CTFishTalk.com: Penfield Reef 6/14 - Connecticut Saltwater Reports ( CT Saltwater Reports ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

Michael · Joined: 28 Jan 2012 Posts: 3823 Location: Bridgeport

My dad and I hit The Reef once again. High tide for Bridgeport was scheduled for 8:37pm and we got out there at about 6:30pm.

While waiting for my dad, I started working the east side with that 13cm Maxx Rap. Nothing was interested after about 10 casts so switched over to a 10cm original pearl shad Flat Rap and started working the west side.

On the west side of the Reef, sea robins were the ones. I caught a total of 5 with the Flat Rap.

My dad got a 3 to 4 pound taylor with a topwater on the east side. Another fisherman out there hit one on a topwater.

I started casting that Flat Rap in the same area. A blue came off right in front of me and a blue took off with the lure. Didn't have a wire leader on.

Put the wire leader on and switched over to a 9cm chrome Skitter Pop. Got my first topwater blue of the year! Great fight with my lighter 8' 6" medium action Saint Croix and 10lb mono on a Shimano FX4000.

Once the bite turned off, I switched over to a 10cm chrome Flat Rap. That got me 1 of the 5 sea robins on the west side and hit a 16" schoolie on the east side.

Called it a night around 8:45pm.

My dad got the blue and had 1 nice explosion.

2 different patterns I noticed at the Reef were where each fish were and the speed of the retrieve. Sea robins were thick on the west side while an occasional small school of bluefish would come in on the east side. Retrieve for a plug and spoon were an average medium retrieve like freshwater spinners. Retrieve for topwater was more of an average stop and go instead of skipping it across the surface.

Another pattern I've noticed since West Haven on 5/16 is when the fish are hitting as for tides. Even if you might be out on the Reef, wait for the water to get much higher. Once there's plenty of depth to work, that's when they'll hit.

MikeOkay · Joined: 04 May 2012 Posts: 76 Location: Naugatuck

Sounds like a good day out on the water. Fishing the west haven shore growing up with my dad all i ever did was chunk it aside from when the bigschools came in the fall. But the smell is so terrible i don't miss it. There has to be a better way!

Hearing you have some decent luck with lures makes me really wanna grab my old salt water poles and give it a try. Do you tend to have luck all summer?

Michael · Joined: 28 Jan 2012 Posts: 3823 Location: Bridgeport

Sometimes once the water temps hit the high mark, blues go deeper and farther north. All depends on the air temps and sun's UV.

I have had some years where I'm hitting them all the way from late May til mid October. Have only gotten 1 in November.

August usually means local snappers for me, unless I can get out to where the adults are.

Crest Daddy · Joined: 20 Jan 2011 Posts: 994

Tip so the blues don't take off with the lure.
# 1 - use 60-80 lb mono for a leader.
#2- don't use lures small enough for a blue to inhale completely.
#3- see numbers 1 & 2.
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Trust me. Use waxworms !

Cd662 · Joined: 03 Mar 2012 Posts: 91

Mike, if I recall, someone mentioned on this forum something about changing out the hooks on some of your double duty plugs. I know you have some freshwater stuff and some things from eBay, I'd change those out now before bigger fish start wandering around - could make a trip get really expensive! Glad to know you guys did well.