CTFishTalk.com: Atlantic Herring - Connecticut Saltwater ( CT Saltwater ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

Crest Daddy · Joined: 20 Jan 2011 Posts: 994

They will be here in a couple weeks! YumYum for me and for the stripers!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_herring
Get your Sabiki rigs before every store is sold out of them.
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fishingkid · Joined: 04 May 2011 Posts: 340

They're good pickled, If anyone wants to know how to pickle them, watch these videos I found. Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CqrU2guN0M Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mTOP28oySQ&feature=related . Very informative!

Crest Daddy · Joined: 20 Jan 2011 Posts: 994

Last year i watched some vids on pickling. Then i made up a recipe from memory of about 5 different ones. Pickling doesn't have to be exact. Mine came out great...
They werent bad fried either.
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fishingkid · Joined: 04 May 2011 Posts: 340

I got a sabiki rig today and shortened it to 3 hooks, so I could cast easier whenthe herring come later.

kennethshaw · Joined: 16 Aug 2011 Posts: 60

Hey guys,
I'd love to try to catch some herring. Never seen or caught one before. When and where are good places to go to catch them? Also, what are some good rigs/ways to catch them?

Thanks.
Ken

SeaDog1 · Joined: 21 Dec 2009 Posts: 2629

Oh Guys!

Just a reminder -> It's "illegal" to catch Alewives and Blueback Herring, collectively called river herring here in Ct.
(Page 10 of Ct. Angler's Guide)

Atlantic Herring are legal to catch -> But you will have to go out into Long Island Sound to catch them.

I called DEP, and any herring of any species caught in the rivers, streams, or off the coastal land shore/bridges is considered river herring.

Just an FYI you should be aware of Exclamation

Oh! Another FYI -> The national marine fisheries has closed TAC area 1-A off NH to herring fishing. If they decide to close the Nantucket area then LIS will also abide and close. (Right now that is not the case.)
This is due to total lower annual spawning results expected thru 2012.

SeaDog1

fish4fun · Joined: 23 Jul 2011 Posts: 50

SeaDog1 · Joined: 21 Dec 2009 Posts: 2629

Hi,

According to what I was told by DEEP.
Fishing for "Atlantic Herring" can only be done "outside" the jettys to Milford Inner Harbor into Long Island Sound.
This is because the AH do intermingle annualy with Alewives and Bluebacks in the inner harbor and hard to distinguish between the 3.
(Note: AH are deep water spawnner's but do come near shore to feed on zooplankton)

Fishing for other species of fish in Milford Harbor are as dictated by the Ct. Anglers Guide.

They're trying to conserve and restore the runs designated as "river herring" and AH get mixed in with those and hard to distinguish between the 3 types

Again this is what has been explained to me by DEEP.

SeaDog1

fishingkid · Joined: 04 May 2011 Posts: 340

Crest Daddy · Joined: 20 Jan 2011 Posts: 994

I use 3/4 to 1oz depending on the current.

The DEP will not bother you at my herring spot. They come down there to check licences and that's it. They KNOW there aren't any river herring there this time of year. And there is NO Limit to the Atlantic herring. NONE. Words from the mouth of the beast. But just take what you can use.
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Crest Daddy · Joined: 20 Jan 2011 Posts: 994

E mailed the B@$T@RD$ about the herring. I suggest everyone make a big stink about this and stand up before we can't fish for anything from shore. You never know, your kids or grandkids may ask you some day about when we had God given RIGHTS.
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fishingkid · Joined: 04 May 2011 Posts: 340

For anyone wondering, here are pictures of Sea and River Herring so you can tell them apart.

Here is a sea herring. Notice the coloration aand its slim appearance.

Here are river herring (one is an alewife and one is a blueback, but I can't tell them apart). Notice their slight blue coloring, and deeper body.

fish4fun · Joined: 23 Jul 2011 Posts: 50

I reread this years rules and regulations, and could not find one mention of atlantic herring in there. If they say we can't fish for them, it should be in some form of written regulation, not he said, she said.
They define river herring as alewives or blueback herring, not atlantic herring. They should be easily identified because they have no spot behind the gill plate, and both bluebacks and alewives do. http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dmf/publications/herring_id.pdf
Only a handful of diehards fish for herring in Milford, and most are just out there on the few nice days in December, then switch to ice fishing in Jan.. I'm sure the impact is negligible, and to restrict this is ridiculous.

SeaDog1 · Joined: 21 Dec 2009 Posts: 2629

Hi,

Your right! The taking of "Atlantic Herring" is perfectly OK!

The distinction is "where" you can take them Exclamation

It's the division line between the ...Inland district and the Marine district that is what makes this a confusing issue.

As explained -> Out in Long Island Sound is OK! (Marine district)

Inside (Inland district) head land to headland (or entrance to enclosed harbors/rivers/streams) is where the restrictions apply -> and "THAT" is for All Year-365 days till further notice .

So if any AH come from offshore into those enclosed areas (Inland district).... then ( the DEEP Inland district closure rules apply.) Question

Again: CONFUSING Question

I also find this confusing because there is no specific distinction also to certain fish taken during particular times of year or seasons and "Where".

Note: Again -> The NMF fisheries council has closed the TAC area 1A off NH.
If determined that the Nantucket Shoal spawning stock of "Atlantic Herring" is below sustainable yield (This is the stock that comes into LIS) and if they close this TAC area to herring fishing, then that applies to LIS also.

Yeah! I know -> confusing isn't it.

Still, if we don't try and conserve our fisheries, then there won't be anything to catch.
Herring and Menhaden are the base forage/feed for many other fish.
Menhaden (Porgies) are now very much in danger and heavy restrictions have/are being applied to allow stocks to recover.
Herring are also a very important part of that forage base.
Shad are also part of the forage base.

There always seems to be some kind of argument/disagreement between Fisheries Councils and the fishermen over (type-fish - size limitation - time of year... and how) fish can be taken.
I particularly find the rules on the taking of Fluke to be most confusing!
Personaly, I'd like to see the size limitation on Stripers reduced as they are top predators of Herring and Menhaden and not enough are being taken.

No sense getting Sick, PO'd, or getting your Blood pressure worked up -> It is what it is!

SeaDog1

Crest Daddy · Joined: 20 Jan 2011 Posts: 994

So basically you can't fish for them. Nobody has a boat in the water in december/january & jetty fishing is brutal enough without going out into open water with the high winds and cold this time of year. You would likely get very ill.
This is how they make herring fishing impossible without actually making it illegal.
DEEP can suck river rocks.
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