as with any protected shark.
Atlantic bonito are spreading throughout the Sound and are offering opportunities to fly fishers out there around the dawn and dusk hours. Spin casters are hooking up with fast swimming metals and even soft plastics. However, we are still waiting for the albie bite to catch up any time now. Incidentally, blue crabbing remains awesome!
Coming in September
The last of Captain Morgan’s Day on the Flats fly fishing clinics for 2019 is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 14. Meet and work one-on-one with three certified, highly skilled, and experienced instructors on Long Island Sound to enhance your fly fishing adventures. Space is limited. Call 203-245-8665 or stop in the shop to register. The cost of $225 includes lunch and beverage.
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 flies, 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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