After decades of cracking jokes, wearing clown makeup and helping others, comedian and the “Resident Clown,” Joey Russell died Saturday, September 26 at the age of 90.

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by Capt. Allen Fee

It seems like it was just last week that we were all anticipating the fishing season, and now it’s down to just two remaining weekends to stock your freezer with fluke. If you like to eat healthy and you know what is good for you, you don’t have to be a doctor or a nutritionist to know that fish should be on your menu. Fluke, like all of its other flat cousins, is a very mild tasting white fish that is almost always a crowd pleaser at the dinner table.

Like all New Englanders, we enjoy our constant changes. Be it the seasons, or something you look forward to each year, like traveling or fishing. Our summer season allows us to locally indulge on all sorts of aquatic fare. Go dig a few clams for chowder, have a fish bake, or make a lobster roll. The next thing you know, its February, and you’re leaning over a supermarket freezer fantasizing about last summer, wondering why you didn’t fish more and save it. You’ll be serving tilapia at your dinner party, trying to explain to your guests, where that comes from.

Sam Orr, Lord’s Point, finally met his 50 pound goal with a 53 pound striper caught with a live eel, at the Montauk Rips on July 23rd. Sam fished along side John Dodd, also of Lord’s Point, who had long taunted Sam on his 50-plus pound cover photo striper, taken a while back.

Gary Veronik, Preston, limited out on fluke, for two weekends in a row, fishing just south of Eel Grass Ground. Last Saturday, Gary brought in a 28 inch, eight-pound fluke to Shaffer’s Bait and Tackle, Mystic.

Capt. Allen Fee accompanied New York Yankee pitcher, David Robertson, during his All-Star break, for a bass trip to Sugar Reef and Catumb Rocks. David returned to practice on Friday with a sore arm from catching bass and blues on the surface, up to 36 inches in length.

Cheryl at Shaffer’s reported that the porgy fishing from the Mystic River Park is still good, and a good source of cheap entertainment for the kids and vacationers alike. Shaffer’s recommends sandworms for bait in the park. The Mason’s Island Causeway just got its first wave of snapper bluefish. Kastmaster lures and snapper poppers should do the trick for them. Free parking near the bridge is provided by Shaffer’s.

Fluke fishing in CT closes August 20th. After that, you can set your sights on blackfish, or black sea bass.

Back on the dinner table, a well carved porgy or scup is a nice little meal. The meat is white with a narrow band of dark meat near the skin. They can be filleted or served whole. At least you’ll know where the fish you’re eating came from. Bon Appetit!

Shaffer’s Bait and Tackle
106 Mason’s Island Road, Mystic, CT
860.536.8713

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by Capt. Allen Fee

Finally after a long wait, the 2009 fluke season is upon us and doing well. Lots of recent confusion regarding new regulations, and chatter of a marine fishing license, has all anglers fearful of doing the wrong thing in the wrong place. The most important thing a fisherman operating a boat can learn, is where the state boundaries overlying the waters are. Some of the more recent model GPS navigators run charting software, which include these boundary lines. A lesser expensive approach would be to obtain a Captain Seagull’s Chart of Fishers Island Sound. This chart is one of the few charts that clearly define the CT, New York, and Rhode Island demarcations. Presently fluke fishing is open in CT and Rhode Island. New York closed its fluke fishing the day after CT opened theirs, and will reopen July 3rd.

Opening day in CT showed good numbers in fluke caught while the size was slightly lacking. “Not too many keepers out there,” reported Dana Pollard, Mystic, who worked hard to get his three fish limit.

Misquamicut Beach was very good over the weekend. Most drifted at depths of forty-five to sixty feet. Bare in mind that, although Rhode Island has a six fish limit, you may only possess three per person in CT. Also don’t enter New York waters with any fluke, until it reopens in July.

Striper catches are still doing well from Lord’s Passage over to Watch Hill Reef. Cheryl at Shaffer’s Bait and Tackle is selling lots of parachute jigs and trolling wire. Shaffer’s also stocks the charts mentioned earlier.

Scup or porgy catches in the Mystic River Park are still doing well using sandworms or squid. Some blues were also caught up at the bend in River Road, near the I-95 overpass. Bob Lamphere and the two Rays compete regularly for “High Hook” of the Mystic River.

For a complete listing of the marine regulations or a local tide table, visit www.shaffersmystic.com or stop by the store.

Shaffer’s Bait and Tackle
106 Mason’s Island Road
Mystic, CT
860.536.8713

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by Capt. Allen Fee

Early June is a wonderful time to fish for striped bass. The long daylight hours allow us plenty of time to go fishing, while the cool water temperatures fend off the bluefish. Not to say they aren’t fun to catch, but each requires slightly different tackle. It’s simply a matter of the leader material, wire or monofilament. Summed up in one short word. “Teeth.”

The early striped bass fisherman arm themselves with an extensive and sometimes expensive assortment of lures and hooks. Only to have them bitten off, or chewed up by a toothy blue. It is assumed by most that stripers are leader shy, and are turned off at the sight of a wire leader. Using a translucent material, such as mono or fluorocarbon, can greatly improve your catches.

Here we are on the brink of summer and the sea temperatures are quickly rising. Every angler still fishing with their seventeen dollar Yo-Zuri lure is at risk. We all know it won’t be long before old snaggletooth cleans out our tackle boxes.

Striped bass catches are being reported from Norwich to Napatree. Wolf, We-Tu Bait and Tackle, North Stonington, reported that Peter Butterfield is doing well behind the police station in Norwich Harbor. He used a white, pearl, chartreuse color, soft-bodied Zoom.

Wolf also added that trout fishing in the ponds is beginning to slow, but bass fishing should pick up soon. We-Tu reminds everyone that they will host a Father’s Day Tournament this season. Contact the shop for details, 860.536.6551.

Allen and Cheryl,  Shaffer’s Bait and Tackle, Mystic, received several reports of top water, striper blitzes, during and after the Memorial Day weekend. “They were all around Race Rock!” said Tony McCarthy, Hebron. Tony caught and released more than ten bass, in the 25 – 30 inch range, using Tsunami soft plastics. “They were feeding on live squid.” Similar reports also came from Watch Hill Reef, and in as close as the Monastery, Enders Island.

June 15th is opening day this year for the fluke season. Shaffer’s Bait and Tackle is fully stocked with silversides, smelt, Peruvian spearing, and squid. “Bring it on!” says Cheryl.

Take a little time to inspect all you equipment. A broken rod tip or cracked guide can ruin your line. If you don’t know the age of your line, or it resembles a telephone cord, it’s probably time to change it. Line is one of the least expensive, yet most important components in fishing. New line casts better and allows you to hang on to those costly lures a little longer. At least until the bluefish come in.

Shaffer’s Bait and Tackle

106 Mason’s Island Road

Mystic, CT

860.536.8713

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