We finally have fishable ice in many places around the
state. We expect to be fishing on the ice at Wethersfield cove by Saturday or Sunday
1-22.

These
Ice reports are from this week, from our own experiences and those of some
customers reporting back to us as they hit the ice. 

Glastonbury on the
river coves: 3 inches 

Highland lake: 4
inches at the boat launch, fishable

Bigelow hollow: 5-7 inches

Leesie,
Trevor and Gary had a lot of Pickerel action Tuesday.

 Mashapaug at the Launch/inlet: fishing 4”

 Park Pond 4-6 inches

 Dog pond 5-7 inches

 Winchester 6-7 inches

 Bantam: Fishing

“Josh” and “Bill” landed back to back pike in the 32-36” range on XL White suckers

 Mt Tom: Fishing

 West Hill: FIshing

 We are fully stocked
for all of your icefishing needs including Pinheads, Rosey Reds, Waxies,
Spikes, JUMBO ARKANSAS SHINERS and WHITE SUCKERS from 5” all the way up to 13”.
Yeah, we got PIKE CANDY….

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Happy New Year! Hopefully Mother Nature cooperates and we
have Ice to fish, and which to report on!!

Open Water :

CONNECTICUT RIVER    A good time to fish around the warm water discharges found up and down the river as the water temps cool… 

NORTHERN PIKE :  Pike reports have been tremendous and very encouraging. We really didn’t expect such a large number of such large fish reported caught.  Wethersfield cove, the Glastonbury ferry launch, and the mouth of the Mattabesett river have all produced fish over 40
inches. jacek (JACK) kuczynski landed multiple fish over 40 in Middletown and has the stitches to prove it.

Black CRAPPIE reports continue to be strong

Stripers! Yes, striped bass are in good supply in the CT River. We have gotten reports from Marty Feery that there have even been some 28”ers in the warmer-water spots in Hartford.  Schoolies can be found in larger numbers. 

NORWICH/Thames:

The stripers are piling into the Thames for their annual winter rest and many anglers are able to reach them from the docks near the Police Station in Norwich.  Fish being caught all the way up to the dam from shore, mostly on 5-6” pearl colored soft plastic baits on ½ ounce or less  jig heads.

 ICE!!! Looks like this weekend will have ice to fish in state

Yesterday provided some fishable ice in the Norfolk/Winchester area.  Smaller spots like Winchester had 3-5 inches in different spots. Someone drilled a dozen holes out on the far western bay.  Park pond was totally locked up with just 2 inches in the most recently frozen spots, the ice was 3-4 where it had been frozen previously.

Some of the Marinas on the CT river are reporting 3-5 also.

Marine:

Anyone
heading out seems to be talking Pollock and Cod. Much of the Cod reports indicate smaller fish are plentiful. 

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There are not a lot of reports available in November as
it seems the hunting season sucks a bunch of you out of the water and into the
woods. However we still do have a few bits of information trickling in from the
faithful.

*We were unable to re-schedule the Carp Fishing event, so
check back in late spring we will schedule another one for then.

Freshwater bite:

2011 ATLANTIC
SALMON STOCKING – Tom Fravel, AKA “Blind Squirrel”
Landed a monster 12lb Brown trout from Chrystal Lake last week! Congratulations
Tommy. Also at Crystal Lake, other anglers report seeing jumping salmon.

 DEEP Reports that Broodstock
Atlantic salmon stocking will be as follows:

“ The lower Naugatuck River Broodstock area will be stocked with 75
more salmon on Friday (11/18). In early December, 75 salmon will are scheduled
to be released into the Shetucket River (35 fish) and Crystal Lake (40 fish).
These stockings will complete the 2011 broodstock Atlantic salmon stockings,
with a total of nearly 900 salmon stocked.”

ALSO
–DEEP recently stocked another 16,000 “yearling” trout (6-8 inch fish)
into a number of streams on both sides of the state.

CONNECTICUT RIVER

A good time to fish around the warm water discharges
found up and down the river as the water temps cool…

NORTHERN
PIKE : CTF’s Piketoberfest went off without a hitch this past Sunday
with over 30 anglers reporting catch and release of over 30 PIKE.  Biggest was a 37 inch landed by Jaques Du Lac.
Pike fishing should continue to be great right up until first ice!  We have tons of Golden Pond Shiners in stock
and up to 10 and 11 inches long (for serious Pike Hunters only!)

BLACK
CRAPPIE reports
continue to be strong with fathead shiners on small jigs working best.  ROADRUNNER Jigs are a good choice.

LARGEMOUTH
BASS only one report: from Wethersfield cove,

Dan Emerson Landed a single “pound and a halfer” last
week.

SMALLMOUTH
BASS are
also providing some action below Hartford. Anglers are finding some CATFISH along
the lower river.

Marine:

STRIPED BASS fishing
for schoolies has picked up. Big fish seem to be gone. Stripers will soon be
moving into coastal tidal rivers in big numbers for overwintering, so we should
be hearing from the Thames River.

BLUEFISH fishing
is pretty much done..

SCUP fishing
is also dwindling quickly as water temps fall.

TAUTOG fishing season has slowed down on the major

Porgy – The scup fishing season has been extended through to the end of
the year and is excellent. The daily creel and length limit remains the same
(10 fish per angler and 10 ½ inches). Note that the party/charter boat creel
limit is now 10 fish per day (the length limit remains unchanged at 11 inches).

BLACK SEA BASS – The black sea bass season reopened
Tuesday, November 1st. Small silver
vertical jigs with or without squid strips.

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Records just continue to fall….yes, of course the October
snowfall record, but we mean the new state blackfish record! Ken Owens cranked
up a 22 lber on Friday and it was weighed in Niantic.

Freshwater bite:

2011 FALL
BROODSTOCK ATLANTIC SALMON STOCKING - DEEP
continues it’s annual stockings of surplus broodstock Atlantic salmon.  We expect another 500 more salmon released in
November.

CONNECTICUT
RIVER

NORTHERN
PIKE fishing
has been good and getting better, with most angler’s LIVE-LINING GOLDEN POND
SHINERS, OR SWIMMING THEM UNDER A LARGE FLOAT.  Fish can be found in the coves, the Middletown
area, and in Haddam and downstream to the Salmon River.

BLACK
CRAPPIE reports
continue to be strong with fathead shiners on small jigs working best.  Some of our anglers do well with a “hi-lo”
rig also.

LARGEMOUTH
BASS Time
to go deep, and SLOW WAY DOWN. Keitech baits (swing impact) on a football or
other jig head dragged very slowly in the depths or on the bottom.

SMALLMOUTH
BASS are
also providing some action below Hartford. Anglers are finding some CATFISH along
the lower river.

Batterson Pond is
closed until April 21, 2012.

Marine:

Porgy – The scup fishing season has been extended through to the end of
the year and is excellent. The daily creel and length limit remains the same
(10 fish per angler and 10 ½ inches). Note that the party/charter boat creel
limit is now 10 fish per day (the length limit remains unchanged at 11 inches).

BLACK SEA BASS – The black sea bass season reopened  Tuesday, November 1st. Small silver vertical
jigs with or without squid strips.

Bluefishing
still strong,

Stripers
fishing is reported as very good heading west towards RI.  Many, many schools of “schoolies” in the surf
with some late season Cows hanging around.
There is still time to land some decent fish out there.

ICEFISHING:  Our shelves are stocked with more and more
new inventory arriving every week.  Don’t
miss Captain Blaine’s first seminar Saturday, November 19th at 9am in the
store.  Also, some exciting news should
be out soon regarding our “State-wide, Season-Long ice tournament” so stay
tuned!

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It’s
official! Greg Myerson’s striper was approved by the
International Game Fish Association on Wednesday October 19th, and becomes the
new the world record striped bass at 81 pounds, 14 ounces.The new
world-record striped bass was caught on the night of August 4, 2011 in
Connecticut waters. The striper was boated by Greg Myerson and weighed in at
81.88 pounds. Myerson caught his huge striper drifting a live eel near a
submerged boulder, near the Outer Southwest Reef off the coast of Westbrook,
Connecticut. This fish measured 54 inches in length.

Freshwater bite:

2011 FALL
BROODSTOCK ATLANTIC SALMON STOCKING - DEEP
began its annual stockings of surplus broodstock Atlantic salmon last week by
releasing 160 salmon into the Shetucket River, 60 salmon into Crystal
Lake (Ellington), 116 salmon into Mount Tom Pond (Morris-Litchfield-Washington)
and 100 salmon into the Naugatuck River. These fish ranged in size from
3 to 18 pounds each. In November, DEEP expects to have 500 more salmon
available from its Kensington Hatchery following spawning.

Iain
Sorrell landed a 32lb Carp at Batterson
pond in Farmington this week. This fish was one of 3 over 20 that he had
that day (Tuesday)

CONNECTICUT
RIVER

NORTHERN
PIKE fishing
has been variable with a number of good reports (including some fish in the
upper 30’s to low 40’s inch range) and some slow reports. Fish can be found in
the coves, the Middletown area, and in Haddam and downstream to the Salmon
River.

BLACK
CRAPPIE action
is picking up in the coves.

LARGEMOUTH
BASS fishing
is fair to good in the coves (in both the Haddam and Hartford areas). Some nice
bass are being caught, recent catches include a 5.8 lb bass and some fish in the
3-4 lb range.

SMALLMOUTH
BASS are
also providing some action below Hartford. Anglers are finding some CATFISH along
the lower river.

2011 FALL
BROODSTOCK ATLANTIC SALMON STOCKING - DEEP
began its annual stockings of surplus broodstock Atlantic salmon last week by
releasing 160 salmon into the Shetucket River, 60 salmon into Crystal
Lake (Ellington), 116 salmon into Mount Tom Pond (Morris-Litchfield-Washington)
and 100 salmon into the Naugatuck River. These fish ranged in size from
3 to 18 pounds each. In November, DEEP expects to have 500 more salmon
available from its Kensington Hatchery following spawning.

Marine:

Porgy – The scup fishing season has been extended through to the end of
the year and is excellent. The daily creel and length limit remains the same
(10 fish per angler and 10 ½ inches). Note that the party/charter boat creel
limit is now 10 fish per day (the length limit remains unchanged at 11 inches).

BLACK SEA BASS – The black sea bass season is closed and will re-open on Tuesday,
November 1st.

Blackfishing
is reporting as good. It has been reported that an angler weighed in an 18lb
Blackfish at (COMPETITOR) tackle shop, caught from shore. That’s a helluva
Blackfish.

10-20
feet depth on structure with greenies, Asians, or hermits

Bluefishing
still strong, with Stripers fishing improving as we move into fall patterns.

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Last
night over 20 people enjoyed an hour and a half PIKE fishing seminar with
Captain Blaine at the helm.  There were
excellent questions and answers, and everyone had a good time. If you are not
getting invited, please go to: http://www.ct-outfitters.com and scroll down to
see “Join our e-mail list”  follow the
prompts to make sure YOU STAY CONNECTED TO THE GUYS WHO HELP YOU GET OUT!

BIG
CONGRATULATIONS to our own Mike Perch who recently was welcomed to the CBFN
State Team for 2012!!  Mike scored the
highest for the season as a co-angler and was also chosen as member of the year
for his club.

Freshwater
bite:

Mansfield
Hollow giving up a decent LMB bite to some fellows using “green pumpkin”
softplastics on football Jigheads. Time to slow down the retrieve/movement as
the waters cool into fall.

Wethersfield cove/CT
River through Cromwell :

Crappie
fishing is still going well. Some reports of Big Carp form the Glastonbury
Ferry ramp, and Yellow Perch a plenty in Keeney cove (when the water is at
fishable level)

Reports from Salmon
river, Jeremy and Blackledge  Stocking
by the DEEP has taken place and there are great opportunities for fall angling.

Marine:

Porgy season is
extended until 12-31-2011.

Porgy fishing is excellent, squid
strips and sandworms as usual. Customers are reporting that there are so many
porgy, you can’t do anything wrong, just wet the line and fish on!

Blackfishing
is reporting as good. It has been reported that an angler weighed in an 18lb
Blackfish at (COMPETITOR) tackle shop, caught from shore. That’s a helluva
Blackfish.

Albies
? Anyone?

Western
LI Sound doing well for Bluefish and Stripers on Bunker Chunks.

Bluefish
are everywhere, there’s no escape.
Targeting blues using chunk baits from shore, throwing lures into a
blitz, and live lining porgies (or bunker if you can find any) all doing very
well. The chompers are munching up long island sound all over.

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Freshwater
bite:

Wethersfield cove/CT
River through Cromwell has been reporting some very nice PIKE once again. We
are encouraged.  There was something that
killed a lot of Pike last year and we are glad to see the population recovering
so well so soon.

Dan Emerson of
Newington lost a HUGE pike this week at the boat.  Our own Mike Perch saw the fish come out of
the water before it disappeared to be caught another day.  Measuring or weighing did not happen but
everyone there agreed it was a BIG FISH.
Hit on a Chartreuse spinner in 8-10 feet.

Black Crappie fishing
is heating up in the Greater Hartford area with lots of 13 inch and up fish
caught in Black Pond, Coventry, Mansfield and Upper Bolton.

Reports from Salmon
river, Jeremy and Blackledge  all
sound good.  Trout stocking and
management have us set up for a good fall fishery.  Also noteworthy is Roaring Brook in
Glastonbury seems to have been re-stocked this past week.

Marine:

Porgy season is
extended until 12-31-2011.

Porgy fishing is excellent, squid
strips and sandworms as usual. Customers are reporting that there are so many
porgy, you can’t do anything wrong, just wet the line and fish on!

Blackfishing
is reporting as good. Shallower spots are producing on Green crab, Asian crab
and hermits if you can get them.

Josh B brought in a real “fattie”
Black, looked somewhere around 10lbs.  It
made EXCELLENT CHOWDAH!

Albies
have moved.  Very hard to find any
inside, but the reports are CRAZY out at Montauk.  Blitzes of little anchovies with Albies
rolling through for acres and acres.

Stripers,
Western sound seeing some action and some ?bunker? Chunking for Stripers
producing way too many bluefish.
Drifting or slinging Eels after dark is your best bet for now.

Bluefish
are everywhere, there’s no escape.
Targeting blues using chunk baits from shore, throwing lures into a
blitz, and live lining porgies (or bunker if you can find any) all doing very
well. The chompers are munching up long island sound all over.

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DEP Fall Trout stocking report looks good!

DEEP started off the 2011 fall stocking season this week. From now through mid-October DEEP plans to stock nearly 30,000 adult trout (15,000 adult-size rainbow trout, 14,500 trophy-size brown trout). A total of 33,000 “yearling” trout (6-9 inch fish) are also scheduled to be released into selected waters.

This week DEEP expects to stock a total of 2,750 brown trout (12 inch and larger fish) into the Mianus River TMA (300 fish), Mill River TMA (Fairfield, 200 fish), Naugatuck River TMA (425 fish), Norwalk River (325 fish), Saugatuck River TMA (250 fish), Wolfe Park Trout Park (Great Hollow Pond, 500 fish), Sleeping Giant TMA (Mill River-Hamden, 250 fish) and the Wharton Brook Pond Trout Park (500 fish). Additionally, 5,000 adult rainbow trout and 3,000 “yearling” brown trout (6-9 inch fish) will be stocked into the Housatonic River TMA (upper TMA).

Trout stocking notes – The Naugatuck River TMA was not stocked upstream of the Route 8 bridge this week due to highway work. Due to continuing high flows, the postponed Labor Day stocking of the West Branch Farmington River

Connecticut River:  Greater Hartford area:

Flows down to reasonable and launch-able levels, but the water is still very muddy.  Cat fishing with smelly baits reported as good, and some Smallies were caught on spinner baits by a regular customer of ours.

Lakes and  Ponds: 

Carping in Batterson over the weekend, awaiting report.

Dividend pond giving up some Bass, as well as lower Bolton and Coventry.

Farmington River  

Lower section Unfishable, still!

Pat McMullen landed a 18 inch rainbow on a roostertail this past week above Collinsville despite the murky conditions.

Marine:

Striper fishing the reefs and the race has improved a bit, with Live-lining Porgies in the day nad eels at night being the successful presentation.

Albies and Bonito have been making appearances this week with mixed reporting, some guys killin em, and some guys struggling.  Jordan Cove, Goshen Point, Barn Island Pine island, and around Fishers all reports good.  Sebile magic swimmers, badonkadonk, and t-man tins working well.

Snapper blues are missing? Anyone?

The race is still producing a ton of blues.  Blackfishing closed until 11-01.

Porgy fishing is excellent, squid strips and sandworms as usual.

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Welcome to FALL!

The weather has been just ridiculous lately and it’s effecting our ability to get out there for sure.

Connecticut River:  Greater Hartford area:

Once again, Mother Nature has made fishing any of the rivers a real challenge for a while.  The Willie yesterday was an inch or so from RT 32 in Stafford Springs, the CT is backing up the Park river into Hartford, and the Mighty CT looks like chocolate milk vita-mixed with 10w30…CT River cresting today at 21 ½ feet, beginning to slowly drop.  Maybe next week?

Lakes and  Ponds: 

Crappie fishing is good at Mansfield hollow, small and medium Arkansas shiners on Road Runner lures.

Farmington River  

Unfishable, again!

Marine:

Surfcasters are starting to do well a little east, even in some nasty surf.  Birds workin just off shore at

Watch hill light house.   Groton also a few reports of blitzes, but mostly Blues with Stripers mixed in.

Haven’t heard any credible Albie or Bonito reports………………..yet!

Porgy fishing is excellent, sandworms and squid are flyin outta here!.

Blaine took a toiguh ride 25-30 miles out of Niantic Thursday but it was too rough (even for him) to wet a line.

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Connecticut River:  Greater Hartford area:

It doesn’t look like the big rivers will be fishable until sometime next week. River flows in Hartford are at 17 feet today, and dropping pretty good though.  It will take some time for the rains in VT to flush through and clean up the clarity.  There is a serious amount of debris (huge debris!) floating down river. Forecast shows that by Sunday night we could be below 12 feet which is out of the “action stage”.  Ramps and launches will be seriously silted over, so make sure you wear waders or muck boots when you launch.  Be careful out there.  Irene may just have moved some of the Hazards you “used to know”.

Lakes and  Ponds: 

Crappie (Calico) fishing is starting to heat up.  Many lakes and ponds retained a fishable water level and have begun to clear (visibility) from the recent storm. This may be the best choice to get out in any fresh water this week.

FWB are moving deeper and it’s time to focus on Jig fishing.

Farmington River  

unfishable

Marine:

STRIPED BASS

The faithful are starting to get itchy and head out despite the churning that the LIS got this past weekend.  Striper fishing is still expected to be tough again this week with the huge bluefish breakin of tons of terminal tackle.  Best bet is to drift eels at night when the bluefish are historically less active.  All of the reefs are producing once you get a bait down through the blues.

Porgy fishing is expected to stay strong, as soon as the sound settles down and guys can get out there.

Perch and Cricket braved the rough and dirty seas this week, launching from Barn Island.  They found the fishing very spotty, but were able to jig up some keeper sea bass, squids, and fluke too. The fluke were caught on the freshly caught squids, in 50-60 feet of water.

IF YOU GO OUT, BE AWARE OF THE UNUSUALLY LARGE TREES FLOATING ABOUT!!!

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